::fidgits:: Gosh, I don't know what to do with myself...I'm sooo bored, and
I can't think of anything to do! Nothing to read, nothing to write, and I'm
just...blah. Any and all inspiration just leaked from my system, and I
don't know why. I feel all restless and...bored and stuff. I'm NEVER
bored...hmm...weird. And I can't find any of my music that I particularly
want to listen too...It's very depressing... ::pouts:: I'm defective...
Brnnttebabe12- No prob about updating "Through the Eyes of a Child"...I had been MEANING too...lol...I just never did. And don't worry; you weren't annoying. I'm glad you like it anyway.
Sarah- I'm glad you liked the chapter! :P Makes me happy. I aim to please.
French Chipmunk- I'm glad you like reviewing. Yes. Heh. Maybe by the end I'll have a hint ready. Just kidding. Lol...
Banksiesbabe99- Lol...he's a trixy little Ducky, ain't he? Lol. Just when you think he's gonna cooperate, BAM! Back where he started. Lol...it makes me happy when you give your feedback. It's nice to know what y'all are thinking. Ha ha. Yes. Charlie will feel sufficiant amounts of...umm...messed-up-ness...lol...
Rachel- I'm glad you liked Charlie and Adam's pseudo-converstaion-argument- heated-discussion-on-crack thing! Lol... ::grins:: Angst! Lol...I'm glad you liked it. Makes me feel loved. But in all seriousness, I'm relieved that you think I'm conveying both of their frustration well. It always means a lot, and you never cease to flatter me. So thanks so much. Much love!
Katie- Lol...yes. The lying is contagious. It's like, BAM! Take that, kiddies! Lol...Aww...I'm glad you liked the diner scene. ::wipes away a tear of joy:: You're so sweet. Anyway...I think everyong hopes he can get "better" soon. I'm just being evil and drawing it out.
Sadler0718- I'm so glad to hear from you! I'm also happy to know that you're enjoying the story.
Nebula- Ah, good to see hear from you again. Welcome back. Hehe...Poor Gordon is just delusional. He doesn't know any better than to ACTUALLY BELIEVE that Charlie's taking the pills. Ha. So gullible. I'm glad you liked the chapter, and that I still manage to surprise you sometimes. It really means a lot to me that you think I set it up well; I'm always paranoid, so it meant a lot. It's nice, as you probably know, to hear specifics so you know what to work on and what works. Thanks bunches for reviewing, Neb!
Sophie-Wophie-Went-Away,-Sophie-Wophie's-Finally-Back!- Ha...That totally did NOT even rhyme! Whoo! Lol...Skill, I say. Skill. Nah, you're not annoying, Soph! I forgive you. ::twitch:: I'm sure you have your reasons...::skeptical look::...Lol. Just kidding. I THINK I got your email...::trails off:: but I can't quite remember...It was so LONG ago...Heh. Okay. I'll stop. And just for the record, I'm not sure what exactly what Fido is either. Lol...I'm glad you liked the chapter! It means a lot to me that you liked it. Aww...Don't feel depressed. I have finals too. ::pouts:: Heh. You caught my pun on Julie's 'cat fight.' I can always count on you, Soph. I can always count on you. ::giggles:: You found me out. You know me well. I'm defnitely trying to help save the fandom from the Sues. I don't knowwhy they're all coming, but there's been a steady stream for quite some time now. It's very disturbing.
Disclaimer- I don't own The Mighty Ducks, Nickelback, or Nickelback's song "Never Again." And while we're mentioning things I don't own, I'd also like to point out that I haven't gotten my Learner's Permit for driving yet...my parents haven't taken me to driver's ed, and apparently things like that help. But I think they're going to teach me from home! Chelsea will be on American streets soon. Beware.
-Chapter 59-
Adam hadn't moved from his spot.
Had he really just heard that correctly?
The tall, blonde-haired boy continued staring forward before turning in the direction Charlie had gone.
He blinked again and turned back to the water; then he turned back again, looking puzzled.
Was Charlie serious?
Adam hadn't been sure how to take it when it had been practically hurled at his face minutes before. It's not every day somebody yells at you that their dad's favorite past time was beating them to a bloody pulp before they were thrown in jail.
He started walking back to where the other Ducks were. Did anyone else know? Should he tell?
