Forever and Always | Adam Banks

You Look Like Ducks

The team had been practicing every day, preparing for the JV-Varsity game. Coach Orion wanted them to focus on what he called "clearing out the trash". The Varsity team was able to score so many points because they were always ready for the rebound. If the Ducks were able to clear the puck out before Varsity could get their shots off, they would have a good shot at holding them to zero points. 

After finishing up the last practice before the game, Coach Orion called them to gather around. "Let's go! Get over here! Grab a knee!" The tone of his voice made it seem like he was angry, so Ellie was curious as to what they had done wrong. "You guys are not skating like Warriors! You look like something else. You look like Ducks." 

Coach Orion grabbed their jerseys out of a box, tossing the first one to Dwayne. The Ducks were beaming at the sight of their jerseys, ready to wear them again. Sticks were hitting the ice as the rink echoed with their cheers. They rushed to the box, all digging to find their jersey. Once everyone had collected their jerseys, the team made their way to center ice, circling and chanting their infamous quacks. They were the Ducks again, and they were going to be playing for themselves not some alumni board.

"You ready for tomorrow?" Adam asks Ellie, as they sit on her bedroom floor. They had been working on homework and waiting for Ellie's mom to finish cooking dinner. 

When Adam had been spending time around the house again, it was an odd conversation between Ellie and her mom. The conversation about their breakup was bad enough, which never went into full detail, but explaining that she and Adam were friends again was a close second. However, Ellie's mom was over the moon that the two kids were once again hanging out together. She had a feeling their breakup wasn't going to last long.  

"Yes and no," Ellie chuckles lightly. "Varsity is a good team, but we've been working hard all week. It's going to be an interesting game." 

"I think we have a good chance." If they played like they practiced, the Ducks could win this game. It wasn't going to be easy, but it was certainly possible. The Ducks were unstoppable when they were all together and they were ready to prove that.

"I think we do too if we are able to implement what we've been doing in practice." The most important factor to winning this game is focusing on what Coach Orion had been wanting them to work on. He was a good coach who wanted them to win this game.

They continued to talk about the game until Ellie's mom called them down to dinner. This was the first time Adam had the chance to sit down and talk to Ellie's parents since he started hanging around their house again. "How have you been, Adam?" Ellie's mom asks, happy to see the young boy in their house. "It's been a while since we've seen you." 

Ellie silently groans at the comment from her mother. Adam may have been at the house during the last couple of weeks, but he hadn't come in contact with his ex's parents. He would always come through Ellie's window and leave the same way. 

"I've been alright, pretty busy with school and hockey." Now that he and Ellie were back on talking terms, he didn't want to bring up the breakup. That period of them not speaking was the worst time of his life, but he didn't find the need to share that with her parents.

"I heard you're back with the JV team," Ellie's dad comments. He was impressed by the young boy when he had shared that he had made the Varsity team, so he was curious as to why he decided to move down. 

"Yes, sir. The Varisty team just wasn't for me," Adam shares. His issues with the Varsity team didn't need to be shared, as he didn't want Ellie's parents to know what had gone on between the two teams. Her parents were well connected and would find a way to get back at the Varsity team for what they did to their daughter.

"What a shame." Adam's dad made the same comment when he learned that he was no longer going to be playing on the Varsity team. However, Adam knew that he would still have an opportunity to get scouted, despite not playing with the Varsity team. He works hard and would get the chance to prove himself. 

"He belongs with the Ducks," Ellie responds to her father, defending her friend. The Varsity team did a lot of terrible things to him and the rest of the Ducks. Adam didn't deserve to be grouped together with those jerks. He was nothing like them and his home was with the Ducks. 

"I agree," Ellie's mom chimes back in. "I know how much Ellie hated being on a different team than you."

Ellie glances at Adam, trying to hide the blush on her face. He already knew that she much preferred them being on the same team, but it's awkward when it comes out of her mother's mouth. "He already knows that, mom," Ellie groans. "Or did you forget we dated during the majority of that time?"

"I didn't forget," her mom hums, a smirk on her face. She liked that the kids were friends, but she favored their relationship more. If there was anything she could do to nudge the two back into a relationship, she was going to do it. 

"I didn't like it either," Adam agrees. He thought he was going to enjoy the opportunities that would come with playing for Varsity, but it wasn't worth being separated from Ellie. "Being on the same team as Ellie is better than playing on the Varsity team."

He looks at Ellie, his eyes lighting up. They may be broken up, but he was always going to be in love with her. Playing on Varsity just reminded him that he wasn't enjoying the sport as much as he did when he played with Ellie. Not seeing her at practice or at games was something Adam struggled with. He played well, but his heart wasn't in it. 

The way Adam looked at Ellie didn't go unseen by Ellie's mom. She could tell how much he cared for her daughter and there was no denying that. She knew that if it was up to Adam the two would already back together. Her daughter just needed to realize that the boy sat next to her would move the Earth and the stars for her. 

Author's Note:

The next chapter will be the FINAL chapter! I do plan on doing an epilogue as well, so techincally there will be two more chapters. I hope you all have been enjoying this book and I'm so grateful that there are almost 1K of you reading this!!! Make sure to vote and comment. I would love to hear what y'all think is going to happen in the next chapter!