College, Love, and Hockey

Chapter 12

Courtney

We were all in the locker room getting ready. Everyone was wearing different jerseys. Julie, her Maine jersey. Charlie, our first Ducks jersey. Adam, the Ducks jersey from the USA team. Dwayne, his North Stars jersey. I was wearing my Tennessee Cowboys jersey. "Okay, ready guys?!" Charlie yelled. We all got up and started to cheer. We all got out onto the ice. Coach wasn't here yet. Charlie looked at us.

"Okay. Let's start practice." Charlie said. He looked at Dwayne. "Dwayne, have your rope?" Charlie asked. Dwayne smiled.

"Never leave home without it." Dwayne said as he pulled it out. We all looked at Charlie.

"Well okay, then. Lasso some stray cattle!" Charlie yelled happily. He smiled as he got the rope ready.

"Uh oh." I said out loud. We all started to skate away from him. I was skating with Charlie. Dwayne tried to get me, but I dodged it. Then, he got Charlie and Charlie fell. I stopped and started to laugh. I opened my eyes and looked in front of Charlie. There was a man with a hockey stick looking down at Charlie. Charlie started to look up at him.

"Get up." The man demanded. Charlie shot up.

"Who are you?" Charlie asked.

"I'm your new coach. Coach Orion." He snapped. We all stared at him.

"What?" Charlie asked as he was still tied up in the rope.

"Yeah. I'm Coach Orion, your new college coach." He said again.

"Hi. My name is Charlie Conway. I'm the captain of the team." Charlie introduced as he stuck out his hand. Coach Orion started to laugh.

"Oh, you're not captain." Coach Orion stated. We all stared at him. Charlie put his hand down and his jaw dropped.

"What?" We all asked.

"Yeah. I'm going to see how good you play. I'll determine who's captain around here." Coach Orion explained.

"You can't do that." Adam snapped. He started to skate up to Coach Orion, but I grabbed his arm tightly. He looked back at me and I shook my head lightly.

"I can't? Watch me." Coach Orion snapped.

"I have always been captain. You can't take that away from me." Charlie said.

"Laps. Now." Coach Orion snapped. Charlie started to lift up the rope from him.

"How many laps sir." Charlie snapped back.

"I didn't tell you yet." Coach Orion said. I heard Charlie sigh in frustration, then skate off. "Take a knee. All of you." We all kneeled down super fast. "Alright. Say your names." He said. "Just first names, or your nicknames. Starting with you." He said, pointing at Connie.

"My names Connie." She said.

"Names James."

"James... James Stafford?" Coach Orion asked. James nodded. "You're the principal's son, right?" He asked.

"Yeah." James said. Coach nodded.

"Alright. Next."

"Les." Les said with a horse voice.

"Hi! My names Goldberg!" Goldberg stated happily. Coach looked at Goldberg funny.

"Why are you so happy?" He asked. We all started to laugh.

"I don't know. I guess I just am." Goldberg replied.

"Next." Coach said, ignoring the convocation he had with Goldberg.

"Courtney Jane." I said. He looked at me blankly.

"Courtney Jane, as in, your moms name is Sabrina Jane?" He asked. I nodded slightly. What?

"How do you know her?" I asked.

"I work with her back in Tennessee. Uh, how is she?" He asked.

"She died. Car wreck that killed her and my little sister." I stated. He nodded, then he shook his head really fast.

"Okay, next?"

"Guy."

"Adam."

"Julie The Cat." Julie said. We started to call her a cat because of her fast blocks.

"Johnny McGill." Johnny said.

"Dwayne Robertson." Dwayne said.

"Ken Wu." Ken said.

"Luis." He said real fast.

"Fulton Reed." Fulton said.

"Okay. Let's talk about my rules. Number one. You're playing for me, not for Bombay anymore." He stated. Wow, way to get us pumped up. "So no more of the Duckie moves or anything like that."