When he got back to the pizza place, they had already left.
He shook his head and began sorting through his thoughts as he walked home.
The Ducks were playing street hockey in the basketball court the next day.
Though Adam was playing, his mind wasn't on the game. He was so distracted that Connie had skated up and stolen the puck right out from under his nose.
After Connie had passed it to Guy, who then shot it in the goal past Julie who was also spacing, Portman pulled off his helmet and skated over.
"What's up with you two? Could you be any less in the game?" he asked, earning nods from a few other teammates.
"Nothing. I was just spacing there for a sec," Julie said. "Sorry."
Adam shrugged. "Thinking again," he said, still debating over whether to say anything.
"You know thinkin's bad for ya, Banks," Russ said, flipping the visor on top of his helmet.
"Well, that's a game. We win," Connie said jokingly, high-fiving Guy and Averman.
"Man..." Portman complained.
"Looks like you guys are buying lunch," Guy said with a grin.
"Yeah, yeah..." Portman said under his breath, mock-glaring at them as they began to file out of the basketball court.
Pulling off his helmet, Adam followed the others in a daze. Had Charlie's father been the cause of the change? Had it gone on long? Why hadn't he said anything sooner?
Would he ever come back?
A few days later, Charlie was sitting on his bed, staring off into space angrily when he heard a faint knock over his blasting music.
He turned it down slightly. "Yeah?"
The voice of Gordon Bombay called out. "Adam's downstairs; he wants to talk to you."
Charlie groaned. "Just tell him the body-snatching aliens abducted me in order to perform tests on the human race. They claim no harm will be done as long as you make like a magician and disappear."
"Charlie, why is there a lock on the door?"
The teen shrugged, though Gordon couldn't see through the door anyway. "I thought it was a lovely decorative piece. You should see it from this side. Really gives a nice touch to the room."
"Where did you GET a lock for the door?" the muffled voice asked.
"Don't really remember, actually. Oh well. And if Banks doesn't believe the alien thing, you could just tell him I roller bladed to Canada on the path of self-discovery, or tell him I fell asleep...or maybe I jumped off a bridge...Yeah, that could work..."
"Charlie, I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that. And why don't you just tell him you don't want to talk?" Gordon asked, weary of the last part as he leaned against the locked door.
"Now where's the imagination and creativity in that? Must you ruin my fun?" Charlie asked, still not moving from his bed.
"Fun? I'm not even going to ask...I'll just tell Adam you can't talk right now," Gordon compromised.
"Or you could always tell him that he can just go screw himself, because I am in no mood to deal with him..." Charlie said spitefully, still miffed from their last conversation. Stupid Cake-Eater barging in on his life where he wasn't wanted..."That could work."
"Or I could always not, and instead tell him you can't talk right now," Gordon said, casting a wary glance at Charlie's door.
Charlie shrugged as he began flipping through his CDs. Nickelback...They were angsty enough...
"Whatever floats your boat," he said, changing the CD.
He assumed Gordon had gone when the questioning ended. He was relieved.
Falling back on the bed, he listened to Nickelback in all their angry glory...
This stuff he could relate to.
The drumbeat and guitars blaring, Charlie listened. The vocals came in and he felt his anger boiling as the song moved along.
'He's drunk again, it's time to fight She must have done something wrong tonight The living room becomes a boxing ring It's time to run when you see him clenching his hands She's just a woman...never again
I hear her scream from down the hall Amazing she can even talk at all She cries to me..."go back to bed" I'm terrified that she'll wind up dead in his hands She's just a woman...never again
Just tell the nurse you slipped and fell It stats to sting as it starts to swell She looks at you...She wants the truth It's right out there in the waiting room with those hands Lookin' just as sweet as he can...never aga-'
When Charlie felt he couldn't take it anymore, he flipped it off. He opted for changing CDs, his hands shaking slightly. He didn't quite remember that song being there before.
He had heard quite enough Nickelback for the moment...Irony made his head hurt.
Gordon walked to Adam and gave him a sympathetic look as he tried to ignore the blaring, pulsing music from the floor above.
Adam nodded before the older man even got to say anything. "It's okay. I just thought it was worth a try."
Gordon nodded. "I don't blame you...but I thought you two were still fighting," he said.
