❛ ━━･❪ ❁ ❫ ･━━ ❜
chapter twenty: tap tap tap [in, buckle up, get strapped in.]

NICK STURNIOLO. IF YKYK.

tw(s): a mature joke thrown in there, but it's nothing new, just a part of the og script that sounded a little sus.

— ˗ˋ ୨୧ ˊ˗ —

TAP, TAP, TAP. 

"For God's sakes, Julie and Connie, not another party!" Emma says, her back turned to the window as she unbraids her hair.

The window screeches open. "Well, I'm not Julie or Connie, but you'll have to tell me that story sometime," Charlie says, setting his backpack down on the bed.

"Oh, Charlie, hey! What are you doing? It's late." 

"I've got Heathers and Doritos," Charlie says, unzipping his backpack.

"What flavor?" Emma asks, plopping down on the bed.

"What flavor do you want it to be?" Charlie asks with a challenging smile.

"Cool Ranch tonight, I feel like."

"Well, I must know you very well, because I've got Cool Ranch right here," Charlie says, tossing her a bag.

"Really? Wow, do you think being together so often, like, syncs our brains?" Emma asks, tearing her bag open.

"Yeah, no, I just bought every flavor you've ever liked," Charlie says, opening his bag wider to display an array of chip bags stuffed to the bottom.

"Aw, you're sweet, but I can't get that telepathy theory out of my head now."

"Yeah, well, I've got a lot to make up for."

"Look, Charlie, it's okay. I'm done being angry, and so are you. Just turn on Heathers and all will be forgiven," Emma says, rubbing his shoulder.

Midway through the movie, Charlie pauses it.

"Emma, you know I love you, right?"

"Of course."

— ˗ˋ ୨୧ ˊ˗ —

"Alright, I've been doing my homework on the Varsity," Coach Orion announces, leaning on his stick. "I'm not gonna lie to you, they're good. The way they wiped your faces in the dirt last time was no fluke. So if you want your pride back, you better be willing to work. There's nothing glamorous about it. In the pros, we call it blue-collar hockey. Now, there's one thing Varsity does very well. They're vultures around the net. They pick up every piece of loose trash. That's how they beat you. Not with the first shot; the second and the third."

Emma nods in understanding.

"They bang in the junk."

Emma shares a meaningful look with Connie and Julie. She doesn't think that's how Orion was meaning for it to come off.

"Have something to share with the class, Hart?"

"No, sir."

"So, you wanna win? You're gonna have to pick up the trash."

They spent the rest of the day on the street, picking up loose trash that had been discarded by civilians. Emma puts a sticky note with a penis drawn on it on Charlie's back, earning some laughs from Averman and Russ. It takes Dwayne five minutes to understand what it is.

"You guys are not skating like Warriors!" Orion bellows.

Emma tilts her head in confusion. She thought Orion was pretty happy with their work today. Orion opens a cardboard box that sits on top of the filled trashcan.

"You look like Ducks."

Charlie bumps Emma's shoulder. "You hear that? We look like Ducks, Emma."

"Hart! Thanks for the advice. You're a clever kid."

"No problem, Coach!" Emma gushes, pulling on her jersey.

— ˗ˋ ୨୧ ˊ˗ —

"Alright, let's go hunting for goose eggs, huh? Come on, hands in. On three...quack."

Charlie beams.

"One, two, three! Quack, quack, quack..."

Defense is strong tonight, with Julie playing like the true Cat, and Goldberg actually cooperating with people.

"Hart, change it!"

Charlie passes the puck to Emma in the face-off, but she is shoved into the boards by several Varsity players, one of whom digs the puck out and passes it to a teammate. Charlie steals it back, makes his way around the net, and promptly loses it again.

They're doing great at saving themselves with defense, but actually taking initiative and scoring goals is another story. They've flipped upside down underwater, and they don't know how to get back up.

"Way to hang tough," Charlie says, gathering around the net with Julie, Emma, and Guy.

"These guys keep charging," Guy complains. "What are we gonna do here?"

"We gotta stand up to them. Play a little defense," Charlie says.

"Make them make the first move, Charlie," Emma says, winking.

"I'll try my best. Alright, let's go!"

It continues, and sure, defense is strong, but it's a steady back and forth that everyone on the rink is getting tired of.

"Uh, well, worst comes to worst, we can tie zero to zero, right? We can keep our pride," Averman says, taking a sip from his water bottle.

"There's nothing to be proud of there, Ave. We can do this, okay?" Emma says, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "Let's get out there and give them more than our best."

Varsity is getting angry. The Ducks still continue to hold on, but they're really getting mauled. Emma gets shoved hard onto the ice.

"Come on, ref, call it! He basically snapped my neck?"

