After Coach Bombay talked the Ducks out of detention, we all piled into the van and drove to our rink for practice.

Everyone quickly got into they're hockey gear, the locker room filled with lively chatter.

"Hey, Vic?" I snapped out of my thoughts and looked over at Charlie. He had already gotten in his gear and decided to sit down next to me.

"Hmm?"

"What did you and Fulton do at the park? Like what did he say?" I was a little bit skeptical about why he was asking.

"Well, we discussed on how we felt that there was something else bringing us together. When we kissed each other's cheeks-"

Charlie cut me off, "Wait! You two kissed!?"

"On the cheek, Charlie. Fulton would never do something like that." I reassured him.

"Well don't be kissin' or crushin' on any boys now." Charlie teased in a funny southern accent.

"Alright mother hen, but we felt like it was so wrong, even though we aren't related. We felt a sort of brother sisterly bond, just like us." I looked over at Fulton who was putting on his skates.

"That's good though, maybe it's a sign or somethin'."

"Ya, maybe, but I dunno if Prince Charming is out there for me. I'm a high maintenance Duck." I shrugged.

Charlie chuckled, then patted my back, "I'm sure there is someone out there for you, Vicki."

I was shocked at Charlie calling me Vicki. I only let close friends and my family call me Vicki, but then I realized that Charlie is my family. This team is my family.

"Thanks, Charlie." I smiled then the two of us stood up and walked out of the locker room, to the benches.

Once everyone came up to the benches, Coach blew his whistle, "Ok Ducks, let's do some drills, 2 laps around the rink first." Then he blew his whistle again. "Go!" Everyone jumped up from their seats and jumped over the wall. The Ducks started skating around the rink.

"We should do pick ladders next, then scrimmage," I suggested to Coach, who looked down at me.

"Alrighty, Coach." He smiled and nodded at me. Once everyone did the two laps, Coach instructed them to grab a puck and do ladders.

"How many Coach?" Charlie asked, looking between the two of us.

"5 ladders," I responded.

Everyone nodded, grabbed a puck, and started doing puck ladders. Once everyone finished the puck ladders everyone huddled in.

"K, team, I feel that we're ready for the game tomorrow. I also feel that our well deserved hard work should be put to good use," Coach smiled.

"It's time to have fun!" I smiled and tossed a volleyball in the air.

Fulton jumped up and caught the ball mid-air and fell backward on to the ice with everyone laughing in happiness. Everyone skated out on to the ice playing ice volleyball, then I bent down and picked up a football

"Hey, Charlie! Think fast!" I chucked the football at Charlie who caught it smiling.

"Nice arm, Vic." Coach nodded.

"I played baseball at home with my dad in our backyard when I was little," I replied while watching half of the team play football and the other half played volleyball.

"Hey, Vic! Come play!" Fulton hit the ball over my way, I caught it with two hands in the air.

Chuckling, smiling, and shaking my head at Fulton, "Ok, ok I'm coming!" Carefully running up to the team, I set the ball over to Tammy.

"Nice one!" She smiled and head-butted the ball to Connie.

Connie, Guy, Tammy, Fulton, and I stood in a messed up circle, moving around and keeping the ball in the air.

Guy lightly spiked me the ball, "I got it! I got it!" Jumping in the air with my hands up, I fell backward on to the ice causing my mom jeans to get all wet, the ball bounced and rolled over to Coach.

Fulton skated over to me, followed by everyone else, who knelt down to check if I was ok, "Vicki, are you ok?" He lightly picked up the back of my head, light chuckles turned into ginning laughs.

"That was awesome!" I shot up with a grin painting my face. Fulton, Tammy, Guy, and Connie all laughed along smiling.

"Jeez, that was scary." Fulton rubbed his forehead.

"Let's not do that again, Coach. We need ya in one piece for the game." Connie added while laughing.

Fulton helped me stand up from the ice, "Alright, I'll try not to do anything stupid."

After my experience falling on the ice, we all went back to our circle. Fulton noticed that I was mainly setting the ball to everyone instead of hitting it with my forearms since I had a powerful hit, he tried to do the same but was struggling.

Guy then hit the ball with his fist from under and it came sailing over to me in an arch, then I set it to Tammy, who backed up and bounced it to Fulton who tried to set it but failed and the ball went into a weak arch and fell to the floor.

"Ow." Fulton winced as he rubbed his fingers.

"You're trying to set it, right Fulton?" I asked.

Fulton looked up, "Ya and it's not workin' out very well."

"Here, lemme snow ya," I walked over to him, and curved my fingers into 'C' shapes. "So your gonna wanna put your fingers into 'C' shapes not 'L's." Fulton looked at my hands, then adjusted his position.

"Like this?" He showed me his 'C' shaped fingers.

"Ya!" I smiled. "Now your gonna put your hands above your forehead a little and when the ball lands in your hands, you push out." I used my hands while I was explaining the technique.

"K, I think I got it." Fulton nodded, then I went back to my spot and grabbed the ball. Throwing the ball above me, I then set it to Fulton who then set it to Connie.

My heart filled with excitement and happiness, "Fulton you did it!"

"Ya, I did!" He smiled and set the ball that came back to him.

It felt like hours had passed by while we all played our separate games, Coach wandered over to our circle, "Mind if I join?" Coach held out his arms.

"Ya Coach, only if you can think fast!" Connie spiked the ball to Coach.

"Oh-ho! You guys wanna play that game, huh?" Coach chuckled as he twirled the ball in his hand before jumping in the air and spiking it over to her.

Clapping my hands together, "Go, Connie!" I chanted.

Connie set the ball over to Fulton who then bounced it over to Coach, "Nice one Fulton!" Coach smiled and bounced the ball lightly over to me, where I hit it over to Tammy.

Since we were having a mini competition, the boys who were playing football decided to join in on the competition, "Hey pass it to me Guy!" Charlie called out. Guy set the ball to Charlie. "Peter heads up!" Charlie hits the ball over to Peter.

Everyone from the original circle spread out so the new guys could come in, "Coach, I'm gonna get you!" Karp spiked the ball to Coach.

Coach moved his arms quickly and bounced the ball to Averman lightly, "Nice shot Karp!"

When the ball touched the ground for the last time, Coach called it quits for the night, "Alrighty Ducks, tomorrow night we have another game, here at home. You all remember what time to be here by, right?"

Everyone said yes while nodding they're heads, "Ok, bring it in Ducks!" Coach put his hand out, everyone came into the center to put their hands in.

"Get some sleep tonight, think good thoughts, cause we're going on the highway, straight to the playoffs!" I smiled, everyone yelled "ya!".

"Who are we!?" Coach asked.

"The Ducks!" We all screamed, then went to the locker room. Coach went to the benches to get the crate of pucks and put the balls in the crate, so it would be easier for him to carry to the locker room, then walked off to the locker room with me at his side.

"No need to wait for me, Vic. You can go home." Coach waved me off to go to the locker room and go home.

"K, you get some sleep too Coach." I pointed a finger at him.

Coach Bombay chuckled, "I will, Vic," He smiled. "Night Coach."

"Night Coach. See ya tomorrow." I waved before jogging off the ice, down to the locker room.