Chapter 2- We were unfairly imprisoned
It so wasn't her fault. Okay, maybe it was, but the moment she had stepped into the class she had known that she couldn't stay there. Her teacher didn't know anything. Hailey had already spent the morning in class, and was pretty happy with most of them. Chemistry was her favorite, but math and English seemed like they would be good too. Spanish, though, was
another matter. How she had wound up in a level two class was beyond her. She had spent the whole summer in Spain last year. Her mother was a flipping Spanish teacher. There was no way Hailey was going to sit in a class and review colors and counting to fifty. So maybe going to the
principle's office would have been a better choice then running across the street to Seven-Eleven, but it was too late to change that now.
"Bored, bored, bored." The blond girl in the chair next to Hailey was tapping her fingers on the arm rest and muttering under her breath.
"You here to see the principle too?" Hailey questioned. The sullen girl nodded.
"What you in for? I cut class, which they apparently frown on here."
"Fighting. Jason called me a bitch, so I punched him. My mom always says to stand up for myself, and not take crap from any man."
"My mom tells me the same thing, but I think she'd throw a fit if I ever punched someone. 'Violence is never the best solution' she always says. I'm Hailey, by the way."
"Lindsey," the other girl responded. "My mom's gonna be mad too. This is the third time she's been called to pick me up, and she's always either asleep or at work."
"Hailey Brass, come here please." The principle stood in the office doorway. Hailey rolled her eyes at Lindsey, who grinned at her.
"Good luck," she whispered.
Catherine was walking to her car, about to leave a crime scene, when her phone rang.
"Willows." She listened to the voice on the other end, the smile on her face fading. "I'll be there as soon as I can."
Damn, what was she supposed to do now? Warrick had already left for the lab, taking with him the bulk of the evidence. Catherine had stayed for a few last items. Now, however, she needed to go the high school and pick up Lindsey, who was in trouble yet again. Just then, Brass came out of the house, heading for his own truck.
"Hey, Brass, I need you to do me a little favor. I'll owe you one."
"What..." Brass's cell phone rang at that moment. "Hold that thought. Brass speaking." He listened intently for a moment before hanging up. "Sorry, Catherine, can't help you out. That was just Hailey's school. Apparently, she's decided to start her education at Dunes High by getting well acquainted with the principal. I have to go pick her up."
"Wait a minute. Did you say Dunes High?" She looked at him with an expression of shock on her face. A very un-Catherine expression that caught Jim's attention more then her words did.
"Yeah, why?"
"That's the favor. I need you to take my evidence to the lab so that I can go to the high school and pick Lindsey up from the principal's office."
"Oh, great. This is one of those moments to write home about. Dear Sis- took your daughter to school today. The good news is, she really made an impression," Brass remarked wryly.
"It doesn't make much sense for both of us to miss work," Catherine noted.
"Flip you for it," Brass joked.
Catherine shook her head, but managed to keep from rolling her eyes. Men. "It's almost the end of the shift. Why don't I go deal with the school while you take my evidence back to the lab? I'll drop Hailey off at the station on my way home."
"Works for me. The less time I have to spend in schools the better. Damn place always makes me break out in a rash. I spent more then a few hours with the principal when I was a student."
"No, Jim. You? Never would have guessed." Sarcasm dripped from Catherine's voice.
Jim pretended to ignore her comment. "Hailey will be the girl with the pink hair and the 'who me?' expression on her face."
Hailey had already endured her lecture from the principal, and traded places with Lindsey, who was now facing her own lecture. The outer door to the office swung open, and for just a moment Hailey thought it might be her uncle. She was a little nervous about facing him. Uncle Jim was usually pretty cool, but he might not be about this. Who knew how seriously he was going to take the whole guardian thing. It was new to the both of them.
She was granted a reprieve. It was not her uncle who walked into the room, but a woman with strawberry blond hair. Well dressed, in her late forties, Hailey would have to guess, and enough features in common with Lindsey to tell that they were related. The door to the principal's office swung open, and Lindsey stepped out.
"Uh, hi mom."
Score three points for Hailey. Could she call it or what?
"Fighting, Lindsey? I thought we talked about it last time this happened." Catherine tightened her lips, giving her daughter one of those looks that only moms seem to be able to pull off. Hailey was suddenly glad that her own mom was six thousand miles away.
"Come on, we'll discuss this at home." Hailey was about to pick up one of the out-of-date magazines on the table when Catherine turned her attention to her. "Hailey, you're coming with me too."
"I'm...what...who?" Hailey was momentarily stunned.
"What?" Lindsey also wanted to know.
Catherine realized that they hadn't yet been introduced. "I'm Catherine Willows, a CSI at the Vegas Crime Lab. I work with your uncle."
"Ohh, trippy." Hailey tried to think of something to say, but the only thing running through her head is a conversation she had 'accidentally' overheard about Catherine being an ex-stripper, and the fact that her ex-husband had been killed a couple of years ago. Neither of those details seemed like good conversation starters.
Catherine led the two girls out of the school and towards her car, lecturing the both of them in equal measure. She continued her harangue throughout most of the drive, stopping only long enough for Hailey and Lindsey to offer halfhearted apologies and promises never to repeat their behaviors again.
"At least not unless they deserve it," Lindsey muttered to her companion.
"Lindsey Willows," Catherine snapped, "That is not the right attitude."
"Sorry, mom." Lindsey couldn't stop the grin from spreading across her face, but had enough sense to hide it behind her hand.
"This conversation is far from over, young lady," Catherine informed her daughter as they pulled into the LVPD parking lot. "Wait in the car, I'll be right back."
Catherine and Hailey were halfway to the front door when Hailey turned back to the car.
"Hey, Lindsey," she called out.
Lindsey rolled down the car window and stuck out her head. "Yeah?"
"We should do this again sometime." Hailey could feel Catherine's eyes watching her. "You know, without the detention and stuff."
"That'd be tight."
Jim Brass was waiting next to the reception desk when they walked in.
"Well look, if it isn't my favorite juvenile delinquent. How was your first day of school?" he asked sarcastically.
"I made a new friend," Hailey quipped.
"Wonderful." Brass rolled his eyes.
"So, Uncle Jimmy, any chance you wanna take me out to ice cream to celebrate my first day of school?" She was grinning at him, hoping to avoid any more serious discussion. Hailey had a feeling that if her uncle put his mind to it, he could deliver a lecture ten times more lethal then any her mom had ever given.
"Ice cream. Yeah, right, that's going to happen." Brass grabbed his niece's shoulder and led her back out of the building. "Only place we're going is back to my place. My recommendation; when we get there, you go take a nap, because tonight your coming to work with me."
"Aww, come on, Uncle J. I can stay alone. Mom lets me all the time."
"Guess what? I'm not your mom. I know my natural good looks make us easy to confuse, but I'm the one you're stuck with now, and I say that girls who ditch school can't be trusted to stay home alone."
"But."
"Hailey Elisabeth Brass, this is not up for discussion." There was an edge to his voice, one Hailey guessed he used while interrogating suspects. She didn't dare argue.
"Yes, sir," she said meekly. Or at least as meekly as she was capable of.
"Smart ass." But he tousled her hair as he spoke, and Hailey wasn't worried.
"So, work tonight. You think Greg's on duty?"
To be continued...