Chapter 16 That's what I meant to Say Brynn sat in the Common Room of Gryffindor by herself. She didn't know where the boys were, and actually was rather thankful to get away from them for a bit. Halloween had been rather frightening. Even Ethan had seemed quite frightened, and he had been Barney the previous year. At least these costumes were not, however, possessed. She still recalled the possessed costumes. "I wonder what my dear insane family is up to..." she sighed, leaning back. She could put her time to better use, say doing her homework. But that could be done during class. She had it all mapped out. She did her History of Magic homework during Herbology, her Defense Against the Dark Arts homework (though they seldom ever had any)during Transfiguration, Transfiguration during Divination, and Divination during Muggle Studies... Of course they had other homework they had to work in, but that was another story.... "Dad's probably..." She stopped. "Dad's probably trying to subdue the little girls and Dominic that run about like wild boars. Mom is probably trying to subdue dad... who has probably joined them in mischief by now... Brooke is probably giggling, watching it all..." Brynn broke off. There was still Cate and Bellum to consider. And little Jack. Paige was probably at her house, causing problems, and Jack was probably asleep. He was either asleep or bringing more chaos to old Padfoot the dog. "Cate and Bellum..." she whispered to herself. She thought for a bit, and cringed. "I don't wanna know what they're up to..." ~*~ To keep it short, Brynn really didn't want to know. No one wanted to know. Apart from their usual mushy scenes Cate and Bellum had, they were... baking? Yes, that appeared to be the situation. But there was no food in the oven... it was all over Cate and Bellum. The moon cast a light through the window as Bellum sighed heavily and chucked a ball of dough at Cate. It landed directly in the middle of her face, and she looked at him menacingly. "That wasn't fair." Cate said shortly. She grinned, letting her eyes light up, and flicked her wrist. The messy kitchen was sparkling clean again, and she looked at Bellum. "To save you the trouble of cleaning it..." "Not this again." Bellum grinned back at her. "I remember the last time this happened..." "Well, I'm in a good mood tonight." Cate sighed, taking a bite of a banana. She tossed one to Bellum, and he stared at it. "Eat it." She ordered. "All right." Bellum said, giving Cate an odd look, and peeling the banana. He stuck his nose in the air and took a bite. "You are so weird. Remind me again why we're married..." Cate said playfully. Bellum turned circles, until he reached Cate, where at that point he wrapped her in his arms. "Perhaps it was my degenaro cunning? My striking looks? Exuberant personality? My idealistic manner? Take your pick Cate." "All of the above," Cate laughed. "And much more. You know perfectly well why I married you. You forgot the excellent conversation part. And all the other things I should not mention...." "Why is that?" Bellum questioned, raising his eyebrows, and pulling Cate closer to him. "Because Paige is standing right outside the kitchen door, watching us." "Er-" Bellum gasped, pushing Cate aside slightly. Paige was sill standing there, watching them with disgust. He laughed sheepishly and looked at his youngest daughter. "Paigie dear!" he said. "Umm..." Paige started. She looked at her mother, whose slip dress straps were well off her shoulders, the flour and dough all over her, and her father's hand, which was still clamped on her waist. She looked at her father, who had red lipstick... all over. They were both rather flushed. "I think I'll go now..." Bellum Cate glanced at each other. "Paige dear." Bellum said. "You know the deal here. Sorry that you were here... coming to eat." "Yeah, dad. Fine. But I'm not hungry anymore." Paige replied. "Maybe we should go to our room..." Cate suggested, as soon as Paige took off up the stairs. She jerked Bellum along with her, up the stairs to their bedroom... ~*~ Ever since the flying underwear incident, Snape had been quite irritable. More than usual, anyways. He gave extra long assignments to the Gryffindors, as he