Hey guys, this is late because I got my power knocked out for over 24 hours by Irene. SORRYS!
And thanks to Sierra156 who offered to beta this story. Get back to me!
Disclaimer- I am not, nor will I ever be, a balding old man. I may get old… heck, I may even bald, but I will still be 100% female, and that makes me different from James Patterson in every conceivable way.
Fang POV
I woke up the next morning after mini golfing, and groaned. I would have to face Lissa again. She called me three times last night just to say 'no you hang up first'. Every time I did hang up first, she called again and started it over. After the three times, Gazzy threw a pillow at me (I had failed to think to turn the volume down, and decided to just turn the phone off).
Why I gave that freak demon my phone number, I will never know.
I booted up my iPhone and saw that I had five missed calls, all from Lissa except one from Brigid. I called up Brigid to see what she wanted.
"Hey Fang," Brigid said through the phone.
"Hi, um, why did you call me last night?" I asked, more suspiciously than I had hoped.
"Lissa wouldn't shut up about you! She's in the shower now, which is good, because every other moment she has been awake it's been Fang this and Fang that. It's so annoying."
I knew she wanted me to help her, but I didn't know what would stop Lissa from liking me, so I decided to distract her. "So Lissa's in the shower on this fine morning, so is Gazzy. In fact, I can hear him singing Can't Be Tamed by Miley Cyrus. And it's the rockangeles remix. Don't ask why I know that."
Brigid sighed in relief. "Good, I'll just tell Lissa that you can tell the difference between a regular and remixed Miley Cyrus song. That should turn her off enough." I could practically the smirk in her voice as she said that. She hung up the phone and didn't even say goodbye.
"I can't be I can't be tamed
I can't be changed
I can't be blamed
I can't can't be can't can't be tamed!" Wafted out of the bathroom.
I pounded on the door. "Shut up with the damn Miley Cyrus already! Who Owns My Heart was bad enough!"
I heard him gasp. "LANGUAGE!" he yelled.
"Grow up," I muttered, and pulled on my button up black shirt. Yeah, I learned from yesterday that James Bond suits were not wanted in the court room. Apparently they are a distraction or something… and I thought I looked sexy.
Whatever, even if it wasn't court acceptable, I still looked sexy.
+++court room+++
The Bailiff swore everyone in again and we sat down on the wooden benches. The wooden benches that hurt my butt. The butt-hurty benches.
The prosecution stood and brought the last witness up. It was a middle-aged man. He was sworn in. "Hello," he started, "my name is Benjamin Kagle. I am a government trained spy. We were suspicious of this case since years ago. I was sent to infiltrate 'the School' and send messages back to the government about its experiments. I quickly rose in its ranks, and, to my pleasure, after a year, I was a supervisor, I got to watch some of the experiments. I took voice recordings of Mary, and pictures of some of the experiments. Some dead, some suffering. All of it in the evidence bag."
She glared daggers at him.
The prosecution called Mary Lenovo to the front. "Mary Lenovo, is this, or is this not, you on this recorder?"
He pressed play on an old tape recorder, the kind that held cassettes. A scratchy version, but definitely her voice, played on the tape recorder. "Experiment 220 to the operating room." It cut to another recording of her. "Experiment 220 scheduled for termination." The recordings went on for at least a half an hour. The last thing she said on the tape was, "Experiment 1500 hit its expiration date, please dispose of it."
"Was that, or was that not, you on the tape?" John Abate (the prosecuting lawyer) asked.
"The voice on the tape was not me."
John Abate looked at her as if to say 'really? There is no denying that was you… stupid'. "Your voice sounds the same now as it did on the recording," he said.
Mary crossed her arms. "No comment," she said stubbornly.
They also pulled out a few documents. They had Mary Lenovo's signature on them. John Abate held them up to the court. "She signed off on these! These are papers to kill! To experiment!"
People started murmuring and we could hear dozens of camera snaps start going off instantly. The judge banged his gavel. "Order in the court!" he yelled, and the noise died down.
John Abate pulled out another piece of paper from the bag. "Here are writing samples from Mary Lenovo herself, just two days ago. The signature matches the examples on the legal documents. Any comment Mary."
"I exercise my right to remain silent."
John Abate smiled, a small smile, but I could see it. He knew that he was going to win this case. He pulled out pictures from the evidence bag, and I could now see that it was empty. This court session was almost over.
"The police force and the FBI took pictures during their invasion, once they had everyone in cuffs. We have blown up their size and you can see the experiments and their living conditions."
