#teamplayersbonus

[deannagrey]

Scene where Sam tells the boys he’s leaving

Note: I wrote this scene as a look at how the guys would have differing reactions to Sam’s decision to leave. It didn’t make the cut because I felt like the book was getting too lengthy and their reactions could be further explored in other books. 

I pulled up to our house. Everything looked clearer after talking to Aderyn and this clarity was warm. Bittersweet. I passed by Finn's van on the way to the front door, taking a quick peek at the wayward sweatshirts, forgotten earbuds, and old hockey equipment in the back seat. All of us often left things in the van, knowing that we'd come back eventually. It was our version of a scrapbook. I'd have to take my things out before leaving. I definitely wasn't looking forward to doing that. But it was going to happen. It needed to happen because I needed to grow. I needed a chance to figure out who I was when I took chances and didn't know what the outcome was going to be. I needed to completely shed old Sam for the new version. The hopefully stronger version. 

The guys were in the living room, sitting around the coffee table with the game Clue laid out in front of them. The sound of my shoes on the hardwood was enough to capture their attention 

"How did it go?" Henrik asked. They all looked at me, eyes wide with curiosity, ready to lend me a shoulder if needed. 

I nodded, smiling at the thought of Aderyn. "G-good. Better than good. Amazing." 

Lincoln raised his arms and smiled wide with pure happiness for me. As he cheered, Henrik and even Finn laughed at his excessive show of support. 

"I thought you were going to have bad news," Lincoln noted, eyes dancing with satisfaction. "You're still stammering a bit. But, thank God, I'm wrong." 

I tried not to let my smile fade. All in all, this was good news. 

"Right…well, there's something else." I cleared my throat. "So, next year, I'm not going to be needing my room."

Finn's brow knitted but he kept his questions to himself. His gaze ducked down as he focused on his hands. He could sense this was going somewhere he wasn't necessarily going to like. 

Henrik gave me a small nod. He knew what I was going to say. And the firm line his mouth made clued me into how he wouldn't give protest. His rapid blinking told me he wanted to but whatever argument he cooked up would stay in the back of his mind out of respect for my decision. 

On the other hand, Lincoln had no clue where I was going. We were on one side of the field and he was on the other. 

"You don't want to live here anymore?" Lincoln asked. "It's a fixer-upper sure, but we have our fixer." 

Finn grunted when Lincoln gestured in his direction. 

"No, it's not that–" I tried. 

"Fine, we can look for other options." He sighed like he'd given plenty of thought to the matter. "But, finding a place better and this close to campus is going to be tough – if not impossible. And moving costs are wild. We were lucky this place came furnished. I do have some savings and that couch we saw at Ikea is within budget if everyone pitches in two hundred." 

"Link–" I tried with a smile. His interruptions were annoying but hell, I was going to miss them. Going to miss everything about this guy who was wholeheartedly ready and committed to doing anything and everything in life together. 

"Naomi and Finn should get the master this time because they need the space," Lincoln said. "No offense but Aderyn's not exactly moving in this early…or is she?"

"Lincoln," Henrik's tone was harder than mine. "Shut up. Just for a second. He's not done and you're not making this any easier to swallow." 

Lincoln's forehead wrinkled but he followed the order. 

"I'm not going to need my room because I'm not coming back to Mendell next year," I said. 

"That's a shitty thing to joke about," Lincoln teased. When I didn't refute my statement his smile faded. 

"Are you…" Lincoln looked at the other guys for support. "Wait, seriously? This is happening again? First Finn's moderating for a streaming star. Naomi's said star. And now, Sam's leaving. Another thing I didn't know about?"

"What do you mean you didn't know?" Henrik asked. "You drove him to Aderyn. You had to deduce something might change, Sherlock."

"To stop her. I deduced that he was going to stop her, Waston," Lincoln insisted. "I drove him because I thought the plan was to stop her. To convince her to stay or convince her to have a long-distance relationship. Not leave…us." 

"Lincoln," I tried to soften my tone because I could see the genuine hurt in his eyes. "I'm only going a few hours away." 

"That's a lot, Sam. That's a lot and you know it and this is bullshit," Lincoln argued. There wasn't fire in his voice. He wasn't necessarily upset with me. He was sad and ready to mourn what would be the first time we all were in different places since becoming friends. 

"I think this is going to be good for me," I told him. "Healthy for me to try something new. To be in a place where I don't know everyone and they don't know me." 

