Disclaimer—I don't own Newsies, nor any other Media references I may make. I am not profiting at all from this story.
A/n—at the beginning of each chapter it says what day of the week it is. If it says 'Still ' that means the day of the week is the same as the day before it. (duh?) If it doesn't say 'Still' before it that means it is a new day. Please R&R!
Shoutouts:
Strawberri Shake- (dances around with a giant CAMP DVD) Whee! CAMP!!! Yeah, I love Sputchy. They're so cute and know each other so well, it's wonderful! And yeah, they're dating! Woot!
Coin- hey, my chapters are like a healthy drug...always leaves you WANTING MORE!!!
(Tuesday)
Racetrack's PoV
"Anthony, can you tell me about your childhood?" asked Dr Stevens, peering at me from behind iron-rimmed glasses.
"What do you want to know?" I glared.
Dr Stevens scribbled something in her notebook, which I could only imagine was along the lines of 'reluctant to discuss issues'. She re-crossed her legs and shuffled about in her office chair.
"I want to know everything. About school, your friends, your family, that kind of thing."
I'm pretty sure she wanted mostly to know about the last one, but I told her about the first one instead.
"I've lived in the same place my whole life. I started school in junior kindergarten. My favourite—and best—subject has always been math. I like seeing how things add up, y'know?"
Dr Stevens nodded.
I was trying to sound as sweet and innocent as possible. There was no way in hell she was pinning our family problems on me.
"And I always got good grades, except in PhysEd."
"Really?" she looked interested, "And why do you think that is?"
I shrugged. "I', not an athletic person, that's all."
She took more notes and looked at a notepad she had. "But I see your grades started dropping around junior high, why?"
Not this I definitely knew a good answer to. "That's when my dad made me take riding lessons. 'To become interested in mutual things' he'd said. But I didn't have much time for school anymore, so my grades started slipping."
Dr Stevens nodded thoughtfully and wrote some more.
"And friends?" she asked.
"Oh, my best friend has been Bumlets since grade two, and once we got to high school I didn't really have many other friends. Until just recently, my mom's old college friend's son came over to my school and we hang out. We like the same things."
Dr Stevens nodded again. "What kind of things?"
And this is where things got weird. What was I supposed to say? 'We both like heavy metal'. Stuff like that doesn't sit well with adults. They think it's violent.
"We both like...math." What a weak reason. I wouldn't believe she earned all of her degrees if she fell for it.
But she let it slip and made more notes. "What is this boy's name?"
"Itey."
"Hmm..." for the first time she lowered her notepad. "I noticed that your friends have very original names. Are they nicknames by any chance?"
Bravo Dr Stevens! You've cracked the code! They are nicknames! "Yes, Bumlets' real name is Dominic Messier and Itey's is Vincent Tadesco."
"Do you have a nickname Anthony?" asked Dr Stevens.
"Yes," Why was I telling this woman the truth again? "My friends call me Racetrack."
"And why is that?" The notepad was back up.
"Because I ride."
"You ride? I understood that you quit when you started high school."
"Yeah, but my dad signed me up again just recently," I admitted.
Dr Stevens raised her eyebrows. "Without your permission?"
I nodded.
I didn't think she could, but her eyebrows rose higher into her brow line.
=======================
"He seems truthful enough in most areas. He didn't disclose his mutual interests with his friends, but other than that he was very open."
I could hear my father's muttered response, somewhere along the lines of: "Not too much of a setback, considering this is the first session, correct?"
"No, not a setback at all. Anthony was very cooperative. However, I'm worried about his nickname. Mr Higgins, are you aware that you son's friends call him 'Racetrack'?"
My father said no, but my mother said, "I knew that, but I always thought it was just friendly. Just a little thing among friends."
Dr Stevens cleared her throat. "I think that perhaps Anthony's nickname is his way of hiding from himself. A mask, a façade. Anthony is not a proud boy, I have a theory that he denies himself and, as a result, his name."
They mulled over this for a few moments.
"Thank you doctor. We'll see you on Saturday?"
I jumped up and sat back in my chair. My mom, dad and Dr Stevens all passed through the oak doors.
"Ready to go Anthony?" asked my mother quietly.
