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What defines a secret?
Unintentionally not telling someone? No, not really. But intentionally not telling someone something vital to them, or something they deserve to know. Yes. Definitely. Now, secrets aren’t always a bad thing, no. Like the governments of the world keep all kinds of secrets in order to not have a world-wide panic attack. Or a war. Somethings are better left to the imagination. There are things in the world that people would rather just not know. There are only a few good secrets though. Most aren’t good. It’s not good to keep something inside if it’s hurting you, or could potentially hurt someone else. If it’s a danger to your health, physical or mental, tell someone. If they care about you they’ll appreciate you telling them and try to help you in any way they can. It’ll lift the weight off your shoulders. It won’t be a burden if it’s going to help you in the end.
Like it or not, everybody has secrets. They’re usually not good secrets at that. From murder, to illnesses or injuries, or just hiding who you are from the world. We either don’t want to get arrested, or killed, or simply judged by others who wouldn’t accept you. But keep in mind- the people of the world are not your worst enemy.
You are.
We are our own worst critics. We judge everything we do from day to day. From looks to how we act. Sometimes we laugh it off, sometimes it’s more personal. We aren’t really able to change that thought process- the way we think about ourselves. The best we can do is remind ourselves and others that you are accepted by someone. Even if they’re a stranger on the Internet. Don’t trust strangers on the Internet, because there are some weirdos and dangerous people out there (please take that in to consideration)- But there are also kind people as well.
So, to sum up- everybody has secrets at one point in their lives. Even if it’s minor, a secret is a secret.
Privacy is one thing, danger is another- then there’s the thought of putting pressure or stress on the person you’re keeping the secret a secret from. These are the tricky ones to deal with. The question of whether or not to tell the person. Will it do good or will telling the truth only cause harm? If you tell someone else, what would they do? How would they react? These are the thoughts that haunt these types of secrets. Everyone has this type at least once in their life. Some tell, some keep it with in.
Hubert, Deuteronomy, and Louis Duck, AKA Huey, Dewey, and Louie respectively, are no different.
Huey looked over at the clock on the wall in his own bedroom at McDuck Mannor. The triplets had been in one room since they could remember, and it was awesome being able to have their own space now. Huey didn’t find this as hard as he used to on the houseboat. He didn’t have to stay as quiet, or keep the lamp off. He yawned and rubbed his eyes. It was four am now. He could do this. This assignment had to get done. To keep his grades up. This took longer than usual though. Huey took a sip of water and got back to work.
Some people assume that twins, or triplets etc, have the same biological build- meaning that they have the same issues as learning disabilities, allergies, etc. That’s not always the case. They can be very different. They even have different finger prints.
This is the case with Huey, Dewey and Louie.
Huey, the oldest by exactly three seconds, has always known that he was different from his brothers. At least, his brain was different. He figured it out when they were three. Donald was teaching them to read, and Huey was just a little bit slower than his brothers. Huey was too young to really understand at the time, and Donald had been busy trying to find jobs and babysitters to really notice. But Huey figured it out for himself.
He couldn’t read.
Or rather, his brain was built in a way that made the words all jumbled up. Made them almost fly off the page. Almost. Sometimes reading gave him headaches, especially if it was small print.
But he didn’t want to worry Donald or put any stress on him. They lived on a houseboat, as it was cheap in America, and Donald struggles to find jobs in order to raise the triplets. Donald wasn’t always around, and Huey knew that bothered his uncle. The thought of not being able to always be there for them when they needed him.
So, Huey didn’t say anything about his dyslexia- as he later learned. He felt lucky that he was smart enough to figure out some tricks and worked and worked on his reading and writing until it was almost perfect. Or at least, perfect enough to get good grades in school and make it look like he doesn’t have dyslexia. He worked on school work longer than most students, only to keep his grades up. Sometimes he sneakily stayed up at night to finish an assignment he had trouble with- usually the reading assignments. He gave off the impression of being a nerd, which was fine. So long as people didn’t suspect anything else.
As Huey got older, he realized the toll this was taking on him. Mentally and emotionally that is, not so much physically. Keeping this secret... was harder than he expected. He had to constantly remind himself of this secret, and why he was keeping it, in order to keep it. He didn’t expect the weight it would leave on his shoulders. Or the pressure of being a good student, or the older brother.
