I want to say thank you in advance to everyone reading this story. It means a lot to me just like it will if you review it or add it to your favorite story list or your story alert list. I am going to do my best to keep updating this story and not give up on it.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Ducks or anything recognizable under someone else's copyright. I do this purely for fun.
Chapter 1: Love And Heartbreak
Warmth. It was the number one thing Lizzy loved about her relationship with Dean. Sure, when he wrapped those big, strong, hockey-toned arms around her, it felt like stepping into a warm home from a blinding Minnesota winter, but that wasn't the only warmth she felt. No. Dean had been good for her. His feelings–she wasn't sure she'd call it love–had warmed her soul and had rubbed off some of her roughest edges. According to her best friend, who was also friends with Dean, she had been good for him too. She had seen it, especially in his treatment of non-Ducks. Normally he was standoffish, like his friend Fulton, to anyone who hadn't been a Duck through the Junior Goodwill Games they played in the summer before coming to Eden Hall, but the longer he dated Lizzy, the more open he was about making friends not on the JV hockey team.
They had met in person on a very cold and blustery December evening during the middle of their sophomore year and the chemistry had been as quick as a spark to paper. Like a moth to a flame Lizzy found it hard to keep her eyes off the rough enforcer as she caught up with some of the Ducks after she had moved in. Lizzy had originally been from Minnesota but her dad's job had been transferred to Austin, Texas shortly after the Ducks had won the Pee Wee hockey championships. She wasn't happy to say goodbye to her friends but she knew it was part of the deal since her father was a high priced attorney and very good at his job. It wasn't her last move as about three years later the family had been moved north again, this time to a small town in southern Ohio. When an incident at home just after Thanksgiving had occurred between her and her brother, her father thought it had been best for her to accept the scholarship to Eden Hall for their baseball team and to restrict her brother from coming home for a month.
Dean and Lizzy's relationship continued to blossom quickly over the following weeks and by Christmas, they had become official. Over the next couple of months their relationship grew though, because they both had horrible tempers that occasionally got the best of them, they had some fights. A few major blowouts but they always came back together in the end. At least they had until IT happened.
It had started like any other Monday. Two days after the hockey state finals, which both teams had won that year, Lizzy had her heart shattered by a girl that had instantly become her rival when she had found out Lizzy was dating Dean. A girl by the name of Crystal Deam. Though deep down, part of her knew that the Dean was completely capable the offense without the wily temptation that was the blonde, over-perky, basketball cheerleader, she had thought that their relationship was stronger than that. Lizzy's last class on Mondays before lunch was Civics. A class she had shared with Averman and Guy. Since coming to Eden Hall her relationship with the pair wasn't as strong as it was with other Ducks but they were friends. They were headed to Art as she was headed to lunch and since that was the class just down from Dean's locker, the three walked together. This day however was different. Lizzy, Averman, and Guy rounded the corner when Lizzy caught sight of her boyfriend. Their chattering about the latest pro hockey game last night faded from her ears as Dean leaned down to Crystal's level then the gap between them disappeared and Lizzy's heart shattered. Her boyfriend was kissing her mortal enemy. She stopped dead in her tracks and when Guy noticed, he stopped as well.
"Everything okay?" Guy asked.
"I don't know," Lizzy shook her head.
"Something we can do? Maybe get Port? He's just up there, maybe he can make you feel better," Guy answered.
"There? Where?" Lizzy asked.
"The Liz-ster making rhymes," Averman joked but as her face paled, he toned it down. "Up there. Dean Portman. AC/DC t-shirt, leaning against the locker, ripped blue jeans, blue bandanna, anything of this coming back to you?"
"No, I don't think he can help. I'm going to the nurse's office. Stomach cramps. Let him in on that, would you?" Lizzy asked. Averman and Guy looked at her bewildered but she just backpedaled and headed off for the other end of the building. It did house the nurse's office but it was also the way to the dorms. Averman looked at Guy who shrugged and they headed off to tell Portman about Lizzy before heading to their next class. Portman found it a little weird that Lizzy would miss lunch, she could put away as much as him and Fulton on a good day, but knowing stomach cramps could be code for girly things, he just headed for the cafeteria. Lizzy, on the other hand, walked past the nurse's office and out to her dorm. She hid out in her dorm for a bit, finding a package of cookies in the drawer of her desk, dreading every second as the clock ticked closer to the end of lunch and the beginning of her next class; Psychology with Russ and Luis. After that it would the first of her double study hall, one where she was joined by all the Ducks who, being jocks, got out of gym, and then followed by her second study hall this one with only Dean, as neither of them had taken a language that year. Though they were mandatory to graduate, they only had to do one year and she and Dean were pushing them as far off as possible.
