Disclaimer: We don't own the Ducks and probably never will because they belong to Disney. However, Emaliar Malfoy does own Bella, Emily, Alex, and Johnson. Bobcatwriter owns Annie, Mike, Travon, and all the characters at Lakeshore Academy.
A/N: This is the sequel to the other Mighty Ducks stories "The Way Things Are" and "The Way Things Were". We recommend you read those two first. However, this can also be read as a stand-alone story. Please read and review.
Chapter 11
May 5th, 1998
Adam's POV
I was heading upstairs after class, getting ready to go into the kitchen helping Mrs. Anderson with dinner. Once I got to the top of the steps. "Hey Adam, you have a phone call," Dr. Binford said.
"Oh, I didn't think that I was allowed to have phone calls," I said.
"Well you are still on probation. But you are doing well, so I will allow you to have another phone call. Besides it's your sister," Dr. Binford said.
"Oh, thanks," I smiled and the hobbled into the office to take the phone call. Like me; Bella and Charlie couldn't believe that Gordon and Michele wanted us to be godparents to Baby Hans.
"Hey Bella," I said.
"Hey Adam," Charlie, Bella and Gunnar said.
"So how are you doing?" Bella said.
"Fine. Great actually," I said.
"So, it's pretty much a go with us coming to see you in July," Bella said.
"Great, I can't wait to see you," I said.
"How's your baby brother?" Charlie asked.
"He's good, Mike took me down to Yuba City last Saturday to visit them. He's cute, you'll like him," I said.
"That's great!" Charlie said.
"Yeah, I know. I haven't been able to stop smiling since I came back up that night," I said.
"Well we just wanted to check up on you and see how you were," Charlie said.
"How vuch longer in vhe boot and on crutches?" Gunnar asked.
"A few more weeks and it'll be off. Yay," I said.
"Wrap it up, Adam," Dr. Binford said.
"Ok,' I said to him. 'So, I got to get going, but I will talk to you, soon right?"
"Yeah this is the last week before dead week and then finals, so we will call you after the 22nd," Bella said.
"Okay, well good luck on your finals. I will talk to you after I get off restriction. Bye," I said.
"Thanks Adam, talk to you soon. Bye," Bella, Charlie and Gunnar all said.
I smiled at that it was good to hear from them. I had gotten the pictures from Gordon and Gunnar's postcard did arrive with a letter from him. He didn't know how to send a postcard, I laughed at that.
May 25th, 1998
It all started with a pair of pants. I had been trying for the week after I had gotten off house arrest to lose weight on my own. But I had no luck. I was trying the lose 10 pounds in 3 days and look fabulous diet I saw on the cover of a Woman's World Magazine that I threw on the belt of the checkout while Gordon wasn't looking while we were shopping for emergency Easter ingredients that Mrs. MacKay and Michele forgot while they were at the grocery store.
{Flashback April 11th, 1998}
"Sir, do you want this with you or in the bag?" said the cashier that held the magazine up. After she checked it out.
"What's that for Banks?" Gordon asked.
"I don't know, Michele wanted me to purchase that for something," I said shrugging my shoulders.
"Hmm, it's not on the list," Gordon said.
"Don't ask me, she's your girlfriend, not mine," I said with my hands held up.
When we got home, I made sure that I carried the bag with the magazine in it. Once I was inside and none of the adults were looking, I quickly stuffed the magazine up my shirt and went into my room. To hide it in my suitcase, I would read it once I was alone. Michele's parents decided to stay at a hotel, because there was no room at Michele and Gordon's house. When I finally had some time alone, I locked my door and read the article. It seemed simple… almost too simple. Drink water and eat nothing. For three days, then you can eat whatever you want, whenever you want. It was perfect. Between that and me going into the gym and working out hard. I knew I would be back in hockey shape in no time. I would eat nothing for three days and then eat everything for three days and repeat. I was going to try it when I got back to Lakeshore.
{End of Flashback}
Memorial Day was another day that I could not get my pants buttoned. I got them on my legs and up to my waist and zipped but not buttoned. I tried again and again and still no luck.
I grunted, "Oh come on. Come on please!" I said.
