After a Ducks game in every home game, a Duck is selected to do a post-game interview and then a meet and greet with fans.

Subsequently, to a victory at the Pond, a particular Duck is selected for the media task.

"Get off of me." Joseph Cramarossa shoves a sleeping Nick Ritchie from his shoulder.

Nick jolts awake in his stall, gradually straightening up. "Oh, I just wanted to..." His then eyes close and his head dips before more snores come out of him.

Joseph rolls his eyes at his snoozing teammate. "Whatever. As long as he doesn't use me as his pillow." He pulls his blazer over his white collared button-up shirt.

Then, a lady approaches him: the leader of the Ducks' media team.

"Cramarossa," she says professionally, "you're selected for the post-game interview and meet-and-greet."

Joseph's eyebrows shoot up in surprise.

"You're up in ten minutes." She turns around and ambles out of the room.

"Alright," Joseph mutters as he adjusts his tie. "Time to do an interview. Show people who the amazing Joseph Cramarossa is. And then meet some fans!" He flashes a rare, big grin.

From next to him, Nick is awake once again. He gazes at him. "Have fun, Crammer."

Joseph whirls to him. "You bet I am!" He then hops to his feet and begins to gallop across the locker room to exit it.

From their stalls, the Swedehearts, Rickard Rakell and Hampus Lindholm, wave to their teammate.

"Bye, Crammer!" Rickard sing-songs.

"Bye, bye!" Hampus calls out. "Have fun in the interview!"

Joseph spins around with his hand on the edge of the door, facing the two Swedish teammates. "I surely will!"

Next to Rickard, Ryan Kesler is giving the interviewee a suspicious expression. "What's up with the--?" He swishes his index fingers in front of his mouth.

"I'm gonna meet fans," Joseph exclaims, not faltering his ebullient mien. "I have to be prepared!" He then twirls around and skips out of the room.

---

After the radio interview, the head person of the Ducks' media team leads Joseph down the concourse of the second level.

Toward the end, there is a line of fans anticipating to meet the Gull-to-Duck player. Everyone begins to cheer when he passes the line to get to the front.

Then the meet and greet begins:

"Hey!" he says happily to one fan as he is handed a program to sign. "Nice to meet you!"

"Did you enjoy the game?" he asks another fan before taking a selfie with him.

"Thank you for coming!" he tells a young fan, patting his shoulder.

The little fan frowns up at him. "I'm a Kings fan, not a Ducks fan!" Sure enough, the child is wearing a black Anže Kopitar jersey with a Kings' cap.

An anxious expression crosses Joseph’s face. "Go hockey! Wooo...!" He weakly pumps a fist in the air.

From behind one of the pillars that is a yard away, Michael Cramarossa, Joseph's younger brother, pops his head into view and gives the kid a thumbs up with a big grin.

The child then rushes over to him with a smile.

Michael lowers himself into a squatting position to be eye level with him. "Good job!" he whispers to him. He high-fives him, then hands him a single five dollar bill.

The kid greedily takes it and dashes back to his parents.

Michael then straightens himself and peers at the shortening line. He then slips into the back of the line with a mischievous smile.

A few minutes later, the end of the line meets the celebrity.

"Have a great night!" Joseph tells the second-to-last fan. "Drive safely!" He waves to her.

Michael then hops up to his older brother. "Hey, Big Joe! I'm your biggest fan!"

Joseph spots his brother; his cheery mien immediately morphs to his usual cold mien. "Get outta here." He slaps his head.

Michael stumbles back due to the force, but immediately recovers: He whips out his smartphone and raises it in the air. "Come on, at least a selfie!"

"Go, leave." He shoves him away then shouts, "Security!"

Right away, two arena guards march up to Michael. Each grabs one arm and begin to drag him away.

"No!" Michael shouts while writhing in the guards' iron grip. "Wait! You can't do this to me, Big Joe!" He then cranes his head behind his shoulder to look at him. "I know where you live! I've waited for this moment my whole life! I will tell all your secrets!"

Joseph scowls at him. "FINE," he barks.

A massive grin appears on the younger brother's face. "Yes!" He bounds up to him as the guards let go of him.

He quickly takes a selfie with him, then begins furiously typing on his phone. "Now I can tell the girls that I met Joseph Cramarossa...!" he sing-songs as he posts it up on his social media accounts.

Joseph narrows his eyes at him. "You idiot, they know I'm your brother."

"No, they don't." Michael peers up at him. "According to them, I'm Tony Martinez!"

"Who plays with Cramarossa on the back of his jersey." Joseph watches his younger brother tag the selfie.

"They don't know I play hockey," Michael says matter-of-factly. "According to them, I go to Harvard." He posts the picture onto his account.

"Oh majoring in what, a bio-engineering?" Joseph rolls his eyes with crossed arms.

Michael turns off his phone and puts it away. "Nope, chemical engineering!"

Joseph shoves him from behind. "Get outta here!"

Michael stumbles back, yet maintains his balance. He begins walking backward to face his older brother. "Still got the selfie!" He waves his phone in the air in a mockingly way. He then spins around and swaggers down the hallway, disappearing to the right side into the elevators.

Joseph is left standing in the mostly-empty hallway. He then rubs his rounded cheeks as he feels them sore. "This is why I don't smile," he squeaks out.

He then strides down the hallway with the head of the media team, since his meet and greet is apparently over.


The End!

Notes