Disclaimer: We don't own the Ducks and probably never will because they belong to Disney. However, Emaliar Malfoy does own Bella, Ollie, Seraphina, Alex, and Patrick "Paddy" Ridley. Bobcatwriter owns Annie, Mike, Travon, all the characters at Lakeshore Academy, Baby Hans, Paddy's family, The Lebrie Family, Reese, Mark, Judge Stone, Judge Murray, a few of the other students and teachers from Eden Hall.
A/N: This is the sequel to the other Mighty Ducks story's: "The Way Things Are", "The Way Things Were" and "The Way Things Should Be". We recommend you read those three first. However, this can also be read as a stand-alone story. I know that this seems tame to be rated M, but the next 4 chapters are the reason why this story got the M rating. Please read and review. They are good for the soul!
Chapter 21
Gunnar's POV
Something vas rotten in the state of Ìsland. I didn't like vho Charlie and Bella vere dating now. I knev they vere idiots. Vhey belonged vogether, how could vhey not see vhat. I didn't have a choice, I had to call Adam. I knew that Adam's classes vere over for the day, but I vasn't sure if he vave group vherapy or not.
"Lakeshore Academy, how can I direct your call?" I heard a lady on the phone.
"Can I please speak to Adam Banks?" I asked.
"May I say who is calling?" the lady asked.
"Gunnar Stahl," I said.
"Just a minute please," the lady said, and I vas placed on hold vith music. I didn't particularly care for classical music at all. Vhy must vhese places put on such aveful music?
I vas on hold for 5 or 6 minutes vhen I heard, "Hello?" come out of Adam.
"Adam, it's me," I said.
"Hello, Gunnar what's going on?" Adam said.
"Ve need to talk about Charlie and Bella," I said.
"I already know about them breaking up," Adam said.
"Veah, do vou know that they are seeing other people?" I asked.
"Yes, Bella is dating that slimeball Mark Higgins. As far as I know Charlie is still unattached," Adam said.
"Vell vou better vake vhat from unattached to attached," I said.
"What are you talking about Gunnar?" Adam asked.
"Charlie is seeing Veese Brockmeier," I said.
"That snooty slut?" Adam asked.
"Ves. Adam ve have to do something about this," I said.
"It's like I told Dwayne this yesterday, I am 2,000 miles away, what can I do?" Adam asked.
"Vell you can talk some sense into Bella," I said.
Adam snorted before he said, "like she would listen to me? I didn't want her and Charlie to be dating in the first place."
"So, vou are not going to do anything?" I asked.
"Nope," Adam said.
"I don't believe vhis," I said.
"Gunnar they are both 16 years old, let them make their own mistakes. I have to go now, bye," Adam said and then he hung up.
I started to feel bad, I wanted to cry. At least in my family ve vere allowed to cry, in front of mamma only.
Charlie's POV
I walked out of the dorm and ran into Ken and Russ. "Damn Conway Look who's the Cake-Eater now," Russ said.
"Hey Russ, Ken," I said.
"Where are you going looking all fancy?" Ken asked.
"Party tonight, Rachel McGee's house are you coming?" I asked.
"No, we didn't get invited, like we got invited to the last one," Russ said.
"Oh, sorry. I guess I shouldn't have said anything, sorry," I said.
"Don't be sorry Cake-Eater," Russ said.
I cringed at that. Adam hated being called a Cake-Eater and now I know why. I was going to have to apologize to Adam the next time I talked to him. "Well I will see you later I need to go and pick up Reese and we need to get to the party," I said.
"Later, Cake-Eater," Russ said.
I pulled up in the Brockmeier's circle driveway and got out of the Jeep. I managed to get it clean last Sunday.
"Hey sweetheart," Reese said to me at the door.
"Hi, you ready to go?" I asked.
"Yep, just let me arm the system and we will be leaving," Reese said. I stood outside the door and waited.
Once Reese joined me I asked, "So are your parents not home?"
"No, why do you want another round in the tub?" Reese asked.
"No not right now. I was hoping to meet them," I said.
"Oh Daddy's in Cleveland for a conference and tonight is Mom's bridge night with the Banks, McGee's, and Larson's. We could go over there if you want," Reese said.
"No thanks, I don't want to deal with Phillip Banks," I said.
"Ok, suit yourself. You look so fine," Reese said.
