Becky sat down beside her uncle in the large booth where they had been seated. Stacy sat beside her. Charlie, Connie, and Julie sat across from them, and Dean sat in a chair at the end.
"I'm glad you could all make it." Gordon smiled, wrapping an arm around Becky's shoulder. "Everyone order whatever you'd like. Lunch is on me." Charlie licked his lips. For a boy the size of Charlie, he certainly ate a lot. "So how do you like your dorm?" He asked, turning towards Becky and Stacy.
"I love it." Stacy replied, a huge smile stretched across her face.
"It's a dorm." Becky added. "What can be so great about it?" Gordon was relieved when the waitress walked over, pen and pad in hand.
"Can I get you all something to drink?" She asked politely.
"I'll have a coffee." Gordon replied.
"I'll take a diet coke." Becky added.
"Water." Stacy smiled.
"Coke, please." Dean said.
"I'll have coffee, too." Julie smiled.
"Me too." Connie nodded.
"I'll have a BIG glass of milk." Charlie grinned. Dean laughed at him. Charlie always had to be different. The waitress brought the drinks to the table and took everyone's food order.
"So, you girls gonna go to the practices this weekend?" Gordon asked his nieces.
"Of course!" Stacy replied. "You know how much I love hockey. I can't wait."
"What about you, Beck?" He asked.
"I hate hockey. I'm not going to the practices. And I'm not going to the games." She said, sipping some of her coke.
"Can you excuse us for a second?" Gordon asked, nodding towards Becky. Stacy got up, allowing them to exit the booth and then sat back down. Gordon walked outside, followed by Becky. He sat down on the curb and patted the spot beside him. "Sit..." He motioned for Becky to sit next to him. She walked over slowly and sat beside him and he wrapped an arm around her. "We have to talk about a few things, sweetheart. First of all, I know you don't want to be here, but I want you to be here. You and your sister mean a lot to me. Stacy doesn't want to be here either, but she's hanging in there for me, and I want you to try to do the same thing. I'm not telling you to like everyone, but can you at least try to be less rude?" Becky sighed. "Please." Becky nodded. "And I got a call from your teacher back at your old school. She said that after your mother passed, you stopped coming to classes. Is that true?"
"Well... yeah..."
"I won't accept that. I know you're a smart child and I won't have any of that while you're living with me. I don't have many rules, but one of them is that you have to go to school. No cutting at all. If you do, I'll take away all of your priveleges and you'll have to attend summer school."
"OH GOD NO... The summer is the only time of the year I like... I don't wanna go to school during the summer."
"Well then go to school during the year. Is it that hard?"
"No, I'll go... besides, I don't have anyone to cut with here anyway." She smiled a little.
"Now, I have a present for you... walk with me to the car." He stood up and pulled Becky to her feet. He held her by the hand and led her back to his car. He opened the trunk and pulled out a wrapped box. 'Orange paper.' Becky laughed to herself. If you knew Becky, you knew she loved orange and settled for nothing less.
"You didn't have to get me a present Uncle Gordon..." She said, pushing the box back in his direction.
"I know I didn't have to... but it's something I want you to have. I figure it'll help you adjust." Becky let out a deep sigh as she pulled the lid of the box off and tossed it into the trunk. She let out of a shriek as she pulled out a Nikon N80 Autofocus SLR, which she new right away. "It was all my salary could afford." He smiled. Becky set the box down and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging and kissing him on the cheek.
"I love it Uncle Gordon, thank you soooo much!!!"
"There's one condition, though, sweetie..." Becky looked at him oddly.
"Aww... what is it?"
"You have to come to the practices and games, and take pictures for me and the Ducks."
"Uncle Gordon... you know I don't like hockey..." She protested.
"But I'll always be there, and so will Stacy and the Ducks. This way we can always be together... Please..." He gave her the 'puppy face'.
"Alright... fine." She hugged Gordon again. "But I'm still not gonna hang out with those wierdos..." Gordon laughed.
"That's all I asked." Becky picked up the camera and slammed the trunk down.
"I'm never letting this baby leave my sight. AND I have to show it to Stacy. Thanks again Uncle Gordon."
"No problem. Let's go back inside." When they went back inside, Stacy moved into the booth so Gordon could sit down, and then Becky. Becky handed the camera to Stacy. She knew that no one else at the table could truly accept the camera for it's beauty.
"It's awesome." Stacy replied.
"Is there film in here?" Becky asked Gordon.
"Of course." He smiled. "I wouldn't leave you hanging like that. And there's more in the car."
"I guess I'll just save the film for practice tomorrow." She said, placing the camera in her lap.
"Practice? So, you're coming to practice now?" Julie asked.
