Note to Readers: I know this chapter took quite a sharp turn there, but I
got it all figured out, and I promise.. it will end well! And to Quimby,
who has been reviewing ever since, your reviews help a lot!
Disclaimer: Jeez, I'm running out of creative ways of saying this already.. I don't own the ducks. Though I'd be flattered if you thought I did. Lol
D2.5: The Mighty Ducks by BallisticBubble
Chapter Nine: Even Cakeaters Have Dads
I slumped straight into bed as soon as I got home, the Ducks and I had just arrived from the airport to see Gaffney and boy, were we disappointed. Julie's flight was delayed, so delayed, that her six hours, got chopped into six minutes. We barely even got to say "hi" to her. The worst part of all is, I'm still sleepy.
Though she'd be heading back from Overland in a while, she'd be switching planes back to Bangor faster than a wink. Hey, at least we got to see her!
It was cool though, how we got to convince everyone to get their butts out of their beds at the crack of dawn to see Connie's "aunt". It turns out Connie told Guy that her aunt was a contestant of The Amazing Race! And well, yah, the rumor spread.
So, today it's the 4th of July, and we're all still feeling bad.
I picked my scab that I got from hitting the pavement a few weeks ago, on the mat mom had set out at the park where we were supposed to watch the fireworks display that night, doing nothing, thinking..
"Charlie! Don't do that! You'll hurt yourself again!" Mom warned as she crept up on me.
I rolled down the leg of my pants and put a fake grin on my face. "Sorry, mom!"
What was there to be excited about anyway? First off, Seth was busy trying to grill some of his so-called famous barbeque which, I've gotta say.. tastes like crap. Second, I'm allergic to gunpowder, and third, I was stuck with my rents.
Or so I thought. By five pm, I've seen a bunch of friends, including some of my close friends who I'd miss a lot once I switched schools.
"Charlie!" It was Banks.
He looked quite wild and panic-stricken, as, he was walking in circles and muttering stuff under his breath.
I narrowed my look at him. "Cakeater, chill, what's happening?"
He gritted his teeth. "You didn't tell anyone about SciTech did you?"
I just shook my head and motioned him to sit down and r-e-l-a-x.
"'Cos Fulton's been on my case like mad, He and everyone else." Adam huffed. "Dunno how he.. knew."
I handed him the bottle of water from the cooler. "I think you need this. And you better slow down."
He slumped down on the other side of the mat and nodded. "Thank you." But instead of drinking it, he threw it all on his face. That surely made me giggle a while there.
"Reed is so going to hunt me down." He paused and I looked farther, and almost as if he heard his name, he was approaching. "Can I hang out here first until.. he goes away?"
"Speaking of Fulton here he comes!" I said sarcastically, still dense to the fact that the two were on a rat race of their own.
Banks just about turned his head a few degrees left before he got up and began to run wild again. I pulled him back. "Stop!" I looked back at Fulton." And dude, what the freak are you doing?"
Fulton came closer and responded "Cakeater thinks he's too good for us now, that's what!" still, though, without removing his stare from Banks.
And characteristically, Adam did nothing but shake his head hesitantly. "You got it the wrong way man. And wait a sec.. how did you know about SciTech?"
"It's just that some other ducks like to share information with each other unlike you. Goldberg's dad heard it from yours." He retorted and I had enough.
"Shut up you two!" I set them apart. "This is all just a misunderstanding. Fulton, Banks isn't going. And Banks, I really think you ought to slow down." I stressed the word slow.
"Actually, Charlie, Fulton." Adam bit his lip real hard. "You might be right. My dad, he didn't let me decide. You know how domineering my papa is and, go figure yourself."
Fulton shook his head. "Told ya so!"
I stared at Banks. What in the world was he saying? But I tried to be diplomatic and civil anyway. After all, this was the guy with a father who made my guts boil. "Positive?" I say, my voice barely hearable.
"Not too. But I'm really bummed."
I understood. But no, this couldn't be happening! Banks, Jessie and Portman? Portman already hinted he wasn't too sure. I couldn't take this. And neither could Fulton.
"Okie, I'm sorry for tracking you a whole hour, but, man, you need to talk to your dad. You said it to McGill and Larson." Fulton reasoned. I thank God for giving Fulton at least a bit compassion, and a whole lot of logic. "You're a duck."
Adam nodded and stuttered with his feet. "Okie. If it means that much, I will go talk to my dad then."
*
And so it came to be that exactly one week later we found ourselves laying around at Banks' again.
"Oh, you have visitors." Mr. Banks wedged his head keen on the entrance of the kitchen. He sounded so disgusted to see we were there.
And the feeling was reciprocal. Philip Banks. I detested him and so did Coach Bombay, the rest of the ducks, and at times, his own son.
