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Chapter 4
Neither Ashley or Hannah returned after lunch and Patricia wasn't giving anything away to the class. Taylor and Emma played it cool for the remainder of the day and Taylor didn't even walk home with Jason, just to avoid any suspicion. Instead she rode home with Patricia.
"What was wrong with Ashley?" Taylor had to ask, thinking it would look pretty weird if she didn't.
"Someone glued her to the chair." Patricia kept her eyes on the road.
"Wow! Who did it?"
"Hannah."
"Hannah? Why would she do that? I thought they were friends."
"No idea."
Patricia changed the subject as they pulled into the drive. "So what would you like for dinner?"
"Pizza."
"You can't live on pizza. How about chilli for a change? You can help me make it."
"Okay, can we have pizza tomorrow?" Taylor followed Patricia into the kitchen.
The subject wasn't brought up again until the three of them were sitting down at dinner.
"How was school today?" Gibbs looked first at Taylor, then Patricia.
Taylor shrugged and kept eating, leaving Patricia to answer.
"Eventful. Ashley spent most of the morning super glued to her seat. She was in a real state by the time we got her off the chair. She lost a good bit of skin when she was struggling to get up."
Gibbs immediately turned to his daughter.
"Don't look at me, I didn't do it!" She protested.
He kept his eyes locked on hers, trying to decide if she was telling the truth.
"I didn't!"
"It's alright Jethro, Taylor didn't do it." Patricia placed a hand on his arm to get his attention.
"Are you sure?" It sounded way too much like one of Taylor's stunts, to be the work of someone else.
"Thanks dad!" She just loved the way he trusted her.
"Taylor didn't have the opportunity to do it and the glue was found in Hannah's bag."
"See!"
"He ignored Taylor's protest. "Wasn't that Hannah with Ashley at the museum? They seemed pretty tight."
Patricia nodded. "Hannah insists she didn't do it, and can't explain why the tube was in her bag. Ashley doesn't think she did it either."
"So what's going to happen?"
"Hannah's been suspended for two weeks."
Taylor stared at Patricia in disbelief. "Two weeks for sticking someone to a chair?"
"Ashley was hurt Taylor, she had to go to the hospital."
"Oh." The relief of being in the clear was quickly being replaced by guilt. She had suddenly lost her appetite. "I'm done. Can I go now?"
"Where are you going?" Gibbs didn't appear to notice the pile of food left on her plate.
"To see Jason."
He nodded. "Don't go far, and I want you back here by eight thirty."
Taylor grabbed her coat and went to break the bad news to Jason.
Both Hannah and Ashley were missing from class the following morning. Emma didn't seem overly concerned about the fallout from their prank, so Taylor figured there wasn't much point in feeling guilty. After all, it wasn't as if she'd put the glue on the seat. Emma was more interested in her brother's party, as was Jason when he showed up at lunch. He'd been able to convince his mom that he would be staying with a friend. The more the pair talked about the party, the more Taylor wanted to go. She wished it would be as easy for her, but she didn't think her dad would let her sleep over at Emma's, not after the incident at the museum, and their house was virtually a fortress at night. Still, it wouldn't hurt to test the ground a little. Maybe if she caught her dad in a good mood he might agree to her spending the night with Emma. Hopefully he should be happy tonight, after all it was Friday, and they were going to Abby's for dinner . That should be the perfect opportunity.
Taylor sat in the backseat of the car trying to build up enough courage to ask the vital question. She didn't manage it until they were almost at Abby's.
"Dad?
"Yeah?""Can I sleep over at Emma's?"
He glanced at her in the mirror.
"I don't think that's such a good idea."
"Why not?" Taylor was trying hard not to whine, but it wasn't working.
"I want to make sure you're safe in bed at night, not off doing God knows what."
"Who says we'd go anywhere?"
"Taylor, you don't exactly have a good track record."
"So?"
"So, it's not happening. If you want a sleepover so bad ,then Emma can stay with you."
"That's not fair!"
"Yes it is. I've no doubt that if we didn't have an alarm system you'd still be sneaking out when you got the chance."
"You really think I couldn't get past the dumb alarm if I wanted to?" Taylor realised immediately that it might not have been the smartest thing to say.
Gibbs slammed on the brakes, propelling the three of them forwards against their seatbelts, and pulled up to the kerb. He turned round in his seat to face her. "You do, and I promise I'll make sure you can't sit down for a week. You can just get that idea out of your head right now, do you understand?"
Taylor glared at him.
"Answer me!"
Taylor remained silent until he reached down to unfasten his seatbelt. "Okay, I got it."
He gave her one more warning look before starting the car again, and driving the last few blocks to Abby's apartment.
Gibbs pulled his daughter to the side just outside the door. His voice was softer now. "Look I know you're disappointed, but don't spoil this for Abby, she's been looking forward to this for weeks."
Taylor didn't get the chance to answer before Abby flung the door open excitedly. "Gibbs, Patricia, Taylor, you're early! I mean not that that's bad! It's just I didn't think you'd be here yet!"
Using the interruption to her advantage, Taylor slipped into the apartment past Abby, leaving her dad and his warning in the hallway.