Author's Notes: Yay, someone's a loyal reader! –happy-
Well, here's the next chapter you've all been.. waiting for..?
Hooray!
By the way, I am only a twelve-year old freshman in high school. If anything here does not mix with the fourth-year curriculum, PLEASE TELL ME. Thank you very much.
Disclaimer: Not mine. But I'm prepared to go into a catfight with Eoin Colfer if I have to.
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Punkartgurl13: Aw, really? I thought it was rather corny. –sheepish grin- This chapter is dedicated to you and your dollar-correcting amazingness. :D Oh, and I know Myles is mean. But that's what makes it so fun to write about him! Sorry about the Artemis thing. I haven't read the whole series, so I didn't want to lie about anything. I honestly spoiled myself. I am not worthy enough to meet kind-Artemis.
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"Oh the laundry needs, the laundry needs
To be done, and nobody's working!
And so he says, and so he says
Wash – I don't care if your back's hurting!"
-A Reona-chan Poem-
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The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and –
- I was doing some laundry.
Now, you would think that rich bastards like these Fowl boys would have a washing machine of their own, right? Well, yeah, don't get me wrong, they do, but they like making their slaves go through a whole lot of crap before treating them normally (think Artemis and Butler's relationship, I guess).
I was in stage one: Work your slave's ass off.
Beckett, being the non-genius and non-evil person in the family, had only wanted me to help him with his Math homework. But (in this situation, could I spell it as 'butt' instead?), Myles had arrived from 'work' (or, maybe his lady for the day – I could tell he was a pimp from his overly-inflated ego) when Beckett asked me, and had taken the opportunity to do none other than piss me off.
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"Mary, can you help me with my homework?" Beckett asked, approaching me with a notebook in hand and a pencil. He blinked slowly, and I looked up from my cheesy romance novel of the week, staring at him. Beckett almost grinned sheepishly, and shoved the notebook in my face.
"It's not as easy as you think."
Raising an eyebrow, I looked at the notebook and kept the lollipop in my mouth (just to spite Artemis when he would walk in), reading over the equation.
x plus y is equal to twelve, equation number one.
3x is equal to 4x, equation number two.
I shrugged, taking his pencil and looking over the problem, over and over again. Yeah, pretend you actually understand it, girlie. You barely even know what topic he's taking up, do you? I frowned at the voice, and tried to push it away. I didn't go to college, but I sure as hell didn't graduate high school with nothing crammed into (my once-empty) head.
"Beckett.. why're you taking basic Math? Shouldn't you be taking college?" I asked, looking at the boy, who was not even that much older than I was. Beckett smiled a little shyly, rubbing the back of his neck, again. Note to self: Tell Beckett that it is not a good hobby. You'll never know when you'd have dandruff, and bam, the flakes fall.
"I failed fourth year, didn't get to give all my requirements."
Damn, he really is different.
Ironic that he's twins with that Myles guy.
Yeah.
But you do know you still like them, right?
Beckett? Sure. Myles? I'd rather go die.
First stage – DENIAL!
Once more pushing the voice to the back of my mind, I sighed.
"Alright, so first you gotta – "
"Mary, do stop poisoning my brother's mind with your incessant babbling, and come here."
There was no mistaking that evil voice of doom! It was like, hearing a dying cat over and over again on loop whenever that manic kid talked! I mean, God, couldn't he torture someone else? Like his mom or something?
"What now, Master?" That last word was dripping with sarcasm. I was so proud of myself right now, I had to convince myself not to grin like an idiot. Teeth showing and all. Myles, seeming the least bit disconcerted, held up one of those.. washing thingies you only see in old movies where the women move their clothes on with such strength that you think they'd actually kill the thing, which would make sense if clothes were cannibals. But they weren't, which was too bad.
"You, will do the laundry, Mary."
At that moment, the most evil grin I've ever seen in my entire life appeared on his face, and I would have beaten him up if he weren't the guy who currently kept my head under a roof.
God, it was hard to resist doing it, really.
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"I."
Brush.
"Hate."
Brush.
"Myles."
Brush.
"Fowl!"
Brushbrushbrush.
Apparently, I was taking my anger on my laundry doing, which might not be very good; if the Fowl boys didn't like seeing rips in their shirts and pants. Though, I wouldn't mind the pants thing very much. It would be funny seeing Myles walk around with a hole in his pants, right where his butt was.
I would have laughed if I wasn't supposed to be suffering.
"Sorry about all this," Beckett said, out of nowhere; appearing from the back door of the kitchen (where I entered, because I looked 'too poor' to exit the front – stupid Myles), with his arms crossed over his chest. He got these pretty blue eyes that sparkled really nicely when the sun glinted, but they were usually covered by his awfully long bangs. He did not take regular haircuts, I supposed; but at least it wasn't as.. fixed as Myles's was. I mean, COME ON, you don't need gel on your bangs, do you? Or is there some new teen-style I'm not aware of yet?
