Chapter 4
"Models?" Steve asked, his gaze raking us up and down. Sharon looked at her shoes with a certain look of distaste, and then looked at me. She couldn't hold my gaze for more than two seconds.
"Yeah." Max said, clearly getting a little ticked.
"Wings are being worn wide this year, with the primary tinted pink and green for a party look. "
It was really hard not to smile at her sassiness.
I saw Nudge's face fall and wondered if Max saw that too.
"Actors?" Sharon asked, trying to figure out what the heck we were doing here.
Total always wanted to be an actor, so he perked up when he saw that that was an option.
Don't get your hopes too high. I thought grimly.
"Nope." Max said, and she shoved something else in her mouth without looking at it.
I opened a new can of Coke and drank about a third of the can in one gulp.
Steve started getting flustered.
"Max, I mean – Max."
I held back a laugh, when he didn't know what else to call her.
"You're selling yourself sort," he continued, looking at each of us in the eyes. He didn't hold his gaze with me for very long either.
"You guys could do anything, be anything. You want your own movie? Do you want flock action figures? You want to be on t-shirts? You name it, kid – I can make it happen."Of course Gazzy was the first to take the bait.
"I want to be an action figure!" He yelled and stuffed his face with a little more food.
"Oh yeah!" Iggy agreed. The two slapped high fives and I did a quick half grin. Those two wouldn't be able to live without each other.
"Hey, I didn't catch everyone's name. You sweetheart," he looked at Angel and her gap-tooth smile. "What's your name?"
This is where the younger kids have their fun; we usually never gave our real names for the first time meeting someone. Like in Virginia, I was Nick. And Max messed up once, by almost calling me Fang. So to Iggy, I was always Fnick.
I was pondering what I would say, when I realized it didn't matter. I had a plan brewing in my mind while everyone gave their 'names'.
"Isabella von Frankenstein Rothchild," Angel, the little devil she was, continued to speak, looking straight at Sharon.
"You got your shoes on eBay. But you're right – it doesn't make sense to go into retail. Not on what Skinflint Steve pays you."
Sharon turned as red as a McIntosh apple, and refused to look at Skinflint Steve. Angel is great at creating unbelievably awkward silences.
After the awkward moment became too much for Steve he continued getting everyone's names.
"Sharkalator." Gazzy said proudly of his completely random name. I coughed to disguise my laugh, and finished my third can of Coke. I started eating something greasy, and artery clogging, but it was good anyway.
"Cinnamon Allspice La Fever," was Nudge's name.
"The White Knight," was Iggy's name. When asked about it by Sharon, he simply stated the completely obvious.
"They're not going to call me the Black Knight."
He was referring to his almost albino features, with the pale blond hair and almost pasty skin tone. I would have been the Black Knight if I wanted to put up with this crap any more.
Everyone turned to look at me for my name. I stared back with a dark expression. I sighed acting like I was bored, which I was, and gave the room a quick look around.
I forced my eyes to keep moving, even when they happened to spot Max in her tight stance, sitting on the edge of her chair, ready to bolt if need be. I needed to bail the poor girl out, before she had a nervous breakdown.
"My name is Fang, and I'm outta here."
I was already up and headed toward the sliding door I made note of earlier. There was a wind outside before we came in and you could defiantly feel it when I opened the door 20 stories up. I looked up, right into the sun, and jumped off the balcony. I heard Iggy behind me and, with Max ushering the littler ones out. She said something to the people and took off. I was calm when I was flying. Not like that conference room.
Thank God that was over.
And now you know that I am always laughing in the inside, no matter what my stance on the out side showed.