rightfully suspected Brynn, Bryce, Ethan, and Mac of the causes of the incident. "I know what you've done, Miss Black." he hissed in Brynn's face. "But I cannot give you detention, or take points off, because Dumbledore does not wish to side with me." "It wasn't me, sir." Brynn said, sounding very honest. She knew Snape wanted her to confess. Then the detentions would begin, and Gryffindor would be below zero in house points... "I know perfectly well that it-" "Wasn't." Bryce finished. "You have so much faith in your own house. I suggest you talk to the 3rd year Slytherins." Snape grumbled, making his way off towards the dungeons, leaving the four to find their way to their next class. Brynn rolled her eyes. "I tell you, he'd better watch out!" she said cunningly. "Or Severus Snape might one day become the Severe Snap." The boys snorted, as they all tried to go through the door to the History of Magic classroom at once. Brynn shook her head at them, and pushed them out of the way, taking a seat in the back, where she liked a seat in this class. It left her free to be bored, and concentrate on everything but History of Magic. Mac threw his books on the seat next to her, moved them, and sat down. Strangely, Bryce and Ethan followed this odd procedure, and smiled at the rest of the class. "The Banshees are-" Binns started. He never stopped either, but Brynn Black had her own commentary, and finished a lot of his sentences for him. "Boring, ugly, stupid... smelly." she said quietly to Bryce, Mac, and Ethan. "They are incredibly open-minded..." Binns droned forth. "Meaning what? All their brains fall out their open head?" Brynn commented. The three boys, and several others that were listening in snorted. "Once provoked they can-" "Open a jar of pickles? Clip their toenails? Brush their teeth?" Ethan snorted, and then pretended to cough heavily once Professor Binns paused to look at him. Brynn sunk down in her chair, secretly smiling to herself. However, Binns droned on. "They won the battle against-" "Flobberworms?" "And they lost then, and again in-" "They lost? Again?" "But they allied with the-" "Pretty Hufflepuffs? Ah, wait. None of them are pretty." Brynn sighed. "I think I'm losing my touch. Here we go... they allied with the--- Fluffy bunnies." "Together the-" "Ugly Banshees and Fluffy Bunnies-" "Gained control of-" "Flobberworm land." "And-" "Lived happily ever after?" "Your assignment is-" "To have a happy weekend?" "To have a happy weekend." The class stared at him. Not only had he failed to talk for the entire hour, but he had also given them an assignment. It certainly was a day of surprises. Perhaps there was something mentally wrong with the old ghost of a Professor. Well, whatever it was, the class liked it... The class spent the rest of the time talking. Ethan was having a conversation with his on-and-off girlfriend, Jocelyn. The two were not presently dating, but often acted like they would. Everyone wished they would just make up their minds, and date each other, or not date each other. Brynn was sitting on Mac, who had his arms around her. They looked younger than they actually were, somehow. Maybe it was the fact that one was being squashed, and the other was doing the squashing. Bryce was trying to figure out the 'mystery' of why a candle burns. Actually, he was just feeding the need for fire with that as an excuse to Professor Binns. Just before he lit an unsuspecting girl's hair alight, the bell rang, and they were set free. Knocking down Neil Potter on her hurried path outside, Brynn stopped for nothing. She hated sitting still and being cooped up all day long. Neil grumbled, and picked himself up, Rachel laughing at him. "Better watch it there!" she laughed. "I think you're the one who had better watch it!" Neil remarked. Not even two seconds later, Bryce knocked Rachel forward, and Neil gave a laugh. Then Mac rushed forward, and knocked he, Neil Potter, over on top of Rachel. Ethan paused to look at them, and carefully stepped over them, off to be with his friends. "Teenagers." Neil huffed. "They scare me." Rachel added. "I'd rather be this age all the time. They go on dates... They kiss each other... They're pretty scary if you ask me." "I