It's Maggie Brooks's first year at Eden Hall Academy and she can't wait to dive into a school year full of fun. Down to earth and understanding good girl, Maggie finds herself getting into a crowd her brother and his friends don't necessarily want...
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As the practice had finished and it neared eight thirty, the Ducks decided to wrap up their evening of fun. It'd been quite a day, two practices and long hours of work, tired them out and each of them were ready to relax for the rest of the night. A game of messy hockey had been played to free them of their jitters and reward them for their hard work. Maggie and Nevaeh had stood on the other side of the boards, both being offered to play, and both denying kindly the offers.
Everyone was in the locker room, the boys showering with laughter as they cooled off under the shower heads. Connie and Julie had left after changing and were going to shower at the shower room on their dorm floor. Nevaeh was already gone, heading to her dorm where she'd thrown herself below the blankets of her bed after changing into some fuzzy PJ pants and socks with a tank.
Maggie hadn't left though, wanting to try out her skating skills since the rink was now empty. Pucks remained in a bin just outside the door in case they were in need of use. She was on the ice, but just needed to push herself off with her foot to get herself moving. Maggie wasn't afraid to skate, it was the fear of falling and getting bruise and though she knew it wouldn't matter, because once she began to slip or fall, she knew there wasn't any chance of her recovering from it.
With a push from her right foot, she skated off slowly and simply took a lap around the rink, not needing much more than that. Maggie recalled skating often when she was younger. She remembered her gorgeous mother standing at the boards with a big polaroid camera that was falling apart from how old it was and her father skating around the rink, trying to outskate his sons and daughter, who tried to catch him for the fun of it.
Leaving the locker room, a bunch of the guys heard something coming from the rink and they all knew there wasn't any one else left because they'd left. However, with a turn around the corner from their locker room doors, the few boys approached the rink and stopped.
"She can skate?" Averman said. "Hmm, didn't think she could."
"Why? 'Cause she's a prepster?" Luis shook his head.
"Well, she did say she didn't play hockey or sports." Goldberg shrugged, not too sure what to think about the girl skating around.
"Imma join her." Dwayne said, turning and going back inside the locker room to grab his skates.
"Hey Cowboy, why ya in a hurry?" Russ laughed.
"I ain't, but someone may as well keep her company. I know my cows don't like-"
"Just go." Russ pushed him away and the boy shrugged, jogging off towards the boards. He didn't make a sound and the few boys had turned, wandering off in their own direction as they talked one another the other. Dwayne kept low, not wanting to disturb the girl since she was so focused. He'd slipped his skates on and tied them up.
Maggie had heard the boys blabbing among one another and it wasn't because she had seen them first, it was because they weren't whispering the echoed area. She noticed Dwayne set either hand to the edge of the boards as he looked over to her and she skated over to meet him at fool proof wall.
She skidded to a stop wobbly and he chuckled, causing her to hit his upper arm. "Not funny."
"Didn't know ya skated. None of us did." He told her.
She shrugged. "Never asked." She swiped his black cowboy hat and placed it firmly on top of her head of loose curls.
"Hey!" He called.
"You'll get it back." She giggled. "Don't worry. She skated backward slowly, escaping from the edge of the boards as she entered the face off circle. "I been skating since I was young."
"Brothers teach ya?"
She half nodded at his question. "Father did too. We used to skate around often, we are a hockey family after all. I just picked it up along the way." She shrugged.
He stepped onto the ice without a problem and skated off, twirling around in circles as he did so and she stopped, her brows narrowing together. Almost close enough to form one brow as she stared him down. "What?" He asked her.
"Showing off?" She crossed her arms.
"No." He answered sheepishly, his face flustering up in a embarrassment from her accusing sarcasticness. "Just skatin'."
"Oh really?" She asked. "Any fast?"
"Course I'm fast." He shot with a smile and she nods, smiling as well.
"All right," She skated over to the far end of the rink and he slowly followed, the smile plastered to his face from her making him smile. "I'll race ya."
"Ah no way." He shook his head.
"Come on, Dwayne!" She wailed in displeasure. "Are you afraid I'll beat you?"
"No." He shot quickly, offended she'd assume that.
He took his stance and she lowered in a prepared stance as well, one skate in front of the other as she stared over to him. He narrowed his eyes, putting his game face on and she broke her competitive stare with a giggle. Focusing, she inhaled deeply with both hands in front of her, relaxing herself as she released the bad ora and breathed in the good.
Ready, she eyed him before they looked away from one another. The unison count of three, they took off down the ice, shoving one another shoulders in attempt to out beat the other. Maggie was winning confidently in the start, but the smiley ranch hand pulled through and out beat her, even adding a twirl, which got her twitching at the idea she was losing. With an exasperated sigh, she arrived lastly and the tips of her skates smoked the boards as she came in such a hurry.
"Thought you could skate?" He nudged her, poking fun at her.
"Thought you knew how to treat the ladies?" She shot back just as sarcastically as he had, mouth agape as she skated backward, laughing.
"Wanna play that game?"
She shook her head, trying to hide her smile with pursed lips, but couldn't and busted out into a laugh. He skated off and she turned in a hurry, skating down the ice in a whip. Dwayne wasn't slow and as fast as she could, she tried out skate him, but failed to do so. Dwayne caught up and managed to skate in front of her, twisting his body as his skates shifted and he came in front of her. Stopping suddenly, the ice shaved into snow and she ran into him, both stopping.
Face to face, they laughed with one another and continued as it became a contagious laugh. One that sent Maggie almost crying from laughing so much. She was having fun, they both were equally enjoying themselves. Maggie slowed her laughter as she grew serious and lifted her knitted sleeve, glancing at her watch. Looking up, she met his stare and skated a step back away from him.
"Well, I should be going." She spoke up calmly. His laughter died down and he lifted, fixing his sweaty hair below. "I'm sorry to cut it short." She spun around him, skating toward the boards.
"Maybe we could do it again sometime." He lifts his chin, nodding to her.
She smiled with a slow nod. "Sounds great...Have a good night, Cowboy."
"And you too, Girly."
She stopped at the boards and turned suddenly, forgetting she'd been wearing his hat, which had been too big for her smaller head. She'd felt like a country person, yet the hat was the only accessory making her feel that way, and she did feel almost ridiculous for thinking of that, but it was what she thought.
Maggie turned on her skates, pursing her lips. "I almost forgot."
He lifted a hand, waving it around as he shook his head. "Nah, you keep it." He nods. "I more."
