Yes, I am alive! Do any of you know how tough adapting to college is? I have had so little time, since my time management skills leave a lot to be desired. But they're improving! I'm setting aside time each week to work on my writing. I'm not abandoning any of my stories. Thank you, LuisMfan for gracing my inbox with a wakeup call. XSarah, you are absolutely right, poor Luis. I hope all of you enjoy this chapter and review. It's a bit longer and a tad mushy, so please let me know what you think. Also, I'm considering writing a little side story about what everybody else is up to. Luis doesn't find out too much, so let me know if you're interested that.

Chapter 6 Reflections

I don't know what happened during the next couple of days. I was more or less a zombie, zoning out the rest of the world. I went to class, went to watch practice, went to sleep, woke up and started the process over again. Somehow I was conscious enough to copy Ken's homework, I think. When Saturday came, my plan was to sleep through the weekend. However, after lunch, Jesse and Dwayne woke me up and threatened to poor a bucket of ice water on my head if I didn't get up and stop acting like the world was ending.

Gathering all my will power, I got up and dressed. I really didn't want to be around my friends because I knew I wouldn't ever see them after this week. So, I started walking. I didn't even know where I was headed, but I liked being alone with my thoughts. I needed to sort myself out, before I say goodbye to my friends.

And boy did I get lost in my thoughts. I suddenly looked around to find myself far from the posh neighborhood surrounding Eden Hall. It looked somewhat familiar. Then it clicked. This was the part of town the in-state Ducks lived in. I recognized the schoolyard where we played a couple games of street puck last year. I walked a little further to find myself in a little park. I sat on a park bench overlooking a small pond. As the wind picked up, I really wished I had brought a jacket with me. It is just too cold up here in Minnesota.

Which must sound weird coming from a hockey player. My brothers constantly remind me of how weird I am. I grew up in sunny Florida and have this strange obsession with ice. If it wasn't for this obsession, I could have just as easily been a track star with my speed. I can stop myself when I run, well more than on the ice.

My parents think the whole thing's adorable. When my parents escaped from Cuba, my mom fell in the water. There was no way to dry her off well as they floated in the sea, and she nearly died of hypothermia. Luckily, they were picked up by the USS Spruance. At the same time, my mother was pregnant with me. I was born a couple of months later on U.S. soil. My parents think it's only natural for me to like the cold.

However, I spent this last summer wondering if this was worth all that's happened. I hardly fit in with my family. My whole vacation was awkward. I felt like a visitor. Now I'm going back there. How am I going to fit back in? My parents think of me as their little American dream come true. My siblings either admire or hate me for getting out of the ghetto.

"Maybe I should have just said no to Mr. Tibbles…"

"You know you don't believe that." What in the world? I looked around startled by this new voice, to find this black kid setting his backpack down beside the bench and settling himself beside me.

"Believe what?" Had I been talking to myself?

"If you hadn't gone to LA, you wouldn't be a duck, and you would regret that." Darn it, I was talking to myself. But also, how does he know all this? Something seems familiar about this kid, but I just can't place it. "Don't look so shocked, Luis. I'm just saying stuff you already know."

"Even so, how do you know my name?"

He rolled his eyes. "You were only on a Wheaties box…" I'm definitely not in the mood for a fan, but I try to fake being civil.

"So do you want my autograph? You want meet the team or something?"

"What do you take me for, a star-struck fan? I'm insulted. Maybe Eden Hall has turned you guys into stupid cake-eaters."

When he said that, it hit me. He reminded me of Jesse. He even kinda looked like Jesse. This is their neighborhood. They could be related.

"Are you any relation to Jesse Hall?"

"Sure took you long enough to make that connection. Let me introduce myself since my brother isn't here. I'm Terry Hall, original Duck."

"Original Duck?"

He smirked. "Our peewee team had more than just eight people, five more in fact, which equals five replacements." He held his fingers up as if making sure it adds up. He sure has Jesse's gift of sarcasm.

"Well, it's not my fault that no body's mentioned any of the past players," I offered, trying to rectify my ignorance. He shrugged it off.

"Whatever."

"Well that explains why you just sat down to talk to a stranger."

"Yeah, well, I was a bit worried to see you here by yourself and talking to yourself."

"Uh, I probably do seem like a mess, don't I?"

"Yup, but don't worry. Jesse's been keeping me filled in on what's up. Stupid cake-eaters."

"Ain't that the truth? I don't know what I'm going to do."

"Don't worry. There's no way you're leaving."

"And how would you know? I don't know how to get around this."

"Three words-Ducks fly together. We got you covered. Jesse says they've been working hard on this loophole. Last I heard Adam had some meeting with a dean or something."

"Really? They haven't mentioned anything to me…But then again I haven't been paying to much attention to anything this week."

"I wouldn't worry too much. Even if you're a bit out of it, they've been on top of things."

Unfortunately, that only made me think of how little I had been helping. They were really trying to figure out something, while I had just given up. I remember noticing Julie and Guy reading over what looked like our scholarships the other day. And if Adam had a meeting with a dean…They're putting in a lot of effort, and I just gave up. I look guiltily at my shoes. Some Duck I am…I wonder why they bother…I used to get so aggravated when friends back home would wallow in self-pity, and here I am doing the same thing…Could I be anymore inconsiderate? Thoughtless? Heartless?

"Earth to Luis. Come in Luis." Oh yeah, Terry's right here.

"Oh. Sorry, I spaced out a little there."