think, Rachel, that you have just made a point. Congratulations on your first one ever..." ~*~ "My mum and dad are weird." Paige proclaimed to Nita, Bridgett, Dominic, and Max. "Last night, they were in the kitchen... kissing. They always kiss, but not in the kitchen. And daddy apologized. He's never apologized to be before for this sort of thing... I think they've gone mad." "I think they have too." Nita said firmly. "But aren't all parents?" They all nodded in agreement, and looked around. They were sitting around at Max's house again. Bridgett kept glancing at the Cortez house, an evil glint in her eyes. "What is it Bridgett?" Max asked, hoping he called her by the right name. "Reeky Rico annoying you lot again?" "Rico! That's it!" Bridgett cried, springing up from her seat on a large rock, and blasting down the street. The four bewildered others rushed after her, and stared as she rang the bell on the Cortez house. Rico answered the door, and rolled his eyes at her. "His name was RICO!" Bridgett sang at the top of her lungs. "He wore a diamond! He was escorted to his chair, he saw Lola dancing there, and when she finished- he called her over! But Rico went a bit too far as Tony sailed across the bar! And then the punches FLEW! And chairs were smashed in TWO! There was blood and a single gunshot, but just who shot whoooo? At the Copa! Cop cabaña!" She hummed a bit more, and danced around the front porch. Rico stood there, looking stunned. "Are you mocking my name?" he asked snootily. "Hm..." Bridgett said, stopping her dance to ponder this. "Yes." "I suggest you cease." He said. "Who's gonna make me?" Bridgett asked, putting her face close to his. "Me." Rico answered, giving her a shove. "You and what army?" Bridgett laughed. She nodded over towards her friends, and Rico backed off. Rico sneered, and went back into his house, slamming the door. Bridgett danced a bit more, and licked her finger. Writing BRIDGETT in the air, she added a check mark by the imaginary word in the air. "Bridgett... one." she said. She licked her finger again, and wrote RICO in invisible letters. "Rico... zilch." Her friends laughed, and bolted off, before Rico came up with a decent revenge... ~*~ "James, why are all the women crabby?" Sirius asked James Potter. They had a house to themselves. They were inside the Potter house, and Meagan had left with the children to go shopping. "Lizzie's not crabby... But Cate, and Meagan... and all the other ones lately." "Well, Cate and Meagan are pregnant. Besides that fact, our daughter is always crabby." James answered. "Maybe it's a woman thing. We really can't blame them though, they have issues." "I suppose..." Sirius shrugged it off. "But why do they seem to be even more nasty than usual to me? I've got a bruise on my arm again from Cate hitting me..." "Did you ask her how she felt again?" James questioned. Sirius nodded slightly sheepishly. "Sirius, what did I tell you about that?" "Not to ask stupid questions?" Sirius suggested. "Exactly." James grinned. "Remember when we first tried to figure out the mystery of women?" "Crystal clearly." Sirius sighed. "Actually, we were all trying to figure out the mystery of different women...." ~*Whee! Marauder Flashback*~ "Are you loony?" Remus Lupin hissed at James and Sirius under the Invisibility cloak. Peter was being careful not to get his feet stepped on. There was no Meagan in sight. "Meagan won't be happy if she discovers we've gone off without her!" "And have taken Sirius with." James pretended to sigh. "We're well aware of the so-called danger. Besides, she doesn't want to talk about guy things with us..." Sirius glared at James. He pulled them sharply to their left. He counted bricks, and tapped them with his wand. A door appeared, and the four boys entered. There was a small cozy little room, equipped with a fireplace, and small window. They tossed off the cloak, and each made a dive for the best chair in the room... "No fair!" Sirius pouted. "James is bigger than I am! He got to sit there last time!" "Sirius, are you three years old?" James laughed. "Oh no." Lupin replied. "He's two and a half." Sirius glared at them all and took a seat in the only open chair, which was a tall rickety one. It