Author's Note: Well, today's the 'hearing'. Let's hope the 'case' gets to speak…and she gets to come home soon. Guys, wish me the best of luck, because I'm sure as hell going to need it.
(By the time I find out the news, though, it'll be probably around the time you start reading this, heh, heh…)
Disclaimer: I don't own FOP. I really don't own it…and I hate to say this, but I'm turning into a South Park fan. Not that's particularly important right now, but I find it peculiar.
Chapter Twenty-Five: Opposites Attract
"No," is the first thing Mr. Tang utters upon hearing Trixie and their setting foot on the Tang property. He's barely heard the question and already, he's made up his mind.
In response, his daughter's face grows taut but she maintains a cool composition. Calm is everything here, especially with her father. If she loses it, she'll lose more than just the argument.
Unlike before, Veronica offers no comfort, as she is standing ten feet away. She'd love to clutch her tightly, run her hands through her hair, and console her as she knows she sorely needs, but she cannot. Instead, she stands here, like a bump on a log, feeling useless.
In the car ride over, Trixie stated, in no uncertain terms, the conditions they were to be under during this confrontation. No touching of any nature…so, to keep herself from temptation, she stands merely within earshot, no closer.
"Yes, Father (she nearly spits the word), I am," Trixie states firmly, wrapping her arms about herself to invoke some sort of warmth. It's almost as though his frigidity has materialized into the wind, cold and cruel.
What the hell is he trying to do, talk me out of being gay? That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard of!
"No, you're not. You're not gay," He replies, glaring at Veronica. She takes a few steps backward, startled by his hostility. With a quick jab, she indicates she'll be spending the duration of this in the car. At least there, she's safe.
Trixie, however, has no intention of letting her get away that quickly, especially when she cannot, and angrily shakes her head. Don't you dare leave me here to sink…
Instead, she indicates she move closer to her, forgetting the deal made in the car. It doesn't seem to matter much anymore, anyway, because all hell's about to break loose.
"Dad, I'm in love with Veronica. We had sex," Trixie says pleadingly, begging her father to see sense. It stings a little, though, that she has to refer to their actions with such a non-urbane term, but if this is how he'll understand it, she must. Although, truth be told, she feels her 'sessions' with Timmy were closer to the term 'sex' with all its clinical feeling than her time with Veronica.
If only she could make her father see that…She truly loves her and she wants to spend the rest of her life with her…But she's not going to lay all that on him just yet. He might have a heart attack.
"No, you didn't," Her father states like it's the most obvious thing in the world. He gives her a look as if to say, 'I know you better than you know yourself. If I say you're not gay, you're not gay. It's as easy as that'.
"You don't know what you're talking about," He adds, further clarifying her point. I'm a stupid teenager and I don't know my own preferences…
Tell me, Dad, weren't you a teenager once? Didn't you know what love was? Then again, maybe I shouldn't ask you that, considering you drove your only true love away and you never saw her again. She had me, but maybe that doesn't matter to you at all. You have no concept of love.
"You may find Veronica 'attractive'," He continues, oblivious to her thoughts.
Damn right I do.
"But that makes you more honest with your feelings than other straight girls. You don't fantasize about her sexually, you aren't gay. I know you, Trixie-" He begins, but, finally, exacerbated, Trixie intercedes. Sometimes, when he wants to be, he can be just as thick as Timmy.
From the corner of her eye, she spots her stepmother walking out the house. She's dressed to the nines in her usual fashionable ensemble, including Trixie's mother's broach. Every time she sees her in it, she wants to rip it off her chest, but, oh, no, she can't do that. It's not hers to claim. Stupid Dad.
"Correction- you think you know me but you know jack shit. I slept with Timmy for four years and you didn't know about that. All you knew was what I wanted you to know, nothing else," Trixie snaps back, her fists clenched.
"Yes, but you slept with him, that means you're straight!" Mr. Tang replies, causing her blood to boil. He's deliberately ignoring what's right in front of him, just to irritate her.
"No, it means I'm a liar!" Trixie screams, noting her stepmother approaches the scene but caring little.
"I never felt anything when he was with me! I just wanted it to end, damn it! And now I know why!" She continues, feeling her phone vibrate in her purse but ignoring it. God, who could be calling at this completely inappropriate moment? Whoever it was would be very sorry indeed.
"Oh, really?" Her stepmother, resplendent in a pink jumpsuit, her red hair cascading in waves down her chest, responds. Her freckles seem to glitter in malice as do her green eyes, sparkling with the implications of her confrontation. If it means getting the brat out of the house, she'll do it. Hell, she'd send her over a cliff if she knew she wasn't going to get caught.
