𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐋𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒, 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬 [𝟑] ✓

14| Take that back now!

      ADAM BANKS LET OUT A shaky breath as he eyed the very familiar team skating around in a circle that early morning. He couldn't help but feel his chest swell up with guilt; regardless of the fact that he truly didn't know what varsity had planned until it was too late.

He bit the inside of his cheek as he sadly glanced up at them, earning quite a few glares and eye rolls.

"You ready?" He heard Scooter's voice from behind him. It wasn't a genuine question and Adam knew that. He knew he was more of trying to say, 'I'm sorry about this, I know it's hard'

Adam swallowed the lump in his throat and didn't tear his eyes away from his former teammates as he shook his head. "Not at all," Adam said nonchalantly, "but what's done is done.."

Before Scooter could say anything else, Adam had taken it upon himself to speak to his best friend who was completely infuriated with the blond varsity player. He let out a breath to steady his confidence as he skated around the brunette and found his way in front of him.

"They didn't tell me until it was too late," Adam began in an apologetic voice, "Charlie, believe me.."

Adam clenched his jaw as he saw nothing but fury in Charlie's eyes. "Yeah right," Charlie spat, "preppy"

At the quite derogatory term, Adam bowed his head defeatedly as he skated to his bench in sorrow. Everyone on his former team had sent him glares except Connie who just had a questionable glance at her face.

With a sigh, he sat down on the bench and rested his unprotected head in his hands, not even daring to cast a glance at the game that was about to commence.

As much as it hurt him to do, Adam let out another small celebration as his team scored again. He hated going against the ducks. He hated everything that was happening on the ice at that moment. It didn't feel right. It didn't feel like the game he had grown to love.

His teammates showed no mercy on the ducks. They would've gotten dozens of penalties if this were a real game. Adam, on the other hand, just kept skating, trying not to draw attention to that fact that part of him was going easy. Truly, he had no intention of ever taking a shot at Goldberg or Julie- hence the reason he passed every time. Even when the ducks had the puck and he would be skating beside them trying to earn it back, he wouldn't be aggressive. Simply, he'd try to make it play off like he was roughhousing when really, all he was doing was sticking his stick in to attempt to get it.

Adam stood behind his taller teammates in a cower as they towered over Connie's frustrated composure. He felt bad watching as she tumbled away from the group, needing Charlie to grab ahold of her shoulder so she could regain balance. He couldn't help himself from thinking of Nova and how often she got herself in situations like these on the ice due to her small size and competitive fire. He remembered how snarky her remarks were and how aggressive she got when she was losing or frustrated. He remembered that if anyone were to try and interfere and get in between her conflict, she'd most likely give them just as much wrath. As much as it pained him to think about, part of him felt a warm feeling in his heart as he reminisced on the girls overall persona. Everything she was and is just made Adam's heartbeat race faster and faster. Every moment they shared, every joke they laughed, every quirk he noticed- it all hurt him to think about; and as much as he wanted to let it go, he couldn't. He couldn't let go of something that was just so important to him.

"Settle down boys.." Adam heard Dwayne say, snapping him away from his thoughts as he carefully pushed back the varsity team and settled their pride.

Adam just sorrowfully, but willingly took face off, slightly wincing at Charlie's hard scowl towards him. With three slaps of their sticks, the face off began. Adam would be lying to himself if he said he didn't ease up. It wasn't intentional but inside, he felt all the guilt drive him to letting Charlie win the face off.