was too tall for him, and his feet didn't quite reach the ground. He swung his legs, and stuck his tongue out at them. "I know which girl Sirius has his sights set upon..." James grinned suddenly. Sirius stopped swinging his legs at once, and blushed a shade of light scarlet. Remus and Peter looked at him, attention caught. "Elizabeth Retton..." "I do not like her!" Sirius protested, going even redder. "Oh yes you do." James argued. "You told me. Remember, History of Magic?" "No." Sirius said, this time crossing his arms. "And besides, our boisterous friend here goes silent when she's around. And who is the one girl we haven't gotten with a good prank yet? Lizzie. Because Sirius always has a reason against it..." "James likes Lily." Sirius said. It was the only thing that came to mind at that point. Yet, however stupid it was... it shut James up almost instantly. "I... Do not!" James said. He was redder than Sirius was at the moment, and had stopped all babbling about Sirius liking Lizzie. "Oh yes you do. Who is the OTHER girl we seldom ever prank?" Remus added. Peter nodded stupidly. "Lily Evans." "Oh, so what." James finally said. "Admit it, Sirius, you like Lizzie. Take it like the 13 year old boy you are... or aren't." Sirius glared. "Or we'll set you up with Meagan." Remus said, egging him on even more. Sirius crossed his arms, and looked away. Finally, after much coaxing, teasing, and taunting, Sirius finally gave in. "Okay, okay... shut up already. Yeah, you know already. So James and Lily, Remus and Ophelia... that girl in Ravenclaw. Peter likes Meagan!" All of them grumbled. Sirius found it especially funny that Peter liked Meagan, and Meagan liked him, but he didn't like Meagan. Peter would never live this down. He put up with Meagan jokes every day... Now that Peter admitted to liking her, he would taunt Peter... and throw hints to Meagan. James pulled Remus aside, and left Peter and Sirius stare at them, wondering what they were plotting. A few times, they both snickered. At one point, they heard the comment, "But they'll end up making out in the-" from Remus. Sirius highly suspected this had something to do with him. "Come one James... TELL ME!" Sirius pleaded, once they had all returned to their own chairs. Sirius had beaten James to the good chair this time. "No can do, Sirius... You'll just have to wait and see..." After weeks of planning, and carefully making sure no one knew of their plot, James and Remus finally seemed satisfied. Sirius seemed very disgruntled, and made a point to nag James every hour of the day. For instance, he tried to get James to confess in his sleep. Too bad for him, it didn't work. "I've tried to hypnotize him... beat him up... trick him! No avail..." Sirius sighed. He closed his eyes and leaned back on the common room couch. He immediately felt himself drop. He didn't dare open his eyes, for fear of where he dropped. He never even considered the floor as an option.... Yes, Sirius had fallen of the couch. This whole thing was making him paranoid. "I've got to stop." He muttered. He stood up, and shook his head. He yawned, and decided it was time for him to go to sleep. He took a few steps forward and felt himself fall... But this time Sirius didn't trip. This time he landed someplace in a darkened room. He yelled something rather profane, and then the thought of lighting his wand occurred. He pulled it out, and lit it. He discovered that he as not alone. A very pretty girl with long, smooth, flowing brown hair had her sparkling blue eyes fixed on him. "Um... Hello Lizzie." Sirius said. "Hello Sirius." Lizzie said pleasantly. She looked around the dark little room. "Is there a way out?" "Well, I was going to ask you that. But I can tell you who put us here..." "Who?" Lizzie sighed, though she already had a good guess at who it was. "James, Remus, Peter, more than likely Meagan, probably Lily..." "Predictable." Lizzie sighed. "You think they have a point?" "Oh yes..." Sirius said. "I mean- no. They're just weird." Sirius stared at the floor. Elizabeth looked rather hopefully at him, but his gaze never failed to leave the floor. He noticed that something looked strangely familiar about the floor... too familiar. He leaned against