two

                                    

                                          
Hailee sighed as she attempted to loosen the tight grip of the rope around her hips, but it wouldn't work.
She was currently squashed in between Jesse and Luis, and she wasn't enjoying it.
                          
"I'm crowded in a truck-load gumps!" Dean remarked.
"Somebody better watch their hands." Julie groaned, making Hailee chuckle.
"You comfy?" Luis asked, grinning.
Hailee playfully rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I'm loving life right now!"
                          
"Uh, I smell something..." Guy began.
"Goldberg!" Everyone yelled in unison.
"It wasn't me!" Goldberg defended.
"No, it was me!" Dean grinned, raising his hands in the air, proudly.
Everyone groaned as Hailee put her hand over her nose.
                          
Gordon then blew his whistle. "I don't know how to make this any clearer. You are a team. To win this thing, you have to work as one. Now as one, skate."
                          
Hailee wasn't going to bother even trying to skate, because she knew that either way, everyone would end up on the ice, including her.
                          
She was right. Within a second everyone had fallen to the right, meaning that Luis and Hailee were squashed at the bottom.
                          
Hailee winced as Luis forced out a chuckle. "I can really tell you're enjoying this."
                          
"Everyone goes their own way, everyone falls down. Now get up and try it again." Gordon ordered.
                          
"Alright, all of you move to your right!" Dean commanded.
Hailee wasn't taking any orders from this jerk, so she stayed still.
"Who made you boss? Everyone to the left!" Fulton yelled.
                          
This time, Hailee attempted to skate, but the group ended up on the floor once again. This time, they fell to the left.
"At least we're not the ones suffocating this time." Hailee remarked. Luis chuckled.
                          
"You guys can argue all you want, but I am not untying you until you move as one." Gordon told them.
                          
***
                          
"Now you're learning! Communication, that's it!" Gordon clapped as the team had finally managed to move about an inch - a new personal record.
"Work together, move together!"
                          
Hailee groaned. "I'm really not enjoying this."
"Really?" Luis chuckled. "I haven't known you for that long but from what I've seen, this is what you're into."
Hailee playfully rolled her eyes. "Hilarious, Mendoza."
                          
"Turn!" Gordon instructed, pointing to the right.
The team did as they were told and since it was their first turn, Hailee  was surprised that they didn't fall over.
                          
***
                          
"You guys are starting to look like hockey players." Gordon said once he untied everyone. He picked up the rope and began circling the group. "I'm proud of ya, team! You worked hard today. But hockey should also be fun. Rancher Dwayne!"
"Yes sir!"
"Round me up some stray cattle!" Gordon exclaimed in the worst Texas accent Hailee had ever heard, making her giggle.
                          
Dwayne eyed his new team members in silence as they all grinned. "My pleasure!" He said.
                          
Dwayne got up and everyone began to skate away. Hailee skated away from everyone and into the corner of the ice rink. She skated in small circles as she watched Dwayne 'round up' her team members.
                          
Dwayne's eyes soon made contact with hers and she grinned. "Uh oh!"
"You better watch out, Hailee!" She heard Connie call, who was sat on the bench since she'd been caught.
                          
Dwayne skated towards her and Hailee moved to her left as he threw the rope. She breathed out a sigh of relief once he missed her, but he wasn't giving up.
                          
Hailee skated backwards, grinning at Dwayne. "Come on!" She teased. "Show me what you've got, cowboy!"
                          
Hailee looked over at Luis, who was in still in the game. He was skating around in small circles with a smile on his face, watching her.
"Is this entertaining enough for you?"
Luis made a 'perfect' sign with his fingers. He playfully chuckled.
                          
"Gotcha!" Dwayne exclaimed. Hailee looked down and noticed that she'd been caught.
Gordon blew the whistle, signalling for her to join her friends on the bench.
                          
She stopped once she reached Dwayne. "If I may suggest, you should go for Luis."
"Hey!" They heard Luis call out.
                          
Hailee laughed before skating towards the benches.
                          
***
                          
If Hailee was being honest, she wasn't expecting to be doing country dancing on the ice when she first came in this morning, but she had to admit that she she was enjoying it.
                          
Hailee was stood in-between Adam and Luis, following Dwayne's steps.
"Y'all are getting the hang of this!" Dwayne grinned as Gordon clapped. "Woo! Go team!"
                          
Hailee laughed, making Luis look over at her and smile.
"And freestyle!" Dwayne yelled.
Luis took this as an opportunity to turn to Hailee and hold out his hand. "May I?"
                          
Hailee did a mocking curtsy and nodded. She took his hand in hers. "Of course."
                          
They skated around in circles, both laughing. Hailee looked over to her coach, who was also dancing and laughed even more.
                          
***
                          
"Tada!" Mr. Tibbles exclaimed, as he revealed the new Wheaties box design, which had Team USA on the front.
Everyone stared at in awe and applauded.
                          
"Hey y'all, that's us!" Dwayne stated.
"No, really?!" Hailee teased.
                          
Tibbles cleared his throat. "Today, it's a Wheaties box, tomorrow, it's video games, action figures, lunch boxes - the sky is the limit! Now, just to make sure that everybody knows who you are, try on one of these!"
Mr. Tibbles held up the team's new kit.
                          
The group admired it, but Hailee noticed that Charlie didn't look so happy, making her frown.
                          
"Brought to you by those wonderful people at Hendrix: for all your hockey needs! Fulton, there you go!" He said, throwing Fulton his new kit.
"Adams, here you are!" Tibbles said. Hailee caught her new hockey shirt and held it up to look at it.
                          
"Come on everybody, come and take yours, I'm not gonna hand them all out!" Tibbles exclaimed.
                          
Once Luis had gone to search for his, Hailee watched Charlie talk with Coach Bombay. She was trying to listen in on what they were saying, but the noises of the group overruled them.
                          
She sighed, hoping whatever it was wasn't too major.