Thank to those that reviewed! Bluestray, Sky D, mire013, jellybean kitty, hil2378 and yue girl
Erm, this is another one of those "weak" chapters, I'll make it up to you with the next one. I promise.
Chapter Twenty – Two –No I didn't…
"Mariam" a voice swam around her head and she moaned.
Ouch, her head…she wished whoever was sitting on it would get up…She rolled over and moaned.
"Mariam" the voice was sharp and something slapped her leg.
"Tala!" another voice scolded, this voice was feminine "Move over…MARIAM!"
"What?" Mariam sat up slowly and moaned and scratched her head.
"See?"
Mariam opened her eyes slowly and blinked several times "Tala?"
"Hi" he smile falsely and leaned forward "how are you?"
"Sleepy…some party yesterday"
"Try two days ago, sweetie" a brunette haired woman handed over a glass full of red liquid.
Mariam took it and sipped it without question. She looked around, she looked around, she didn't know this room…It was a pale blue, with softer crèmes built into the surrounding. She glanced at the patio doors which led out onto a balcony. This definitely wasn't her house.
"This is my guest room!" Tala snapped looking at her puzzled inspection of the room.
"Oh" she cocked her head to one side "So, erm, what happened?" she asked rather abashedly.
"What happened?" Tala started pacing the floor in front of the bed "Well is wasn't the fact you got steamingly drunk under age it was the fact you were having sex with Max Tate"
"Haha" she said in an unsure, wavering voice "I did not"
"You did and in the grotto!"
"Shut up Tala" Mariam whined and pushed her palm onto her warm forehead, she looked to the brunette for sympathy and when she realised it was Hilary Tabiana she smiled.
"It happened" Hilary pushed forward a magazine dated for today.
"The Enquirer?" Mariam smirked, everyone knew you didn't half trust what was on there…but her eyes widened at the photo and headline on the front. It was a picture of her and Max, in the grotto, naked and obviously engaging in something serious and the headline splashed across : 'YOUNG, UNDERAGE, DRUNK…AND IN LOVE?'
Mariam looked from Tala and Hilary and blinked, her face crumpled slightly and then she took a deep breath…
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHEEEEEEEEEEEE!"
Hilary and Tala flinched and cupped their hands over their ears and looked at each other.
Mariam stopped and started to hyperventilate, this magazine would be in every coffee house that insisted on stocking the latest magazines, every newsstand, every newsagents…supermarkets.
"Finally it hits her" Tala rolled his eyes and leaned against a crème shelf by the door "well, what's done has been done"
"Tala help me!" Mariam scrambled out of the bed and onto the floor and clutched Tala's leg "Help me!" she shook his head violently.
"Hilary…get…her off me!" Tala clawed at the shelf.
Hilary stood back and adopted an amused look and shrugged as if to say 'what's going on?'
"Mariam, there's nothing I can do but give you words of advice!" Tala said in a rather hysterical tone.
"Oh" Mariam let him go.
Tala began to edge towards the door "Speaking from experience, worst you'll get is slap on the wrist and extra doses of razzi!"
"Oh, okay…I think I can deal with that" she nodded slowly she looked to Hilary and then blinked "Are you pregnant?"
XxXxXxXxXx
"Max do you think this is funny?"
Max stared down at the 'Enquirer' and then back up to Stanley Dickinson behind his desk. Max had adopted a rather smug grin when he saw the photo…so it DID happen.
"Max, is so embarrassed too" his mum leaned forward and shot Max a warning look "Obviously his actions were influenced by what he…consumed that night…"
Max had tuned out and glanced at the picture, he wondered if Mariam had woken up yet. He had woken up yesterday in Tala's place and then went home. He called about an hour ago and Mariam was still out. He wondered if she was freaking out or like him, kind of happy of the little 'incident'.
"Max!"
"Yes?" he sat up.
"You're mum has disciplined you"
"Oh?"
"Grounded Max"
"What? I can't…I'm have a schedule"
"We know" Stanley Dickinson removed the small glasses and leaned forward and looked at the man "You will follow your schedule but you are confined to your home"
Max's mouth dropped and he growled "No-"
"On top, I will book you in for some chat shows" Stanley Dickinson opened the iBook "get the people to remember the sweet, innocent Max"
"But what if they ask me about the party?" Max asked.
"Well, that's another punishment, we will have no one dictate what you are to say, that will be your problem"
"Mum!" Max stared at her.
"Ssh Max" she grimaced her blue eyes sparkling with anger and disappointment.
XxXxXxXxXx
Hilary shuffled into 'Stage One Models' and pulled the coat tighter, even though it was a beautifully warm day outside, still she had a reason for wearing the coat.
"Morning Hilary" Patty grinned going past her.
Hilary nodded "Oh wait, Patty, is Nichelle in her office?"
"Yes, but I suggest you go quickly she has a meeting with the advertising executive with FCUK" she replied in her annoyingly cheerful tone.
"Thanks" Hilary crossed the floor and stepped into an elevator and cursed as the small compartment was stiflingly hot. She could feel beads of sweat forming on her back and thankfully the door opened and fresh air fell into the elevator. She got out and went around the corner and grimaced Nichelle's assistants.
"Yes?" the middle one didn't even look at her.
"I need to see Nichelle"
"She's busy getting ready" another chimed.
The last one leaned forward and smiled "So go away and come back later"
"It's about Brooklyn" Hilary exclaimed loudly.
"Let her in" Nichelle southern drawl escaped from the intercom.
"Go in" the middle one stared at her and made a 'huh' sound.