When Lizzy sat down in her seat in psychology, the seat in front of Russ and beside Luis, they both looked at her curiously. "Uh ... Fult wanted us to make sure you were okay. He said you weren't at lunch and that we should check in on you," Russ said.
"Not that we wouldn't check in on you on our own, mamacita. We have come to care about you like the rest of our teammates," Luis added quickly. They definitely cared about her and didn't want to think they were only doing it out of loyalty or fear of the shorter enforcer.
Lizzy brushed off the term of endearment knowing he was just teasing thanks to a psychology project they had just wrapped up that involved them pairing up to study the dynamics of a family and shook her head. "Stomach cramps and not cause I was hungry," Lizzy answered. She hated lying to them but she didn't want to tell them anything until she had time to work it over in her mind to figure out what had happened and if she had just been imagining it. Their teacher, Mr. Stewart, started class but Lizzy's attention wandered. As the class came to an end, Mr. Stewart dropped a pass on Lizzy's desk. Lizzy checked it and saw it was a pass out of her double study hall. Lizzy knew it was only because he needed help grading their psychology projects and not because he knew about what had happened just over an hour and a half before. She had been helping him for the past couple of weeks, so now was no different. Since he still had classes for the next two periods, she couldn't talk to him and get his advice, but just being away from Dean helped her clear her mind at least a little bit.
The afternoon bell couldn't come soon enough for her but with it came baseball practice. A baseball practice she wasn't ready for. Not emotionally or mentally so she shook her head and walked back to her dorm and dropped down on her bed. The Minnesota Twins comforter did its job and wrapped her in its soft comfort. Soon the comforter wasn't the only thing wrapped around Lizzy. She looked up and saw her best friend lying next to her. She shifted over a bit, rolling onto her side to give him as much room as possible. It was a twin size bed and it wouldn't be the first time they had shared one but he had grown since the last time. "I'm not in the mood, Fulton," Lizzy stated, resting her head on his shoulder.
"For what?" Fulton asked.
"Anything. I will never push you away, not really, but sometimes I don't want to talk."
"I have known you since the day I was born. I'd say "since you were born" but you were born first. I know when to give you space."
"Really? Because it's been just over four years since I moved from Minnesota to Texas and you've barely spoken to me in that time."
"Oh come on, Lizzy. I love you, but stop lying to yourself. How'd you meet Port? How'd you know we were at Eden Hall? Come on. You know that's not true," Fulton told her. Lizzy only stared at him. He stopped and shook his head as he chuckled. "You really think you can get me that mad that quick and I'd drop it?"
"Seemed to be working."
Fulton scoffed. "Talk to me. Over the last four months we've gotten closer, I've gone back to being able to read you. Something's bothering you. I want to know what it is."
"Why does something have to be bothering me?" Lizzy asked softly.
Fulton sighed. "Because you're skipping baseball practice and you missed lunch. You can pack away almost as much food as me, Port, and Goldberg, and you're here on a baseball scholarship. Something's bothering you."
Lizzy took a deep breath and tried to start her sentence a few time before sighing. "Would you be surprised if Dean ever cheated on me?"
"Would you?"
"You know, ever since you introduced us in that three-way chat room, I've known that Dean has a not-so-honorable side. He's never hidden the fact that he doesn't always treat girls right. Sometimes he hides behind his stereotypical mask."
"Do you think he cheated on you? Is that why you're hiding?"
"I am not hiding, I'm contemplating and you didn't answer my question."
"I want to say that I would be surprised. At least surprised that he did it to you but I wouldn't be surprised that he did it. Like you said, Dean Portman has admitted to tossing aside girls after having a couple of dates with them, but I've never known him to date them for a couple of months and cheat on them. Do you want to tell me what happened?"
Lizzy pressed a hand onto Fulton's chest and pushed herself up a bit to look into those grayish-blue eyes. "I'm not sure what happened but I'm sure I don't want you in the middle of it. Dean has been a closer friend to you than nearly any other friend you've ever had. Charlie's great and Adam's good for you too but you've never bonded with anyone like you have to Dean and if I'm completely blowing this out of the water or imagining it, I don't want you to get defensive and be wrong," Lizzy said.
Fulton wrapped an arm around her shoulders and the other around her waist and pulled her down on top of him. "Don't keep things from me. You're my best friend and I may have bonded with Port more than the rest of these Ducks or Preppies, but you are my number one, my oldest and closest friend. No matter what, I will always have your back," Fulton answered.
Lizzy shoved her hand under her chin and looked at him. He stared back into her clear blue eyes and smiled. He tucked a bit of her milk chocolate colored hair behind her ear. "Thanks, Fult."
"Sure. I'm going to go get dinner. Bring you something?" Fulton asked.
