A/N: Sorry, I know I've been taking forever to update, but I've been working kon my Charmed fics so much that this one kinda got left behind. I'll try to update sooner next time, provided I get some reviews.
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"Zack?" Camille called softly. She was standing in the doorway of her nephew's bedroom, coat in hand.
"What?" he responded grumpily from under the covers. It had been a week since the funeral, and this was the first actual word she'd gotten out of him. The rest of the time he'd been speaking in monosylabic grunts, if he spoke to her at all.
"I'm going to work." she said. Her voice was quiet, strained. She'd been walking on eggshells around him, trying desperately not to start a fight. An argument was the last thing either of them needed now, and she wished he could see that.
He sat up, looking at her somewhat suspiciously. "Okay."
"If you need anything, call me." Camille told him.
He glared at her, thinking, Yeah, right. He watched her close the door, and heard her car leave a few minutes later. Only then did he get up.
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"Claudia, school!" Lora yelled up the stairs for the third time that morning.
Her husband was right behind her. "Claudia, your sister's already gone! You're late, get up."
Their teenage daughter appeared at the top of the stairs, finally dressed. "Bye, Daddy." she called over her shoulder, as she rushed past them and out the door.
"What was that about?" Thomas asked.
"She's mad at me." Lora replied.
"For not letting her go to that party?" Thomas guessed. Lora nodded. He put his arm around her, squeezing her shoulders as they watched through the window Claudia getting on her bus.
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"Hey, Kay!" Claudia called to her best friend, Kayliegh.
"Hey, Claud." Kayliegh replied. "Are you coming tonight?"
Claudia made a face. "Ugh, no. My mother won't let me, she's afraid there's going to be drugs or something."
Kayliegh rolled her eyes. "It must suck, having a mom who's the DA."
Claudia nodded. "You have no idea."
"Kay, Claud!" called their other friend, Logan. "Did you hear what's going on down on the first floor?" Kayliegh and Claudia both shook their heads. "A bunch of students are holding a peaceful protest against the school's new mandatory drug tests for athletes."
Claudia exchanged a glance with Kayliegh, and smiled. Her mother's big thing was drugs; this would be the perfect way to rebel. Logan, guessing what his friend was thinking, led the girls downstairs to where the protest was being held. Three pairs of eyes widened at the scene before them.
"Uh, Logan? I thought you said this was a peaceful protest." Kayleigh said.
"It was when I left." Logan answered.
If it was peaceful before, it wasn't now. Fights had broken out all along the hallway. People were screaming at each other, punching, kicking; chaos had broken out.
Claudia sniffed. "It smells like something's burning." she mused.
It took everyone a few minutes to realize that someone had started a fire. Then, all hell broke loose. The prinicpal came on the speaker, trying to restore order while getting everyone to safety, but no one paid attention. They stampeded out of the building, pushing and shoving people out of their way. Claudia felt herself getting pulled into the crowd as the hall filled with smoke. She went outside with everyone else, and when she got there, she realized she didn't see Kaliegh and Logan. Frantically, she searched the front of the school, which was swarming with people. She didn't see them anywhere.
A fireman spotted her and pulled her toward the truck. "My friends, I think they're inside." she babbled.
"Your friends are probably out here somewhere, with everyone else." the fireman replied. "Meanwhile, let's take care of that arm."
Claudia looked down, confused, and realized her arm had been burned. In the confusion, she hadn't noticed before. Sniffling, she allowed the fireman to lead her toward one of the many ambulances that had arrived. Helplessly, she watched as he put her inside and shut the door.
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"Zack?" Camille called softly. She was standing in the doorway of her nephew's bedroom, coat in hand.
"What?" he responded grumpily from under the covers. It had been a week since the funeral, and this was the first actual word she'd gotten out of him. The rest of the time he'd been speaking in monosylabic grunts, if he spoke to her at all.
"I'm going to work." she said. Her voice was quiet, strained. She'd been walking on eggshells around him, trying desperately not to start a fight. An argument was the last thing either of them needed now, and she wished he could see that.
He sat up, looking at her somewhat suspiciously. "Okay."
"If you need anything, call me." Camille told him.
He glared at her, thinking, Yeah, right. He watched her close the door, and heard her car leave a few minutes later. Only then did he get up.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Claudia, school!" Lora yelled up the stairs for the third time that morning.
Her husband was right behind her. "Claudia, your sister's already gone! You're late, get up."
Their teenage daughter appeared at the top of the stairs, finally dressed. "Bye, Daddy." she called over her shoulder, as she rushed past them and out the door.
"What was that about?" Thomas asked.
"She's mad at me." Lora replied.
"For not letting her go to that party?" Thomas guessed. Lora nodded. He put his arm around her, squeezing her shoulders as they watched through the window Claudia getting on her bus.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Hey, Kay!" Claudia called to her best friend, Kayliegh.
"Hey, Claud." Kayliegh replied. "Are you coming tonight?"
Claudia made a face. "Ugh, no. My mother won't let me, she's afraid there's going to be drugs or something."
Kayliegh rolled her eyes. "It must suck, having a mom who's the DA."
Claudia nodded. "You have no idea."
"Kay, Claud!" called their other friend, Logan. "Did you hear what's going on down on the first floor?" Kayliegh and Claudia both shook their heads. "A bunch of students are holding a peaceful protest against the school's new mandatory drug tests for athletes."
Claudia exchanged a glance with Kayliegh, and smiled. Her mother's big thing was drugs; this would be the perfect way to rebel. Logan, guessing what his friend was thinking, led the girls downstairs to where the protest was being held. Three pairs of eyes widened at the scene before them.
"Uh, Logan? I thought you said this was a peaceful protest." Kayleigh said.
"It was when I left." Logan answered.
If it was peaceful before, it wasn't now. Fights had broken out all along the hallway. People were screaming at each other, punching, kicking; chaos had broken out.
Claudia sniffed. "It smells like something's burning." she mused.
It took everyone a few minutes to realize that someone had started a fire. Then, all hell broke loose. The prinicpal came on the speaker, trying to restore order while getting everyone to safety, but no one paid attention. They stampeded out of the building, pushing and shoving people out of their way. Claudia felt herself getting pulled into the crowd as the hall filled with smoke. She went outside with everyone else, and when she got there, she realized she didn't see Kaliegh and Logan. Frantically, she searched the front of the school, which was swarming with people. She didn't see them anywhere.
A fireman spotted her and pulled her toward the truck. "My friends, I think they're inside." she babbled.
"Your friends are probably out here somewhere, with everyone else." the fireman replied. "Meanwhile, let's take care of that arm."
Claudia looked down, confused, and realized her arm had been burned. In the confusion, she hadn't noticed before. Sniffling, she allowed the fireman to lead her toward one of the many ambulances that had arrived. Helplessly, she watched as he put her inside and shut the door.
