The Australian | Charlie Conway

Captain Blood

By the time practice finished Luis was half asleep, Kenny was hardly able to stand on two feet due to exhaustion, Fulton had 12 bruises, and just about everyone was pissed with coach.

We made it back to the dorms an hour after curfew, luckily there was a cleaner just leaving out the front door so we were able to get in before they locked the doors.

Everyone trudged up to bed saying nothing but a sleepy 'goodnight' to each other.

-

We all woke up at 8:00 am the next morning to make sure we were ready for our lesson with Miss McKay.The team all sat around a table in the mess hall eating,

"On a scale from one to ten how sore are you all today?"I ask.

Numbers started flying everywhere.

"9" Luis said.

"7," Adam said.

"8," said Julie

And so on and so forth.

"Well, I'm just so pumped to go learn about Ancient Greece, go to practice and then finally play another game with captain blood as our coach!"I say sarcastically.

Everyone chuckled.

Not long after we ate breakfast we made our way slowly but surely to the classroom our lessons were held in.

It was around 25 minutes in when Luis fell asleep,

"Luis," Miss McKay said quietly.

She began to shake him slightly, I giggled quietly to myself. Luis opens his eyes,

"Sorry," He says sleepily.

"Why are you all so tired?"Miss McKay asked.

"Captain blood kept us up late last night to train" Averman replies.

Goldberg yawns. Miss McKay signs and stares at us all for a couple of seconds.

"Okay how about we finish up here for today, today's practice will be canceled. You guys go rest up for tonight's game"Miss McKay decides.

"Thanks, Miss McKay," We all say thankfully

"You all very welcome"

-

After being dismissed we all went back to our dorms to sleep. We all agreed, much to my dismay,to meet back in the lobby at 3:00 for some light training.

It was around 2:30 when I was abruptly woken up.

"Aussie wake up," Connie said.

"Nooooooo" I groaned.

"Wake up you idiot," Julie said while hitting me with a pillow.

"Okay okay I'm up I'm up!"I surrender.

"The good old pillow always does the trick," Julie says.

We all chuckle.

-

"And hold two-three," Julie said.

The team was currently stretching out on the oval outside our dorms.

"Coach isn't here. Why do we have to be?"Dean asks.

"We have a game tonight," Charlie adds.

"We have to work out."

"I say mutiny. Who's with me?"Goldberg suggests

"Goldberg, I'm too tired to mutiny."Dwayne says

"Mutiny takes too much effort," I say

"Come on, guys, it's not like we couldn't use the conditioning," Julie says

"Speak for yourself, babe."

I was about to just lose my shit but luckily my lord and savior Charlie Conway stopped me from having an outburst.I just couldn't stand joked like that but by putting his hand on my shoulder I was restrained from saying anything.

"Her name is Julie, not "babe. "Adam defends 

"Don't tell me how to talk, rich boy!"Dean yells

"Hey, Portman, chill!" Fulton says

"Hey, you want a piece of this?"

"Yo, Team U.S.A., what are you gonna do today, a million jumping jacks?" A random kid yells from the barriers.

Wait a second is that the kid that always seems to be at our games?
He's a little shit.

"This kid's crazier than me. Forget about him. Look, Fulton!" Jesse says

"Hey, chill!"The kid yells

"Hey, man, I'm gettin' sick of you!" Jesse yells

"I'm gettin' sick of seeing the U.S.A.represented by a bunch of whining babies."The kid yells back

"Too bad you can't back up that mouth."

"I and my boys can take you anytime, anywhere."

"I don't see no "boys. ""

"I got 'em waitin'."

"Grab your gear and let's go play some schoolyard puck. Or maybe you forgot what it's like to play for real pride."

We all look at each other, maybe it wouldn't hurt to go back to basics.