The blonde teen shrugged. "We are. He just said something a few days ago and then flat out left. It's been bugging me."
"What'd he say?" Gordon waved Adam into the kitchen and poured a cup of coffee, glancing at the clock. 10 a.m. It was a miracle Charlie had been awake in the first place.
Sitting down at the table, Adam sighed. "He told me about his dad...or, maybe he SCREAMED at me about his dad would be more accurate."
Gordon nearly dropped his coffee mug. "He did?"
The teen nodded solemnly. "Yeah...He kind of had the whole 'animal backed into a corner' mentality going there. I have no clue how I got it out of him. I still find it hard to believe...Was it really-? Did he really..." Adam trailed off in thought. "Was he serious?"
Gordon nodded his head and put cream and sugar in his coffee. "Yep. He was serious, unfortunately."
"Why didn't he tell us sooner? Why didn't YOU tell us sooner?" the fifteen- year-old demanded.
"I couldn't tell...It wasn't my place to say. As for him...? I don't really know. Then again, there's a lot of things he's done that I don't understand. I'm hoping he continues to cooperate, though."
Adam nodded solemnly. "So...that really is the reason he came back...Does anybody else know at all?"
"Fulton and Julie overheard a doctor and me talking at the hospital, so they do. I don't think anyone else does," Gordon answered.
"Craziness..." Adam said. "Should we tell? I've been kind of torn. I don't know if I should."
"I know how you feel...It's the same thing with me. It would probably be best not to...but it's your call." Bombay frowned.
Adam nodded and looked up the stairs. Things just seemed to get worse every day.
About an hour later, Charlie heard another knock on his door. He rolled his eyes and turned over on his side, choosing to ignore it. He knew who it was, he knew what the disturbance was for, and he didn't really feel like acknowledging it.
"Charlie! I know you're in there, and I know you hear me!" Gordon's muffled voice called through the door.
The boy groaned. "Do I HAVE to go?" he whined, covering his head with his pillow. That lock on the door had worked wonders...
"You have to come out eventually, Charlie!"
Charlie raised his eyebrows at nothing in particular. "Is that so? Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't it me who has control over the lock? Is it not me who has a window leading to the outside world? I don't HAVE to do anything."
"Charlie..." The voice was laced with frustration now.
Turning up his radio to unhealthy levels, he yelled over it. "Oh, oh, I'm sorry! What was that? I can't hear you!"
He fell back on his bed with a content smile, happy for the solitude. Now, as long as Bombay didn't suddenly perfect the art of lock picking, he wouldn't have to go to anymore stupid therapy sessions...
Vague traces of an upset Bombay trailed in, barely audible over the music. Charlie preferred it that way. It was no coincidence.
He crawled back under the covers even though it was practically the middle of the day.
Suddenly, a click was heard as Charlie glanced the door. Wait, why was Bombay in his room?
"Hey!" he snapped, face hardening at the former hockey coach in his doorway. "What the heck are you doing in my room?!"
"This look familiar?" Gordon asked, dangling a key with raised eyebrows.
"Dang."
"Yeah, I found it in the bathroom. Not a good place to leave a key if you're planning on keeping people out," Gordon said. "Now come on. We're still going to that appointment."
Charlie growled under his breath and hid under the pillow. "But I don't want to go..."
"I'm sorry to hear that, but it isn't really your choice. Now come on. Come on, it is NOT that bad. Now get up and come downstairs," Gordon said with a sigh.
The teenage boy snorted indignantly and shook his head into the pillow. "No."
"Charlie, we are not getting into this again."
"No. I'm not going. Isn't it against some constitutional right to force someone to do something they don't want to?"
"No, because otherwise I wouldn't be paying taxes. It's part of life. Now get up."
"Well, it SHOULD be against my constitutional rights...Invasion of privacy, I tell you!" Charlie said, covering his head with his arms.
Gordon let out a sigh of aggravation. "Charlie..."
Charlie mouth twitched, and he looked up from his pillow with a harsh glare. "Fine. I'm coming...I'm coming...Gosh, take a chill pill..."
Gordon turned around and walked away, gripping his hair. "He tells ME to 'take a chill pill'..." he muttered to himself as he walked down the stairs. "What is the world coming to?"