"Hilary!" Nichelle was holding a mirror and flicking away strands of hair from her face that wasn't really there "What can I do for you?"
"I, erm…hey, Brooklyn" she avoided looking into his eyes directly and focused on his smooth forehead.
He was sat in front of the wide glass desk, he smiled simply and cocked his head to one side and watched her as she stepped forward slowly.
"Hilary, what are you wearing?" Nichelle snorted.
"It's A Viktor And Rolf" Hilary said defensively her hands around her stomach tighter.
"Why aren't you hot?" Nichelle laughed.
"No" Hilary lied her fringe sticking to her forehead "I've, erm, come to take some leave"
"Hilary!" Nichelle sat down in the leather swivel chair and crossed her skinny legs and smiled crookedly "You can't just leave!"
"I need you" Brooklyn smiled.
Hilary eyed them wearily, had they been planning for her to come? Either way, the atmosphere was too relaxed and something…fishy hung in the air. She coughed and shifted on the spot.
"Well, it's important"
"Why are you sick, you certainly don't look sick" Nichella asked quickly.
"No…"
"You can't just leave you signed a contract, the only you leave is if I fire you…"
"I need to take leave!" Hilary snapped, damn this woman was annoying.
"Hilary, what's up?" Brooklyn stood up and placed a hand of her shoulder "You can tell me, right?"
Hilary looked to the silver walls and gritted her teeth. No, she couldn't tell anyone. She had made Mariam a few days ago take an oath not to tell anyone and if she did Hilary would cut of all her hair…and use it to strangle her. She then looked down to the carpet and back up.
"Well?" Nichelle stared.
"I just need a holiday, you don't even have to pay me"
"Until you tell me the reason why no…leave, Hilary. Simple as that" she open up the slim Sony VAIO laptop and gave Hilary a withering look.
Hilary let out a sigh "I quit" she gave up.
"Hilary" Nichelle got up and placed a hand on her pencil-skirt draped hip she shook her head and walked over to her "You can't quit, you signed a contract" she forced a grin which wasn't really a grin just her baring her bleached teeth.
"I'm not an idiot, I saw the contract…and I CAN quit for personal health reasons and this is a personal health reason"
"Why, a personal health reason? You don't have cancer?" she said in a mock sympathetic voice
Hilary was really tempted to deck this woman. To she her on the floor would have been a nice sight.
Instead Hilary adopted a Kai-like looked and smirked "No, like you care anyway"
Nichelle stopped, her lips went thin and straight and she folded her arms and stepped back. Brooklyn looked at Hilary and raised an eyebrow. Hilary kept avoiding his gaze. Hilary borrowed another Kai look and gave Nichelle a very frosty look.
"Well fine" Nichelle forced "But you don't get paid this month" her southern drawl suddenly becoming unbearable to Hilary.
"Fine, just get me the papers and I'm out of here"
Nichelle walked over in four inch high Louboutins and pressed the intercom "Bring me the leaving forms" she turned "Hilary, no-one really leaves Stage One Models"
"No-one bar me" Hilary sighed, she really just wanted to go home, rest, panic over how Kai was going to find out about his baby, take some Lamar's classes, start buying baby things…
The door opened and secretary number three waltzed in and held out the form, Nichelle snatched it and dismissed him with a flick of her wrist. Hilary approached and then took the form and a pen and began writing her details.
"Oh, you must put down the real reason"
Hilary narrowed her eyes at her.
"Or else we can sue you for professional misconduct" she nodded knowingly and smiled.
Hilary shook her head and stared at the box labelled 'reason for departure'. She looked at Nichelle, something said this woman didn't like being pissed off and would do anything to get her own back. Hilary did not need an enemy and a lawsuit in this business. She took a deep breath and wrote.
Nichelle caught the word and stared at Brooklyn incredulously and smiled a sickly smile "So who is the father?"
"No-one you know" Hilary snapped back.
"Are you sure?"
"It's not Brooklyn" Hilary snapped in a low growl, guessing what the woman was thinking.
"Why, I never thought such a thing!"
Hilary signed the bottom and held it out.
Nichelle took it back delicately and inspected and smiled her cold eyes calculating "Good bye Hilary, I feel like I'm losing a treasure"
Hilary got up "Bullshit"
Nichelle's face dropped and she sat down.
"Bye Brooklyn" Hilary nodded and marched out.
XxXxXxXxXx
Mariam watched as her mother viciously stared at her. Mariam popped in the pink pill and gulped it down.
"Mum, can I stop! These things make me feel bloated"
"You could be pregnant!" her mum took the half eaten stack of pancakes from in front of her daughter and disposed them in the sink.
Joseph smirked at his sister who gazed hungrily at the empty place mat in front of her.
"Mum, I took the emergency pill and I've taken them for like two weeks. The chances of me getting pregnant is like 1"
"There's still a chance" Joe mused.
"Not helping you little shit" Mariam said to you quietly through gritted teeth.
"I should never let you take that contract" her mum sounded hysterical.
A tall, black-haired man, with a good jaw line and stubble walked into the breakfast room in his nose buried in a paper.
"Dad!" Mariam whined at him.
"Mariam take the pills" he said absentmindedly looking at the stock pages in the financial paper.
"Argh!" Mariam stood up and stormed out of the room, this was ridiculous.
"Mom, she's even acting like a model now" Joe said pointedly.
Mmm, that was just yeah…what will Nichelle do? Who knows?
Anyway! Review please! Makes me happy! Happy easter all! xxx