How was he supposed to get respect if he couldn’t do a simple thing that comes so naturally to others? He’s the planner, the navigator, the organizer! He wouldn’t be any of that anymore if they knew. He’d just be Huey, the kid who can’t read properly. Donald probably wouldn’t let him drive, or do anything on his own given the protective nature of his uncle. Would the others even treat him the same? Or- or love him? To know that something was wrong with him...
No.
It’ll stay a secret. He can’t risk the idea of not being loved anymore. Not to mention the thought of being thought of as stupid... just no. He wouldn’t be able to handle it. But this, this he could handle. And he will still handle it until he dies of old age.
It’s been nine years since he realized he was different, there’s no reason why that should or would change. NO one’s caught on. Not even his brothers.
But that was the thing about living here in the manor. Donald and his brothers might not have noticed but Huey’s almost certain that Uncle Scrooge and Ms. Beakley are catching on. They keep asking him to read something, or look something up in the Woodchuck Guide book. It was only ever him. They never asked Dewey, or Louie- not that Louie would. Being lazy and all. Also, Scrooge keeps asking him if he needs help with homework. Huey keeps saying he’s fine. It was making Huey paranoid to no end. It was worse than when Dewey made him and Louie watch It. Needless to say, they all developed a fear of clowns, no matter how many times Dewey and Louie deny it.
Anyway, point is, he can’t have Scrooge or Beakley figuring this out. He’s gotta work harder at keeping this secret. Huey sighed at the thought. He already worked hard enough at this. How much harder was he going to have to work in order to keep this from Scrooge and Beakley? He was developing a headache just thinking about it. Or maybe that was the homework. Huey closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.
“...uy... d...” What was that? Huey tried to open his eyes but he felt exhausted. He felt something tap his shoulder. Then something lightly shook him. Wait. CRAP!
Huey opened his eyes and sat up. Uncle Scrooge stood next to him with a worried expression on his face. Shoot he must have fallen asleep! How could he have let that happen?! Quick think of something-
“Huey, lad, why on earth are ya up this late? It’s nearly six am.”
He lost two hours. Crap.
“Uh... I...” Huey floundered. THINK OF SOMETHING! He’s never had to lie about this before. What’s he gonna-
“I’m not entirely sure how to bring this up subtly, so don’t take my bluntness too badly.” Huh “Lad, I know ya have trouble reading and writing.” Huey’s blood ran cold. “You may have been able to keep it from Donald and your brothers, somehow- but nothing sneaks by me. I’m not the world’s greatest adventurer for nothing! Hey now, dyslexia is nothing to be ashamed of.” Scrooge said when Huey hung his head with a frown on his face. “I’ve met plenty of succeeding people that have it. Even helped my own cousin from time to time. But what I can’t figure out is why you haven’t said anything to anyone? Not even your brothers.” Huey held back a sigh. He considered his words carefully.
“Because... I... telling them would only bring trouble. Uncle Donald has enough trouble as it is.” Huey tried to swallow, but there was a lump in his throat. “How are the others supposed to rely on me and trust me if I can’t even read and write properly?” His eyes stung. He closed them tightly and clenched his hands into fists.
“Ah...” Scrooge said, contemplating. “I see.”
“I just... didn’t want to hurt anyone.” Huey whispered quietly. Scrooge almost didn’t catch it.
“Uh huh. But you see Huey, you were hurting someone.” Scrooge said gently and put a hand on his shoulder. Huey swallowed and looked up at his uncle, his eyes watery. “You were hurting yourself, lad. No one deserves a life like this. Not even you. I understand you had good intentions, but this way of life isn’t healthy. How much sleep do you let yourself have?”
Huey sniffed and wiped a few falling tears. “Three hours max...” he mumbled.
“A growing boy needs much more than three hours lad.”
Huey couldn’t help it. He gave up and let the tears fall. He couldn’t help but talk.
“I was scared.” he said quietly. “I couldn’t let them find out. I couldn’t... I couldn’t lose them...”
Scrooge’s heart clenched at the sight of the eldest triplet. Huey was usually so confident and happy, to see him so scared and upset was heartbreaking. Scrooge pulled Huey off of the chair and into a tight hug.
