Indiana Jones and the Key of Pandora

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Chapter 2 - Acting Out

Up above the surface I was just a perfect child/but underneath it all I was craving to be wild/don't you judge by the cover it's so far from what you see/I'm losing all my patience waiting on you to believe

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Madison Clarke's POV

Mutt Jones was hot, and he knew it.

He was even more dreamy then Elvis Presley. Of course I could never tell anyone this. Mutt was a greaser; I was a preppy. I wasn't even supposed to talk to greasers, let alone think about them.

It had been drilled into my mind that greasers were bad. They were rebels, and they went against even rule of life. I wasn't allowed to do anything that had to do with them.

Still, guys like Mutt made my heart race faster when I saw them. The leather jackets, denim pants, and black boots. The hair grease. The dangerous glint in their eyes. The rock-and-roll attitude. The motorcycles.

Especially the motorcycles.

When Mutt, Dr. Jones - I mean Indiana - and I got to the parking lot to the college, I couldn't help but admire Mutt's cycle. It was amazing. He had modified it so that it went faster than others, and the paint looked brand-new. When Indiana asked me if I would rather ride on his son's motorcycle with Mutt or ride in Indy's car, I wanted desperately to say Mutt's cycle. But I didn't for two reasons. One, because if anyone saw me - a letterman's girlfriend - on a cycle with a greaser, the rumours would start and my reputation might be ruined. Two, I wasn't comfortable being that close to Mutt.

It wasn't that I was afraid of the boy. Actually, it was more complicated than that.

I had developed a little crush on Mutt a couple months ago, and I was still crushing on him. He had to be the hottest guy in town, and although I was a bit ashamed to admit it, I was wild for him. I wasn't allowed to talk to greasers, and yet here I was, falling for one when I already had a boyfriend!

But I also found Mutt a bit annoying. I almost didn't want to go to England with Indiana, just because Mutt was going. His confidence and cockiness was what made him annoying. It was just so… rebel-ish.

So I rode in Indiana's car to my house. Lucky for us, the Russians weren't there anymore, but the house was a mess. I grabbed a couple things I absolutely needed, like a toothbrush and underwear. Once I had finished stuffing it all into a bag, I hopped back into Indiana's car and we drove to the airport to meet up with his wife.

Before we left, though, I had scribbled a note to my parents explaining my absence. It said something about me going on vacation with Uncle Jeff, and that I had had a couple friends over who had wrecked the house. I hoped my parents wouldn't be too angry when I got back from London.

It was a little shocking to me that I was actually doing this. Sneaking off across an ocean without my parent's permission! I was their perfect daughter who wouldn't dream about doing something this naughty. I mean, this was seriously bad.

Of course, I wasn't as perfect as they thought. I may have been a preppy on the outside, but I had always wanted to be something more; to have a little more excitement in my life. On the inside, I wanted to be a greaser.

Gasp.

Mutt was right. Preppies couldn't defend themselves. If I was who my parents (and the rest of the town, for that matter) though I was, I probably would have given the Russians they key as soon as they walked in the door. But inside, I wanted to be a rebel. I hated being a cube. I wanted to ride motorcycles, and date bad boys, and wear pants. But I didn't dare. Doing those things would be almost as bad as sneaking off to Europe.

Which was exactly what I was doing right now.

When we got to the airport, Mutt overreacted about leaving his motorcycle behind, because he obviously couldn't bring it on the airplane. I found this a bit stupid, but in a way I understood how he felt. His cycle was his prized possession.

I met Marion Jones for the first time. She was a very nice lady, with dark hair and sun-kissed skin. She seemed unsure about bringing me along, but after a bit she got used to the fact I was coming with them. Once she warmed up to me, we started chatting like old friends.

Time flied. Before I knew it, we were boarding the airplane. Indiana had gotten us tickets, and he passed them out as we stood in line to board. Marion smiled when she saw that she and Indy were in first class. I would be sitting in Economy. I was fine with this, except for one fact: a certain leather-jacketed greaser would be sitting right beside me.

We boarded the plan, and Mutt and I sat in silence for a few hours at the beginning of the ride. We were off to Europe. I couldn't believe I was going behind my parent's backs like this. I also couldn't believe I had suddenly started trusting my archaeology teacher. Oh, well. I was trying to save Jeff, and that was all that mattered.

"I can't believe my father let you come," Mutt said after a couple hours of flight time. "You're a freaking preppy. All you're going to do is slow us down, doll."

I made a mental note to throw a milk jug at him later. "Says who?"

