***** I'm gonna try to make the chapters a little longer from now on. I realize that they are pretty short and mostly dialogue, but I'm a dialogue type of person :) *****
Becky took a deep breath as she opened the passenger's side door of Dean's car and climbed inside. She kept her head down and buckled her seat belt. Dean already had the key in the ignition. When he was sure that Becky was fully settled in, he pulled out of the parking lot and started down the road. Becky glanced over at Dean who was driving silently, his eyes glued on the road. Her eyes shifted slowly to his body and she felt a pit of guilt welling up her gut. Dean was now wearing a pair of black, army style pants, a black t-shirt, and a camoflage jacket. He had obviously dressed earlier with the intentions of impressing Becky. Dean looked over and noticed Becky looking at him and there was an awkward silence for a what felt like forever, but was merely a few short seconds. Dean reached for the knob of the stereo and turned on some loud heavy metal music and continued to drive silently.
Meanwhile...
Everyone in Julie's car was having a blast. Stacy was sitting between Charlie and Averman in the back seat, Julie was driving, and Connie was in the passenger's side. They had the radio on very low so they could hear themselves talking.
"So, do you plan on going to the winter dance, Stace?" Charlie asked her, trying to strike a new conversation.
"I don't know." She shrugged. "This is only the second time I've heard it mentioned. I'm not even officially in the school yet." She laughed.
"Yeah, but it's the biggest dance of the year next to prom."
"I don't know, I'll think about it. Maybe if someone asks me or something."
"Which reminds me..." Averman added. "Julie... would you like to accompany me to the dance?" He smiled wildly. Julie turned around to look at him and laughed.
"Of course I'll go with you Averman. I'd be an honor." She smiled.
"Alright..." Averman raised his hands in mock victory. "I am now officially the only Duck who has a date to the dance."
"Not for long." Charlie said, hitting Averman in the back of the head. "I'm gonna ask Max tomorrow when I see her at the rink. She always comes to watch the practices."
"Well, you better hurry my friend. Only have a week to get a date. What if she turns you down?" Averman teased him.
"She's not gonna turn me down. She obviously likes me. She doesn't come to the practices to watch you, you know?"
"Sure... sure..." Averman flagged him off.
"Are you going Connie?" Stacy asked, leaning forward between the passenger's and driver's seats.
"Probably. I don't have a date yet, but I'll probably go."
"With Guy..." Charlie said in a 'lovey-dovey' tone, making kissing noises.
"No!" She replied, snapping her head around to glare at Charlie.
"Sorry... don't throw a fit." He replied, sitting back in his seat.
"What's with your sister?" Averman asked, looking at Stacy. "No offense or anything, but she's a bitch. I've never seen Portman act nice to anyone... ever... and she's treating him like crap."
"I really don't know." Stacy shook her head. "She's been like this ever since mom died. It's like she doesn't trust anyone or something. And she's always had that bitchyness to her, it's like multiplied now and she's not nice to anyone except for me and sometimes Uncle Gordon. And it's not exactly like we've heard nice things about Dean anyway."
"People talk." Julie sighed. "Doesn't mean anything. She has a worse attitude than he does."
"I don't think it's that. I think it's the rep he has for being a 'ladies man'." Charlie and Averman erupted into laughter.
"Averman's had more dates than Portman since high school started. These rich people around here don't like the way he acts. Bad boy isn't their style." Charlie defended Dean.
"If you don't mind me asking..." Julie began, trying to change the discussion. "What ever happened to your dad? I mean, we know you're here because your mother died, but don't you have a dad?"
"Walked out on mom just before we were born. Swore to God we weren't his kids. Only, he was the only man mom had ever been with."
"That sucks." Charlie nodded knowingly. "I grew up without a dad, too. I don't think I missed out on much, though. Bombay's been there for me when I need him."
"Yeah." Stacy agreed. "I don't think I missed much either. But I think that's another reason Becky doesn't trust many men... because of our dad."
"But I thought you said she had a boyfriend that she dumped before you moved here..." Connie stated.
"She did, but she had known him since like second grade. They had only been going out for a few months, though. So it wasn't a hard break up or anything. It just takes a while before Becky trusts anyone." Everyone in the car seemed to nod in agreement.
"I guess I can understand that." Julie sighed, pulling into a parking lot outside of a small restaurant. A few seconds later, Dean's car pulled in behind them. They heard the engine stop and Becky stepped out of the car, a look that was a mixture of guilt and anger on her face. Then Dean got out of the car, closing the door. He looked hurt and angry. The rest of the Ducks could tell that Dean was on the verge of giving up. If he liked her as much as they thought he did, he would give up without a struggle to avoid having too show emotion.
"Let's go inside, huh?" Charlie broke the silence and opened the door. Everyone followed him inside and they were greeted by a waitress.
"Are you here with Mr. Bombay?" Charlie nodded.
