Octavia Arsov is hand selected to represent the USA in the Junior Goodwill Games along with her brother. Will they be able to find friends with their origins? Will they be able to find something more?
Book 1 of the Adam Banks series
OC x Adam Banks
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Team USA led against Italy 6-0, 3 of those points due to Octavia, and it was only the 1st quarter. Italy had the puck and the player shot but was saved by Goldberg.
"Have no fear, Goldberg is here. Hey man, there was nothing on that how about give me a good shot." He taunted an Italian.
"Those meatballs slowing you down? How do you say in Italiano, wussy?"
The Italian player shoved Goldberg and Octavia skated over as the ref pushed him away.
"Shut up man. They're gonna kick your ass." She laughed.
"Goldberg!" Bombay called from the stands.
"What'd I say?"
Portman smashed an Italian into the board and shot the puck to Fulton who passed it to Augustus. He scored and the crowd went crazy and the bash brothers teamwork. ••••••••••••
The game dragged on, Octavia scoring 2 more goals and Adam 2 when the clock blared declaring team USA the winner, 11-0.
The team cheered as they embraced each other for their win, them all congratulating each other for the goals scored.
The locker room was loud with cheers for their second win of the Games. Dwayne and Kenny were knocking Octavia around for all her goals and she shoved them off.
"Alright team. You've got the rest of the day off. Do whatever you want, I don't really care." Bombay informed while walking out of the locker room.
"I haven't seen him at all other than the games." Guy spoke up while yanking off his pads.
"Maybe he found himself a girlfriend." Connie suggested, knocking her elbow into Adam.
"I doubt that." Fulton laughed. •••••••••••••
Octavia, Adam, Connie, Guy, Julie, and Charlie all laid on the beach, enjoying their time in the warm climate.
"You know I live so close to the beach but have never been." She informed the group. She readjusted her bikini top and stretched her arms above her head.
"Well it does rain there a lot." Charlie pointed out. "It's always cold in Minnesota. No where even close to beach.
"I just wanna be tan. I think I would look healthier." Connie rubbed her arms in insecurity but Guy pulled her into his chest, flicking her nose.
"You look great already." He complimented. "Now let's go swim."
He yanked her up, Charlie and Julie following, and ran into the waves. Adam looked to the girl to ask her to go in but she just looked at the water.
"I can't swim." She admitted, answering his question for him. "My father was terrified we would drown like his dad so he never taught us."
"Huh." Adam thought deeply. "We can put our feet in. Would that be fine?"
She nodded and jumped up, pulling the boy to his feet and racing him to the water. She stopped at the edge and let the water run over her feet.
"It's warm."
"It's Cali." Adam laughed, picking her up and throwing her over his shoulder.
He waded knee deep and placed her down, turning to watch the others in deeper water. Octavia noticed him looking at Connie and Guy and knocked him with her elbow.
"If you want to go to them, you can. Trust me, I'll be okay."
He shook his head. "No I'd rather be right here. You wanna look for shells?"
"Sure." She smiled and the two made their way back inland, squatting in the moist sand and searching for shells.
Octavia dug until she found a few shells that were in good shape. She threw one to Adam, which he caught and examined.
"This ones yours. It's my favorite of the ones I've found."
Adam smiled and threw her a shell that looked like a rock. "That ones yours."
"This is a rock." She said, squinting at him skeptically.
"It's a clam. It's open a little so look inside." He pointed to the crack and he obliged.
Upon opening, there was a grey ball in the center. She dug it out and held it up examining it.
"That's a pearl." He pointed out. "That's yours, not the outer shell."
Octavia spun it in her hand and blushed. "Thank you."
Before he could reply, the group came out of the water and to the duo.
"It's getting late. We should be getting back." Charlie said walking past the two. The rest of the group followed him to dry off.
"I don't wanna go back yet. I wanna see the city." The Russian girl admitted, pulling on her white USA crop top and red shorts.
"We can go get ice cream later tonight." Adam suggested.
"Does this mean the dynamic duo can explore?"
"Hey, you're batman. You've got all the say." He laughed.
"Then yes." •••••••••••••••••••••
Octavia sat across from Adam as she licked her ice cream. The blonde was pointing out the posters of movies he had seen and ones he liked as the brunette listened intently to his opinions.
"Are you nervous for tomorrow?" She asked when the Iceland team was brought up.
"Yea. Those guys are huge." He admitted, eating a spoonful of his ice cream. "Are you?"
"Considering I'm tiny, yes. Plus they hate me and my brother for betraying our country. We'll be their main targets." She bit into her cone and shuddered at the coldness on her teeth.
"I won't let them." He blurted out. He blushed when he realized what he had said. "Robin's gotta save Batman sometimes right?"
Octavia nodded and licked her ice cream again, eyes squinting at the couple coming inside the parlor.
"Adam, tell me that's not-"
"It is." He stood up and took Octavia's hand in his, pulling her up to leave.
"Coach." Adam greeted, looking at the woman he was walking in with.
"Adam, Octavia, what are you two doing here? It's past curfew." Bombay asked. His look on his face showed that he knew he screwed up.
"What are you doing?" Octavia countered, her jaw clenched.
"We're just getting dessert." The lady spoke up.
"I asked my coach." Octavia glared.
"Let's get back, O. We've got better things to be doing." Adam pulled her towards the door and she followed, throwing the rest of her cone in the trash.
"We have to tell the team." She said as they walked down the street towards the hotel.
"We can't. We have the Iceland game tomorrow and we all have to be focused." Adam responded, thinking rationally.
"Bombay is with Iceland right now. We've already lost." She rolled her eyes and walked faster.
Adam ran to catch up to her. "O, listen." He stopped her in her tracks. "We've gotta have faith. The dynamic duo is unstoppable. We've got it." He gave her a small smile and threw his arm around her shoulder, heading back to the hotel.
