Chapter 27
Emily's face turned a ghostly white. "I can't be a criminal. I just can't be." Emily sat down at one of the tables and buried her hands in her face. "What's the big deal?" I asked. Emily stood up abruptly.
"The problem! The problem is that I don't want to go to jail. I'm starting college this September. I'm going to start working part-time as an assistant at a lawfirm, I'm going to start my life! I can't start it in jail."
"Sure you can." Emily smacked Iggy so hard he fell back and knocked down the shelf of mugs on the wall. "Crap. Let's get out of here." Jeffery, Gazzy, Emily, and I nodded as we hurried out of the shop, outrunning the stubby manager.
"That was close." Gazzy said as he slouched onto the bench. "Real close." Iggy scoffed. "That guy could never have caught us with those tiny legs."
"It doesn't matter. What if he calls the cops? The only thing we need is more criminal charges." Emily remarked. "Emily, what's the matter?" Gazzy asked as he gently put his hand on her shoulder. "Dr. V. is after us. Now we could be charged with criminal offenses. We have no choice but to turn ourselves in."
"Where's your adventure? That would really suck." Iggy exclaimed. "Yes it would, but it would suck more if we were being pursued 24/7 by the cops."
"Come on isn't it fun to be criminals on the run!" Iggy screamed. People on the sidewalk turned and stared at him. "I'm just kidding." Iggy said before whispering, "Let's go back to our rooms and talk." Good idea.
We crammed into Iggy, Jeffery, and Gazzy's hotel room. "Look, we have to leave this room. I'm sure the government knows that we took refuge here by now. It's been a few days." Iggy started. "We have to leave, but we can't check out."
"Why not?" Jeffery asked. "Because we want the government to focus all of their attention on finding us here while we escape. If we check out, they'll know that we left." Jeffery headed over to Iggy. "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard."
"No, it's smart! It will work. Then, we can fly away from here and forget everything." Jeffery's face turned an angry shade of red. "No we can't, what about Fang and Nudge we can't leave them here. You are the stupidest person ever."
"Really, well at least I've been coming up with ideas." Iggy remarked. "Your idea does not count. You are putting all of us at risk." Jeffery was about to say something, but Emily stopped him.
"We should just turn ourselves in. What evidence do they have?" Emily stood up. "Well, I'm sure they'll come up with something." I knew that was true. The bad guys always seemed to win. "I told you, I was going to start working at a law firm. I'm sure we can hire some lawyers to help us. We can't do that, though if we wait much longer."
"Don't you get it, we can't leave Atlanta! Your law firm is near your college. You're going to college in Arizona. We can't leave Nudge and Fang behind to go all the way across the country. Nudge will be in the hospital, Fang will be comforting her, then all of the sudden, and the cops will come in and send them to trial. They'll have to go through the trial alone and then…"
"Hush Angel. Let's just think logically." Gazzy said. "This isn't a murder. This isn't an armed robbery. So I'm sure that the police won't go after us hardcore. We run somewhere, after a few weeks the chase will die down."
"Yeah, but it was a government building. They were undergoing special operations given by the president. I'm sure the government won't just 'let this go.'" Emily argued. "We'll need a team of attorneys to help us. And we need them now."
"With all due respect, you are planning on becoming lawyers so you would be more in favor of getting lawyer quicker than the rest of us." Gazzy did have a point.
"What are you trying to say? Honey, I know much more about law and legal issues than you do. You surely aren't challenging that." Uh oh. "Of course not, sweetie. I'm just saying that you may be rushing into a decision." They were being polite to each other in their words, but their tones in their voices begged to differ.
"We don't have much time to think this out, so yeah I am reacting rather quickly, being proactive rather than just sitting around and waiting like some lazy asses I know!" Gazzy clenched his fists. "We have some time. This isn't 24, we don't have to rush into making life-defining decisions." Their polite words were gone now.
"I think that it would be best to let the crime drama quite down and everything will eventually fizzle down." Gazzy talked as though he were trying to force his opinion down all of our throats. "I think that's dumb!" Neither of them looked like they would back down any time soon. "Please guys…" I started.
"Stay out of this Angel this doesn't concern you." Gazzy said. "Yes it does! It concerns all of us. We have a hard decision to make and a lot at stake, but at least we have a chance to get the best possible outcome we can get." I paused. I was not good at on-the-spot pep talks. "But, but if we can't stay together than we have no good chance."
"You're right Angel. I'm sorry Gazzy, let's take a break and then decide when we're calm." Gazzy nodded. Emily reached over to kiss him, but he turned around and headed to the other side of the room to sit down. Emily looked hurt for a second, but quickly drew attention away from it.
"So, what do you think we should do, Jeffery?" I could tell that Jeffery didn't want to choose one side over another in order to avoid conflict. "I think we should think it through and think of a situation that would give us the most leeway for error."