the wall. Nothing was different. "Stand back Lizzie." Sirius said importantly. He stood up a little straighter, trying to make his rather narrow 13-year-old shoulders look broader. Lizzie backed into a corner. She was 12, and rightfully in her second year. "I'm gonna bust us outta this prison." "Um... okay. Sirius, don't hurt yourself..." "What gives you that idea?" Sirius asked, pretending to look shocked. "Oh, nothing. Just the stunt at the Astronomy tower, climbing the Slytherin banner... Jumping off the mantle..." "Okay, okay... Do you wanna get outta here or not?" "I suppose." Lizzie shrugged, looking at Sirius. Sirius was blushing a rather bright pink, and was once again looking away. He then threw himself as hard as he could against the wall... The wall moved, and Sirius fell over. The room had moved- slightly to the left. Lizzie closed her eyes as Sirius stood up again. His next attempt at whatever he was doing proved successful. The whole room toppled over, and Sirius looked up, and saw Lizzie flying towards him. When he toppled the room, which was a solid square, it collided with her, and thus sent her flying. This came to a stop when she landed on top of Sirius. They both turned bright red as they rolled over and looked into the faces of James, Lily, Remus, Peter, Meagan, and other bystanders. "Shut up James." Sirius said. "That.... that... wasn't funny." "Sure it was!" Remus chirped. "We were surprised you figured it out that soon." "I happen to have a brain." Sirius said defensively. "I know what I'm doing." "Oh, he sure does!" Lily giggled, offering a hand to Lizzie. Lizzie took her hand and pulled her to the ground. "Liz, that wasn't fair." "Lucky enough for me..." Lizzie laughed. "Sirius must know the common room floor a bit too well!" "Well, that's what happens when you're constantly tackled by your... superiors." James laughed. "Ha. Ha. Ha." Sirius said hotly. He rolled his eyes. "I think I'll go to sleep now. Night all." Everyone, shaking with silent laughter, waved to Sirius as he headed up the stairs. Lizzie shook her head. "See Liz? I told you he did like you..." Lily smiled. "I suppose." Lizzie sighed. She too smiled. "But I wish he wouldn't be so stubborn." "Come on..." Meagan groaned. "It's Sirius. Let him grow out of this phase." Eventually, Sirius did grow out of the phase... Two years later. But about 6 years later from this incident, Sirius and Elizabeth produced their infamous daughter, Cate. ~*~Yay, back to the present~*~ "Really, you weren't funny." Sirius said. "It didn't work. All we did was look for a way to escape." "I know you better than that." James grinned. "James, I was 13. Do you think I thought... well, I'm still right." Both men rolled their eyes. Sirius secretly snickered at his best friend's graying hair, and James laughed at Sirius's lack of... seriousness. Yet they both were very similar... anyone knew that. "Meagan's home." James said, observing Meagan dragging one of the twins up the driveway. "Well, I'm off." Sirius said. "I seem to irritate pregnant women..." And with that he apparated. ~*~ "Jack, Jack, Jack!" Cate cooed. "What's my precious little baby doing?" "Gaaaaaaaaaaaa." Jack gurgled. He swung his arms, as his mother scooped him up into her arms. His father was sitting on the couch, reading the newspaper. "Bellum, Jack needs a bath." Cate said. She looked at him again, and plugged her nose. "And a diaper change." Bellum set his newspaper down. He made a face. "You do it. I'm busy... trying to read my paper." "Well..." Cate hissed. "I'm pregnant. You go do it." Bellum grumbled, and set his paper down. He stood up, stretched, and took Jack from Cate. Jack giggled. At this point in his life, he liked his father more than his mother, who was always slightly irritable. But his favorite member of the family was old Padfoot the dog. "Alright Jack-man..." he said to his son. "You need a bath." Jack gurgled, and made other noises as Bellum carried him up the stairs. He couldn't help but smiled... he was so cute. Jack was still a small baby, and he and Cate we going to have another. Poor Jack, he didn't get to babied as long as the rest of his siblings had... Less spoiling for him. "Jacky! How do you feel about