My dad had us do basics again. He thinks that will help us against Iceland.

Two days ago he made me help Jan teach Luis how to stop.

While he had Charlie look over footage and made him captain. Favoritism. I had to stack cans while he was sitting there.

We also crawled on the ice (so ridiculous in my opinion) and did laps.

Yesterday we shot pucks and ran on treadmills. I was surprised Goldberg wasn't complaining about that.

-

We were leaving the lockers from our practice today. "Come on, Banks!" Portman yells back before leaving. I stay and wait for Adam.

"You didn't have to wait, V." Banksie tells me. He sits down near his locker.

I sit across from him. "How's your wrist..." his eyes were glossy. That gave me my answer. I grab it from him and try to wrap it up. "It doesn't look as bad as before."

"Imagine how he could play with two good wrists."

Adam pulls his arm back. "Coach." I look back and see my dad walking towards us.

"Sorry, man. I wasn't doin' my job." I mumble how he never does it anyway.

Banks looks at him offended and stands up. "I'm fine, i can play. It's just a little sore."

"Okay, let's find out." He pulls his stick. "Here." Banks reaches to grab it. "Uh, other hand."

He grabs it and his arm was trembling. Bombay tells him to rotate it. Adam's eyes were glossy and he drops his stick.

"I have to bench you."

Adam yells in defiance, "No! You can't do that. You can't bench me."

"Adam you could injure yourself permanently." My dad argued.

Banks' eyes were more glossier. "I gotta play. All the scouts are here watching me. This is my shot."

"You're young and you're gonna have plenty of shots, believe me."

Adam looks down at me. "My dad is counting on me. I have to play, coach."

"I'm sorry, but this is for the best." My dad says and Banks takes a seat.

I roll my eyes at my dad and take a seat next time Adam, wrapping my arm around him. "It's okay..." i whisper to him.

"Hey, my dad worked a lot when I was a kid. So when he made it to a game, I wanted so bad to score 100 goals for him. I spent half the game, a nervous wreck, my stomach in knots."

Adam looks up. "That's how I feel."

"before he died, my dad told me that his happiest times were watching me skate on this pond we had behind our house. He didn't need me to score 100 goals for him. He was proud of me-"

"At least someone is proud of you." I say under my breath.

"-because I was his son and I did my best. I'm sure that's how your dad feels. I know it is."

Banks gives a small smile. "Thanks, coach." He leans onto me. I figured for comfort.

"All right, let's go get that wrist x-rayed." He stands up. "Come on."

-

We went back to basics, this time without Adam Banks. He would skate around wearing an arm sling.

I could tell by his eyes that he wanted to do the practices with us. We were doing shootings and cardiovascular activities.

I was also helping Luis more and more with his stopping. "Okay, speedy, try turning earlier and more sharper."

He tries it and falls onto the ice. "Great idea, Vivi." He looks at me from the floor. I pull him up. "More sharper you say." He mocks.

"Not that sharp, idiot." I slightly push his shoulder.

-

We completely dominated Canada in our game, 9-1. Fulton and Portman also got the nickname 'The Bash Brothers' from quite literally bashing everyone.

They mostly got us open shots. Also, Russia beat Iceland (surprisingly) and now Iceland is one game away from elimination.

After the Canada game, everyone went out for pizza downtown.

"We're so close to the finals!" Connie mentions, taking a sip of her coke. "I can't wait to tell Colette how far I've got!"

    Luis looks over. "Who's Colette?"

    "Connie's older sister." Guy replies from across the table. He was sitting next to Jesse and Julie. "She's four years older."

    Luis takes a pepperoni off of Connie's pizza. "Oh, I didn't know that."

    "I thought Lettie was three years older." I rake a sip of my sprite. "She hardly looks sixteen."

    Portman was play fighting with Fulton and accidentally knocks over his coke.

    It spills all over me.

    "Oh, shit." Portman flings up the cup and looks at the soda puddle in my lap. "Here let me get that."

    He grabs some napkins and starts patting my lap with them. "That's not going to work." Julie leans over to see. "Come here, V. I'll help you."

    "No, I got it, Julie." Portman waves her off. "I have an idea." He asks Fulton to slide out and he grabs my wrist and takes me away.

    Adam looks at us as we walk away. He gives me a face and i shrug my shoulders. Portman takes me to the bathrooms.

    Without a second thought, he takes me to the boy ones. "Dude, I can't be in here."

    "Would you have me in the girl one, babes?" He raises his eyebrow and i look down. "It's easier in here anyways."

    I look at him and he takes me to the sink. He grabs napkins and wets them. He passes them to me and I start cleaning the soda off.

    "It's going to look like I pissed my pants." I grumble as I scrub off the soda stain. "Damn, Dean, how much soda was in that cup."

    Portman sits on the sink top. "Bout half a cup. Oh, try drying it in the hand dryer. I'll block you." He jumps off the sink and walks to the dryer on the wall.

    I follow him over there and start to dry my pants as he stood behind me. I hear someone walk in and felt tension. I hoped it was one of the team members and not some random guy.

    I decided not to look up to be safe. After a moment I hear a stall door close and I turn to walk out the bathroom.

    "I think it's fine." I lied. The spot is still very noticeable.

    Portman takes off his jacket. "Here. I think it's long enough to cover the spot." He passes it to me and I put it on.

    I zip it up and it did cover the spot. "Good, now let's go back to the tables." I start to walk and halfway there Portman starts laughing. "What's funny?"

    "Nothing." He laughs again. "I just remembered how scared you were on that coaster at the fair. It was funny."

    I give him a side eye. "Not as funny as you on the carousel." I give a snicker as I remember having to hold him on the ride.

    He was going to say something but we reached our table. Jesse was missing but everyone was still there.

    We sit down and Connie raises her eyebrow at me. "Nice jacket." She mutters so only I could hear.

    "Nice guy." I mutter back, gesturing to Luis with my eyes.

    We continue to eat the pizza and finish up conversations. Jesse came back and he was staring directly at Portman while he ate.

    I thought it was very weird. Julie also suddenly went very quiet since we got back. She kept to herself and didn't pay attention much.

    We left the pizza place at around eight-eight thirty. We all said our goodbyes to each other and I give Portman his jacket back.

    Julie, Connie, and I went to our room and got ready for bed. When we were all in pajamas, Julie starts talking about me and Portman.

    "So.. you and Portman?" She casually asks.

    Connie sits criss-cross on her bed. "What? No, why would you think that?"

    "Oh, just how you guys are always together and tonight how he gave you his jacket. I'm just assuming based on what I'm seeing."

    I hear her voice laced with jealousy. "We're not a thing. And what is your problem?"

    "Excuse me?"

    I look between her and Connie. Connie was doing the same to me and Julie. "You heard me. What is your problem? You always sound jealous when you talk about me and Portman."

    "I do not."

    I look at Connie. "Connie?"

    "Please don't put me in the middle of this." She leans back and doesn't make eye contact with us.

    I look back to Julie. "Do you like him or something?" Julie went quiet and I got my answer. "You do like him!"

    She mutters something and Connie looks at her. I look between the two. Julie looks up at Connie before me again.

    "What?" I huff.

    Connie looks at me. "She doesn't like Portman..."

    "Then why does she act like that with me and him if she doesn't like him?"

    Julie looks me dead in the eye. "If you're so smart, figure it out." She lays down and throws the blanket over her head. I see her roll over under the blanket.

    "Lady, you're confusing me." I rub my eyes.

    Connie lays down and goes under the blanket too. "It's quite simple, Vivi."

    "Yeah, so simple I don't know what she means." I tuen iff the light and go down as well.