"Yeah, I noticed. Anyway, I'm sure the team as a plan. Even if you have been a bit out of it, there are thirteen people back at that school that have been working on it. They'll come up with something. And in the very small chance that they don't, everything'll work out. Things always do. Like how Jesse got to reclaim his scholarship after being so miserable last year."

"Jesse was miserable?" I hadn't really thought about that. I do know we did I bad job of keeping in touch with him.

Terry's face grew serious. "He missed you guys. We've all been going to school and playing hockey together forever. Then, all of a sudden, the only other duck he had to hang around was Tammy, and she usually misses school because of her figure skating. Then you guys don't come and visit, and Hans died. It was a long year."

"And Jesse's solution is joining us in prep-ville?"

"Well, since you all can't pick up a phone, do you blame him?"

"I guess not." When I get back I'm apologizing to Jesse. He hadn't even mentioned feeling forgotten to us. He's just as carefree as always.

"Don't you dare go apologizing," Terry said, reading my thoughts. "It was a long year for all of you, but forget about it. You're all together now. That's what matters. The four of us that were too young have each other, and Tammy's too buried in her figure skating. I only told you about this so that you'd realize that everything will come together."

"Okay," I conceded. There was just something hopeful about the way he talked. I couldn't help but join his optimism. However, as with any serious conversation involving Ducks, a joke soon breaks it up.

"Besides, now that we've met, I want to know if you really are good enough to be a Duck. We've wanted to get you newbies on the ice for a long time now."

"Well, we did win an international competition."

"Ha, barely. If we had played, that game wouldn't have been nearly so close." I rolled my eyes. "And you think you're great with your scholarships. We're on Varsity as freshmen."

"How did all of you manage that?"

"We're just that good. Well, except Tammy, but she's a figure skater to the core." Terry gave an exaggerated shiver.

"Sounds like Ken, except backwards."

"Yes, what a great loss to the sport that is!" he announced shrilly and sarcastically. "Tammy's always going on about that."

"So who else is there?"

We began to swap stories about the peewee ducks and about Eden Hall. It had to be some of the funniest stuff I've heard in a while. When he explained how they recruited Fulton and having to teach him to skate, I couldn't stop laughing. Julie and I had no idea that her little song was true. She was just trying to rhyme. Terry corrected me though; it was slightly over a year since he couldn't skate.

When I finally glanced down at my watch, it was 5:32. Wow, I've been here all afternoon. I really need to be getting back for dinner.

"I was about to say the same thing." I looked at him in confusion. He smiled. "Do you always talk to yourself?"

I slapped myself in the head. "Unfortunately, yes," I groaned. "My brothers always tease me about it. I'm not sure the ducks have noticed it too much. They've never said anything."

"Oh, don't worry. Jesse will notice and will remind every chance he gets. He's good at that." Terry unfortunately had a less than sympathetic look on his face. Not comforting at all. "You know, I'm really enjoying having my own room. No more obnoxious big brother snooping around, using my stuff, snoring, keeping me up at night." I couldn't tell how much he was joking, but I hoped he was just exaggerating to be funny. Then he laughed at the worried expression on my face. "I'm just joking."

"Thank goodness. Well, like I said, I need to get back for dinner. Thanks for talking to me. I'll try and keep in touch."

"Yeah, let me know if you need any help with your scholarship. And I'll be waiting on the ice for you when your arms better."

"I'll be sure to bring the other out-of-state ducks, minus Russ." Terry had made it clear that Russ was ok because he didn't replace any of them.

"We'll be ready and waiting."

With a quick goodbye, Terry headed home and I headed back to Eden Hall.

"Aren't you in a better mood," Russ stated as I sat down at our table.

"Yep"

"Any hints as to where you disappeared to?" he asked.

"Just went for a walk," I replied. That's when I noticed how empty the table seemed. "Where's everybody else?" The only ones here were Russ, Dwayne, Ken, and Guy.

"Um…out, they went home. You know with it being the weekend, they wanted to get some decent food." I think there's a little bit more to it than Russ is letting on.

I raised my eyebrows in disbelief and looked at Dwayne for a more honest answer. He faked ignorance.

"Everybody just wanted some homecookin,'" he replied. I know that Dwayne may seem a little slow at times, but actually, he just has this problem where his brain doesn't quite process sounds as easily as normal. He is perfectly capable of reading the glare I'm giving him for holding back on me. Actually, all of them are capable…

Oh no, what if they're mad at me? "Well, I just want you guys to know that I'm sorry about how I've acted. I've just been in a little shock, little depressed, you know. But I do care, and I want to stay here. Please don't hate me." I spitted out. I just hope they don't hate me. They looked at me a little shocked.

Ken's eyes were wide as he started talking. "Hate you? Luis, we have not been spending these last few days, figuring out ways for you to stay because we hate you."

Guy continued. "Yeah, we understand that you're going through a lot with your arm and the scholarship and all."

"Yep, and if we need anything from you, we won't hesitate to ask," Russ added.

"So buck up and chow down. This supper's gettin' cold," concluded Dwayne, and the topic was dropped. So, they seemed determined not tell me. Guess it was all going to be a surprise. Only thing I could do was eat my dinner.

They seem to want me not worrying about it, even though I'm worried that the board isn't going to listen to whatever they've thought up. Seriously, we had to threaten a freaking lawsuit with a lawyer last time. Anyways, I let them have their secrets. I definitely had mine. I didn't mention meeting Terry. However, right now I'm content hanging out with my friends, because no matter what happens, we'll always be ducks, and Ducks fly together.