I shuddered as he exposed the first picture. It was a dead boy who couldn't even be half a year old.
"This is Experiment 1500, from the voice recordings. That recording was made just seconds before the invasion. He had hit his 'expiration date'. As you can see, he is in a dog crate, and was previously living in his own feces. He was only seven weeks old! He was just one of the thousands taken from hospitals across the US. They had doctors planted in the hospitals! The doctors said the babies were dead! They took them from their parents! They-"
"Objection!" Maya yelled.
"Denied," said the judge, and John continued, more calm.
"They were taken from hospitals, from their parents, their parents thought they were dead," he said, shortening his previous outburst. Then, he got a grim look on his face. "But now? Most of them are dead."
He held up a bunch of other pictures, each grimmer than the next, except I couldn't get that one picture of the baby out of my head. He didn't deserve that. None of the kids did.
Judge Ter Bortcht nodded at each picture with a knowing face. I could see non-stop flashes from press cameras each time a new picture was shown. This was a serious case, and all they cared about was 'getting out the news to the general public'. That's what they'd tell people anyway, but it was a load of BS. They really just wanted to make a quick buck.
Judge Ter Bortcht turned to Maya and Mary (who was now back in the seat at her podium). "Does the defendant have anything to say?" he asked.
"No," said Maya.
I saw anger flash in the judges eyes for being referred to so casually, but he shook it off and banged his gavel on the table again. "Jury has 24 hours to come up with a verdict, until then, court adjourned."
We had learned our lesson about trying to get through the large crowds heading out of the courthouse yesterday, and the whole jury waited as everyone clogged the exit. I shook my head as five stupid reporters tried to all get through a door that could only fit two people all at once. Max looked at me and rolled her eyes as if to say 'I know right'. We stared at each other for a few seconds until Dylan coughed awkwardly between us. I shook my head again, putting my brain in gear again.
Eventually everyone cleared out and we made our way through the door, laughing and joking. For some reason, Jeb and Hans were missing though. Oh, well, they were downers anyway.
I excused myself to go to the bathroom in the courthouse and heard whispering around a corner. I pressed myself against the wall and listened closely, hearing Hans, Jeb… and Maya. They were talking about the case and it sounded like they were striking a deal.
I coughed and heard them stop talking. I slunk away from the wall and into the bathroom quickly, standing on a toilet seat and crouching so they couldn't see me.
Jeb and Hans walked in and passed through, not suspecting the closed door. I breathed a sigh of relief as they walked out, and rushed out to tell everyone what I heard, but outside there was only a bored Gazzy and a pissed off Iggy. "What took you so long?" he asked indignantly.
I shrugged, deciding not to tell them after all. It's not like everyone was there anyway, and Jeb and Hans walked out. They looked extra cheery. "Hi guys," Jeb said, smiling widely.
I halfheartedly waved as they walked away.
We walked to Iggy's car and he turned on his iPod, which was hooked up to the radio. We listened to Under The Sea from the Little Mermaid (don't ask, 'cause I don't know) and then the next song started. I shuddered into response to the beginning which sounded like a hip hop song for the first, like, two seconds, until the synthesizer started. THE HORROR!