"Says society. You aren't the first person I would pick to do this," Mutt took his comb out of his pocket and ran it through his hair, which he was constantly obsessing over.

"Hmm. Well, I don't want you here either," I snorted, crossing my arms.

"Too bad. I'm Indy's son. I go where he goes." Mutt put the comb back in his leather jacket pocket. "Honestly, doll, you have no idea what you're getting into. All those rumours about my dad's adventures? Yeah. Those are all true. And what we're getting into now is probably going to be something just as intense as that," he said. I sat back in shock. He didn't mean that, did he? I mean, the rumours about Dr. Jones were pretty far-fetched. Things about him and the Holy Grail, and Thuggies (whatever those were). He was just a college professor, right?

Right?

"I can take care of myself," I said. It seemed like I had been saying that fifty times today. Whatever. It was true.

"So…" Mutt said. We sat in silence for a couple minutes. "I would try to start up a conversation with you, but I'm a greaser, so I have no idea what you like, babe," he finally said.

We sat in silence for another couple of minutes, before I couldn't stand it any longer. "You've got an amazing motorbike," I blurted out, clapping my hands over my mouth as soon as I realized what I had just said. Mutt laughed.

"You honestly think so?" he smiled. Well, looks like that secret was out. I may as well tell him that yes, I do think so.

Mutt told me all about the modifications he made to the bike. I was surprised at how much of what he said that I could understand. He was surprised at how I actually seemed to be listening to him. As I learned during the next couple hours, there were a lot of things about Mutt that surprised me.

The biggest thing I learned was that Mutt liked to swing dance. Apparently he was really good at it. I raised an eyebrow at this.

"Do you really think you're that good?" I asked, teasing. He nodded, grinning. "Well then, you'll have to show me sometime how well you can dance," I winked, and he grinned wider.

"My moves will sweep you off your feet, babe. I'm better then Elvis," he said, which made me giggle.

"Why is your name Mutt?" I asked him at one point in our conversation.

He frowned. "Why do you want to know? You got a problem with it?"

"No," I stuttered. I had noticed that Mutt could lose his temper rather easily, and that he got angry often.

"It's just the name I picked, doll," he shrugged. "My real name is Henry Jones III."

I outright laughed at this.

"What?" he asked defensively.

"Sorry," I said once I had calmed down and wasn't laughing so hard. "It's just that it doesn't suit you at all. Mutt is a much better name for you," I added. He nodded in agreement.

"Speaking of names…" I said slowly. "Don't call me Madison, okay? Call me Madie," I said, making my final decision. Madison would be the preppy I was at home. Madie would be the girl I was when I didn't need to worry about my reputation; Madie would be the girl who like motorcycles and who was friends with Mutt Jones. It was like I had two different sides to me. I was like Indiana, in a way. Henry Jones II was a college professor. Indiana Jones was an archaeologist and adventurer.

Madison was a cube; she was my shell. Madie was who I wanted to be - she was the girl I kept locked up inside.

For the first time in my life, I was going to let Madie take over.

"Alright, doll," Mutt said. "Madie it is." I smiled at hearing the sound of my 'new' name.

One of the other interesting things I learn about Mutt is that he believed in aliens. When I asked him why, he said nothing, but there was a twinkle in his eye.

"Let's just say I've held a crystal skull, doll," he said, and no matter how much prodding I did, he wouldn't say anything else.

I also met the rebel side of Mutt. A couple times, he accidentally let slip some of the things he's done, like stolen or broken into a car. He didn't mean to tell me these things, but he did. And even though I was Madie, I still didn't approve.

At one point during our conversation, I had reached up and ruffled his hair playfully. This turned out to big a big mistake.

Mutt jumped out of his seat, yelping and earning stares from some of the other passengers. "What was that for?" he demanded angrily, his face turning red and his eyes dancing crazily.

"I – I didn't – I..." I stuttered, suddenly afraid. If it had been my boyfriend who had jumped up angrily, I wouldn't have been worried. There was nothing my boyfriend could do to me. Mutt, on the other hand? I wouldn't put it past him to hit me.

I was saved by the bell though. Sort of. A stewardess came and asked him what the problem. He just glared and sat back down, saying nothing. But out friendly conversation came to an end as he tried to comb his hair back.

It was getting late, and I was getting tired. Just before I fell asleep on the airplane, I asked Mutt one more question, even though I knew he was still angry: "What's up with that horizontal scar on your right cheek? It wasn't there before this summer," I yawned, only half-conscious. Sleep was a mother's arms, reaching out for me, offering me safety. I was falling into blackness as I reached out and traced my fingers over Mutt's raised scar on his cheek. He started at my touch, as he wasn't expecting me to touch his face like this. I'm sure he thought if I was going to touch his face, it would be because I was going to slap him.