Lizzy shrugged. "Whatever." Fulton rolled his eyes and flipped them over. He smirked then left the room coming back 20 minutes later to find her lying on her stomach watching some movie on TV. He dropped a sandwich and chips on the pillow in front of her then dangled a cookie in front of her. "That's why you're my best friend," Lizzy grinned.
"Scoot your butt. What you watching?" Fulton asked, nudging her over a bit.
"Don't you have to go talk to your roommate?" Lizzy asked, not moving.
"No, now scoot."
"My feel good movie."
"Outsiders," Fulton answered sitting next to Lizzy. "Matt Dillion falling out of his chair was always good enough to make you happier." Lizzy nodded and they watched the movie.
The following morning, after a quick shower, Lizzy found Julie and Connie headed for the bathroom as she headed back to her room. "Hey, you guys didn't happen to hear any rumors about Portman last night or yesterday, did you?" Lizzy asked.
Julie and Connie shared a slightly confused look. "I don't think so," Connie said.
"Do you think something happened?" Julie added.
"I don't know, just a feeling," Lizzy answered. She smiled and turned on her best probing gaze. "Come on, Cons, you know all the juiciest gossip. You're usually the one telling me every time Luis goes and gets himself a new girlfriend."
"Yeah, but that's because I hear it all from Russ or Cowboy. Those two hear everything and are more than willing to share it. There aren't a lot of kids here who are willing to gossip about Portman," Connie answered.
"And since when do you call him Portman?" Julie asked. "You're the only one on the team that calls him Dean."
"I think I saw some of the boys walking to breakfast, you should ask them," Connie said.
"Thanks." Lizzy went back to her room, finished getting dressed and grabbed her book bag then ran outside to find Averman, Luis, and Ken in the quad between the dorms and the school building. "Hey guys."
"Is everything—" Averman started.
"Don't ask," Ken hissed.
"No, go ahead and ask. I want to know," Lizzy said.
"Is everything okay? After your stomach cramps yesterday, Portman seemed a little off," Averman told her.
"And what does the rumor mill say?" Lizzy asked.
"You not eating lunch with the Bashes, and then missing dinner and baseball practice, it's all over the place," Luis said.
"Kenny," Lizzy prompted. Though almost as tall as the other two Bash Brothers, she still considered him the littlest Bash Brother and he'd know more than the other two if something was going on with Portman.
"It's just whispers but some people are saying he kissed Crystal Deam, that he's leaving you for her. He seemed ... not himself at dinner last night. Like he was thinking about something really hard. Did something happen? You missed dinner last night," Kenny said.
"I don't know. Just wasn't really hungry. Have you seen him?" Lizzy asked.
"Portman? He was walking to breakfast with Charlie and Adam," Luis said.
"Port? With Captain Duck and Preppie? Are you sure?" Lizzy asked.
"Yeah. He talks to all the Ducks from time to time. Makes sure nothing major is going on," Averman said. Lizzy thanked them and hurried off to find them. Averman, Kenny, and Luis shared a look and picked up their pace after her. They didn't want to miss anything but they also didn't want to be in swinging range, especially if it had something to do with Crystal.
The three boys were talking about the latest Camaro that was in production when Lizzy came across them. Lizzy listened to them talk for a moment or two wondering if the two forwards were just humoring the defenseman but when Charlie mentioned something and wasn't corrected she realized that they did have it in common. The closer they got to the cafeteria, the more nervous Lizzy got so she decided to picture what she had seen the previous day and grabbed Portman's arm, spinning him around to shove him against the locker before her nerves got the better of her. "Deny it!" Lizzy snapped. "Go right ahead and deny it."
"Deny what?" Dean asked innocently. His brow furrowed and his hazel eyes narrowed. He had absolutely no idea what she was talking about. Adam and Charlie stopped as well but a few steps away. This could go very bad and they didn't want to get involved unless they absolutely had to.
"Of course you've forgotten already? Girls really do mean that little to you," Lizzy growled. He still looked confused but she could tell he was searching his memory for any event she could be talking about. "You know, I can understand her, she's a real piece of work and deserves it, but I never thought you'd do this to me. They warned me. You warned me yourself but I never thought you'd—I thought I knew you better. I thought you had changed. Love of a good woman and all. I guess the saying is true. You can put a pig in a waistcoat but it's still a pig. Stay away from me!" Lizzy demanded. Lizzy spun on her heel to walk away but after a moment, turned back to him, and slammed her fist into his stomach knocking the wind out of him. Being raised with four brothers meant she hit harder than almost any other girl, and some guys, that he knew. "We're done."
Charlie and Adam stared in shock as Portman doubled over, grabbing his stomach and Lizzy stormed off. Adam looked at Charlie, then Portman, then raced after Lizzy, catching up with her as she reached the end of the hall. "I know you don't want to talk about it," Adam said.
"Then don't make me. My heart is breaking and it's none of your business," Lizzy answered.
"You and me against the world, huh?" Adam asked.