Travon walked into the room from the bathroom, "What's wrong?" he asked.
"I can't get my pants buttoned. Did Molly ever struggle with this?" I asked.
"Oh' he laughed, 'All of the time, especially after her period. She would eat like a horse for a day or two and then keep eating while on the period. After it was over, she was a week before she was able to button her pants up without doing the as she called it, sucking in her gut. Why?" Travon asked.
"I think I have gained too much weight. I can't get my pants buttoned." I said.
Travon looked at me over once and said, "Yeah you are starting to look like Mrs. Jumbo, Adam!" then he laughed.
"Oh, shut up," I said.
"Look Adam if your serious there is a scale in the medical office, go find out." Travon said.
"Really I thought it was locked all of the time. Since the door is always closed," I said.
"Nope, the only thing that is really locked in that room is the places that they keep the medicines in, that one cabinet and a drawer in the refrigerator. Everything else is fair game for the rest of us. You see Mike and Jeremy go in and out of that room after they have gotten a papercut?" Travon said.
"Yeah," I said.
"So, go and find out," Travon said.
"I'm scared would you come with me?" I asked.
Travon rolled his eyes before he said, "fine."
I quickly threw on a shirt and we walked down to the medical office.
Travon opened the door, turned on the light, shut the door behind us, led me to the scale and said, "There she is. The scale of life and death."
It was an old-fashioned scale, like the one I saw in the doctor's offices. But I didn't know how it works. I was always facing backwards on it when I was weighed. I was told by my mother that it was to get my height after they got my weight. "How does this thing work?" I asked.
"You don't know how to work it?" Travon asked.
"No, I was always facing backwards on it. My mother had the other kind the one that spun the dial around, but she would never let us use it," I said.
"Well you are going to have to hop on the scale," Travon said.
I looked down at my shoes, I knew that it was going to have added extra weight that I didn't need, same with my watch that I always had on my wrist. "Hang on, let me dump this extra weight," I said.
Once the extra weight was off me, I hopped onto the scale.
"Okay see its starting at zero and the bar is not in the middle see,' Travon asked, I nodded. The bar was touching the top of the window. 'What you are going to do is take the larger weight and move it to where you think you might be. What was your weight the last time you were weighed?" Travon asked.
"Like 145 pounds last year," I said.
"Okay it goes by every 50 pounds, so we move the larger weight to 100 pounds and then we move the smaller weight slowly until the bar bounces in the middle," Travon said.
Travon got it to 145 pounds, the bar didn't move. "Okay another 50 pounds," Travon said as he moved the larger weight to 150 plus the 45 pounds on the smaller weight making a grand total of 190 pounds. The bar still didn't move.
"Oh God," I groaned. I knew I put on too much weight I just knew it.
"Okay 200," Travon said as he moved the larger weight to 200 plus the 45 pounds on the smaller weight making a grand total of 245 pounds.
The balance bar slammed down to the bottom of the window. "Oh my God, I gained that much weight?" I said. I knew I was a porker, but that weight astonished me.
"Relax it has to balance in the middle," Travon said as he moved the smaller weight back to 240 pounds, it didn't move. 235 pounds, the bar didn't move. 230 pounds the bar didn't move. At 225 pounds the bar moved back up to the top. "One last time," Travon said as he moved the smaller weight up to 226 pounds the bar didn't move. 227 pounds the bar didn't move. 228 pounds the bar started to move. Finally, at 229 pounds the bar moved to the center and balanced. "229 pounds," Travon said.
"Do you think is accurate?" I asked.
"Yeah Annie weighs herself every week," Travon said.
My jaw dropped, "God, I put on nearly 85 pounds, in 21 months."
"Why 21 months?" Travon asked.
"That was when I had my school physical for last year to get into Eden Hall. They took my school physical and make it the same as my sports physical. I was in the hospital when sports physicals were due for winter sports last fall, so I didn't know how much I had grown." I said. I looked over at the wall at a poster that said:
WHAT'S YOUR BODY MASS INDEX? And it gave a whole bunch of information. "I wonder if I am normal?" I asked.
"Huh?" Travon asked. I pointed to the poster. "Well let's find out, turn around," Travon asked.
