"Truth Hurts"

Chapter 4

Still Thursday February 23

Vaughn walked into the science room at 8 p.m. just like the invitation said. He turned on the light and sat down and waited. He didn't exactly know what he was waiting for. The door opened and Lucas walked in.

"Hey Lucas, what are you doing here," asked Vaughn.

"I got this strange invitation," he said as he held up the white envelope.

"Yeah me too, what's going on," asked Vaughn.

"I don't know. I know less than you do. Did I just say that," said Lucas.

"Hey Vaughn I wanted to thank you for standing up for me."

"How do you mean?"

"Well you were going to beat up those two goons for me, why?"

"You know, I'm not the horrible person you think I am." Lucas just nodded his head.

"No one hurts my friends and gets away with it. Not that it matters, but for the record is Marshall your boyfriend?"

"No we're just friends."

"Good because I was thinking of asking him out," said Vaughn. He could barely say it with a straight face.

"Very funny," said Lucas.

Corrine and Josie walked in to hear them laughing.

"What's going on, said Josie?"

Madison then came in with Stu.

"Oh God, what is she doing here?" asked Madison when she saw Josie.

"I'm not staying for this," said Josie.

Marshall walked in and stopped her. "Nobody's going anywhere."

"You invited us here," asked Corrine.

"Yeah I wanted to get everything out in the open. We keep having important conversations one on one. I want everyone to know what's going on," explained Marshall.

"So what's going on," asked Josie.

"I really don't know either, but I'm going to find out," said Marshall.

"First off, let's talk about who beat up Chris and Danny, those morons who hurt Lucas," said Marshall.

"Why should we tell you anything," asked Madison.

"Because we have to get our stories straight when we go to Durst later and confess."

"What makes you think I'll confess to any of this," said Madison.

"You don't really have to," said Marshall.

"What do you mean," asked Madison.

"Well Stu already told me he did it and you put him up to it," said Marshall.

"And why would Stu lie about that," asked Lucas.

"Obviously because he doesn't want to take the blame by himself," said Madison.

"The truth is you don't have any evidence against me. It's Stu's word against mine."

"That's true, I just want to know why you did it," said Marshall.

"I told you I didn't do anything."

"Stu, when did Madison come to you," asked Marshall.

"She came to my room as I was about to leave for football practice."

"And what did she say," asked Marshall.

"She said she overheard you and Vaughn talking about beating up these two football players after practice."

"Oh she did, did she," said Marshall.

"She told me she couldn't let that happen," said Stu.

Madison it's about time you start telling the truth," said Marshall. "Why did you stop us from beating up Chris and Danny, only to frame us later?"

"It's like watching Colombo," said Lucas. Everyone started laughing.

"Very funny. Madison, answer the question," said Marshall.

Madison let out a deep breath, "The plan wasn't to frame you."

"Then what was your plan," asked Marshall.

"I didn't want Vaughn to go to prison, so that's why when I overheard you and Vaughn talking, I came up with this plan. I went to Stu's room and asked him to do this for me."

"Why Stu, why not another football player."

"I knew he wasn't so smart and that he would be the easiest to manipulate, and he's the biggest guy on the team."

"Why did you agree to do this Stu," asked Marshall.

"I don't know, she told me why they beat up Lucas and I felt bad," said Stu.

"Madison, how did you know that's why they beat up Lucas?"

"I overheard them say they were going to do it."

"And this was after you spread that rumor, you did spread it didn't you," asked Marshall.

"You keep talking about the truth, why don't you start telling the truth Marshall," said Madison.

"What?" asked Marshall.

"Why don't you admit you and Lucas were going out? I saw you and Lucas kissing." said Madison.

"We were not,"

"Marshall, stop lying, we were kissing," said Lucas.

"Was this before or after we hooked each other up to that stupid machine you made?" asked Josie.

"It was a couple of days ago," said Madison.

"So our feelings really had nothing to do with that machine," asked Corrine.

"Well that depends. Corrine, do you still like Vaughn," asked Marshall.

"No I haven't since Valentine's," said Corrine.

"I saw you checking out his butt just yesterday. This room is full of liars," said Madison.

"Alright I admit I'm still attracted to him and I don't know why. I just wish things could go back to the way they were before," said Corrine.

"Wait guys, I just remembered something," said Lucas. They all turned to Lucas.

"I saw Madison talking to someone about getting Professor Z fired," said Lucas.

"I knew it," said Josie.

"Who was she talking to," asked Marshall.

"I can't remember. It's still a little blurry," said Lucas.

"Madison, you better start telling the truth," said Marshall.

"Why should I," said Madison.

"Well we're not leaving until you do," said Marshall. Stu and Vaughn stood in front of the door.

"Now who were you talking to," asked Josie.

"Alright, alright it's bound to come out," said Madison. "I was talking to Victor," she said.

"Victor, since when do you hang out with Victor," said Josie.

"I remember. I went over to Victor's to find that stupid ball and I overheard Madison telling Victor that she had told Durst about Josie and Z the day before," said Lucas.

"So you did tell Durst about us. Why would Victor want Z fired," asked Josie.

"He's not too fond of Z, and with Z out of the way, it would make it easier for Victor to find out what's going on with the science club," said Madison.

"Wait a minute, was that why Lucas was beat up, to keep him quiet," asked Marshall.

"No not exactly," said Madison.

"Then what exactly," said Lucas.

"We were only going to erase his memory. I gave Chris the device and otld him how to use it," said Madison.

"So what happened,"

"Apparently Chris took it upon himself to beat you up. I don't know why," said Madison.

"Sure you don't," said Josie.