"Hi there, dad." Banks said mockingly. "I need to talk to you." He stood and walked over to his dad. "It'll only be a while, I swear."
I exchanged looks with Fulton. "I think we better go."
"Okie, son. In my office." He shot a look at Adam and he followed, before he looked at me out of the corner of his eye and waved bye, almost as if he were walking onto a spaceship that might not make its way back home. He shut the door behind him. Bang.
And that is that.
"Pop." Adam began. "You know how I'm s'posed to be going to that school in the autumn?"
"Yes. Yes. A wonderful school that SciTech is." He answered in a monotone way, without even looking up from his seat.
"But, um.." Banks faltered.
Then Phillip Banks finally let down his guard. "What is it Adam? Do you want me to have to pull what you have to say out of you?"
Then Banks snapped, which in front of his own father he dared not do.
"Dad!" He shouted, making it audible to hear as far as the kitchen where the other ducks were a while ago. "Please, just let me finish."
"I want to make the decision myself." Banks went on. "I want to go to Eden Hall."
The response he got was completely what he had expected from his own father. The look on his face was as if his son had just grown another nose. Or worse, like Adam Banks was no longer his own son.
Adam had never in his life did anything like this. He always told himself to ignore other people's lame criticism. Usually, he let his incredible playing do the talking for him.
Yeah, he had stuck up for other people, but when it came to fighting for his own sake, it seemed useless. But like I said, Fulton had a way of influencing anybody to make their insides simmer with rage.
"Adam Banks!" His father shot up from the desk and slammed the newspaper down. "Did those awful back street menaces ask you to say this to my face or what?"
Banks closed his eyes. He knew it. He just knew it. But then it was too late to turn back now. "Dad, please. Don't say that about them, they're my friends.Please, I don't want to go to SciTech, plus I found out the Warriors haven't lost a single game ever since 1986!"
But you catch flies with honey better than with vinegar, and Adam quickly remembered that. Then unexpectedly it came out. "I love you dad."
And that was all Phillip Banks needed to hear to go easy on his youngest son. "I'll think about it." He nodded and motioned Adam to leave.
"Thanks, pop!" He ran to his dad and attempted hugging him.
I guess not exactly go easy then. "Adam, go upstairs! I don't like seeing my son act like a sissy!"
"Yes sir." Banks nipped back to his normal behavior. "Thank you." And he walked out the door and closed it again once more, this time, smirking.
"I love you too, Adam." His dad thought. But of course it wasn't heard. It was only a thought.
Disclaimer: Jeez, I'm running out of creative ways of saying this already.. I don't own the ducks. Though I'd be flattered if you thought I did. Lol
D2.5: The Mighty Ducks by BallisticBubble
Chapter Nine: Even Cakeaters Have Dads
I slumped straight into bed as soon as I got home, the Ducks and I had just arrived from the airport to see Gaffney and boy, were we disappointed. Julie's flight was delayed, so delayed, that her six hours, got chopped into six minutes. We barely even got to say "hi" to her. The worst part of all is, I'm still sleepy.
Though she'd be heading back from Overland in a while, she'd be switching planes back to Bangor faster than a wink. Hey, at least we got to see her!
It was cool though, how we got to convince everyone to get their butts out of their beds at the crack of dawn to see Connie's "aunt". It turns out Connie told Guy that her aunt was a contestant of The Amazing Race! And well, yah, the rumor spread.
So, today it's the 4th of July, and we're all still feeling bad.
I picked my scab that I got from hitting the pavement a few weeks ago, on the mat mom had set out at the park where we were supposed to watch the fireworks display that night, doing nothing, thinking..
"Charlie! Don't do that! You'll hurt yourself again!" Mom warned as she crept up on me.
I rolled down the leg of my pants and put a fake grin on my face. "Sorry, mom!"
What was there to be excited about anyway? First off, Seth was busy trying to grill some of his so-called famous barbeque which, I've gotta say.. tastes like crap. Second, I'm allergic to gunpowder, and third, I was stuck with my rents.
Or so I thought. By five pm, I've seen a bunch of friends, including some of my close friends who I'd miss a lot once I switched schools.
"Charlie!" It was Banks.
He looked quite wild and panic-stricken, as, he was walking in circles and muttering stuff under his breath.
I narrowed my look at him. "Cakeater, chill, what's happening?"
He gritted his teeth. "You didn't tell anyone about SciTech did you?"
I just shook my head and motioned him to sit down and r-e-l-a-x.
"'Cos Fulton's been on my case like mad, He and everyone else." Adam huffed. "Dunno how he.. knew."
I handed him the bottle of water from the cooler. "I think you need this. And you better slow down."
He slumped down on the other side of the mat and nodded. "Thank you." But instead of drinking it, he threw it all on his face. That surely made me giggle a while there.