"Thanks. Shall we go, your Chariot awaits," I said.
"Hmm, Charlie would you mind if we took my car instead. After all you must make an impression. I will let you drive," Reese said.
"It's a really nice car and I don't want to hurt it," I said looking at Reese's convertible.
"Don't worry, we are only going 5 blocks, how much trouble can we get into?" Reese said.
"Are you sure?" I asked.
"Yes Charlie take the keys," Reese said.
I pocketed the keys to the Jeep and took the keys to the convertible and escorted Reese out to the car, it was going to be a fun night.
Bella's POV
Mark picked me up, right at 8 o'clock on the nose. I had borrowed a mini dress and bra from Connie. Since her and I were practically the same body type.
"Wow, you look nice," Mark said to me.
"Thanks, I borrowed it from Connie, ready?" I asked.
"Yep," Mark said, and he led me out to his car, a 1999 Bentley Continental.
"Nice car," I said.
"A nice car for a pretty girl like you," Mark said.
When we pulled up to the security guard house of Royalty Estates I heard, "Name?" from the security guard.
"Mark Higgens and Bella Banks," Mark said.
"Here to see?" the security guard asked.
"Rachel McGee," Mark said.
"Alright you are good to go," the security guard said. I could not believe it, I thought I was banned from the Estates and here I was given a free pass. I wonder if Phillip forgot to refile the paperwork to continue my banishment from the Estates. But it didn't matter now, I was going to a party in Royalty Estates.
When we got to the house, the place was already jumping' with music blaring out of the speakers. There were people everywhere, all the popular jocks, several beauty queens, even the bash brothers showed up, separately. I saw Charlie had his arms around a leggy blonde, when they turned I saw who it was Reese Brockmeier. THAT SLUT! I could not believe it, she used to chase Adam in Elementary school and now she was grinding her body next to MY EX BOYFRIEND!
"Bella lets go and get a drink," Mark said.
"Okay because I think that I could use one," I said.
We walked up to the punch bowl, and I saw Portman was already busy spiking the punch.
"Hey Portman," I said.
"Bella," Portman said.
"When did Charlie start dating that slut?" I asked.
Portman looked over at Charlie and Reese and then said, "Reese Brockmeier? I have no idea. But by the looks of it they are getting pretty cozy together."
"No shit," I said as I drank some punch out of the cup I was handed by Mark.
"Come on baby lets go and dance," Mark said.
Mark and I danced for almost an hour, when a guy who I assumed was on one of Mark's teams came up to him and said, "The stuff's ready."
"Okay I will be right there,' Mark said to him and then turned to me, 'Why don't you go and get us some more punch, I am getting kind of thirsty."
"Okay," I said and walked off towards the punch bowl. I had gotten the punch and went to sit on the couch next to Luis and his cheerleading flavor of the week, making out. I sat there for a good 15 minutes when Mark reappeared. I took one look at him.
"You okay?" I asked.
"Yeah fine. Why?" Mark asked.
"Nothing, I was wondering," I said as I touched him.
"Don't touch me," Mark said quickly.
I cocked an eyebrow at him, he had never been that way to me, ever.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to baby I swear," Mark said quickly.
"Mark is something wrong, because you don't look right," I said.
Then Mark did something completely out of character for him. He grabbed my wrists and squeezed hard. Then he said, "I AM TELLING YOU BELLA I AM FINE!"
"Ow you are hurting me," I said.
"Well maybe you will mind your own damned beeswax," Mark said while still squeezing my wrists.
"Please let go," I pleaded with him.
Mark let go of my wrists and then said, "I'm sorry, baby. I didn't mean it. I swear."
"I think that I am going to get a ride home with Portman," I said. I didn't know what Mark was on, but I didn't like it.
"Where are you going?" Mark said and then he grabbed my wrist again and started to squeeze.
"LET GO OF ME!" I yelled. Then I was dragged out of the house and back to his car.
Once we were outside he yelled, "WHY DID YOU DO THAT TO ME! YOU BITCH!"
"YOUR HURTING ME!" I said and I started to cry. I knew that Adam would come to my rescue, but he was 2,000 miles away somehow I wished he were closer.
"OH DON'T BE CRYING YOU BIG FAT BABY," Mark yelled at me. I tried to jerk my wrists out of his hands, but he was too powerful for me.
"Please I want to go home, let me go home!" I pleaded with him.