Like a mafia
For those who don't know me,
I can get a bit crazy
Have to get my way,yep
24 hours a day
'cause I'm hot like that
Iggy and Gazzy were both singing along, just to bug me. Every guy, everywhere
just gives me mad attention
Like I'm under inspection
I always gets a ten,
'cause I'm built like that
I was feeling REALLY uncomfortable. I go through guys like money
flyin' out the hands
They try to change me
but they realize they can't
And every tomorrow is a day I never plan
If you're gonna be my man understand
Why do Gazzy and Iggy want a man? And Max calls me gay… I can't be tamed
I can't be tamed
I can't be blamed
I can't, can't, I can't, can't be tamed
I can't be changed
I can't be tamed
I can't be, can't, I can't be tamed
Seriously, isn't this girl, like, a DISNEY CHANNEL star! If there was a question about my intentions,
I'll tell ya
I'm not here to sell ya
Or tell you to go to hell
(I'm not a brat like that)
I'm like a puzzle
but all of my pieces are jagged
If you can understand this,
we can make some magic,
I'm wrong like that
Yes Miley Cyrus (and Gazzy and Iggy) you are wrong like that. I wanna fly,
I wanna drive,
I wanna go
I wanna be a part of something I don't know
And if you try to hold me back I might explode
Baby, by now you should know
I DO KNOW! STOP SINGING! I can't be tamed
I can't be tamed
I can't be blamed
I can't, can't, I can't, can't be tamed
I can't be changed
I can't be tamed
I can't be, can't, I can't be tamed
I am feeling so corrupt and disturbed. Well I'm not a trick you play,
I'm wired a different way
I'm not a mistake,
I'm not a fake,
It's set in my DNA
Don't change me
Don't change me
Don't change me
Don't change me
(I can't be tamed)
I am crying on the inside. I wanna fly,
I wanna drive,
I wanna go
I wanna be a part of something I don't know
And if you try to hold me back I might explode
Baby, by now you should know
Does it bug anyone else that Iggy and Gazzy know EVERY SINGLE word to this song? I can't be tamed
I can't be tamed
I can't be blamed
I can't, can't, I can't, can't be tamed
I can't be changed
I can't be tamed
I can't be, can't, I can't be tamed
As soon as they sang that last line, Iggy pulled up to the front of the hotel, slowing down considerably. I hopped out of the convertible (the top was off) without even opening the door, and ran all of the way up to my room without even stopping. I kicked my shoes off quickly and curled into a ball under my covers.
I heard Gazzy walk in about five minutes later, and he poked me. He could probably see me shaking like a Chihuahua through the sheets, but I pretended to be asleep.
I could practically hear him roll his eyes before he changed and left the room.
I quickly threw on a black tee shirt, dark wash jeans, and black vans. It felt so good to be out of those dressy clothes. I went down a floor to Max and Nudge's room.
I knocked on the door and Nudge answered. She too was out of her court clothes and she had sweats on. I resisted the urge to hold my head in pain as Can't Be Tamed by Miley coursed through it over and over.
"Nudge, I need to talk to Max," I said urgently.
"What?" she asked, walking to the door.
"I NEED GOOD MUSIC!" I yelled.
She looked at me like I was crazy, but let me in and tossed her iPod Nano fourth generation at me.
I scrolled through her songs and shook when I passed Can't Be Tamed. I finally settled on Awake and Alive by Skillet. I smiled as I drifted back into my musical element.
After it finished, I handed Max her iPod back.
"So, why did you need my iPod?" she asked, looking confused.
"I had Can't Be Tamed stuck in my head on constant repeat. It was aweful-"
Nudge cut in. "I love that song!"
I looked at her for a second, then turned back to Max. "So, why do you have that on your iPod?"
She shrugged. "Phase."
For a second we sat there, just staring at each other, but unlike at the courthouse, Dylan didn't cough awkwardly. I slowly leaned in, totally forgetting about Nudge.
Max and my lips touched, and I felt an extreme spark. I quickly deepened the kiss, and was so into it that I didn't hear the front door open.
"Hey, Nudge, here's your straightener ba- AAHHHH!" said/screamed a familiar voice.
Max and I pulled apart to see Lissa. Max screamed too. Max just sat there, and Lissa stood in the doorway, both looking at each other, both screaming.
Nudge giggled awkwardly and quickly grabbed her straightener out of Lissa's hands, running out the door and closing it.
Lissa lunged at Max and started clawing at her. I never understood why girls got mad at the other girl and not the boy. I mean, it's the boy who was being a total douche (not that I wanted to be beaten up, I couldn't hit back) but still.
Max clawed back and I realized I was watching a cat fight. Since when do 25 year olds act like 15 year olds? We are such a jacked up jury.
They broke apart, breathing heavily. I noticed Lissa had a split lip, a bleeding finger, and a bleeding (possibly broken) nose. Max had a long gash down her arm, and a fake nail embedded in her arm at the bottom of the gash. She winced as she pulled it out and threw it at Lissa.
They both looked at me expectantly, probably wanting me to choose between them. In my head I chose Max, because of that spark, but on the outside I shrugged and walked back to my room.
Sorry about all of the Can't Be Tamed in this chapter. I was watching the Fred and Claudio episodes on YouTube and Claudio started singing Can't Be Tamed and I looked it up and I have been playing it on repeat for, like, 2 hours. It's weird yet addicting… like Justin Bieber
P.S. in the music video, her wings are exactly how expected Fangs to look like (except Fangs would look a little more masculine)
P.P.S. that song describes Max perfectly, except the more… skanky parts
So basically that song could tie in with Maximum Ride!
Yeah… I'm weird
