A/N: Hey everyone, thankx a bunch for the reviews I really appreciate it. Here is the next chapter.
"What are you doing here?" asked a female voice. Fox replied with a Cheshire grin, "I think I'm the one who should be asking you that."
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Chapter 2:
"Well if isn't my older brother, the playboy of Europe? " laughed the female as she walked over to the stairs and gave her brother small hug. Fox smiled, "Lindsey my darling little sister, how are you?"
Fox stepped down from the stairs and followed his sister into the living room, watching as she flipped her hair while she talked. 'Great, now I have to play big brother and fight off the boys.' he thought wryly.
"I'm doing great actually. Father just gave me another credit card." exclaimed Lindsey. Fox scratched his chin, replying, "Ahh, so you maxed out your last one." The younger sibling launched a couch pillow at his head just as their parents and the oldest brother walked in from the foyer of the mansion.
"Lindsey, Foxworth. Cut it out right this minute or I will cut off both of your allowances!" argued Ivy Crane, wife to Julain Crane and mother of four. Fox waved Ivy off, "Mother please, you took my allowance away weeks ago."
Julian walked swiftly towards the beverages bar and poured him a glass of whiskey. "Ivy, let the children have some fun. Lord knows they'll be back off to boarding school soon anyway." he assured his wife. Fox stood to his feet, "I begged to differ father. I will be attending Harmony high tomorrow."
Ethan Crane, the oldest and the Crane heir, asked, "Now Fox how on earth did you do that without father and mother's consent?" Fox countered sarcastically, "How are you so stupid, yet smart enough to get into Harvard?"
Before Ivy could reprimend Fox for his rudeness, Pilar came walking through the doors behind Lindsey and Fox with a teenage girl following her. "Theresita, you go home right this minute. I don't know where you get these crazy ideas." said Pilar, not knowing she had an audience.
Theresa stopped mid-track, "Crazy ideas mama? They aren't crazy. I know for a fact that Antonio's leaving. He told me so himself!" The frustrated mother turned around to face her daughter replying, "¡Usted para el derecho este Theresa instantáneo! Just stop it!"
"Is everything are right Pilar?" questioned Ivy, quite bothered by the situation. The housekeeper faced Ivy and answered, "Yes Mrs. Crane. Everything is alright."
Turning back towards Theresa, she said calmly, "I want you to go home right now. I will speak with you when I get there."
Angry, Theresa said hurtfully, "He's just like that stupid asshole who you insist on calling your faithful husband. Well guess what mother, faifthful my ass. Him and Antonio can go kiss a goat's balls for all I care. They're no family of mine and whether you choose to believe me or not is up to you." She pushed past the Cranes and stormed out of the house leaving behind a distraught Pilar and a whole lot of shocked faces.
"Pilar, why don't you go home early. I'm sure you would like to...go straighten things out between you and Theresa." suggested Ivy, placing a comforting hand on Pilar's shoulder. The Hispanic woman wiped away her tears and said, "Thank you Mrs. Crane. I will come in early tomorrow to make up for the lost time."
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The next morning...
"Theresita, get up right now or you'll be late!" shouted Luis just as he did every morning. And just like every morning, Theresa grumbled and pulled the covers over her head. Not hearing any other movement, Luis banged on the door, thus causing Theresa to tumble out of the bed with a loud thud that ringed throughout the small Lopez-Fitzgerald home.
Minutes later, Theresa came out in her usual attire only today her hair was tangled and flowing down mid-back. "Theresa, where were you last night? Mama stayed up waiting for you so you could explain to her what the hell has been going through your mind these past years." said Luis, placing his morning cup of coffee down on the table.
Theresa grabbed a peice of toast from the toaster and bit into it as she walked over to the whitish yellow frigerator. "Nothings going on. She just doesn't want to believe that her 'sweet Antonio' hasn't packed his stuff and skipped town, ditching us in the process."
Luis remained stoic and replied, "You didn't answer my question. Where were you last night?" Theresa finished off her toast and drank from the orange juice carton. Wiping the left over residue from her mouth Theresa sassed, "That's because its none of your business. But, since you just have to be so nosey, I was out."
Luis slammed his hand down on the table. "You need to stop this now Theresa! I am about sick and tired of your back talk." He breathed in deeply, "I got a call from your principal the other day, says you skipped again. I'm tired of it all Theresa, this skipping and the whole bad girl image needs to stop right now."
Silence passed over before Luis continued, "What is it Theresa, what's bothering you? I mean one day you were this sweet little girl and now...now I can't even get you to stay in school. What happened to that girl I used to give piggy-back rides to, huh? Is it something I did, was it mama? Who or what did this to you Theresa? It had to be something because I know this isn't just some teenage hormones thing like Dr. Russell is saying."