"I'm telling the truth," said Madison.

"Maybe they did it because of that stupid rumor you started about me and Marshall," said Lucas.

"First of all that wasn't a rumor, it was true and second of all, you're probably right," said Madison.

"Why you little witch," Josie yelled. She lunged for Madison's throat, but Marshall stopped her.

"I think we can all agree violence is not the answer," said Marshall.

"So, is that the whole story," asked Lucas.

"Not quite," said Madison.

"There's more, " said Josie.

"Much more. You see I may have been the reason why you're all crushing on each other," said Madison.

"I gotta sit down," said Marshall.

Everybody started yelling at Madison at once.

"Wait, hold up, let the little witch speak," yelled Lucas.

"Thank you, I think," said Madison.

"Just start from the beginning," said Lucas.

"Okay, well I guess it all started about a week before Valentine's Day. Victor invited me over to his house. I had no idea why, but I jumped on the oppurtunity to go to Vaughn Pearson's house and maybe check out his room."

"Oh brother," Lucas said while rolling his eyes.

"May I continue, Anyway, Victor told me that he wanted me to snoop on the science club and also keep Vaughn away from Josie."

"Does Satan know about you," said Marshall.

"I only did it because Victor promised me a lot of money and I hate that little midget," said Madison.

"I may be a midget, but at least I'm not a slimy little backstabber," said Josie.

"Girls can you continue the cat fight later," said Marshall. "Continue, Madison."

"As I was saying, he asked me to spy on all of you, but what he didn't know was I had this power to control people's thoughts," said Madison.

"How did you get this power," asked Lucas.

"I'm not sure, but I think it happened when I was struck by lightning the night before our little meeting," said Madison.

"You what," asked Marshall. He started laughing and pretty soon everyone joined in.

"It's not funny. Anyway that night I thought, wouldn't it be funny if Corrine had a crush on Vaughn just to make Josie mad."

"You what," asked Josie.

"I had no idea this would actually happen. The next day I noticed Corrine checking out Vaughn's butt, so I asked her if she liked him."

"What did she say," asked Josie.

"I can speak for myself. I said no," said Corrine.

"But I could tell she was lying," said Madison. "Anyway, that morning, Victor asked me over to his house again, ans askd me if there was a way I could get Professor Z fired."

"So you came up with the idea to have Professor Z and I crush on each other," said Josie.

"Of course. It would kill two birds with one stone. Z would get fired and it would keep you and Vaughn apart," said Madison.

"So why me and Marshall," asked Lucas.

"Just to mess with you. All you science club people are just so stuck up, you think you're better and smarter than everyone," said Madison.

"Well you answered my question. Satan must know about you, since you are Satan," said Marshall. Lucas started to laugh.

"Excuse me? We're stuck up? You should look in the mirror sometime," said Josie.

"So is that it, or is there more?" said Marshall.

"Nope that about covers it," said Madison.

""Wait a minute there is just one more thing," said Marshall.

"He really is Colombo," said Lucas.

"Why did you tell the police that you saw me and Vaughn go into the woods at the time of the crime if you didn't want Vaughn to get arrested," said Marshall.

"I didn't tell the police that," said Madison.

"Then who did," asked Marshall.

"I did. I couldn't let them find out it was me," said Stu.

"Well in the words of Ricky Ricardo, you got some splaining to do," said Marshall. "Let's go."

"Where are we going," asked Madison,

"We are all going to principal Durst," said Marshall.

"Wait," said Corrine. "She can still control our thoughts. How are we going to reverse that?"

"Maybe if she gets struck by lighning again, her powers will go away," said Josie.

"Getting hit by lightning twice almost never hapopens and it can kill a person," said Marshall.

"Plus we'd have to wait for another storm," said Lucas.

"Maybe we could electrocute her ourselves We could do electro-shock therapy," said Corrine.

"Are you insane? I'm not letting you near me," said Madison.

"Maybe there's a safer way." said Corrine.

"We should get Z," said Josie.

"Good idea, but first let's go to Principal Durst," said Marshall. "Oh and Vaughn go tell your dad, she's not working for him anymore."

"How much money did he give you," asked Lucas.

"A hundred dollars so far," said Madison.

"Cough it up and Vaughn, give it back to your dad," said Marshall. Vaughn opens the door and leaves. They are all about to wallk out,

"Wait," said Josie. They all turned around.

"I need to talk to Madison alone," said Josie.

"Okay, but we'll be right outside," said Marshall. He pointed at them and wagged his finger back and forth. Corrine, Stu, and Lucas walked into the hallway and Marshall closed the door.

"Did you talk to Corrine about our deal," asked Stu.

"What deal," asked Corrine.

"Oh nothing, I just promised Stu a date with you if he confessed," said Marshall. Lucas started to laugh.

"That's not funny. Are you crazy Marshall? No way," said Corrine.

"Please, as a favor to me," said Marshall.

"Fine, one date," said Corrine.

"Yeah," Stu yelled.

Corrine just rolled her eyes. Marshall and Lucas just laughed.

Back inside the science room, Josie asked Madison for a favor.

"I need your help," said Josie.

"Like I would ever help you," said Madison.

"Oh you will help me or I will tell everyone about your nose job," said Josie.

"You wouldn't," said Madison.

"Do you really want to take that chance," said Josie.

"Fine, what do you want," asked Madison.

"I want you to put the thought into Professor Z's girlfriend's mind to leave him and go back to her old boyfriend," said Josie.

"Done, just don't tell anyone about my nose," said Madison.

"Fine," said Josie with her fingers crossed behind her back.

A/N: Hope you enjoyed it, please review and leave any questions you may have.