“Now listen to me lad. You’re never going to lose them. Or me for that matter. We’re family. We all care very deeply about each other. We’re all willing to help each other where we can. You know, take some of the weight off.” Scrooge held his nephew a little longer before pulling away. “I think the four of you need a day or two to sort things out. Catch some sleep, there will be no school for ya today. Or tomorrow.” Huey sniffed and nodded with a tiny smile. Scrooge smiled. “Now off to bed, and don’t worry about a thing. You’ll never lose any of us. Webby would probably cling to ya if anyone were to say otherwise.”
Huey let out a wet chuckle. He didn’t realize how much Scrooge truly cared about them. Or just how clever he really was. If there was one thing Scrooge’s life had brought him, it was brains. Huey smiled as he watched his great uncle leave the room. He sighed and yawned as the exhaustion took over his body. Dang, his sleep schedule will be out of whack for a few days. Oh well. Huey climbed into his bed and closed his eyes before hitting the pillow. He hadn’t felt this relaxed in a long time.
“Hey, Dewey, could you get the popcorn ready?” Huey asked from the movie cabinet. Tonight, was family movie night. Donald insisted, and Webby was too excited for anyone to object. Hey, she’d never had a family movie night before.
“Yeah sure. Be right back with all the good stuff.” Dewey hopped off the couch. He glanced back. No one was watching. He quickly took out the marker in his pocket and wrote popcorn + snacks on the palm of his right hand. So, he’d remember what he went in the kitchen for. He learned this trick from the Internet after looking some things up. It truly was a life saver. Especially for him and his... issues. Dewey mentally sighed. ADHD was no joke. Having to hide wasn’t one either. Okay, yes, it’s true he didn’t have to hide it. But he also didn’t want to put any more pressure or stress than Donald already had. Plus, Scrooge had other things to worry about- like enemies. A little thing like ADHD could wait. It was fine before it’s fine... well...
Truthfully, it’s harder now. With the adventures and life-threatening events, it’s been harder to keep his ADHD in check. Sometimes he’d slip up and dive in head first without thinking, or say something out of the blue making his brothers look at him oddly. But they usually just shrug it off. At least, that’s what it looks like to Dewey. Maybe they don’t shrug it off and talk when he’s not around to hear them. Or he’s just being paranoid.
Dewey walked into the kitchen and glanced at his hand. Right. Popcorn and snacks. Maybe some pop or something to drink. He went over to the popcorn machine and poured in some kernels. He hit the on button and it started up. He glanced at his hand again. What else did Scrooge have in here for snacks? He began searching the cupboards until he found what he was looking for. He glanced at his hand again, and glanced at the popcorn machine. He grabbed a tray- one that Ms. Beakley used often- and placed a few snacks on it. He went to the fridge and glanced at his hand. It didn’t say pop, but it still reminded him of the previous things he was sent to get. He glanced at the popcorn machine once more, and noticed his Uncle Scrooge standing in the doorway. He waved and grabbed a bottle of Pep! and placed it on the tray.
“And no movie is complete without jellybeans. Hm... do you have any Uncle Scrooge?” Dewey asked, sticking his head in the cupboard. He quickly glanced at his hand. Popcorn. Remember the popcorn.
“They’re in the next cupboard. You sure you can carry everything?” Scrooge asked, looking at the tray.
“Of course not, I know I’m not Beakley. I can make two trips. They’re not gonna start the movie without all of us. Donald will make sure of that. Either that, or Webby will.” Dewey smiled thinking of the things Webby might do if they even tried. She’d probably tie up whoever reached to press play. He took the pop off the tray as it was the heaviest object, and started walking towards the movie theater.
“If ya say so.” Scrooge shrugged.
“I’ll come back for the pop in a sec.”
“And the popcorn.”
“A-and the popcorn.” Dewey stuttered. He almost forgot. Crap. He quickly glanced at his hand. He frowned.
Scrooge had been doing this a lot lately. Checking in on him. Now, Dewey’s not blind, he knows Scrooge truly cares for them, but he’s starting to think it’s because he knows. He knows, and he’s trying to get Dewey to talk. Well it’s not going to work. Nope.
Dewey put the tray of snacks down on the table, and Louie instantly reached for the chocolate. Huey and Webby decided to share the container of jujubes. Lena sat in between Webby and Ms. Beakley. She and Webby were having a sleep over. Lena went to reach for the jellybeans. Heck no- Louie stopped her. Thank gosh. “Those are always saved for Dewey. Especially the black ones. Trust me on this, you don’t want to fight him when it comes to jellybeans.” Louie added that last part when Lena started to object. She merely shrugged and grabbed the cookie dough instead. He turned and went to go get the pop, and popcorn. Not before he gave Louie a smile in thanks. He hated having to defend his right to the jellybeans himself. It just made him look selfish. He wasn’t selfish. He just cherished jellybeans. Donald never let them have that many sweets on the houseboat. He’s lightened up a little over the years though. Especially since they moved into (sort of in Donald’s case) the manor.