"Well, yea... but not for any of you... ONLY because Uncle Gordon wants me there. I just hope I don't puke on the ice every time you guys score a goal." Dean didn't know it, but a look of happiness stretched across his face. Charlie was the only person to know it and his curious mind would have to question that look later. The moment was disrupted by the sound of a phone ringing.
"It's mine." Connie said, pulling her phone out of her pocket and raising it to her ear and mouth. "Hello... oh... hey!... Just having lunch... Probably... oh... I'd love to!... No, thank you!... Talk to you later!... bye bye." She hung up the phone and put it back in her pocket.
"Who was that?" Gordon asked.
"Adam." She replied.
"What did he want?"
"He asked me to go to th winter dance with him." She smiled.
"What?!" Charlie exclaimed. "And you said yes?"
"Well, yeah... We'll have fun together."
"What about Guy?" Charlie asked.
"We talked before I left this afternoon. We decided that we at least need some time apart and we'd go with different people to the dance. Besides, it's not like we're dating and I'm cheating on him."
"She's right." Julie replied. "So, Gordon, will your nieces be allowed to attend this Winter Dance?"
"I'm not Satan." He replied. "Why wouldn't I let them go?" Everyone laughed. "I'd like it if they went." He turned to them. "Are you gonna go?"
"I probably will." Stacy replied. "If someone asks me."
"Of course they will." Julie replied. "How about you Beck?"
"Why on Earth would I ever want to go to a Winter Dance at Eden Hall? That's ridiculous! I'd be bored out of my mind and I'd have to wear a dress."
"You wouldn't be bored if you had a date..." Charlie reminded her.
"But I wouldn't go to the dance with anyone from Eden Hall if someone paid me..."
**********
"YOU'RE GOING TO THE DANCE WITH GUY?!?!?!" Gordon asked his niece over the phone. It was only a few hours after they had gone to lunch when she called him.
"Well, he's like the only normal Duck." She replied. "And he said I was the only girl he could go with. Because he knows I don't want a relationship and I won't get all posessive of him after the dance. It'll just be as friends, but if he takes someone else, they'll wanna get involved, but he insists he and Connie are getting back together."
"But I thought you said you wouldn't go to the dance if someone paid you." He reminded her.
"He's convincing, besides, you know I like to dance. And maybe I'll meet someone normal. I just hope this doesn't make the rest of them think I want to be their friends. Guy is the extent of my Duck friendships. There's not enough of me to go around." Gordon laughed.
"Alright, I've gotta finish some paper work, Beck. I love ya. Talk to you later."
"Bye Uncle Gordon, love you, too."
"I'm glad you could all make it." Gordon smiled, wrapping an arm around Becky's shoulder. "Everyone order whatever you'd like. Lunch is on me." Charlie licked his lips. For a boy the size of Charlie, he certainly ate a lot. "So how do you like your dorm?" He asked, turning towards Becky and Stacy.
"I love it." Stacy replied, a huge smile stretched across her face.
"It's a dorm." Becky added. "What can be so great about it?" Gordon was relieved when the waitress walked over, pen and pad in hand.
"Can I get you all something to drink?" She asked politely.
"I'll have a coffee." Gordon replied.
"I'll take a diet coke." Becky added.
"Water." Stacy smiled.
"Coke, please." Dean said.
"I'll have coffee, too." Julie smiled.
"Me too." Connie nodded.
"I'll have a BIG glass of milk." Charlie grinned. Dean laughed at him. Charlie always had to be different. The waitress brought the drinks to the table and took everyone's food order.
"So, you girls gonna go to the practices this weekend?" Gordon asked his nieces.
"Of course!" Stacy replied. "You know how much I love hockey. I can't wait."
"What about you, Beck?" He asked.
"I hate hockey. I'm not going to the practices. And I'm not going to the games." She said, sipping some of her coke.
"Can you excuse us for a second?" Gordon asked, nodding towards Becky. Stacy got up, allowing them to exit the booth and then sat back down. Gordon walked outside, followed by Becky. He sat down on the curb and patted the spot beside him. "Sit..." He motioned for Becky to sit next to him. She walked over slowly and sat beside him and he wrapped an arm around her. "We have to talk about a few things, sweetheart. First of all, I know you don't want to be here, but I want you to be here. You and your sister mean a lot to me. Stacy doesn't want to be here either, but she's hanging in there for me, and I want you to try to do the same thing. I'm not telling you to like everyone, but can you at least try to be less rude?" Becky sighed. "Please." Becky nodded. "And I got a call from your teacher back at your old school. She said that after your mother passed, you stopped coming to classes. Is that true?"
"Well... yeah..."
"I won't accept that. I know you're a smart child and I won't have any of that while you're living with me. I don't have many rules, but one of them is that you have to go to school. No cutting at all. If you do, I'll take away all of your priveleges and you'll have to attend summer school."