To be with Aderyn, someone who didn't necessarily need me but chose me. Wanted me. Someone I could build something with that stood far longer than a college career. 

"So, spend a few months at a boot camp if you don't want people to know you. If you want a new challenge," Lincoln suggested. "Not transfer to a different program." 

"Bootcamp isn't the same as starting a life somewhere new," I told him. 

"It was going to happen eventually, Link. We all have to split up eventually to figure out our own path, so why not start now," Henrik said in a gentle tone. It sounded like he was trying to be empathetic to Lincoln's stance. He was going to have to learn how to be more understanding of Lincoln's passionate bursts of emotion. Especially since he'd be in charge next year. 

Lincoln huffed, unconvinced and desperate to have someone on his side. "Finn, are you going to say anything? Give us a clue to what you think about this?" 

Finn remained quiet for a few more seconds, taking his time to gather his thoughts. "Sam sounds happy. And he's right, it could be healthy for him to move on. Move forward somewhere else. Move forward with someone he can see a future with. If he's happy, I'm happy. That's all I'm thinking…I'm happy. Sad to lose him but glad he's doing what he wants."

I smiled. His answer was far more heartfelt than I would have expected. 

Lincoln groaned, slouching. "I'm happy too, of course, I'm happy."

"You don't sound very happy to me," Henrik mumbled. 

"I'm ecstatic," Lincoln insisted, voice flat. "All I would like is for Sam to consider that he has more options. We invented cars for a reason. Number one on that list is to drive a few states over to see your girl."

"Eh," I interjected. "I don't know about number one."

"Yeah, that feels more like a number five thing," Henrik agreed. 

"Five or five thousand," Lincoln said, crossing his arms over his chest. "Whatever the number, it's on the list. My point is, I thought maybe your friends might be higher."

"I don't think his decision says anything about how he feels about us," Finn noted. 

"Agreed," Henrik said. 

"Maybe not, but it feels like it." Lincoln shook his head still in disbelief. 

I chewed on my lip, trying not to laugh at his stubborn insistence. "I love you, too, Link. I love all of you guys." 

Lincoln rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Save your attempts at ending toxic masculinity for someone who cares." 

"You care." I moved closer to shove his shoulder. "And I care. We all care and that's why this is going to be hard but not impossible." 

Lincoln huffed but at least untangled his crossed arms. 

"I know you guys got this," I said as I joined them on the floor. "You guys are going to kill next season. You have the talent and the drive. Now, with Stoll out of the way, you have the support. We laid down a foundation, I cleared the way and now, you guys are going to finish this for me."

"You're still playing, though, right?" Finn asked. 

I nodded. "Hell yeah. I'd never quit. Just refocusing. I'll play for Westbrooke."

"Good." Finn nodded. My answer seemed to make his shoulders relax. 

"So, we're just going to kick your ass," Lincoln concluded. "You know what…fine, I'll take that as payment for the heartbreak you've caused all of us. That should cover half damages."

I laughed. "That so?"

Lincoln nodded. "And that other half is you telling us everything we need to do to win this goddamn championship. We need one." 

Henrik nodded in agreement and scooted closer to the table. "With Stoll out of the way, we can actually play without fear of people being benched or suspended out of the blue. Except for you, we have all our seniors coming back. Plus, some killer rookies."

I took a deep breath, pushing away the sadness of not playing with them and replacing it with the excitement of planning for their final season. 

"Jack's going to be a big asset," I said. "His suspension is long but he'll be back on the ice before playoffs. Finn, Jack, and Hen are the best wing players in the league. You have strong first and second lines."

"We're losing the best center, though," Henrik noted. 

I smiled but nodded. "You are but that rookie from Bellamy High is Mendell or bust. He’s almost as impressive as me" 

"Right." Henrik nodded and rubbed the back of his neck as he thought. I could see him moving players around in his mind. Working out plays and matching up the guys who could best execute them.

"Link," I said, leaving Henrik to his thoughts for now. "You're going to commit one thousand percent next year. I mean it."

"I always commit," Lincoln pressed his hand on his chest like he was offended. 

I gave him a look. "Seriously."

"What?" he asked, squirming a bit in his seat. "I do." 

"Don't fuck around. Give it your all."

He sobered a bit and nodded. "I will."

"Swear it," I dared with a little nudge of my chin. "Swear it on Darcy's grave."

