𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑦 𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑘𝑠 𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑠 - 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 - 𝑏𝑜𝑜𝑘 2

Chapter 1

In the past few months after hockey season ended, Mr. Banks gave my mother a promotion and raise at work. He thought he would want to help out with our current situation. Mother found a small two-storied home within District 5 lines. The house was small like our old one but it was only the two of us.

In March, my birthday had come and I became 14 years old, now starting high school in the fall. It was the middle of May and the summer started creeping in on me.

I only saw the Ducks on occasion, like at school, except for Charlie and Connie who I visited quite often. However, I was upset that Banksie and I never got to see each other after offseason since I was so busy with school work.

During Coach Bombay's leave to play with the Waves, Ms. Conway got remarried since she lost contact with Coach Bombay. Charlie and I picked up our apprenticeship jobs at Hans shop where we met his brother Jan.

He taught us how to sharpen skates, which we found pleasing and relaxing. Charlie and I spent most of our time away from home sharpening skates at the shop.

Jan would post up new newspaper clippings and photos of Coach Bombay. The papers called him "The Minnesota Miracle Man". Every time Jan would put up a new photo or newspaper clipping, it would always make me feel happy inside for a little while, then it would disappear from sadness.

One day, while the two of us sharpened skates in the back, Jan told us that Coach Bombay would be coming home due to a knee injury. Charlie and I were ecstatic from this news, we couldn't wait to see Coach. Show him all the changes, show him how much we changed. Charlie just grew like a weed and made me feel short. Puberty on the other hand hit me like a train. Gave me a whole new face and body, which is thin.

The next day, when Charlie and I showed up for work in the morning, Jan had told us to be quiet because Coach was sleeping.

"When did he get here?" I asked Jan while looking at Coach Bombay sleeping on the couch through french doors.

"Last night, 11 o'clock-ish." He responded.

Charlie and I then went to our stations and got to work, putting on our safety glasses before starting to sharpen the skates.

What felt like hours of sharpening, Charlie stopped sharpening and walked into the room where Coach was sleeping, "Sorry, did I wake you?" Charlie said while opening up the doors.

"Hey, Charlie." Coach smiled while sitting up.

"Hey Coach, great to see you." He strides over to Coach who then embraced him.

Quickly, I turned off the machine and took off my glasses, putting them on the collar of my shirt, "Coach! Your awake!" I smiled widely before running up to him.

His eyes went wide, "Vic! Oh my God, you're a completely different girl than the one I last saw!" We embraced each other.

"Well, not too much, Mister Big Stuff over here keeps growing like a weed and making me feel short." I elbowed Charlie playfully, who laughed.

He then shot his hands in the air, "Well it's not my fault that I keep growing!"

Jan then stepped in the room with a tray in his hands, he made trumpet noises with his mouth, "For breakfast my specialty, Jan's hasen-"

"Hasenpfeffer and eggs." We all said together while looking at each other.

Jan smiled before setting the tray down on the coffee table, "Yeah, I thought I smelled something burning." Coach joked around before the four of us sat down.

"I see you've met my new apprentices." Jan gestured to the two of us.

Charlie looked over at Coach, "Jan told us that you did this job when you were our age."