"Nah, it's alright. Your brother's a jerk. I don't blame you," I mumbled, obviously lying through my teeth. I forgot when I became such a good liar (actress, most preferably, but I don't act for free). Maybe it happened when I found out that Justin (that really cute guy in History class who sat across from me and had the nice-smelling hair) was shot in the arm. Kids these days – right to hold weaponry was stupid. Do their moms know they have guns?
Well, they should, because I bet Myles had around thirty-two on his person.
Beckett grinned, and nodded; placing his hands in his pockets and tilting his head slightly as he looked at me. "Man, it's been a long time since we last saw you, you know?" he said, and scratched the back of his head a little sheepishly. I would've gone all, 'aww', or 'yeah, I know. I missed you too', if I actually knew what he was talking about. Which I didn't. Because I was just-freaking-amazing like that.
".. Uh, yeah, sure."
When I said that, Beckett blinked twice and peered at my face curiously.
Oh, God, I thought to myself, wincing. He's one of those guys who search your face for pimples and then rub it in your face that you're going through puberty.
"Are you okay, Marie – er, I mean, Mary. That's a new nickname, isn't it?" he asked, and I blinked slowly, and nodded. "Er, sure, I'm okay, besides the fact your brother's making me do the laundry when he could work his own pretty little fingers off," I replied swiftly, continuing to destroy – um, clean the fabric in my hands.
Beckett grinned, and scratched his cheek, sitting on this.. squarish.. thingy.
"You sure? I mean, you don't remember anything, do you, Marie?"
"I can't remember anything I never experienced, buddy," I said, looking at the shirt in the light and then putting it into the 'washed clothes' basket, for hanging later. (Insert curse word of choice here), I thought to myself, wincing inwardly, I'm starting to get responsible. Darn you, mother!
I saw Beckett about to open his mouth, before Myles appeared (I don't know whether I should be glad or not, since there were two possibilities – a) he's allow me to go inside, or b) he'd make it worse. It was most likely the latter), in all his egotistical, pompous glory.
"Brother, do leave Mary and I for a few moments," and Myles put on his best smile, which would have made me melt, if I didn't remind myself that this guy was the devil's incarnate. Or worse, my mother's incarnate. I shot a look at Beckett as if to say, Don't leave me alone!
But Beckett only directed a sad glance at me, and hopped off of where he sat (a sink? I couldn't see very well), and walked in – leaving me and my worst nightmare alone.
"You're horrible, you know that?" I asked Myles, frowning and continuing to wash. "Y'think you're so high and almighty, when you're nothing but a kid hiding behind wealth and power," I mumbled, and Myles only chuckled in response. Did he even have a heart? Or was he just not affected? God. This kid needed to learn.
"Have you been keeping the key, Mary?" he asked, out of nowhere, and I blinked. Great. Even more references to my apparent doppelganger, Marie, who I had no idea existed in the first place. I wonder why I resembled her. I didn't have anything in common, right? I mean, well, except the mole which was on the upper left of my lip (sounds familiar? Just like Marilyn Monroe! It was our similarity – though thank God it was our only similarity), which was special – and might be the reason they thought I was Marie. But, well, you'll never really know.
I decided to do what I did best with Myles.
Lie through my teeth.
"Of course, Myles," I said, and found myself wondering why I couldn't lie to Beckett, but could to this guy. Must be their personalities. Favoritism, maybe, my horrible, horrible conscience told me.
Whatever.
Stop denying it, sweetie.
I'll stop denying it when I gain ten pounds.
Oh. That might happen soon.
Fuck. Should've thought that bet through.
Myles showed the closest thing to a smile after that last comment I made to my inner self (which made me wonder if he could read minds or something), and nodded.
"Very well. I have another job for you to do."
He took his work jacket off and his tie, and folded them neatly, putting them on the side (how feminine). He smirked only slightly when he popped one of his buttons off.
My eyes widened. Only slightly.
"Listen up, buddy, if you're going to give me a strip tease, you do know I'm not like most of those whores you take from bars, right?" I said, rolling my eyes. Myles only chuckled, before fully removing his buttons, exposing his chest.
Damn, is he pale!
Sexy, isn't it?
Leave me alone.
I was about to open my mouth to retort, when a ball of cloth shot me right in the face. My face was burning, I was sure about it (well, Myles was a bit handsome – I couldn't deny that), and Myles smirked evilly.
"Something else to add to your pile of never-ending laundry, sweetheart."
I winced and threw my shoe at him.
That curse word that slipped his mouth was worth seeing him strip.
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Author's Notes: It's done, hallelujah. Next chapter might not come as quickly – I have exams next week, which sucks heavily. My computer-usage won't be much, if at all. PLUS, I have other things to update, so PLEASE forgive me. I hope this was worth the wait.. I only hope.
See you guys later, in the next chapter.
Feel free to add my Yahoo! Messenger ID if you wish. It's lana101296, if anyone's interested. I might give you teasers to the next chapters, if you're lucky enough. And you might give me a brilliant idea to use here (with credit, of course).
Again, thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed the third chapter of 'Shameless'.