"Sure are."
"Right this way." The waitress smiled, escorting them to their table.
Becky took a deep breath as she opened the passenger's side door of Dean's car and climbed inside. She kept her head down and buckled her seat belt. Dean already had the key in the ignition. When he was sure that Becky was fully settled in, he pulled out of the parking lot and started down the road. Becky glanced over at Dean who was driving silently, his eyes glued on the road. Her eyes shifted slowly to his body and she felt a pit of guilt welling up her gut. Dean was now wearing a pair of black, army style pants, a black t-shirt, and a camoflage jacket. He had obviously dressed earlier with the intentions of impressing Becky. Dean looked over and noticed Becky looking at him and there was an awkward silence for a what felt like forever, but was merely a few short seconds. Dean reached for the knob of the stereo and turned on some loud heavy metal music and continued to drive silently.
Meanwhile...
Everyone in Julie's car was having a blast. Stacy was sitting between Charlie and Averman in the back seat, Julie was driving, and Connie was in the passenger's side. They had the radio on very low so they could hear themselves talking.
"So, do you plan on going to the winter dance, Stace?" Charlie asked her, trying to strike a new conversation.
"I don't know." She shrugged. "This is only the second time I've heard it mentioned. I'm not even officially in the school yet." She laughed.
"Yeah, but it's the biggest dance of the year next to prom."
"I don't know, I'll think about it. Maybe if someone asks me or something."
"Which reminds me..." Averman added. "Julie... would you like to accompany me to the dance?" He smiled wildly. Julie turned around to look at him and laughed.
"Of course I'll go with you Averman. I'd be an honor." She smiled.
"Alright..." Averman raised his hands in mock victory. "I am now officially the only Duck who has a date to the dance."
"Not for long." Charlie said, hitting Averman in the back of the head. "I'm gonna ask Max tomorrow when I see her at the rink. She always comes to watch the practices."
"Well, you better hurry my friend. Only have a week to get a date. What if she turns you down?" Averman teased him.
"She's not gonna turn me down. She obviously likes me. She doesn't come to the practices to watch you, you know?"
"Sure... sure..." Averman flagged him off.
"Are you going Connie?" Stacy asked, leaning forward between the passenger's and driver's seats.
"Probably. I don't have a date yet, but I'll probably go."
"With Guy..." Charlie said in a 'lovey-dovey' tone, making kissing noises.
"No!" She replied, snapping her head around to glare at Charlie.
"Sorry... don't throw a fit." He replied, sitting back in his seat.
"What's with your sister?" Averman asked, looking at Stacy. "No offense or anything, but she's a bitch. I've never seen Portman act nice to anyone... ever... and she's treating him like crap."
"I really don't know." Stacy shook her head. "She's been like this ever since mom died. It's like she doesn't trust anyone or something. And she's always had that bitchyness to her, it's like multiplied now and she's not nice to anyone except for me and sometimes Uncle Gordon. And it's not exactly like we've heard nice things about Dean anyway."
"People talk." Julie sighed. "Doesn't mean anything. She has a worse attitude than he does."
"I don't think it's that. I think it's the rep he has for being a 'ladies man'." Charlie and Averman erupted into laughter.
"Averman's had more dates than Portman since high school started. These rich people around here don't like the way he acts. Bad boy isn't their style." Charlie defended Dean.
"If you don't mind me asking..." Julie began, trying to change the discussion. "What ever happened to your dad? I mean, we know you're here because your mother died, but don't you have a dad?"
"Walked out on mom just before we were born. Swore to God we weren't his kids. Only, he was the only man mom had ever been with."
"That sucks." Charlie nodded knowingly. "I grew up without a dad, too. I don't think I missed out on much, though. Bombay's been there for me when I need him."
"Yeah." Stacy agreed. "I don't think I missed much either. But I think that's another reason Becky doesn't trust many men... because of our dad."
"But I thought you said she had a boyfriend that she dumped before you moved here..." Connie stated.
"She did, but she had known him since like second grade. They had only been going out for a few months, though. So it wasn't a hard break up or anything. It just takes a while before Becky trusts anyone." Everyone in the car seemed to nod in agreement.
"I guess I can understand that." Julie sighed, pulling into a parking lot outside of a small restaurant. A few seconds later, Dean's car pulled in behind them. They heard the engine stop and Becky stepped out of the car, a look that was a mixture of guilt and anger on her face. Then Dean got out of the car, closing the door. He looked hurt and angry. The rest of the Ducks could tell that Dean was on the verge of giving up. If he liked her as much as they thought he did, he would give up without a struggle to avoid having too show emotion.
"Let's go inside, huh?" Charlie broke the silence and opened the door. Everyone followed him inside and they were greeted by a waitress.
"Are you here with Mr. Bombay?" Charlie nodded.
"Sure are."
"Right this way." The waitress smiled, escorting them to their table.