He didn't, but what's a little embellishing?

"No, no, no. Aw!" Guy faces a hard check into the boards. 

Emma skates over when she realizes he's not getting up. "Holy shit! Guy, are you alright?"

No response.

— ˗ˋ ୨୧ ˊ˗ —

"You're playin' hard. I'm proud of you guys."

"They're cheap-shooting us to death, Coach," Luis says desperately.

"I know they are. I know they are."

"It's gonna take a miracle for us to hold on."

The door kicks open.

Oh my God. Dean. Dean Portman. Bandana, leather jacket, and all. It's Dean.

"Dean Portman is awarded a full athletic and academic scholarship to the Eden Hall Academy," he declares with a smirk. "I had this lying around the house in Chicago. My attorney thought I should sign it. I agreed. It's official boys, I'm back!"

Emma whoops and runs over to hug him.

"Emma, did you get my message? I'm kind of hungry for that fancy chocolate cake, so..."

"Yes, I did. And I've chocolate cake waiting for you. Although, half of it is gone," Emma says apologetically.

"It's your sister, isn't it? Betty and I share the same taste, what can I say? It's exhausting competing with the likes of an eight year old girl."

Dean Portman skates out onto the ice, and is met with surprised cheers and gasps of shock. Shortly the face-off, Cole skates towards him with anger dancing in his eyes, but Dean ducks and sends Cole crashing through the glass barrier.

"Is he dead?" Emma asks. "He took quite the tumble."

"I hope so," Dean chortles, gliding away from the scene of the crime.

Dean is really having a field day, turning the tables on Varsity. However, one of his checks isn't legal, so he is sent to the penalty box by the ref.

"Oh, so now you decide to call it?" Emma asks incredulously.

Dean goes wild inside the penalty box enclosure, ripping off his jersey and shirt. Emma rolls her eyes and returns to the game, but not before noticing a bunch of middle-aged women cheering at the sight.

Um, ew? He's a minor. Look the other way.

"Listen," Orion says when they huddle around the sidelines. "The pressure is all on them. All we gotta do is hold our ground. Okay, Conway, Banks...and Goldberg. I'm goin' with you."

"Me, Coach?"

"You, Goldberg. You earned your spot out there. Okay, Ducks? Here we go, come on!"

Emma trails closely behind Rick, who is face to face with Charlie. 

Make him make the first move, Charlie.

Charlie ducks and shoots forward, flinging Rick off of his back.

He's got the puck. Ten seconds. Nine. Eight. Seven.

He passes to...Goldberg?

"Shoot it, Goldilocks! Come on!" Emma grits out.

He shoots just as he gets pummeled by two hulking Varsity players. 

It makes it in.

"Yes! Yes, yes, yes! Goldie, you did it!" Emma says, throwing her stick haphazardly.

Emma hugs Charlie, and, over his shoulder, spots Scooter and Julie having a particularly red-faced interaction. Scooter kisses her cheek, and Julie blushes.

Oh, my God, Emma mouths.

Right? Julie mouths back.

"Hey, Captain. Great game," Emma says.

"You think?"

"Yeah. You played great, Charlie. I'm proud."

Charlie cups the side of her cheek in one hand and kisses her, and her arms snake around his neck.

The team erupts in oohs and one oh, get a room! from Goldberg.

But this is perfect.

And as Emma pulls away, her eyes trail to Jude, who is staring at her with a wide open mouth two enthusiastic thumbs up, standing next to who she assumes is Cooper, she remembers what he said.

She weaves her hand with Charlie's. It fits perfectly. Her soft hands with her jagged, anxiety-bitten nails fit perfectly with Charlie's calloused hands with his straight nails.

Her perfects align with his imperfects, and her imperfects align with his perfects.

This is the story of how Emma met a boy with eyes like a man. Turns out her heart fit right in the palm of his hand.

— ˗ˋ ୨୧ ˊ˗ —

CLARA'S CORNER

STOPP i had the best time writing this. i know it probably wasn't the best/could have been better, considering i stuck to the script a little too much and didn't take advantage of my creative liberties as much as i could have. i'm not good at writing chemistry and stuff because this romance deal is a completely novel thing to me. i can acknowledge that. but i hope that despite these struggles, you still enjoyed this.

i've got an adam banks one on my page that i'll be updating soon, because i can't get enough of tmd. i do encourage you to read it, though, because i can GUARANTEE you it's going to be better and more developed, since this story was kind of rushed and i only focused on updating in quick succession. this story is not the limit of my writing abilities (i hope).

PLEASE give me tips if you have any, because i want to improve, and this isn't a work i have a ton of pride in, more something i just wanted to have fun with.

thank you!!!