Travon pulled out the little measuring stick before he said, "Back up and stand nice and tall." I did what he requested. "74 inches," Travon said.
"Okay I got to get the formula and figure this out," I said. I started to write stuff down as the breakfast bell started to ring.
"Are you coming?" Travon asked.
"You go on and dish me some," I said.
After Travon left, I stood there and figured my BMI and I double checked my math, and I got the same thing 29.3. I was overweight. Another 5 pounds and I would be like my father, Obese. I never felt more ashamed of myself in my entire life. I wanted to cry, "No Adam No you are not a baby," I said to myself.
As soon as I checked to make sure my eyes were dry. I didn't need to give Steven more bullying ammo. I went to the dining room; breakfast was almost over. "About time you joined us, you Ok?" Mike said.
"Yeah, fine. I am just not very hungry," I said as I stared at my glass of 2 percent milk. I knew what helped to make me fat.
Once Mike was gone Travon whispered in my ear, "So?"
I whispered back, "My BMI is 29.3. I need to lose 36 pounds to get me back to a normal BMI and probably an additional 35-40 pounds to get me back into hockey shape, but I am not sure. It said something about how athletes need a certain percentage of body fat, but I don't know how to measure or if it's accurate."
"71 pounds? Is that possible? "Travon asked.
"I don't know. Look just keep this between you, me, and the wall. I don't want anybody to know that I am dieting, it's embarrassing," I whispered.
"You got it," Travon said.
I didn't eat anything at lunch either. I was getting pretty hungry at lunch "No Adam, mind over willpower. You are stronger than this. You need to lose weight; you are a big fat cow," I told myself, and then I took a drink of water.
That Afternoon Travon and I sat down at the computer in the classroom and was surfing the web trying to figure out about how much fat I was carrying and the correct amount of Body fat I need to have to be athletic. The classroom was empty, Ms. Gables was gone for the weekend, almost everyone else was outside. "Here this one it seems easy enough and all you would need is a tape measure." Travon said.
"It does seem easy enough, print it," I said after I read it.
Travon printed the page and I quickly got it off the printer. Then a thought entered my head how would I get a tape measure? "Travon how are we going to get a tape measure, I don't have one," I said.
"Annie, she makes some of her clothes, she has one," Travon said.
We raced upstairs and found Annie in the dining room helping Luke with his homework.
"Annie could we borrow your tape measure?" I asked.
"Why?" Annie asked.
"Uh, uh," I was trying to come up with an answer. I couldn't possibly tell her the truth about me dieting. Because Luke would hear, and he would spread it to the rest of the guys.
"I am waiting, Adam," Annie said.
Luckily, Travon saved my bacon when he said, "He wants to measure his Mike Modano poster and get it into a frame, so it will stay nice."
Annie thought about it for thirty endless seconds before she finally said, "Sure I will let you borrow it, just make sure you return it." Annie left to go grab the tape measure and give it to us.
"Thanks Annie," we both said and took off.
Annie's POV
Something is up with those two, I noticed Adam didn't eat Breakfast or Lunch today. They had been whispering secrets back and forth since this morning. I saw them come out of the medical office and now my tape measure. I am not liking whatever it is.
Adam's POV
Once we got to our room, we both went "Whew."
"That was too close. Thanks for saving my bacon back there," I said.
"Yeah no problem let's get this over with. What does it say?" Travon asked.
We figured out my measurements and found out I was at 26 percent body fat; I have 60 pounds fat and 169 pounds of lean muscle mass. To be athletic I need to be down to 6-13 percent body fat. I decided that I wanted to be around 12 percent body fat, which meant that I would need about 18 pounds of fat, 130 pounds of lean muscle mass and about a 33-inch waist. I was currently at a 43-inch waist, I had a long way to go.
May 26th and 27th passed along the same way as normal. I was starting to get very hungry, but I had to remind myself mind over matter. I am a fat pig. By the end of day 3, I was sure I lost the 10 pounds. But I noticed that I was starting to feel tired, sluggish, and not willing to concentrate. Especially during the school day. Annie came by mine and Travon's table on her way to put her dishes away after supper, when she asked; "You're not eating again, Adam?"