A/n: I'm not sure why, but that's one of my favourite chapters so far. I love it! Review please!
A/n—at the beginning of each chapter it says what day of the week it is. If it says 'Still ' that means the day of the week is the same as the day before it. (duh?) If it doesn't say 'Still' before it that means it is a new day. Please R&R!
Shoutouts:
Strawberri Shake- (dances around with a giant CAMP DVD) Whee! CAMP!!! Yeah, I love Sputchy. They're so cute and know each other so well, it's wonderful! And yeah, they're dating! Woot!
Coin- hey, my chapters are like a healthy drug...always leaves you WANTING MORE!!!
(Tuesday)
Racetrack's PoV
"Anthony, can you tell me about your childhood?" asked Dr Stevens, peering at me from behind iron-rimmed glasses.
"What do you want to know?" I glared.
Dr Stevens scribbled something in her notebook, which I could only imagine was along the lines of 'reluctant to discuss issues'. She re-crossed her legs and shuffled about in her office chair.
"I want to know everything. About school, your friends, your family, that kind of thing."
I'm pretty sure she wanted mostly to know about the last one, but I told her about the first one instead.
"I've lived in the same place my whole life. I started school in junior kindergarten. My favourite—and best—subject has always been math. I like seeing how things add up, y'know?"
Dr Stevens nodded.
I was trying to sound as sweet and innocent as possible. There was no way in hell she was pinning our family problems on me.
"And I always got good grades, except in PhysEd."
"Really?" she looked interested, "And why do you think that is?"
I shrugged. "I', not an athletic person, that's all."
She took more notes and looked at a notepad she had. "But I see your grades started dropping around junior high, why?"
Not this I definitely knew a good answer to. "That's when my dad made me take riding lessons. 'To become interested in mutual things' he'd said. But I didn't have much time for school anymore, so my grades started slipping."
Dr Stevens nodded thoughtfully and wrote some more.
"And friends?" she asked.
"Oh, my best friend has been Bumlets since grade two, and once we got to high school I didn't really have many other friends. Until just recently, my mom's old college friend's son came over to my school and we hang out. We like the same things."
Dr Stevens nodded again. "What kind of things?"
And this is where things got weird. What was I supposed to say? 'We both like heavy metal'. Stuff like that doesn't sit well with adults. They think it's violent.
"We both like...math." What a weak reason. I wouldn't believe she earned all of her degrees if she fell for it.
But she let it slip and made more notes. "What is this boy's name?"
"Itey."
"Hmm..." for the first time she lowered her notepad. "I noticed that your friends have very original names. Are they nicknames by any chance?"
Bravo Dr Stevens! You've cracked the code! They are nicknames! "Yes, Bumlets' real name is Dominic Messier and Itey's is Vincent Tadesco."
"Do you have a nickname Anthony?" asked Dr Stevens.
"Yes," Why was I telling this woman the truth again? "My friends call me Racetrack."
"And why is that?" The notepad was back up.
"Because I ride."
"You ride? I understood that you quit when you started high school."
"Yeah, but my dad signed me up again just recently," I admitted.
Dr Stevens raised her eyebrows. "Without your permission?"
I nodded.
I didn't think she could, but her eyebrows rose higher into her brow line.
=======================
"He seems truthful enough in most areas. He didn't disclose his mutual interests with his friends, but other than that he was very open."
I could hear my father's muttered response, somewhere along the lines of: "Not too much of a setback, considering this is the first session, correct?"
"No, not a setback at all. Anthony was very cooperative. However, I'm worried about his nickname. Mr Higgins, are you aware that you son's friends call him 'Racetrack'?"
My father said no, but my mother said, "I knew that, but I always thought it was just friendly. Just a little thing among friends."
Dr Stevens cleared her throat. "I think that perhaps Anthony's nickname is his way of hiding from himself. A mask, a façade. Anthony is not a proud boy, I have a theory that he denies himself and, as a result, his name."
They mulled over this for a few moments.
"Thank you doctor. We'll see you on Saturday?"
I jumped up and sat back in my chair. My mom, dad and Dr Stevens all passed through the oak doors.
"Ready to go Anthony?" asked my mother quietly.
A/n: I'm not sure why, but that's one of my favourite chapters so far. I love it! Review please!