"This summer, I went to Peru and had an unfortunate run-in with a certain Russian woman, who slashed my cheek with her sword," he responded, not looking at me and removing my hand from his cheek.

I frowned. "Stupid Russians," I yawned again, before sleep overtook me and I curled up into a ball on my airplane seat.

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When I woke up, I felt stiff and numb. My limbs wouldn't work properly, so instead I just lay on my seat, head resting on Mutt's warm chest, listening to his heart beating and smiling at the feeling his touch gave me. His thumb was tracing patterns on the edge of my stomach, where my blouse had become untucked and there was a bit of porcelain skin showing…

Wait, what?

I opened my eyes in alarm. For a few panicky seconds, I had no idea where I was, before I finally remembered everything. The phone call. The Russians. Indiana Jones. The airplane to England. My conversations with Mutt…

I found all the lights in my airplane cabin were off, but there was enough light that I could see things clearly. Mutt and I had both fallen asleep, but somehow I had ended up with my head against his chest and his arms wrapped around my waist. Slowly, I sat up and untangled myself from him. The boy was still sleeping, but he let out a loud snore when I pushed him so that he was sitting upright in his seat. I tucked in the little part of my blouse that had become untucked while I wiped the drool out of the corner of my mouth and unstuck my hair from the side of my face.

My clothes were all wrinkly, my hair could really use a good brushing, and my breath probably stank, but all my clothes and toiletries were in my suitcase, which I hadn't brought on the plane as a carry-on. I hoped Mutt didn't mind morning breath…

Holy crap. I needed to stop thinking about him. But that was rather hard, considering I now smelt like hair grease and leather: Mutt smells.

I absentmindedly wondered what my friends would think if they saw me now.

Correction: I absentmindedly wondered what Madison's friends would think if they saw me now. Right in this very moment, I was Madie, and so far, my only friends were Mutt Jones and his parents.

I really needed to get out more.

The cabin lights suddenly flickered on, blinding me. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes as I voice with a British accent came over the loudspeaker to announce that we were twenty minutes from landing in London, and that we had started our descent. I tried to shake Mutt awake, but he just snored louder. Finally, just as I was reaching up to mess up his hair to wake him up, he suddenly lurched and grabbed my wrist. I screamed a little at his sudden movement, which made him smile his annoying, cocky grin. What a nosebleed.

"Good morning, doll. How was your sleep?" he asked, and I couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic or not, so I just scrunched up my nose. At least it didn't sound like he was angry anymore.

"Do you have any idea what we're going to be doing in England?" I answered his question with a question. Mutt shrugged. "Well, your father has it figured out, right?" I asked.

He smiled. "Nope, probably not. He usually just makes things up as he does along. Actually, he always makes things up as he goes along."

Great. That made me feel so much better.

Mutt and I were silent for the end of the plane ride, and I wasn't sure I was glad or upset the ride was over. On the first had, I liked talking to Mutt. He made me laugh, and made me feel more like Madie. But one the other hand, he was annoying as ever (and had a rather scary temper), and I wanted to get far away from the stupid greaser.

We met up with Marion and Indiana just off the plane. I smiled when I saw them, but they both looked rather worried. Mutt seemed to sense something was wrong as soon as he saw his parents.

"There are three Russians on the plane," Indy explained as he watched the plane exit carefully, "and I think they know I have the key."

"We need to go before they exit the plane then," Marion said, tugging on her husband's arm.

I watched the plane exit with Indiana. All of a sudden, I spotted the three Russian men Indiana was talking about.

He was right to be worried. They were the same three that had attacked my house.

My heart turned to ice as one of them spotted me, pointed, and yelled something in Russian.

"Okay," said Indiana calmly, as if this happened every day. "Now we run."

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A/N: I'm hoping everyone knows what A/N means? It means Author's Note. So, this is not part of the story.

I hope it's okay so far. As I said, it's not my best work, but I'm still learning.

The song 'Acting Out,' and the lyrics at the beginning are from Ashley Tisdale. I take no credit.

Once again, I don't own Indiana Jones or any of the characters you may recognize.

Please review, even though there's hardly anything up here yet! Updates will be coming soon... I hope that makes you happy!

In case you didn't know, a cube is someone who is totally stereotypical; there's nothing special about them. You don't want to be a cube. It means you're completly normal and predictable.

Lexi out! :P