Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom, Animaniacs or any of the characters. Danny Phantom is the sole property of Butch Hartman, Nickelodeon and Viacom International. Animaniacs is the property of Tom Ruegger and Warner Brothers.
GK: Katie's Quest
Chapter 1: The First Step
It was a typical day in the town known as Amity Park.
The sun is shining and school had just let out. Many kids were eager to leave behind the tests and books and get to their after school activities, part time jobs or just hang out with their friends.
However, for one teenager, it was none of the above.
A young girl, almost 16 years old, had arrived with her parents to a certain building. The young girl was Kaitlin Kaboom, along with her parents, John and Margaret Kaboom.
The reason she was here...to see a therapist.
"I can't believe I'm here..."She muttered, hoping no one from school would see her here.
"Now Princess, we talked about this. The anger management can only do so much. Your mother and I really think this can help as well..."Her father said in a gentle tone.
Katie sighed.
"I know..."She said, knowing where they are coming from.
They went inside and were seated in the waiting room. Her father went to fill out the necessary documents while her mother spoke to her gently. After what felt like a long time, the receptionist, an old woman in her sixties, called to her.
"Miss Kaitlyn...Kaboom?..."The woman said, looking confused as she read the name out loud.
"That's me..."Katie said as she got up.
The woman seemed confused, but shrugged, as she quickly typed something on the computer, before turning to her.
"Dr. Shen will see you now..."She said.
Katie sighed, she turned to her parents and saw their encouraging looks. With great reluctance, the girl stepped forward to the office.
Inside
Katie was now in a therapist office and saw a tasteful decor, along with numerous diplomas on the wall. She also saw a woman with dark hair in a professional bun, brown eyes and wearing a dark blue business suit. She also had a friendly smile on her face.
"Hello, Kaitlyn Kaboom..."The psychologist asked.
"It's Katie..."The blonde girl answered.
"Very well, Katie. I'm Dr. Eri T Shen.."The woman said.
"Eri T. Shen? Is she serious?..."Katie thought, while the therapist began to get things ready.
"Now, why don't you sit down and relax, while we talk?..."She offered.
Seeing no other choice, Katie sighed as she went to sit on the same kind of couch you'd see in therapy offices on television. She laid there, trying to relax as the therapist pulled out her clipboard and pen, and turned to the teenage girl.
"Now, why don't you tell me why you're here?..."The woman asked.
"Didn't my parents tell you on the phone?..."Katie asked.
"They may have made the appointment, but I want you to tell me why you think you are here. Come on, it's just us here..."The woman said, trying to make her feel at ease.
Katie sighed.
"Well...it's kind of crazy...and hard to explain..."The blonde girl said, avoiding eye contact.
"Katie, this is Amity Park. Nothing is too crazy here..."The woman said.
"You'd be surprised..."Katie thought, but wisely kept to herself.
She had already talked to her parents before hand to only talk about what was necessary...and NOT mention the part about the curse, which she understood why.
"Here goes everything..."Katie thought.
"It's like this..."She began, as she tried to tell as much about her issue as possible, without mentioning the curse or her recently meeting Danny Phantom and how he offered to aid her.
Her shrink didn't need to know that.
She told the basics...about how she recently moved her, had been in a relationship that went sour and how she may have...anger problems...
In short, she's basically tried to explain everything that had happened since she hit puberty up until a few days ago...the important stuff that is.
"When Mom and Dad told me that we had to move here, I was so mad that...I guess I kinda...lost my temper..."She said, downplaying it.
"Well, moving isn't easy, especially when you're young..."The woman said. "So, you and you're parents got into an argument?..."She asked.
Katie nodded.
"Yeah...and...it...got nasty..."She said.
"Please describe?..."The woman asked.
Katie couldn't, since she didn't remember due to the curse's side effects, but she knew it was bad.
"I...got mad...and yelled at them...and I...may have broken a few things..."She said, downplaying what had happened.
"I see..."The woman said, writing that down.
"I know what you're thinking...that I overreacted...well, maybe I did. I know that now and I'm already gonna get anger management, so don't judge me!..."Katie said defensively.
"Katie, no one is judging you. While it's true that it's not healthy to break things in anger, reactions like these are natural at your age...you just need to channel them properly..."Dr. Shen said calmly.
Katie sighed.
"I'm sorry...I just...I know I need this but..."She paused. "It feels...weird talking about this with someone other than my parents..."She admitted.
"I understand, some of my patients have trouble opening up first, but just know that it's just us here and everything you say will be between us. You don't have anything to worry about..."Dr. Shen said.
Knowing she can't keep procrastination anymore, Katie nodded.
"Alright..."She said, as she continued.
"Like I said, I was upset but we still ended up moving here. At first, I couldn't stand it...until I met him..."Katie said, looking away.
"Him?..."Dr. Shen asked, while the blonde girl looked away.
"My ex-boyfriend...Danny Fenton..."Katie said, looking sad now.
"I see..."The therapist said. "Please continue. Tell me a little bit more about this ex of yours..."She said.