Charlie stood up from the bed and walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind himself. He pulled out the bottle of pills, picked one out, and dropped it down the drain. You could never be too careful...You never knew when Bombay might start counting or something...
After closing it back up and putting it away, he sighed. Therapy was stupid. But he would humor them...this time.
Brnnttebabe12- No prob about updating "Through the Eyes of a Child"...I had been MEANING too...lol...I just never did. And don't worry; you weren't annoying. I'm glad you like it anyway.
Sarah- I'm glad you liked the chapter! :P Makes me happy. I aim to please.
French Chipmunk- I'm glad you like reviewing. Yes. Heh. Maybe by the end I'll have a hint ready. Just kidding. Lol...
Banksiesbabe99- Lol...he's a trixy little Ducky, ain't he? Lol. Just when you think he's gonna cooperate, BAM! Back where he started. Lol...it makes me happy when you give your feedback. It's nice to know what y'all are thinking. Ha ha. Yes. Charlie will feel sufficiant amounts of...umm...messed-up-ness...lol...
Rachel- I'm glad you liked Charlie and Adam's pseudo-converstaion-argument- heated-discussion-on-crack thing! Lol... ::grins:: Angst! Lol...I'm glad you liked it. Makes me feel loved. But in all seriousness, I'm relieved that you think I'm conveying both of their frustration well. It always means a lot, and you never cease to flatter me. So thanks so much. Much love!
Katie- Lol...yes. The lying is contagious. It's like, BAM! Take that, kiddies! Lol...Aww...I'm glad you liked the diner scene. ::wipes away a tear of joy:: You're so sweet. Anyway...I think everyong hopes he can get "better" soon. I'm just being evil and drawing it out.
Sadler0718- I'm so glad to hear from you! I'm also happy to know that you're enjoying the story.
Nebula- Ah, good to see hear from you again. Welcome back. Hehe...Poor Gordon is just delusional. He doesn't know any better than to ACTUALLY BELIEVE that Charlie's taking the pills. Ha. So gullible. I'm glad you liked the chapter, and that I still manage to surprise you sometimes. It really means a lot to me that you think I set it up well; I'm always paranoid, so it meant a lot. It's nice, as you probably know, to hear specifics so you know what to work on and what works. Thanks bunches for reviewing, Neb!
Sophie-Wophie-Went-Away,-Sophie-Wophie's-Finally-Back!- Ha...That totally did NOT even rhyme! Whoo! Lol...Skill, I say. Skill. Nah, you're not annoying, Soph! I forgive you. ::twitch:: I'm sure you have your reasons...::skeptical look::...Lol. Just kidding. I THINK I got your email...::trails off:: but I can't quite remember...It was so LONG ago...Heh. Okay. I'll stop. And just for the record, I'm not sure what exactly what Fido is either. Lol...I'm glad you liked the chapter! It means a lot to me that you liked it. Aww...Don't feel depressed. I have finals too. ::pouts:: Heh. You caught my pun on Julie's 'cat fight.' I can always count on you, Soph. I can always count on you. ::giggles:: You found me out. You know me well. I'm defnitely trying to help save the fandom from the Sues. I don't knowwhy they're all coming, but there's been a steady stream for quite some time now. It's very disturbing.
Disclaimer- I don't own The Mighty Ducks, Nickelback, or Nickelback's song "Never Again." And while we're mentioning things I don't own, I'd also like to point out that I haven't gotten my Learner's Permit for driving yet...my parents haven't taken me to driver's ed, and apparently things like that help. But I think they're going to teach me from home! Chelsea will be on American streets soon. Beware.
-Chapter 59-
Adam hadn't moved from his spot.
Had he really just heard that correctly?
The tall, blonde-haired boy continued staring forward before turning in the direction Charlie had gone.
He blinked again and turned back to the water; then he turned back again, looking puzzled.
Was Charlie serious?
Adam hadn't been sure how to take it when it had been practically hurled at his face minutes before. It's not every day somebody yells at you that their dad's favorite past time was beating them to a bloody pulp before they were thrown in jail.
He started walking back to where the other Ducks were. Did anyone else know? Should he tell?
When he got back to the pizza place, they had already left.
He shook his head and began sorting through his thoughts as he walked home.
The Ducks were playing street hockey in the basketball court the next day.