"Reed is so going to hunt me down." He paused and I looked farther, and almost as if he heard his name, he was approaching. "Can I hang out here first until.. he goes away?"
"Speaking of Fulton here he comes!" I said sarcastically, still dense to the fact that the two were on a rat race of their own.
Banks just about turned his head a few degrees left before he got up and began to run wild again. I pulled him back. "Stop!" I looked back at Fulton." And dude, what the freak are you doing?"
Fulton came closer and responded "Cakeater thinks he's too good for us now, that's what!" still, though, without removing his stare from Banks.
And characteristically, Adam did nothing but shake his head hesitantly. "You got it the wrong way man. And wait a sec.. how did you know about SciTech?"
"It's just that some other ducks like to share information with each other unlike you. Goldberg's dad heard it from yours." He retorted and I had enough.
"Shut up you two!" I set them apart. "This is all just a misunderstanding. Fulton, Banks isn't going. And Banks, I really think you ought to slow down." I stressed the word slow.
"Actually, Charlie, Fulton." Adam bit his lip real hard. "You might be right. My dad, he didn't let me decide. You know how domineering my papa is and, go figure yourself."
Fulton shook his head. "Told ya so!"
I stared at Banks. What in the world was he saying? But I tried to be diplomatic and civil anyway. After all, this was the guy with a father who made my guts boil. "Positive?" I say, my voice barely hearable.
"Not too. But I'm really bummed."
I understood. But no, this couldn't be happening! Banks, Jessie and Portman? Portman already hinted he wasn't too sure. I couldn't take this. And neither could Fulton.
"Okie, I'm sorry for tracking you a whole hour, but, man, you need to talk to your dad. You said it to McGill and Larson." Fulton reasoned. I thank God for giving Fulton at least a bit compassion, and a whole lot of logic. "You're a duck."
Adam nodded and stuttered with his feet. "Okie. If it means that much, I will go talk to my dad then."
*
And so it came to be that exactly one week later we found ourselves laying around at Banks' again.
"Oh, you have visitors." Mr. Banks wedged his head keen on the entrance of the kitchen. He sounded so disgusted to see we were there.
And the feeling was reciprocal. Philip Banks. I detested him and so did Coach Bombay, the rest of the ducks, and at times, his own son.
"Hi there, dad." Banks said mockingly. "I need to talk to you." He stood and walked over to his dad. "It'll only be a while, I swear."
I exchanged looks with Fulton. "I think we better go."
"Okie, son. In my office." He shot a look at Adam and he followed, before he looked at me out of the corner of his eye and waved bye, almost as if he were walking onto a spaceship that might not make its way back home. He shut the door behind him. Bang.
And that is that.
"Pop." Adam began. "You know how I'm s'posed to be going to that school in the autumn?"
"Yes. Yes. A wonderful school that SciTech is." He answered in a monotone way, without even looking up from his seat.
"But, um.." Banks faltered.
Then Phillip Banks finally let down his guard. "What is it Adam? Do you want me to have to pull what you have to say out of you?"
Then Banks snapped, which in front of his own father he dared not do.
"Dad!" He shouted, making it audible to hear as far as the kitchen where the other ducks were a while ago. "Please, just let me finish."
"I want to make the decision myself." Banks went on. "I want to go to Eden Hall."
The response he got was completely what he had expected from his own father. The look on his face was as if his son had just grown another nose. Or worse, like Adam Banks was no longer his own son.
Adam had never in his life did anything like this. He always told himself to ignore other people's lame criticism. Usually, he let his incredible playing do the talking for him.
Yeah, he had stuck up for other people, but when it came to fighting for his own sake, it seemed useless. But like I said, Fulton had a way of influencing anybody to make their insides simmer with rage.
"Adam Banks!" His father shot up from the desk and slammed the newspaper down. "Did those awful back street menaces ask you to say this to my face or what?"
Banks closed his eyes. He knew it. He just knew it. But then it was too late to turn back now. "Dad, please. Don't say that about them, they're my friends.Please, I don't want to go to SciTech, plus I found out the Warriors haven't lost a single game ever since 1986!"
But you catch flies with honey better than with vinegar, and Adam quickly remembered that. Then unexpectedly it came out. "I love you dad."
And that was all Phillip Banks needed to hear to go easy on his youngest son. "I'll think about it." He nodded and motioned Adam to leave.
"Thanks, pop!" He ran to his dad and attempted hugging him.
I guess not exactly go easy then. "Adam, go upstairs! I don't like seeing my son act like a sissy!"
"Yes sir." Banks nipped back to his normal behavior. "Thank you." And he walked out the door and closed it again once more, this time, smirking.
"I love you too, Adam." His dad thought. But of course it wasn't heard. It was only a thought.