"That's great Mr. Einstein, but we're not philosophers." Iggy sneered. "Stop it. Maybe we should ask Nudge and Fang. They're probably waiting for us anyway." I said. Jeffery and Iggy nodded. "Sounds good. Right? Right?!"
"Yes, of course." Emily started for the door. "Ready Gazzy?" She asked. "Sure, let's go." Emily waited for Gazzy, but he rushed out of the room as if he were avoiding her.
While we walked toward the hospital, Gazzy walked either ten steps ahead or behind Emily. When ever she made an effort to walk next to him, he made the same effort to get away from her. It was obvious that he was avoiding her.
We arrived at the hospital and the lady at the desk immediately let us visit Nudge. I opened the door. "So that's what I think." Fang said as Nudge giggled. "Um…hello, I hope we're not interrupting anything."
"No, of course not." Nudge said as the rest of us came in. "Of course not." She didn't sound like that was true.
"So, we are now being convicted of arson and assault by none other than Dr. V." Emily started. "What do you guys think we should do?"
"Beat her up." Fang said. "I think we should, I dunno, what have you guys been thinking?" Nudge asked. "That's the problem. We don't want to leave you guys, but it seems that whether we go and get a lawyer to help us or we try to run away we'll have to." I sat down next to Nudge.
"What do you mean you guys?" Nudge asked. "Well, I'm assuming that Fang won't leave you behind…" Fang nodded. "That's right."
"Fang, if they're after us, they meaning the cops, you will do whatever you need to make sure that you don't get thrown in jail. Forget about me." Fang sat down on Nudge's bed. "I could never forget about you." With that, Fang and Nudge started making out, right there. In front of all of us.
I watched Iggy gag. "Are you done?"
"Oh come on." Fang said. "No, you can make out later. We have serious issues." Fang sat up. "Well you do…" Iggy ran over and hit him over the head. "We have to decide. Soon. What do you two lovebirds think?"
"I think you should get a lawyer. Sort this whole thing out, and that will be that. By that time, I should be out of the hospital." Nudge said. Emily normally would have made an "I told you so" look towards Gazzy, but she didn't. "Okay. We can start off tomorrow."
"Okay." I shrugged. "I'll give Barry a call today, though. Let him know that we'll be arriving. Hey, Angel, why don't you come with me?" I followed her outside of the room all the way to the hospital patio.
As Emily made her call, I put on my sweater. It was breezy outside with a light rain and getting kind of chilly. "Yes, thank you." Emily said as she hung up her phone and stuffed it in her back pocket of her jeans.
"What's the matter?" I asked even though I had a hunch. "Gazzy." Yeah, I was right. "He's mad at me." Well done, genius. I was getting real tired of Emily being so obsessed over my brother and talking about it all the time.
"Well, maybe he's not exactly mad, but just a little upset." Emily shook her head. "I could tell that he's mad at me. You're his sister, so maybe; maybe you can get the scoop. Don't make it seem to obvious, though…"
"Emily, we're not in middle school. We're adults. Why don't you just go up to him, as his girlfriend and ask him yourself?" I was getting really ticked off. "But he keeps avoiding me." Ugh. "Well maybe I can convince him to talk to you." Emily's face lit up.
"But that's it." I headed back inside the room and motioned for Gazzy to follow me out into the hallway. "What?"
"Gazzy, are you okay? You seem upset at I don't know, maybe um…Emily?" Gazzy rolled his eyes. "She asked you to talk to me, didn't she?"
"Well, um… she, yeah." Gazzy faintly smiled. "Can I tell you something?" I nodded. "Sure." Gazzy looked around. "Just don't blab this all to Emily, okay?"
"Why would I?" I was eager to hear this. "She's a great person and all. Lately though, I've been realizing that there isn't much to our relationship. What more do we have in common than looking good?" I quickly elbowed him.
"Seriously though, I think it's pretty much over now." What?! "O-over?" I wasn't a big fan of their relationship, but still…over?
"Look, we're just not right for each other. She's just well, I don't know. We just don't see eye to eye anymore. I'm nto as attracted to her anymore. Please, don't say anything to her. I want to be the one to break it off with her, okay?" I was frozen in shock.
"But wait, maybe it's not her or your relationship. Maybe it's just that minor disagreement you had. You haven't been together that long so you know, maybe you just aren't ready to accept this. Please, think this over. Don't make any quick decisions. Think carefully and make your choice." Gazzy paused.
"I've made my choice. Angel, it's best for us. Now where is she? I need to talk with her." I felt like I wanted to cry for some reason. I guess I just thought that everything would work out for them. I guess I deep down was really happy that Emily was happy. She was never this happy with any of her many previous boyfriends.
I secretly followed Gazzy to the waiting room where Emily eagerly awaited him. This would not be good.