another baby?" he asked, knowing, of course, there would be no response. He pulled the little one-piece outfit off Jack, and made a face at the dirty diaper. Going through the necessary before bathing him, didn't please his nose very well. Then he snapped his fingers and a small tub with warm water appeared by his side. He carefully put Jack in, and held him up, talking to him while washing him. "A little sister. How do you like that? I know. You have two sisters already. But your sisters have two brothers already. Well, mommy'll be in a better mood once she's had your sister. She wants to call her Fiona. That's a nice name, don't you suppose? Well, we've got plenty of time to decide on that." Busy talking and washing his son, Bellum had not noticed how wet he was, and how Jack was constantly splashing him. There was also water on the floor, water on the walls, water everywhere. Now it was a matter of who was giving who a bath... "Are you alright up there?" Cate yelled from downstairs. She had been cooking. It wasn't something she did a lot, but she felt special tonight. Special enough to cook.... frozen pizza. "Just fine!" Bellum shouted back. "It's almost time to eat..." Cate said, deciding to appear in the bathroom. She shook her head, and looked at her husband and baby. "Okay... Grown man. Little baby. Which one was getting the bath now?" "Um... Jack." Bellum suggested. "So why is the whole room soaked. Did you turn on a really large shower or something?" "Oh, relax, I'll clean it up. It isn't that hard to wave a wand..." Bellum waved his rather sopping wet wand, and everything dried. Cate smiled with satisfaction, and disappeared to go check if the food hadn't burned. "Can't help but love her." Bellum nodded. Jack giggled, and Bellum picked him up, and raised him in the air. "That's my little boy." ~*~ "Sit down." Cate said to Bellum, who was standing in front of the couch. "Right there." Bellum heeded her, and took a seat. She took a seat a few cushions down on the sofa, and he gave her a funny look. What did he do now? But she quickly put her feet on his lap. "Massage?" she asked. "Sure." he smiled, shaking his head. "Are you already tired? You've got more months to go... You aren't even blimpy yet..." "Blimpy?" Cate said loudly and sternly, sitting up. She glared. "You know what I mean. Just... go to sleep for this or something..." ~*~ "I don't wanna be a chicken I don't wanna be a duck, so I wag my tail QUACK! QUACK! QUACK! QUACK!" The common room stared as Brynn Black put on a little dancing show, with her own version of the chicken dance song... On the other side, Bryce was doing the YMCA, and Mac and Ethan were leading the Macarena. The Modern day Marauders were joining in. Crystal and Brian were doing the Chicken dance, Fred was doing the YMCA, and George was giving the Macarena a try. Without warning, the portrait swung open, and McGonagall walked in. She took one look at them, and then decided to leave. Everyone shrugged, and Bryce and Ethan left their groups to YMCA and Macarena by themselves... or with Mac. A few minutes later, they returned, with a large case of butterbeer. "Cheers, Gryffindors!" Bryce shouted. As the students few towards the case of Butterbeer, Ethan and Bryce made their escape. Brynn and Mac followed a few minutes later, and met up with them in the halls. "Has Bryce devised a plan?" Brynn asked. "I feel scared." "Ethan helped." Bryce informed them. "Oh, that makes me feel loads better." Brynn rolled her eyes. "Trelawney's been an old coot lately." Ethan said. "Eath, she's ALWAYS an old coot." Mac said. "I mean, she's like... well, looks like she's several centuries old... The wrinkles... the glasses... the clothes! Ugh!" "Well-" Bryce cut him off. "We're going to mess with her crystal ball... and all her other fancy stuff. Tomorrow she'll be seeing-" "You guys..." Brynn cautioned. "Well, what did you do to Snape?" Ethan questioned in defense. "Point taken. Which way?" ~*~ Unusually quiet, Brynn, Bryce, Ethan, and Mac sat in Divination class. They waited for Trelawney to take out the Crystal ball, and see what they forced it to read... "Helllooooo my pretties." Trelawney said slowly. She had gotten MUCH creepier over the years. Almost