Disclaimer: I don't own the Ducks or anything related to the movies. I just borrowed them for some fun. Enjoy!
Banking on Your Heart
I glance at the clock and realize I am up in time to watch the sunrise before I have to head to school. Just as I am about to get dressed to go downstairs I hear a knock on my door. "Yes," I call out.
"You up yet missy?" Mom asks.
"Yeah I am up! I am just getting dressed before going down to watch the sunrise." I respond.
"Good! What do you want for breakfast?"
"I was thinking those double chocolate pancakes you make with sausage and a scrambled egg. However a bowl of cereal would be good too!" I answer back.
"Ok I will have your breakfast ready in a bit." She says before heading off toward the kitchen.
I dress in my khaki pants and light blue sweater set. I slip on some nude knee highs and my cream colored flats. I pull my hair up into a ponytail then wrap it loosely around the rubber band in a style my Dad teases is my rooster tail. I slip a clip into my hair and put on my necklace from Adam. I slip on the bracelet from Bombay and then I put on just a touch of make up. I head out of my room and go to the bathroom before going downstairs to watch the sunrise. As I reach the porch I am shocked at what I see. "Adam, Kathy, Kyle, Steven, and Phillip what are you all doing here?"
"Well we are here to watch the sunrise then we are going to visit with your parents while Kyle checks out the school with Adam." Phillip says. He motioned to Steven, Kathy, and himself as he talked about the we visiting with my parents.
"Cool! Does Mom know you guys are here?"
"Yeah that was why she came up to make sure you were already up and if not she was going to wake you up. I know we are suppose to sunrise watch together on Friday but I was hoping you wouldn't mind this morning too." Adam responds.
"I don't mind at all." I say as I hug my boyfriend.
Mom comes out along with my Dad to bring out breakfast for all of us. As we eat we begin to talk. "Hey Becky did you get my email last night?" Kyle asks.
"Yeah and I responded but I am sure you haven't got my response yet. I would love to come talk at your school soon. Actually I think I can work that into my public speaking course I am suppose to take next year. Dean Buckley has been working with the teacher about possibly making my speeches the bases for my grade. Turns out the teacher I will have is married to one of the hospital board members so he goes to all the events that I usually end up talking at. He caught Saturday's speech and then he was there for my speech at assembly then again at the after school event yesterday. If I can work out the speech at a time that he could go too I would be able to use the speech as a grade and possibly I could finish one of my sophomore classes this year. Apparently I have given three fourths of the speeches needed I just have to give about four more speeches. Which with the one for your school, the next hospital fundraiser, and the volunteers banquet I will only have to come up with one more public speech to give. If I can't find one by finals week I will be asked to give a speech in front of one of his classes."
"Wow that is so cool Becky!" Steven says. "Sounds like my brother has one smart girl who is always working ahead instead of just on time."
"I try but sometimes it's not easy." I laugh. "Hey Kathy how are the party plans coming for our Friday night adventure? I was also thinking of inviting a couple of girls who aren't yet Duckettes but I got a feeling they might be soon. I was think Amy since I got a feeling her and Fulton will get together soon. I also was thinking Erica because I am thinking about trying to get her together with one of two players."
"The plans are coming along great. I think that sounds awesome inviting the two you are planning on playing cupid with." Kathy says with a teasing smile.
"I can't help it if I try to match people up. I have been told nine out of ten times I am good at picking matches for others." I tell her.
"Yeah this all started while she was in the hospital recovering." My Mom says.
"Really how so," Phillip asks.
I started matching up single doctors and nurses with people I knew that were single. I would try to find someone around their age that shared common interests and yet not too many things in common because that way they had things they could do without including the other all the time." I explain.
"Ah the hospital has a Dr. of LOVE." Kathy teases.
"I guess you could say that. They use to call me the hospital Love Bug because I was always bugging them about their love lives." I laugh.
"So how many of the couples you got together are still together?" Steven asks.
"Roughly about 95% of them at least that was last I heard. I knew the others wouldn't last but those were set ups to help people over come their fears when it came to dating." I respond.
"Dang you have a future in the match making business, in writing, and in art. How does one girl get so much talent?" Steven teases.
"I guess it is called luck and God's will." I joke back and he laughs. "Hey Kathy and Mom what do you think of a little game at the sleep over of like a twenty questions or a truth or dare type of thing? You know a way for all the Duckettes to get to know one another."
"I was thinking about something like that and I have a couple of ideas of what we can do for that if you will trust me." Kathy says.
"Great I can't wait for the sleep over." I tell her.
"I know me either!" Kathy responds too.
"I am excited about it too." My mom chimes in.
"So am I." Dad says in a valley girl way.
"I know me too." Phillip also uses that valley girl tone.
I roll my eyes at the men and give Adam a warning look. "I am looking forward to Friday night because it's an opportunity for me to spend time with my brother and his friends." Kyle says catching the warning look.
Adam laughs. "I can see you have my little brother wrapped around your finger sweetheart." He teases me.
"Why do you say that?" I ask him.
"I say that simply because he caught your look and he didn't feel like he should go against you." Adam responds.
I smile at Kyle. Kyle grins back. "I am no idiot big brother I know not to got against a smart woman."