Though Adam was playing, his mind wasn't on the game. He was so distracted that Connie had skated up and stolen the puck right out from under his nose.
After Connie had passed it to Guy, who then shot it in the goal past Julie who was also spacing, Portman pulled off his helmet and skated over.
"What's up with you two? Could you be any less in the game?" he asked, earning nods from a few other teammates.
"Nothing. I was just spacing there for a sec," Julie said. "Sorry."
Adam shrugged. "Thinking again," he said, still debating over whether to say anything.
"You know thinkin's bad for ya, Banks," Russ said, flipping the visor on top of his helmet.
"Well, that's a game. We win," Connie said jokingly, high-fiving Guy and Averman.
"Man..." Portman complained.
"Looks like you guys are buying lunch," Guy said with a grin.
"Yeah, yeah..." Portman said under his breath, mock-glaring at them as they began to file out of the basketball court.
Pulling off his helmet, Adam followed the others in a daze. Had Charlie's father been the cause of the change? Had it gone on long? Why hadn't he said anything sooner?
Would he ever come back?
A few days later, Charlie was sitting on his bed, staring off into space angrily when he heard a faint knock over his blasting music.
He turned it down slightly. "Yeah?"
The voice of Gordon Bombay called out. "Adam's downstairs; he wants to talk to you."
Charlie groaned. "Just tell him the body-snatching aliens abducted me in order to perform tests on the human race. They claim no harm will be done as long as you make like a magician and disappear."
"Charlie, why is there a lock on the door?"
The teen shrugged, though Gordon couldn't see through the door anyway. "I thought it was a lovely decorative piece. You should see it from this side. Really gives a nice touch to the room."
"Where did you GET a lock for the door?" the muffled voice asked.
"Don't really remember, actually. Oh well. And if Banks doesn't believe the alien thing, you could just tell him I roller bladed to Canada on the path of self-discovery, or tell him I fell asleep...or maybe I jumped off a bridge...Yeah, that could work..."
"Charlie, I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that. And why don't you just tell him you don't want to talk?" Gordon asked, weary of the last part as he leaned against the locked door.
"Now where's the imagination and creativity in that? Must you ruin my fun?" Charlie asked, still not moving from his bed.
"Fun? I'm not even going to ask...I'll just tell Adam you can't talk right now," Gordon compromised.
"Or you could always tell him that he can just go screw himself, because I am in no mood to deal with him..." Charlie said spitefully, still miffed from their last conversation. Stupid Cake-Eater barging in on his life where he wasn't wanted..."That could work."
"Or I could always not, and instead tell him you can't talk right now," Gordon said, casting a wary glance at Charlie's door.
Charlie shrugged as he began flipping through his CDs. Nickelback...They were angsty enough...
"Whatever floats your boat," he said, changing the CD.
He assumed Gordon had gone when the questioning ended. He was relieved.
Falling back on the bed, he listened to Nickelback in all their angry glory...
This stuff he could relate to.
The drumbeat and guitars blaring, Charlie listened. The vocals came in and he felt his anger boiling as the song moved along.
'He's drunk again, it's time to fight She must have done something wrong tonight The living room becomes a boxing ring It's time to run when you see him clenching his hands She's just a woman...never again
I hear her scream from down the hall Amazing she can even talk at all She cries to me..."go back to bed" I'm terrified that she'll wind up dead in his hands She's just a woman...never again
Just tell the nurse you slipped and fell It stats to sting as it starts to swell She looks at you...She wants the truth It's right out there in the waiting room with those hands Lookin' just as sweet as he can...never aga-'
When Charlie felt he couldn't take it anymore, he flipped it off. He opted for changing CDs, his hands shaking slightly. He didn't quite remember that song being there before.
He had heard quite enough Nickelback for the moment...Irony made his head hurt.
Gordon walked to Adam and gave him a sympathetic look as he tried to ignore the blaring, pulsing music from the floor above.
Adam nodded before the older man even got to say anything. "It's okay. I just thought it was worth a try."
Gordon nodded. "I don't blame you...but I thought you two were still fighting," he said.
The blonde teen shrugged. "We are. He just said something a few days ago and then flat out left. It's been bugging me."
"What'd he say?" Gordon waved Adam into the kitchen and poured a cup of coffee, glancing at the clock. 10 a.m. It was a miracle Charlie had been awake in the first place.
