Okay, I would like to mention to the people who were kind enough to review that the only slash couple in this fic is Terri and Maya. The Bash Brothers, Adam, and Charlie are straight in this story, although I am currently forming a plot for a different, more slashy story…but right now, this is my main project. Adam is going to find love some place else, and possibly the other boys. I’m not sure yet, maybe I will change the Bash Brothers sexuality later in the story. I don’t really know…but for right now, Fulton, Portman, Adam, and Charlie are straight. Sorry for the confusion!
Anyway, here’s chapter 3. I’m pleased with how it’s going. read and review for me, ok? thanks so much!
quick disclaimer: Ducks belong to Disney, Terri and Maya belong to Star and Victory Thru Tears at www.queertet.net, and the characters you don’t meet until later are mine. thanks!
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Chapter 3: Breaking Bad Habits
Terri’s POV
Man, I’ve really done it this time. I’ve gotten us stuck on a train to New York. Plus, being stuck on the train got Charlie and Adam into a huge fight again. I’m more upset about that than anything. Their friendship has been on the rocks for months, and it was just beginning to get back to normal…or what Fulton’s description of Charlie and Adam normalcy is. Over the six weeks we were painting the house they were laughing and having a good time, in spite of how they were yelling at each other just now.
Portman and Fulton sent me after Charlie. Charlie does crazy things when he’s angry. I don’t always help matters, but I am one of his best friends, I can usually make him laugh, lighten his mood. I wish I could laugh, but I can’t. I’ve been through three cars and I can’t find Charlie.
“Charlie,” I’ve been calling his name for a few minutes now and I’m beginning to get nervous. He couldn’t have gotten that far ahead of me.
“Charlie!” I sound like a mother who has lost her little boy. “Charlie!”
I realize how odd it is to be calling him “Charlie” and not “Charles.” Under regular circumstances, I’d call him Charles because it ticks him off to no end. But he’s really mad now; I don’t want to make it worse. I’ve reached a bar car. I peer inside and call his name again. NO answer. I am really nervous now. Where the hell can he be? It’s a train; there are only so many places he can go.
“CHARLIE!!”
“What!?” he yells at me from a corner table on the far side of the car. I didn’t see him at first because he was hidden behind some huge guy. I make my way over to Charlie and sit down next to him.
“What?” he asks again.
“Nothing, Portman sent me after you.”
“Why? I need a babysitter now too?” he glared at me angrily, his voice sarcastic.
“Yes,” I answered flatly. “You do some crazy things when you’re angry sometimes.”
“Like what?”
“What about the time you tried to beat up a garbage can and you nearly broke your hand? You couldn’t practice hockey for two days.”
“Well-”
“Or the time you downed three 40’s in fifteen minutes and made yourself sick?”
“I-“
“Or the time you went out on your skates, wasn’t paying attention and skated into a parked car?”
“That was-”
“Or the time with the mailbox accident when you-“
“OK I GET YOUR POINT!!!” he hollered at me.
I really want to be silly now-Terri silly- but I can’t. This has to be serious. Plus I have to tell him this was my fault and not Adam’s. Everyone knows that, but no matter whose fault it is, he’ll blame Adam for it. They were being friends again. I will not be the one who wrecks it this time. We sat in silence for a few minutes.
“Ya know, Charlie, Adam didn’t deserve the verbal beating he got just now.”
“Don’t lecture me, Terri,” he snapped.
“I’m not lecturing you. I know you’re mad that we’re stuck on this train, but it’s my fault, not Banksie’s. I led us on the train, I hid, and we didn’t get off in time. He’s your best friend and he didn’t deserve to be accused of ‘betraying’ you. If you want to blame someone and yell, do it to me. Not Adam. It’s not his fault.”
Charlie watched me for a minute, his face pinched up as though he were studying me. Finally he relaxed and said, “I’m not going to yell at you Terri.”
I heaved a sigh of relief. Without realizing it, I had been bracing myself for the explosion. Now I could go back to being crazier and more fun- more like a happy Terri. Oh wait, not yet.
“Are you still angry, Charlie?” I ask.
“Not so much anymore. I was before though, I’ve cooled off.”
“Right after you went psycho on Banks, right?”
“Well, a little after that.”
“Charlie, he didn’t deserve what you said to him.”
“Terri, you’re making me angry again.”
“I don’t care. Be nice to him. You really hurt his feelings, accusing him of being out to screw his friends. He’s not like that, and you know it,” I told him firmly.
“Yeah, I know he’s not,” he said quietly. Not the answer I was expecting, but it sure makes my life easier.
“You owe him an apology…a sincere one,” I add the sincere part as an after thought. Charlie isn’t always sincere with Adam. Another reason their friendship struggles at times. They don’t always tell each other the truth. Charlie hasn’t said anything.
“You owe him a sincere apology,” I repeat. He’s going to acknowledge he’s wrong whether he likes it or not. He finally nods in agreement, though reluctantly.
“Why do you get so mad at him anyway? He’s a sweet guy and works hard and is a good friend,” I had to ask. I just don’t know when to shut-up. Charlie is going to blow up like Mt. St. Helens. I can tell by the look on his face. But to my great surprise, he just answers the question.
“I’m not always mad at him. I just have a habit of taking my anger out on him,” he sighed. Yeah? Bad habit, Charlie, I think to myself. As if reading my mind, he continues, “It’s a bad habit and I want to break it. Although easier said than done. It’s hard, but I figure he’s my best friend and he’ll always accept my apology.”
“Better get around to breaking that habit,” I tell him, “One day he will get mad, won’t accept that apology, and you’ll have lost your best friend.” I said that to urge him to change the habit, not because I really believe that. There’s no doubt in my mind that Adam Banks and Charlie Conway will always be best friends. He seems to be thinking hard about what I had said.
Finally, he looked at me as said, “Nah, we’ll always be buddies.” I had to laugh. It’s like he can read my mind.
“What’s so funny?” he asks.
“Nothing, it’s just I think sometimes you’re psychic.”
“Why is that?”
“Well, I was just thinking about how you and Adam will always be buddies. Then you said it out loud.” Now it was his turn to chuckle.
“Well, in this case, it’s pretty obvious, I think,” he still smiling. Something tells me it’s time to go back to being regular Terri.
“Let’s go find your best friend and set him straight, Charles.” He looks ticked, and then he laughs.
“Ok, Theresa, let’s go.”
GRRR! I hate it when he calls me Theresa! We’re both like that. We hate be called by our proper first names, and have a desire to mortally wound anyone who calls us by them…except for each other.
There’s only one explanation for it. We’re both nuts.