Soon it is time to head to school to meet the Ducks for breakfast. Adam and I sit at the end of the table as usual. Kyle looks around a little lost. I smile and motion to the chair next to me that is open. "Normally Charlie sits beside your brother. As for this seat that rotates every day. I want you beside me so that is why I am putting you there." I tell him as I see him looking a bit nervous. "Relax the Ducks know you and will be cool with you hanging with us."
He relaxes and looks around. While he is looking around I catch Adam's eye and he smiles while mouthing a thank you. I smile back and mouth back that it was nothing. Charlie is the first Duck to join us. He sits beside Adam and begins yawning and rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "What time did you get up this morning?"
"Good morning to you too Captain Duck." Adam responds.
"Good morning Sweetheart." Charlie jokes back.
"Hey now don't be trying to steal my boyfriend." I say slapping Charlie's hand as he places it around Adam's shoulders.
"Ah come on babe he isn't good enough for you so let me have him." Charlie teases back as Linda comes over and plops into the chair beside Charlie. "On second thought you keep him I will take this sweet girl over that goof any day!" Charlie adds putting his other arm around Linda. "Now seriously when did you get up this morning?"
"I got up around 5:00 am and after calling my family I headed over to my girlfriend's house to watch the sunrise. My family met me there." Adam responds.
Kyle is staying very quiet as the rest of the Ducks fill the seats at our table. He seems worried as the other seats fill but not the one by him. I lean over and squeeze his shoulder. "Don't worry dear it isn't you." I whisper in his ear.
I finish saying that just as Dean and Fulton walk up to our table. Dean sits down next to Kyle. "Hey Kyle! What are you doing here today?" Dean says lightly slapping Kyle on the back.
"I was given permission by both my school and here to do a school tour day since I am looking at maybe going here in the future." Kyle now looks relaxed and I when I catch Dean's eye, I can't help but smile at him before mouthing a thank you. He nods his understanding.
Julie and Greg are the last to take their seats at the table. Julie grins at me. "Thanks for the responds to my email Becky. There is a lot of people responding wanting to accept the challenge."
"That is great news. Let me know if I can do anything to help." I respond as I pass the paperwork out to all the Ducks. "I didn't know who wanted to help out at the hospital and who didn't so I brought in paperwork for all of you. If you aren't interested feel free to pass it on to someone who is." I say and they all take it.
"Oh all the Ducks are going to be volunteering at the hospital." Charlie says.
"Can I volunteer too?" Kyle asks.
I hand him the paperwork also. "Sure you can." I tell him.
After breakfast Adam, Kyle, and I head to Art. After Mr. Melson gave our assignment he talked to Kyle about the Art programs offered while the rest of us worked. At the end of class we hand in our assignments. Some were doing catch up work while the few of us that were all caught up were working on projects to use around the school to replace all art work. It is something that is a tradition in our school. Art students' work is the main artwork though out the school and it changes as often.
As we hand in our art pieces Mr. Melson looks at them. "Great I will put these over by the office. We have been looking for something refreshing to put there for a while now." I look at Adam's painting and laugh. He had painted a picture of the pond at school and I had painted the pond Adam took me to on Friday night.
We head off to Journalism with Kyle in tow. Adam and I find our spots in the class. All the sports writers sit together. I pull the chair at the table out and motion Kyle to sit down by me. He looks grateful that I am keeping an eye on him.
"Actually today we are going to do some work on unity in our staff. I was very disappointed in the way many of you responded yesterday in the after school assembly. I feel that we will start by reading the newspaper we print. Bridget, can you please pass out these?" Mrs. Brooks asks her holding up the last week's papers. As soon as everyone including Kyle has a copy Mrs. Brooks picks an article. She then looks at Kyle. "Kyle I was wondering if you feel comfortable reading in front of the class." She says showing him the article she wants read.
Kyle smiles, "I would be happy to read this." He responds and she smiles nodding for him to go ahead. He begins reading my article about myself. We continue taking turns reading others' articles.
When we finish reading the newspaper Mrs. Brooks speaks up again. "I want an open dialogue going here about what we just read. Kyle you may feel free to respond or ask questions as well."
Soon the class is discussing various articles but no one seems to say anything more about my article after that. I am a bit relieved at that but also worried that they will wait until we are out of the class to make fun of it. As we are leaving each sports writer gives me a pat on the back. All of them saying, "Great work."
Neil and Alex were waiting outside the classroom. "We both want to apologize for our attitudes yesterday and we promise we are on your side." Neil says.
"Yes and we are sorry about our comments as well." Alex adds.
I nod my acceptance as Adam speaks up. "We appreciate your change in attitude and welcome you to our group of friends."
"I am glad to see someone had a change of heart about them because these two belong together." Kyle says and Alex smiles then messes with Kyle's hair.
"Adam, you have got one cool little brother. I should get him to hang out with my little brother sometime." Alex says before the walk off.
After that we head off toward my class and Kyle decides to go with me for the rest of the day.
Author Note: Big thank you to Erica for the review. Hope to hear from more this time. I am so review starved please feed me some good ones so my ego swells and I can write again. LOL Take care all. I am off to write some more. Hope you all enjoyed. I need to work on Greg's interview for Quack Attack so probably will do that one before I update this one again.