"I am just not very hungry," I said. Then my stomach grumbled.
"I think your stomach would like to say something different," Annie said.
"LIKE MY STOMACH WOULD KNOW BETTER!" I yelled at her.
"Alright calm down Adam jeez. I want to see you eat a bite of your sandwich," Annie said.
I grimaced and then took a small bite out of my sandwich, chewed it a couple of times stuck it behind my teeth on the other side of my cheek. Made a swallow and said, "Happy?"
"Very good, eat some more," Annie said and then she was on her way. Once her back was turned I looked around the room to see if anyone was watching me, no one was. I quickly picked up my napkin and spat out the bite into it. I then gave Travon some of my sandwich to make Annie happy. Which Travon quickly ate.
Annie's POV
When I got back to my table, I asked my husband and coworkers; "Did you guys notice anything being off with Adam?"
"No not really," Jeremy said.
"What's wrong, Honey?" Mike asked.
"I don't know; I have a funny feeling; Adam hasn't eaten anything in three days. What's worse is him and Travon have been acting weird being close together," I said.
"It's probably nothing, you know how boys can be from time to time," Georgia said.
4:30 am May 28th, Adam's POV.
My alarm clock went off, it was time for me to do an hour of Cardio and then get myself weighed, showered, and dressed before anybody notice what was going on. I was SO DAMN HUNGRY, I could not wait to eat at 6:30. As I was working out I noticed that I was starting to feel faint, I felt the same way yesterday and the day before, I told myself "mind over matter you fat pig." After my workout I went upstairs to weigh myself in the Medical Office. I was more than positive I lost the ten pounds. I got up on the scale and put the large weight at the 200 and slowly moved the small counterweight, it crept up. 217, 218, 219, 220, 221, 222. With each pound I was losing hope. I kept moving the weight: 223, 224, 225, 226, 227, 228. On 229 pounds the bar balanced out. I didn't lose a single pound. I did a double take, "No it can't be," I said. I got off the scale I was sure the scale was WRONG! I started over and re-weighed myself. Still the same, 229 pounds. I quickly got off the scale and ran down to get a shower. When I got back to mine and Travon's room. Travon was up and getting ready to take a shower it was now 6:10 am.
"Well," Travon asked when I walked into the room. I shook my head no.
"Nothing, not even a pound?" Travon asked.
"No," I said.
"Well maybe it takes a couple of rounds to get it kick started," Travon said.
"I hope so, I am not sure if I could do this much longer without completely losing my mind. I am so hungry," I said.
"Relax, you will be eating in 20 minutes, and you can eat all you want for the next three days," Travon said.
"Thank God," I said.
When the breakfast bell finally rang, I ran to breakfast, to make sure I was the first in line. Which I was. I loaded up I got 5 pancakes, a large side of hash browns, several sausage links, several pieces of bacon, a large bowl of Lucky Charms, at least 2 scoops of scrambled eggs, 2 pieces of toast and three large glasses of milk. I made sure I had plenty of butter and maple syrup on my pancakes. I WAS HUNGRY! I sat down at the table and began to dig in. Not even waiting for the mealtime prayer. That we are supposed to take part in before we could eat. Annie got her meal and walk by me and Travon, who just joined me, on her way to the staff table.
"A little hungry this morning Adam?" Annie asked.
I nodded my head yes as I was chewing and swallowing my food. As soon as I was finished with my meal, which took about 10 minutes. I went back for more, although not as much as I got in the first round. "Are you hungry this morning Adam?" Mrs. Anderson the cook asked.
"Yeah, Could I have more?" I asked.
"Of course, what all do you want?" Mrs. Anderson said.
After I was done with my second breakfast, I never felt so full in all my life. Travon looked at me and asked, "You okay?"
"No, I am sick, I think I need to go and throw up," I said. Then my breakfast started to come up on me and I made a beeline for the bathroom. I barely made it to the toilet when my breakfast came up, all of it.
Mike followed me to the bathroom, "Adam are you okay?"
I hurled and then I said, "yeah," then I hurled some more.