"OH GOD NO... The summer is the only time of the year I like... I don't wanna go to school during the summer."
"Well then go to school during the year. Is it that hard?"
"No, I'll go... besides, I don't have anyone to cut with here anyway." She smiled a little.
"Now, I have a present for you... walk with me to the car." He stood up and pulled Becky to her feet. He held her by the hand and led her back to his car. He opened the trunk and pulled out a wrapped box. 'Orange paper.' Becky laughed to herself. If you knew Becky, you knew she loved orange and settled for nothing less.
"You didn't have to get me a present Uncle Gordon..." She said, pushing the box back in his direction.
"I know I didn't have to... but it's something I want you to have. I figure it'll help you adjust." Becky let out a deep sigh as she pulled the lid of the box off and tossed it into the trunk. She let out of a shriek as she pulled out a Nikon N80 Autofocus SLR, which she new right away. "It was all my salary could afford." He smiled. Becky set the box down and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging and kissing him on the cheek.
"I love it Uncle Gordon, thank you soooo much!!!"
"There's one condition, though, sweetie..." Becky looked at him oddly.
"Aww... what is it?"
"You have to come to the practices and games, and take pictures for me and the Ducks."
"Uncle Gordon... you know I don't like hockey..." She protested.
"But I'll always be there, and so will Stacy and the Ducks. This way we can always be together... Please..." He gave her the 'puppy face'.
"Alright... fine." She hugged Gordon again. "But I'm still not gonna hang out with those wierdos..." Gordon laughed.
"That's all I asked." Becky picked up the camera and slammed the trunk down.
"I'm never letting this baby leave my sight. AND I have to show it to Stacy. Thanks again Uncle Gordon."
"No problem. Let's go back inside." When they went back inside, Stacy moved into the booth so Gordon could sit down, and then Becky. Becky handed the camera to Stacy. She knew that no one else at the table could truly accept the camera for it's beauty.
"It's awesome." Stacy replied.
"Is there film in here?" Becky asked Gordon.
"Of course." He smiled. "I wouldn't leave you hanging like that. And there's more in the car."
"I guess I'll just save the film for practice tomorrow." She said, placing the camera in her lap.
"Practice? So, you're coming to practice now?" Julie asked.
"Well, yea... but not for any of you... ONLY because Uncle Gordon wants me there. I just hope I don't puke on the ice every time you guys score a goal." Dean didn't know it, but a look of happiness stretched across his face. Charlie was the only person to know it and his curious mind would have to question that look later. The moment was disrupted by the sound of a phone ringing.
"It's mine." Connie said, pulling her phone out of her pocket and raising it to her ear and mouth. "Hello... oh... hey!... Just having lunch... Probably... oh... I'd love to!... No, thank you!... Talk to you later!... bye bye." She hung up the phone and put it back in her pocket.
"Who was that?" Gordon asked.
"Adam." She replied.
"What did he want?"
"He asked me to go to th winter dance with him." She smiled.
"What?!" Charlie exclaimed. "And you said yes?"
"Well, yeah... We'll have fun together."
"What about Guy?" Charlie asked.
"We talked before I left this afternoon. We decided that we at least need some time apart and we'd go with different people to the dance. Besides, it's not like we're dating and I'm cheating on him."
"She's right." Julie replied. "So, Gordon, will your nieces be allowed to attend this Winter Dance?"
"I'm not Satan." He replied. "Why wouldn't I let them go?" Everyone laughed. "I'd like it if they went." He turned to them. "Are you gonna go?"
"I probably will." Stacy replied. "If someone asks me."
"Of course they will." Julie replied. "How about you Beck?"
"Why on Earth would I ever want to go to a Winter Dance at Eden Hall? That's ridiculous! I'd be bored out of my mind and I'd have to wear a dress."
"You wouldn't be bored if you had a date..." Charlie reminded her.
"But I wouldn't go to the dance with anyone from Eden Hall if someone paid me..."
**********
"YOU'RE GOING TO THE DANCE WITH GUY?!?!?!" Gordon asked his niece over the phone. It was only a few hours after they had gone to lunch when she called him.
"Well, he's like the only normal Duck." She replied. "And he said I was the only girl he could go with. Because he knows I don't want a relationship and I won't get all posessive of him after the dance. It'll just be as friends, but if he takes someone else, they'll wanna get involved, but he insists he and Connie are getting back together."
"But I thought you said you wouldn't go to the dance if someone paid you." He reminded her.
"He's convincing, besides, you know I like to dance. And maybe I'll meet someone normal. I just hope this doesn't make the rest of them think I want to be their friends. Guy is the extent of my Duck friendships. There's not enough of me to go around." Gordon laughed.
"Alright, I've gotta finish some paper work, Beck. I love ya. Talk to you later."
"Bye Uncle Gordon, love you, too."