Dewey reached up for the bottle of pop, and turned to see Scrooge still there. He apparently had already gotten the popcorn ready, and into a giant bowl. He handed Dewey the bowl.
“Uh, thanks.” Dewey said weakly. He knew. Scrooge knew. This was his way of showing it. Crap. He wasn’t ready for this. When they arrived, Dewey put the pop and bowl on the table and Webby hit play.
He tried to focus on the movie. He did. But now all he could think about was when Scrooge was going to bring this up. When they would talk about it.
Dewey’s worst fear came that night as he was getting ready for bed.
He had just climbed into the bed and was about to turn off the lamp, when there was a knock on the door. “Come in?” he said before he could stop himself. He only realized after that it might be Scrooge. And it was. The old duck opened the door and closed it behind him as he stepped into the room.
“I know you’re about to go to sleep, but I was hoping we could have a few words?” Scrooge’s voice was monotone, but Dewey knew what their words were going to be about. He sighed.
“You know.” he said quietly.
Scrooge nodded and sat down on the bed. “I know that twelve-year-old’s don’t exactly have the excuse of old age when they forget things. I’m sure that writing them down helps plenty.” Dewey subconsciously looked at the smudge on his hand. He accidentally used a non-washable marker instead of the washable kind he usually used. “But I also know that all that energy doesn’t always come from being a child. It’s nothing to be ashamed of. Lots of people live with ADHD. It doesn’t make you worth any less.”
“I know...” Dewey sighed. “I just... Uncle Donald already worries about us without it. He has a lot on his plate, and I don’t wanna add more. Besides, he doesn’t really have the money right now to pay for any medication. I checked, that stuff is expensive.” Scrooge smiled.
“Maybe for him, but not for the richest duck in the world.”
Dewey gawked at him. He would... he would?
Scrooge sure as heck would. He’d pay for any medications and treatments to ensure his family health was in line. Especially the triplets- and Webby. They were still growing children after all.
“And I’ll tell you what. This can stay between you and me until you’re ready for them to know.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
Dewey couldn’t help it. He lunged forward and captured his uncle in a tight hug. Dewey didn’t know how to thank him. And he’d tell the others sometime.
Eventually.
It’s been said that Louie isn’t good at much. Academically and physically, that may be true. But he does get B’s in school. They might not be A pluses but they’re decent grades. Truth is if one gets to know Louie really well, they’d realize that Louie’s good at plenty of things. It’s just not what most people would expect of a twelve-year-old. He’s cunning, clever, witty, and knows his way around words. He knows multiple systems to get what he wants. He knows almost every scam in the book in order to make quick cash. He’d never flat out steal. He wouldn’t break the law. He’d learn his way around it. Find a loop hole and take advantage of it. Sure, he sometimes uses blackmail, but that’s when he doesn’t have any other choice. It’s a last resort.
See? He’s plenty resourceful. Just not in the way people expect of him. Another thing he’s great at is hiding secrets and lying. Now, when it comes to lying, he doesn’t lie to put people in danger, or to hurt people. Quite the opposite. He lies in order to protect the people and things he cares about. Sometimes he leaves certain details out so that the person he’s talking to doesn’t have to worry about it. Keeping secrets is easy for him. He’s a natural at putting on a mask and making something up on the spot.
So, it’s no surprise to him that he’s able to hide this so well. It’s pretty easy actually.
All he had to do was flirt with girls.
Easy as pie. That problem almost went away. His brothers would make fun of him whenever he got turned down- which was embarrassingly often- but he moved on. He kept it up. Only as time went on... he’d notice something. In his chest. It’d hurt whenever Dewey and Webby flirted with each other. It’d hurt whenever Lena teased Huey. He didn’t figure out why it hurt for quite a while. When he did figure it out... it hurt.
It hurt because... his siblings and friends could have what they wanted and not have to worry about anything. They didn’t have a secret to keep. They weren’t fake. They could be happy.