Sitting down at the table, Adam sighed. "He told me about his dad...or, maybe he SCREAMED at me about his dad would be more accurate."
Gordon nearly dropped his coffee mug. "He did?"
The teen nodded solemnly. "Yeah...He kind of had the whole 'animal backed into a corner' mentality going there. I have no clue how I got it out of him. I still find it hard to believe...Was it really-? Did he really..." Adam trailed off in thought. "Was he serious?"
Gordon nodded his head and put cream and sugar in his coffee. "Yep. He was serious, unfortunately."
"Why didn't he tell us sooner? Why didn't YOU tell us sooner?" the fifteen- year-old demanded.
"I couldn't tell...It wasn't my place to say. As for him...? I don't really know. Then again, there's a lot of things he's done that I don't understand. I'm hoping he continues to cooperate, though."
Adam nodded solemnly. "So...that really is the reason he came back...Does anybody else know at all?"
"Fulton and Julie overheard a doctor and me talking at the hospital, so they do. I don't think anyone else does," Gordon answered.
"Craziness..." Adam said. "Should we tell? I've been kind of torn. I don't know if I should."
"I know how you feel...It's the same thing with me. It would probably be best not to...but it's your call." Bombay frowned.
Adam nodded and looked up the stairs. Things just seemed to get worse every day.
About an hour later, Charlie heard another knock on his door. He rolled his eyes and turned over on his side, choosing to ignore it. He knew who it was, he knew what the disturbance was for, and he didn't really feel like acknowledging it.
"Charlie! I know you're in there, and I know you hear me!" Gordon's muffled voice called through the door.
The boy groaned. "Do I HAVE to go?" he whined, covering his head with his pillow. That lock on the door had worked wonders...
"You have to come out eventually, Charlie!"
Charlie raised his eyebrows at nothing in particular. "Is that so? Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't it me who has control over the lock? Is it not me who has a window leading to the outside world? I don't HAVE to do anything."
"Charlie..." The voice was laced with frustration now.
Turning up his radio to unhealthy levels, he yelled over it. "Oh, oh, I'm sorry! What was that? I can't hear you!"
He fell back on his bed with a content smile, happy for the solitude. Now, as long as Bombay didn't suddenly perfect the art of lock picking, he wouldn't have to go to anymore stupid therapy sessions...
Vague traces of an upset Bombay trailed in, barely audible over the music. Charlie preferred it that way. It was no coincidence.
He crawled back under the covers even though it was practically the middle of the day.
Suddenly, a click was heard as Charlie glanced the door. Wait, why was Bombay in his room?
"Hey!" he snapped, face hardening at the former hockey coach in his doorway. "What the heck are you doing in my room?!"
"This look familiar?" Gordon asked, dangling a key with raised eyebrows.
"Dang."
"Yeah, I found it in the bathroom. Not a good place to leave a key if you're planning on keeping people out," Gordon said. "Now come on. We're still going to that appointment."
Charlie growled under his breath and hid under the pillow. "But I don't want to go..."
"I'm sorry to hear that, but it isn't really your choice. Now come on. Come on, it is NOT that bad. Now get up and come downstairs," Gordon said with a sigh.
The teenage boy snorted indignantly and shook his head into the pillow. "No."
"Charlie, we are not getting into this again."
"No. I'm not going. Isn't it against some constitutional right to force someone to do something they don't want to?"
"No, because otherwise I wouldn't be paying taxes. It's part of life. Now get up."
"Well, it SHOULD be against my constitutional rights...Invasion of privacy, I tell you!" Charlie said, covering his head with his arms.
Gordon let out a sigh of aggravation. "Charlie..."
Charlie mouth twitched, and he looked up from his pillow with a harsh glare. "Fine. I'm coming...I'm coming...Gosh, take a chill pill..."
Gordon turned around and walked away, gripping his hair. "He tells ME to 'take a chill pill'..." he muttered to himself as he walked down the stairs. "What is the world coming to?"
Charlie stood up from the bed and walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind himself. He pulled out the bottle of pills, picked one out, and dropped it down the drain. You could never be too careful...You never knew when Bombay might start counting or something...
After closing it back up and putting it away, he sighed. Therapy was stupid. But he would humor them...this time.