"YOU WANT TO GO HOME? FINE BITCH, GET YOUR ASS IN THE CAR!" Mark yelled at me.
As Mark was driving us back to Eden Hall, we were swerving all over the road, we had gotten way too close to a semi and I yelled, "MARK SLOW DOWN!"
Luckily, we made it back to the dorms in one piece, Mark had walked me back up to my dorm and was squeezing my wrists again. "I told you Bella, your mine now. So don't be telling anybody what happened tonight," Mark said.
"But Mark, you almost got us killed," I said.
"No buts, nobody, got it Ace?" Mark asked.
I swallowed hard and said, "yes Mark."
"That's my girl. Love you," Mark said and then he kissed me.
As I was walking up to my room, my wrists were hurting something fierce. Like they were on fire. "Ow, shit," I said as I stumbled in. Connie and Guy looked up from the movie that they were watching.
"How was the party?" Connie asked.
"Fine," I said as I grabbed Julie's bottle of Tylenol extra strength.
"You don't look fine," Guy said.
"I am telling you, I am fine," I said and then tried to turn the cap on the bottle, and I squeezed my eyes shut.
"Here let me,' Guy said. I handed him the bottle and he got a good look at my wrists, 'Bella what happened?"
"Nothing, Mark just squeezed my wrists a little too tight," I said.
Connie looked at my wrists now before she said, "Bella that doesn't look like he squeezed too tight. Maybe we should take you to the hospital."
"I am telling you it just hurts a little, what can they do, they will just take x-rays and say that I am fine," I said as Guy handed me the bottle and I grabbed two pills out of it.
"You are not going to hide this like Adam would. Are you?" Guy asked.
"No, I am not going to hide this Guy," I said as I took the meds.
"Well alright, but you will let us know if it gets worse, right?" Guy asked.
"Yes, Guy. What are you, my older brother?" I asked.
"Well sometimes you just have to look out for those who wouldn't look out for themselves," Guy said.
"Right Guy and from one sibling to another. I am about to change in here, get out," I said.
"Come on Guy I will walk you to the door, we can finish watching the movie tomorrow," Connie said.
"Okay, honey bear," Guy said, and Connie just blushed.
I went to bed after I changed into my PJ's. I was ever so thankful that I didn't have to get up on the top bunk, that was Julie's territory.
February 13th, 1999
When I woke up the next morning, my wrists hurt a lot. "Ow shit," I said.
"What's wrong Bella," Connie mumbled.
"My wrists really hurt," I said.
Connie came over and examined my wrists before she said, "My God Bella they are twice their normal size, we have got to get you to the hospital."
"What… who's got to go to the hospital," Julie asked.
"Bella does,' Connie said to Julie and then she turned to me and asked, 'Do you think you can get dressed?"
"Yeah, you might need to help me though," I said.
"Julie can you drive us," Connie asked.
"Yeah, let me wake up first," Julie said.
The three of us, got dressed and walked out to Julie's car that she brought back with her from her Grandmother's funeral. She was home on February 11th. Coach Orion had benched her, because he wasn't sure if she was ready to get back into the net. Once I was at Abbott Northwestern, we sat and waited for a while and then I was finally pulled back into an exam room. Dr. Clark looked at my wrist and said that it was a muscle strain in the wrist, but I was lucky. Which meant no hockey for a couple of days and that I needed to take it easy from doing hard activities with it. The doctor gave me a prescription and we went to Walgreens to have it filled. I then remembered that I needed to check on grandma, so I asked Julie if she would not mind swinging by Grandma's house.
"Oh there you are Bella I was so worried," Grandma said as she opened the door.
"Sorry about not coming to volunteer at church this morning, Grandma I was a little preoccupied," I said as I showed her my wrists.
"My word, what happened to you?" Grandma asked.
"Mark squeezed my wrists to tight last night. Dr. Clark said I will be fine in a couple of days," I said.
"Bella, Dear. I have not met this Mark character, but he sounds like a bad influence, you need to dump him," Grandma said as she tucked a piece of my hair behind my ears.
"Grandma he said he was sorry; I will be fine. I promise, I do need to go and work on some homework, now," I said.
"Okay, I'm only looking out for you," Grandma said.
"I know, I love you Grandma," I said.
"I love you too dearie," Grandma said.
A/N: So what do you think? Please be kind and leave a review! Thanks!