"Who's Darcy?" Finn asked in a low voice.

"Link's hamster who he trained to count," Henrik explained. "And be a semi-decent acrobat." 

"Trained to…" Finn shook his head. "You guys get weirder and weirder the more I learn about you." 

I laughed and then looked back at Lincoln. "Swear it." 

He scoffed. "What are we, twelve?" 

"Chicken," I taunted. 

"Oh, well damn. That's the breaking point. Can't be seen as a chicken," Lincoln said sarcastically. 

"You do seem a bit scared," Finn joined in. 

"My God, fine." Lincoln held up his hands. "I swear on my beloved Darcy's grave. I will be the best damn goalie you guys have ever seen. And I will be the reason we win the championship."

"That's a lot of promises." Henrik raised a brow. "You could just stick to trying." 

"No, I'm calling it. I'll be the reason," Lincoln promised with a determined nod. "Mark my words." 

"Marked," I teased. 

"Well, there we have it." Henrik nodded. "We're going to have a season people won't forget…Training starts tomorrow morning. I'll text the rest of the team."

Lincoln and Finn's eyes widened. 

"Excuse me?" Lincoln asked. "We're on break." 

"Which is why I expect you guys to be at the rink bright and early," Henrik said. "We're not training for the playoffs this year. But that doesn't mean we have to stop training altogether. We have big plans. And since we only have Sam for a limited amount of time, we have to make it count." 

I smiled at the thought. "Off-season practice sounds perfect. Fun."

"A chance for Sam to give some parting wisdom," Henrik said when he heard Finn and Lincoln's collective sighs. 

"True…unfortunately true," Lincoln agreed. "Well, can I at least be in charge of the music on the rides to the rink?"

"No," Finn said sternly. 

"Come on, it's a short drive. And I need surround sound to pump me up." 

"Didn't I buy you a pair of noise-canceling headphones," Henrik asked, mouth turned down as he wondered if he was recalling things right. 

Lincoln shrugged. "Yeah, but it's not the same, you know?" 

"Sucks to be you," Finn joked under his breath. 

"Doesn't it?" Lincoln let out a purposely dramatic sigh. "Losing a friend to Westbrooke. Having to prove I'm the best goalie in the league to my other friends. Nursing a lovesick heart. It's rough out here."

I chuckled. "Your melodrama will be one of the things I miss most." 

Lincoln jumped at the opportunity to be sappy. "So, if you were to make a list, theoretically–" 

"You and this theoretically," Henrik muttered. 

"Who would you miss most?" Lincoln leaned closer, ready for my answer. "Theoretically." 

"I love all my children equally," I teased without missing a beat. 

"Boo, tomato," Lincoln mimed throwing the fruit at me. 

I laughed. "Seriously. I'm gonna miss you all in different ways. But the intensity of it feels the same."

Lincoln stuck out his bottom lip and nodded. "I would fake barf but that actually meant a lot to hear you say." 

"It did," Henrik agreed. "Thanks. For everything. Leading us in high school and here. We know it took a lot out of you." 

Finn’s gaze met mine as he said, "Yeah, thank you, Sam. For being there. Listening. Having you there for me after the accident – giving me a break from the drama just to figure my shit out – it means a lot." 

My throat tightened so I simply nodded. 

"Glad to know I'm not the only one who has a heart. For a second I thought you guys were going to let him leave without telling him how you really felt," Lincoln teased them. "And yeah, you deserve all the thanks, Sam. We will give it to you in the form of a trophy. We will win in your honor."

"In Sam's honor," Henrik seconded with a smile. 

"For Sam." Finn nodded. "A Mendell championship, for Sam." 

"I appreciate that, I do." I nodded, still feeling a little misty but proud. "You guys better win with all these promises. Or else, your speeches are all cheese and no backbone." 

"I told you I got this," Lincoln promised and gripped my shoulder for a gentle squeeze. "Cheese and all. I'm going to bring it home."

"We're going to bring it home," Henrik corrected.

"You guys will be there, too, yes," Lincoln agreed. 

Henrik snorted and Finn chuckled. They would be fine without me. They were going to win without me. That thought didn't hurt as much as I assumed it would. We were growing up, ready to trust ourselves just as much as we trusted each other. It felt incredible. It felt freeing. It felt like this was how things were meant to be. 

#teamplayersbonus #mendellhawksseries