every student hoped she'd die soon. "C'mon you old toothpick. Break out the ball." Bryce muttered. "Something to say Mr. Black?" Trelawney asked. She hadn't heard what he said... only that he had said something. "Nope." Bryce said shortly. All four of them watched closely as she took out the crystal ball. She pretended to do what she did, and gazed into it. This time, something appeared to the whole class in the ball.... A purple dinosaur, cute fluffy kitties, and daisies... eating lollipops. Soon, the lollipops changed into sticks from trees, and they ran towards a castle... Hogwarts. Then it flashed to see Trelawney herself being tied to her desk, and being poked with sticks. There was a big fat sucker in her mouth, and she was wearing clashing punk, orange, red, black, and goo green striped robes, and her hair was dyed magenta. "A reading!" Trelawney cried. This had been one of the few things she did not make up on her own. She was now deathly afraid it would come true. "Excuse me class, and you are dismissed early." Then, the sphere with planets flew up to Trelawney. They all began to orbit her. "Wow, look! It's Uranus!" Ethan cried, and took off for the grounds to enjoy their free period. Later that day, they caught a glimpse of Trelawney spraying the grounds... and plucking all the shriveled daisies she could find. She saw a small pet cat, and bolted to lock herself in her quarters. Funny how you can manipulate the mind... "I think your brother and sister need dental help." George said. "Um... Do you mean mental help?" Brian asked, correcting him. "Yeah. That's what I meant to say- mental." George said. "I got the smarts out of the whole Quints." Fred said. "Unlike my brother here..." "Yeah, he needs dental help." Crystal laughed. George made a face at her. "Lookie- they're dancing again." Brian shook his head. "I really think they aren't related to me." "Nah- you look EXACTLY like Brynn." Fred said. "Um- you mean Bryce, I hope." Brian asked. "Yeah. That's what I meant to say." "There are too many of you anyways. The only one without a 'Br' name is Cate." Crystal sighed. "And we all know who she is. Though I don't really think we're supposed to." "Um... let's get out of ere before we get whatever disease those four scary people have." Brian said, referring to his siblings and friends. "Aye, Aye, captain!" Crystal saluted. ~*~ "Beep! Beep! Beep!" Max made a beeping noise. He had spotted Rico. "Loser alert! Loser alert!" Rico had heard this perfectly well, but chose to ignore it. He looked at Bridgett who was glaring. Paige was standing behind her, and Nita was behind her. Dominic and Max were off to the side. He stuck his nose in the air and said, "Bridgett Black. I have a song for you..." "Oh yeah, Rico? No more Cop cabaña for you then?" Bridgett snorted. "No." he said firmly. He started his song, which was a rap. It was an exceptionally nasty rap at that, and was something that a child his age should certainly not repeat. But the chorus had the phrase, "Bridgett was a dumb ho! Bridgett was a dumb ho!" This really didn't please Bridgett. Ricardo Cortez had spent the past week looking up a song with her name in it just for revenge. She had the temper which most of the girls in the Black family had... Cate was a prime example. Before Paige could hold her back, se threw herself at Rico. She didn't need any help at all from her friends. They watched as Rico took a beating from Bridgett. By the end of the fight, which was marked by Rico going out cold, Rico had two black eyes, and a bump on his head. "Bridgett!" Nita squeaked. "Maybe you shouldn't have done that!" "Ah, it's only Rico. He doesn't seem like the tattletale type. He takes too much pride in himself. He'll never admit to beating beat up by a girl. A girl smaller than he is. He'll just keep away..." "Well, we might as well take advantage of this situation..." Paige grinned, her deep brown eyes flashing. "Let's fix him up..." They fixed him up indeed... UP was right. Tied to the highest branch in a tree, in nothing but a pair of bright pink boxer shorts, Rico woke a few minutes after, shouting at the people below him. "Pleasure fighting with you!" Bridgett called. "Hope to see you HANGING AROUND later!"