Blood chills in her veins and, finally disregarding her comments to Veronica completely, she walks over to her and envelops her tightly. The towheaded girl's surprised, but she kisses her affectionately on the top of her head. Even so, there's nothing here that would make her father think she's gay, unless they started making out in front of them.
"I wasn't speaking to you," Trixie replies icily, arm firmly wrapped about her waist. Her pace quickens- she smells a disowning.
"Oh, but I'm your mother, dearie, and I do believe you just said you were gay," She croons, striding up to the girls. Veronica's face tightens as well, her grip growing stronger on Trixie. They cling to each other, wondering what she's thinking in that conniving head of hers.
"First of all, you aren't and never will be my mother. Second, I am gay, but I wasn't addressing you when I said that."
"I see…gay people don't have offspring, do they?" She hisses, running her hand along Veronica's face. She winces in response and slaps her hand away.
"We could adopt," Trixie replies, bewildered.
"The Tang family frowns on people who either can't produce offspring or produce them too early," She states matter of factly, pausing between each word to draw out her meaning. Her eyes link to Trixie's and she smirks her happiness. She'll be gone…and she'll be free to inherit all of her husband's estate.
"Yes, but…" Mr. Tang stammers, stepping up to them. He glances at Trixie, but he doesn't truly see her. All he sees is the same situation he was thrust into seventeen years ago today, when Patricia had told him she was pregnant. Seventeen years ago, he lost his chance at true love…and now he's losing the only truly valuable thing he managed to get out of it.
"Yes, but what? She broke the rules, she must be punished!" Magnolia, his wife, shrieks. She points an accusatory finger at the two.
"Just be glad she didn't knock herself up like Patricia!" She snaps, and Trixie can literally see a vein pop in his forehead. Talking about her was always a risky subject at the best of times, and now with this, the pot's about to boil over.
I never realized it…but Magnolia must resent my mother for capturing and holding my father's heart. He's never really loved her, but he had to marry again out of necessity. Our traditions dictated he do so…
Insulting her, though, that's a different matter altogether. No one's ever had the audacity to refer to her like she was a common animal and to my father, no less…
Instead of vibrating, her phone begins to ring shrilly. Who's ever calling her must want to talk to her urgently enough to start her phone on that. And she only knows one other person, besides the girl standing right next to her, who knows the code for that.
She answers, and, through process of elimination, figures out he's like a cat. Whenever he wants something, he acts nice until he gets it. Unfortunately, right now, she doesn't have time for this.
"This!" Magnolia snaps, shoving Veronica away and giving Trixie barely enough time to pass the phone over to her, "This is the bastard offspring of that whore! Don't you want to get rid of the past finally? If you throw her out, you can be rid of anything and everything that was hers!"
"My mother was not a whore, you conniving, backstabbing bitch!" Trixie snaps, glowering at her. Well, if she's going to have it out with her, she might as well do it now. She might never get the chance again.
"Trixie Elizabeth Tang!" Her father exclaims, more astounded than insulted. "You…no, wait, don't apologize."
"What?!" Magnolia cries, taken aback. "Of course she should apologize! That gay little slut insulted me!"
"I'd be very careful, if I were you, about how I addressed my spouse's daughter and her mother," Mr. Tang retorts, glowering at her. "Considering you're one to talk."
They continue to quibble, Trixie slipping away. From what she can gather, it sounds as if her father never got over the loss of her mother and he wasn't terribly attached to Magnolia to begin with. Hmm…things might get interesting.
"Don't you think you ought to call Timmy back?" Veronica hisses, eyes darting from the arguing adults to her girlfriend and back. She rubs her arms for warmth and Trixie, with a wry smile, rubs them for her.
"Yeah, but…" They might break up over me- I wouldn't miss this if you paid me.
"Trixie!" She hisses, annoyed. "There are other people who need you right now and all you're doing is-"
"Wait, they're talking about my mother!" Trixie interjects excitedly, holding up a hand. Indeed, they are.
"I didn't ask for her to be taken away, that was my family's choice! And now you, who knows nothing of the situation, wants me to cast aside my daughter like she's nothing, exactly how you deem Patricia? Absolutely not! I'd rather commit suicide than lose her!" Mr. Tang erupts, causing her to shiver. Maybe Veronica's right about calling Timmy back and getting the hell out of here.
Sighing heavily, she turns away until her father places a hand on her shoulder. His smile is very strained and his expression looks pained.
"Trixie, I don't approve of your lifestyle nor do I condone it. But if you love her and she loves you…and you're happy, then…I give you my blessing." He hugs her tightly and returns to the argument.
Trixie, after a heavy sigh, gives them one last glance before she too returns to a previous argument. It's time to kiss and make up…if he'll let me.