It was three am and Louie was alone when he’d figured it out. He almost let out a few tears. He quickly wiped his eyes and sniffed. He’d be okay. It was better this way. If they knew... they might not want him around. When he was alone, he often used TV or the Internet to take his mind off it. Off the fact that... liked boys.
That he was gay.
And things were fine. He might not be happy, but things were fine. He knew why girls turned him down. They knew. He saw it in their eyes. But they played along. He might not like girls the way he should, but he appreciates them a lot more. At least the nice ones. But them knowing made him question... did they know?
One did.
Lena did. She could read people; therefore, she could read Louie. But she never said anything. He was grateful. Then once when they were hanging out- Huey had a Woodchuck meeting, and Dewey was off with Webby doing god knows what- ew- so it was just Louie and Lena. Louna (pronounced as Luna) as Webby liked to call them. She and Dewey only did it to annoy Huey. It worked. Anyway, so they were hanging out when she suggested that they go meet some of her friends.
AKA... him.
He was... now, Louie doesn’t use the word beautiful to describe people or things very often, but him... He was beautiful. He was the beautiful duck Louie had ever seen. Not only that, but he was the friendliest duck he’d ever met. He’d gone on a few adventures with the gang, and he’d never made fun of Louie, or the others when he or they messed up. He was always supportive of everyone. Kind of like Launchpad, but smarter. More handsome.
And just like that, Louie knew he was screwed.
Curse Lena for introducing them. It’s like she knew this would happen. Luckily Louie was better at hiding his... ugh... crush than his brothers. They didn’t know. A month had passed, and they still didn’t know.
Lena knew though. It annoyed Louie to no end. She’d always smirk at him when he glanced over at him. He’d desperately hide his blush, because Louie Duck didn’t blush dang it. Lena would be supportive though. She’d try to get Louie to talk to him. He would, but not about what she intended. Louie just couldn’t do that. He couldn’t lose his family. What if- he just couldn’t. So, he avoided it. He avoided it for two more months.
Until Christmas.
Webby was super excited as everyone expected. But Louie strangely wasn’t. He acted as though he were just like his brothers, but... he truthfully wasn’t. Louie laid on his bed a few nights before the big day. He tried to think of a reason for his lack of excitement. Then he thought of it. He was gone for two weeks to see family. Huey and Dewey had Webby and Lena, and Louie didn’t even have a friend that was just his. He heard a knock on his door.
“Come in.” Louie called. It was probably Lena. She usually visited him at night and they talked about him. Only it wasn’t Lena, it was Scrooge. Odd. Scrooge never visited him at this time of night. Louie watched the old duck carefully as he walked around and sat down on the bed. Louie, we bog
“So.” Scrooge said. There was a beat before Louie spoke.
“So...” Man, this was weird. It was like Scrooge was- “Are you possessed?” Louie blurted out. Scrooge blinked and stared at him.
“What? No. Besides, you can’t just ask that, the answer you’ll get will always be no. Anyway, I was hoping we could chat.” Louie frowned.
“At night?”
“It’s perfect for some alone time. Now, what is the one thing you truly want for Christmas?” Louie gave him a look.
“Uncle Scrooge, Christmas is literally three days away and you’re asking me this now?”
“Just answer the question smart alack.”
Him...
“A television in my bedroom complete with a video game console.”
“Yeah. You’ve already told me that one.”
“Well yeah so why-”
“Come on Louie, we both know what you really want. Or uh, who you really want I suppose I should say hm?”
Louie paled. He knew. He knew everything. He curled up his legs and brought them to his chest subconsciously. “Please, please don’t tell anyone.” Louie whispered quietly. “Lena’s the only one that knows.”
“And when she found out did she reject you?” Louie hesitated but shook his head no. “And neither did I. Nor your brothers, Webby, Beakley or even Donald. We’re your family. We’ll never turn our backs on ya lad. But don’t fear, I won’t force ya to tell them before you’re ready.”
“You really don’t mind?” Louie asked, his voice still quiet.
“Of course not. Why, traveling all over I’ve met all kinds of people. And if he doesn’t feel the same way, that just means that he’s not the one. You’ve still got your whole life ahead of ya. Give it time.” Louie sighed in relief and nodded.
“You’re right. Um, thanks.” Louie tried for a smile, but it was small. But Scrooge smiled back anyway.
“Any time, lad, any time. Happy Christmas.”
Maybe Louie could get excited about Christmas.
“Merry Christmas!”
Fin