"Danny is someone who I thought was my soul mate. I met him on the first day I moved here and...well, I guess I pretty much fell in love with him at first sight..."She admitted.
"Is that so?..."The therapist said.
Katie nodded.
"Yeah, Danny is a really cute and nice guy and he even showed me around town. He is also really funny and kind of charming in his own way. I just had to ask him out as soon as I found out he didn't have a girlfriend...so, I did..."Katie admitted.
"You...asked him out on the same day you met him?..."Dr. Shen asked.
"Yeah, and he agreed to go out with me the next day..."She said.
"Teenagers...they really do move fast..."Dr. Shen thought as she kept writing something down.
"Yeah, we went out and soon enough, he became my boyfriend. Things were wonderful and memorable. Danny was...is...really cute, sweet, caring and special, not to mention a great kisser and he's not some poser like some creeps at school. He's genuine, he's not a poser and he doesn't treat girls like they are just mini-skirts. I really loved him and we were happy together...or so I thought..."Katie said, looking depressed again.
"What happened?..."The therapist asked, looking more sympathetic as she had a feeling something went awry.
Katie sighed, hating she had to open up.
"He broke up with me the other day...or rather...I overheard him admit, rather bluntly, he didn't like me anymore..."She said, looking bitter and sad as she recalled that incident.
"Overheard him?..."Dr. Shen asked, and Katie sighed.
"I heard him talking to...a friend of his...apparently...he thought I was really clingy and moving our relationship too fast. He thought that I was too much and had been wanting to break up with me for a while but didn't had a chance to..."She said, looking miserable as she said this.
"Oh...I see..."The therapist said, looking at her with sympathy.
"Looking back...I can't really blame him...I mean...don't get me wrong...I loved Danny and I still do. I thought he was the one for me. I thought that we had a perfect relationship, the kind that you see in movies where the high school sweethearts stay together until it's time to get married, have kids and live happily ever after. The perfect future together, ya know..."Katie admitted, while Dr. Shen raised a brow upon hearing this.
"Married? Uh...Katie...I am sure that Danny is a very nice young gentleman...but you are still in high school. You shouldn't rush into a relationship, especially with a boy you've only recently gotten close to, especially while you're still so young. Not to mention, you are far too young to even be thinking about marriage at your age..."The therapist said.
Katie groaned and covered her face with her hands.
"I know that! I've already been told that, but I couldn't help it. I thought things with Danny were fine as she went out on dates, talked on the phone, texted each other and made out...every day...but apparently, I was making him uncomfortable with...my affections..."She said, blushing as she looked embarrassed.
"He apparently thought I cared more about kissing and making out than anything else and he felt things were too fast between us. I guess I didn't notice since I found myself really falling for him...and...I dunno...I guess I thought he was being shy or playing hard to get...but in reality...he was trying to break up with me for the last few weeks but we either got interrupted or something else happened that didn't give him a chance to...but it didn't change how much it hurt to learn that he doesn't love me..."Katie said, looking sad and then got more bitter as she recalled another detail.
"Things got worse because some unknown creep apparently played a cruel prank on us by sending gifts to me in Danny's name, to mess with us and make me think that Danny loved me too. That jerk..."Katie said, looking mad but not morphing.
"Whomever did that should be ashamed of themselves. Any idea who it is?..."She asked.
"No clue, but when I find out. I'm gonna make him regret doing that..."Katie said, frowning hard.
"Just don't do something you'll regret. Now, please continue..."Dr. Shen said, as Katie kept trying to explain her issues in her past relationship.
She explain how Danny felt suffocated by their relationship and how Katie was unaware of that problem, as she felt that they had the perfect relationship. She also explained how it all came crashing down.
"After Danny pretty much blew up...I pretty much lost it...I was crying, screaming and I just...didn't take it well...or so I've been told. My parents took me home and I pretty much locked myself and cried in my room, hating myself and my life. I didn't leave for anything, not even to eat..."Katie said.
"I see...I take it that you demonized yourself..."Dr. Shen said, looking at the girl with sympathy as she continued.
"You could say that..."The blonde girl thought, sighing bitterly..
"I was a wreck...I was broken, humiliated and hurting a lot. I thought my life was over...I thought I was a freak who didn't deserve love. It wasn't until Danny came the following day to apologize and explain better why he wanted to break up...and offer to remain friends, that I started to feel a little better...but it still hurts that he doesn't love me the way I love him..."Katie admitted.
"I see. That's quite a tale, Katie..."The therapist said as she kept writing on her clipboard before turning to her.
"So, what do you think, doc? Am I nuts? Was I really obsessed with Danny?..."She asked, wanting to get straight to the point.
"Katie, I think you are a nice young girl. I don't think you are a freak but I do believe you got too attached to him and too soon as well. And that's something that did more harm than you thought..."Dr. Shen said seriously.
"I am sure that Danny is a very nice boy but you shouldn't let your entire world revolve around a relationship...and if he truly felt uncomfortable with your affection, it's important to notice those things and take his feelings into account, especially when it happens. Otherwise, you may very well end up hurting yourself and him at the same time..."The therapist said.