Theresa sighed, "Its not you, Luis. Or mama, it's...nothing okay. I grew up fast is all. I saw the world for what it really is. Cold, heartless, and most of all...unforgiving. I guess I just figuered that out before everyone else though."
Luis sat uncomfotably in his chair, unsure of what to think...or what to say. "I need to go, I'm already fifteen minutes late. Not that it really matters" said Theresa as she left through the back door. Luis prayed, "Lord please help us, look after Theresa." as he watched her go.
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A science classroom...
"Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald, how lovely of you to grace us with your presents." greeted the biology teacher sarcastically. Theresa mumbled, walking to her desk, "Put a sock in it Patroulski." She sat down, fully unaware of the person sitting next to her.
Mr. Patroulski asked, "Oh, what was that Ms. Theresa?" Before the irate Hispanic teenage girl could respond with an insult, Whitney who sat across from Theresa said, "Mr. P, why don't you tell Theresa about her new lab partner."
The teacher nodded his head, "Yes, Ms. Theresa, you have a new lab partner." He looked across the room at her over his wire rimmed glasses, trying to spot a reaction. The only reply was, "Yea, so I've heard." which only exited Theresa's mouth dry and sour.
Theresa turned to see who her new partner was and was met with the smug looking face of her worse nightmare...okay maybe second to worst. "You know when I said go back to private school I wasn't kidding." she said before pulling on her earphones and listening to her Green Day CD when she noticed the teacher wasn't looking at her.
"I take it she has already met you. I'm Whitney, Whitney Russell." introduced the popular tennis player, holding her hand out over the table for him to shake. Fox took her hand in to his and kissed it. " I am Nickolas Foxworth Crane but, you, sexy can call me Fox." he said, easily winning Whitney over.
Whitney flashed him a coy grin and shivered at his soft touch. "Easy Bit-" the teacher interupted Theresa, telling her to take off her headphones or he would send her to the principal's office.
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Lunch...
"So, how do you know Theresa? I mean, she doesn't exactly come off as friendly." asked Whitney as she and Fox walked over to a empty lunch table in the courtyard. The blonde headed boy replied, his gaze on Theresa alone in a dark corner listening to music, "Yeah. I met her a couple of times when we were little. Unfortunately, I was too late to meet the sweet girl that she used to be. Do you know what happened to her? Why she's like that now?"
Whitney answered, "Honestly, no I don't. All I know is that her father disappeared the same day she woke up deft in one ear and wouldn't talk to anyone. After awhile her hearing came back but, she still wouldn't speak. My mom, Dr. Russell, she thinks it's just a coincidence but, Theresa's bother who's a cop doesn't think so."
Fully looking at Whitney, Fox asked, "And what does he think?" He watched as her face contorted into doubt and relax again. "I shouldn't be telling you this. I mean you're a Crane and Luis...well he thinks your family is responsible for Mr. Lopez-Fitzgerald's disapperance and Theresa's disability to really communicate with people." replied Whitney truthfully.
Fox placed his right hand on Whitney's left, "I promise I won't say anything. I just want to know what happened to Theresa that was so horible." There was along moment where only teens around them were talking before Whitney answered.
"He, Luis, thinks that maybe Theresa saw something the night before she woke up deft. He thinks it has everything to do with their father and the Cranes, most importantly Alistair. He keeps getting so close to proving that Alistair Crane was involved and then the 'witnesses' would call in and say it was a mistake." said Whitney.
Fox was definitely intrigued now. "If he thinks Theresa knows something, then why doesn't he just ask her? Why not just sit her down and talk?" questioned Fox. The young African American replied, "She keeps on insisting that she doesn't know anything. And he can't just sit her down and talk to her because he's afraid he'll scare her off or lose her for good."
Fox found something deeply confusing so he said, "Then why does he think she has anything to do with her father being missing? I mean, he shouldn't just jump to conclusions like that." Whitney sighed in frustration. "Its not that simple Fox. A four year old girl just doesn't wake up deft and not talking to anyone out of the blue. And you know what? I don't think it's just a coincidence that this happens on the same exact day that her father is reported missing."
Fox looked over to the dark corner of the courtyard and found that Theresa had already gone, probably skipping the rest of the day. 'Okay, so her bother undoubtly hates the Cranes and Theresa is well...unresponsive to everything.' he thought silently, saying aloud, "This is going to be harder than I thought."
Whitney asked, "What's going to be harder than you thought?" Fox, unaware of Whitney still being there stimbled out, "Huh, what? Oh...nothing, just me being new is all." The tennis player laughed, " Oh please you're rich and sexy, you'll be popular in no time."
A/N: Alright, there it is. Plz tell me what you all think. If you have any ideas, please, share them.