Lizzy sighed. They were the last two Ducks to join the original D-5 Ducks team and had promised above everything to stick together against anything. Especially if that hockey team ever turned on them. She had seen the effect Larson and McGill had had on the center when they turned on him and never wanted to see him like that again. So she relented at least a little bit. "Even though hockey season is over, you're still a team and to be honest I haven't ever been part of that team. The team I knew four years ago, the team I helped win the Minnesota State Pee Wee Champs for, is gone."
"Uh-uh. Once a Duck, always a Duck. You taught me that. The Hawks nicknamed you The Puppet Master for a reason. You always knew which string to pull to get any one of your teammates to jump for you and that didn't mean just Ducks. You've been in Minnesota for four months, with this team for four months and maybe you can't make all of us jump with a single pull but most of us," Adam said.
"Maybe, but really is none of their business. Not to get on him, not to ask what happened, none of that is any of their business. They're better than that."
"They'll just want to know the truth. To defend against the rest of the school. They want to make sure no one is spreading rumors that will hurt you or Port."
"Right now, I don't want to talk about it. I get the feeling he won't either. So convince your captain to keep your team out of it. It's his job."
"He's your cousin, Liz. One word from you and he'd do it in a heartbeat," Adam answered.
Lizzy sighed and they walked to breakfast not saying another word about it. Lizzy got her breakfast and stepped out of line. She looked around the cafeteria and her eyes landed on the small table tucked in the back corner. She looked up at Adam who nodded then she went over to the table as Adam sat down at the Ducks' normal table. Lizzy sat her tray on the table and the four girls sitting there looked up at her. Aly Calloway, Emma Benson, Anna Sanders, and Ellie Roberts. The girls had been friends for years and were at Eden Hall to get a leg up to a great art school. Lizzy had become friends with them not only through her art class but after a particularly nasty fight with Portman a few months earlier.
"Everything alright?" Aly asked.
"Not in the slightest," Lizzy answered.
"We're here if you want to talk." Anna said.
"Thank you but tell me about you guys. What's going on?" Lizzy asked. So they talked about their lives and the upcoming musical. Aly was very happy dating Fulton and Emma mentioned her latest date with Kenny. It was surprising to see the other two Bash Brothers with girls that didn't seem their type but it did the boys good. Much like Lizzy thought she was doing with Dean. Before she could contemplate that too much, the bell rang to end breakfast. Lizzy was thankful it was Tuesday and therefore wouldn't see Dean until after lunch. The more she thought about it the more she realized she should probably resort to calling him Portman since Dean was a special privilege; nobody really called him that. He tried to talk to her after lunch but she just headed off for their math class and Fulton warned him off. After classes she had baseball practice and instead of talking to anyone and giving tips like she normally did, having a college baseball player for a brother definitely helped, she just stretched and began pitching. Part way through, her catcher tried talking to her as she was pitching angrily and that wasn't good for anyone but she refused to listen. It didn't take much more than a heated glare before he backed off. This continued over dinner as they tried to make Lizzy feel better but when their trainer Alex Mason known to most as Lex, kept pushing that Lizzy was better off without Portman, she lost her appetite. She shoved what remained of her dinner to one of the other players then went back to her room.
Later that night Lizzy rolled over to find Guy perched on the edge of the bed. "Hello," she said in shock. Since she had come to Eden Hall towards the end of the first semester, she didn't have a roommate. Their dorms were also co-ed by floor. The boys were one floor up from the girls. She really wasn't sure what he was doing there.
"Hey," Guy said. That was all it took. Just that one word and tears rolled down her face. He wasn't the typical go to guy, especially for Lizzy but since he was there and looked sympathetic, she let it out; plus she was just too tired to keep it in. Guy did his best to comfort her knowing that's what she really needed. He had just left Connie at her room when he heard Lizzy's stereo playing soft jazz. The girl was a hardcore country fan and anything but that playing from her stereo meant that she wasn't in a good mood. In fact the last time he could remember a different genre playing was when she had been pissed off at Portman. Then she had been playing Metallica. Guy had only heard about that and not actually seen it. Knowing that Lizzy frequently kept her door unlocked, Guy opened the door slowly and crept inside to find that she had tears slipping down her face but she was also asleep. He shook her shoulder and had woken her not realizing he was about to trigger a break down.
The following morning just outside the cafeteria Guy confronted Dean about how he never should have treated Lizzy that way and how the team expected better of him, not knowing Lizzy was standing nearby. Portman didn't answer he just stared at the blond forward with a slightly hurt look. Lizzy sighed and walked past them into the cafeteria acting like she hadn't even seen them.
If this seems a bit familiar to you then it's because this is similar to the ending of When Ice and Dirt Mix.This is a semi-sequel to that one that you don't have to read to understand this one.