"I figured as much, guess I'm just a bad person..."Katie said, looking more bitter and miserable as she said this.
The therapist sighed, as she tried to help her.
"I don't think you're a bad person, Katie. The fact that you are taking the necessary steps to better yourself is proof that you want do better, and that needs to be acknowledged. You are not hopeless and if Danny is willing to remain friends with you, than I am sure that he will treat you better once you get better..."The woman said kindly.
"I know...and I know that his friendship is more than I deserve...but I still love him and I wanna believe that maybe some day, he'll give me another chance to be his girlfriend..."Katie confessed.
The therapist sighed and tried to just spell it out for her.
"Katie, I'm not a psychic and neither of you. We have no way of knowing what the future has on hold, but I honestly think you need to let go. It's not healthy to hang onto a past relationship, especially one that went sour like that..."Dr. Shen said frankly.
"But I love him. I know the chances of him loving me are slim...but I wanna believe that by the time I...I better myself...he might give me another chance. I know the chances are slim and he may or may not find some one else by that time...but I gotta try..."Katie said, trying hard not to cry again.
"Poor girl. So young and yet so lovesick. Like most her age..."The therapist thought.
"Katie...I know that you're hurting from a broken heart, but if things really were as...dysfunctional...as you say there were...perhaps it is best to take a break from relationships and try to distract yourself from that for a while. Expand your horizons and grow as a person. There are more things to like than boys and romance..."The therapist said, trying to be gentle as she said this.
"Oh yeah, name two?..."Katie said in a snarky way.
"How about focusing on your studies and physical health? You might even find something worth more than dating..."The therapist said and Katie rolled her eyes.
"Unlikely..."The blonde girl muttered, while the therapist continued.
"Katie, you are a young girl with your entire life ahead of you. I know that having a boyfriend may seem like the most important thing in the world and that a breakup is the end of it all, but it's not..."Dr. Shen said, trying to be frank with her.
"We all go through heartbreak at some point and yeah, it stinks. But it's a part of life. What you need to do now is heal and try and move on..."She said seriously, before continuing.
"Danny was special to you, but you cannot let it fester if you wish to truly heal. You need to get out and reach out, try new things and try and socialize. I'm sure that in no time, you'll meet someone new when you're ready..."Dr. Shen tried to say in an optimistic way, but it did little to help the depressed blonde girl.
"New or not, no one is like Danny..."Katie thought, as the therapist kept trying to give her advice and recommendations.
Soon enough, their hour was up and an appointment was set for next week. However, Katie wondered if it would really help pr not. She definitely hoped that it would, since otherwise, she didn't know what else to do.
"I sure hope that this and the anger management works..."She thought, as she was on her way out.
Later
Katie was in the car with her parents, who asked her out the session went. Katie told them as best she could what Dr. Shen recommended and how to proceed.
Her parents seemed pleased for some reason.
"We're so proud of you Katie and how well you handled this situation..."Margaret said in an encouraging way.
"What are you talking about? I just sat there and told her pretty much everything I've done wrong and she told me not to think about Danny..."Katie muttered.
"Don't be discouraged, puddin'. They say the first step to fix a problem is admitting you have one and taking the necessary steps. That's what your doing..."Her father said, smiling.
Katie sighed.
"I hope so...and I hope my "classes" with Danny Phantom go better..."She admitted.
"I'm still amazed that he agreed to train you..."Margaret said.
"Me too. Apparently, he thinks there is hope for me..."Katie said, as she looked out the car window and saw a billboard with the town hero's face on it.
"When did you say he was gonna start training you, Pumpkin?..."Her father asked.
"Danny called me and told me that Phantom wanted to send me a message. He said that our first class starts tomorrow after school...unless some ghosts tries to take over the world or whatever..."She muttered.
"I see. Well, fingers crossed that it all goes well..."Margaret said.
"Yeah..."Katie said, as she looked down.
"Huh...I never noticed until now but both your...uh...friend and that ghost kid share the same first name..."John commented.
"Well, it is a pretty common name. I'm sure that it's just a coincidence..."Margaret said, while her daughter just remained quiet in the backseat.
"I hope that he shows up tomorrow. I wanna be rid of this curse...or at least control it enough so that I can choose NOT to turn into that ugly thing ever again..."Katie thought, desperate.
She wanted to believe that she has a chance...to both master her temper, be free of this curse...and win Danny's love one day.
She was gonna work her butt off to make sure that she can achieve ALL of that...though even she knows the last one is a little more unlikely than the first two, but she can't quit now.
"I won't give up! I have to at least try!..."She thought, determined.
Today was the first step towards that goal, seeing a therapist...the next one will happen tomorrow, when she trains with Phantom and soon she'll be taking the anger management classes too.
All in the name of making herself a better person, for her, for her family...and for Danny too.
To be continued-
Next time on GK: Katie's Quest
Katie's New Normal
AN: Special thanks for NeoMark for his assistance this chapter. You rock :)
:) I hope you enjoyed this! Remember to read and review :)