Mike located the stall I was in, felt my head and said, "I think you're getting a little warm; I hope you're not getting the flu that's the last thing we need in this house."
"I will be fine Mike," I said.
"No, you are staying in the medical room, until you really start to feel better. No classes, no counseling, no group therapy. I am going to get some bed clothing for you to stay in. Do you want anything?" Mike asked.
"Yeah, my pad of papers, could I write my letters to the Ducks and Gunnar?" I asked.
"Of course," Mike said.
Mike got the stuff I requested, let me change in the bathroom and we walked down to the medical room. "Little baby Adam waah, waah, waah," Steven taunted at me. I tried to ignore what was going on.
Luckily, Dr. Binford walked in before I was taunted and said, "MY OFFICE STEVEN, NOW!" A smile was on my face as he was taken to Dr. Binford's office. Which happened to be directly across the hall from the Medical room.
After I was all set in the medical room; Mike left me alone. I laid down on one of the cots and fell asleep, I must have needed the sleep.
I was woken up by Annie at noon with a bowl of chicken soup. "I brought some soup and 7UP are you hungry?"
"Kind of," I said as I took the bowl of soup from Annie's hands, it was chicken noodle soup, from Campbells, my favorite. I ate the soup.
Annie felt my forehead "Well you don't feel hot. Have you thrown up lately?" She asked.
"Not since breakfast, I have been sleeping since I got in here," I said.
"Well you probably need the rest. If you don't throw up again before four, we will release you to your normal daily activities," Annie said.
"Okay," I said. After the soup I started to lay back down again,
"I'm getting tired again," I said.
"Okay, Goodnight," Annie said, and she left the room.
After lunch Travon came in to visit me for a few minutes before class started for the afternoon. "How are you feeling?"
"Better, could you do me a favor and sneak down that magazine before you go to class?" I asked.
"I figured you might want it, so I already did," Travon said as he handed the magazine over.
"Thanks man, it's really boring in here," I said.
After Travon left, I decided that I needed to weigh myself, I don't know what made me do it, it just happened. The scale read 230 pounds. I was going the wrong direction; I then walked into the bathroom and stuck a finger down my throat. I started to cough and hack bad, but nothing came up. I knew Mrs. Johnson would do it sometimes when she ate too much when Gary and I were kids, I didn't understand why at the time. I stuck a second finger down my throat and pressed down hard. It was then that my soup and 7up came up my throat and landed in the toilet. It was then that I realized what happened after Mrs. Johnson would do it. It was a high. It was better than sprinkles, ice cream, birthday cake, springtime, sex and much better than cutting. It was something that I was going to want to do again. After I was done throwing up, I hid the magazine fast. I knew one of the adults would be in soon. I laid down on the magazine.
"Did you just throw up Adam?" Annie called as she walked in.
"Yeah," I said in a weak voice.
She felt my head. "Well alright stay here and get some rest," Annie said.
"Good night," I said.
"Night," Annie said. After Annie was gone. I quickly got up and locked the door. I went and weighed myself. The scale read 228 pounds. I did it, I lost a pound, well two pounds. Maybe that is what I needed to do on the days that I could eat anything. Eat whatever I want and then go and throw it up!
June 8th, 1998
Charlie's POV:
We couldn't wait. For what? For everything. For the school year to be over, which now it was. To go and see Adam. For the next hockey season to start. To go and see Adam. To start hockey training.
Did I mention see Adam?
I hadn't seen him since he went to Lakeshore, spoken on the phone yes. We didn't exactly leave things in the best way.
I am sure Gunnar feels the same way, because for the last week he's been a nervous wreck. Which quite frankly I get. Long distance relationships can't exactly be easy, but then you must counter in the fact that his entire family lives' overseas.
Bella has been in full panic mode, going crazy. She started packing this week and we don't even leave for like three weeks. I want to start packing yet I think in a way I'm scared to, this is my best friend we're talking about and the last time he was within arm's reach, I pushed him away.
A/N: So, what did you think? The next chapter is the beginning of the trip out to see Adam. What will happen when they go and visit? What is Adam thinking? Is Travon doing the right thing by backing Adam? We are begging you please leave a review. Thanks in advance!