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Chapter Twenty Eight

MADISON

I wake up when I hear the shouts. My father, Wen and my mother. They are all arguing but I can't understand what is being said. I feel like I haven't slept in years. My eyes refuse to stay open and my throat is sore like if I am sick.

"Should I get a lawyer?" I hear Dylan whispers from somewhere in the room. I sit how I can on the sofa and find him sitting against a wall talking with Levy while they eat a plate of fruit.

"My mother would handle it," Levy assures him whispering too.

"What's going on?" I ask hoarsely. They look at me and immediately Dylan stands up giving me a plate full of different slices of fruit. "Good morning," he says smiling and I force a smile taking the fruit waiting for an answer to my question.

"They notified about the lawsuit, an hour ago," replies Levy. Oh.

"That's what all the fuss is about?" I ask putting a piece of watermelon in my mouth. It has a strange and disgusting flavor for some reason.

"Well, Wen didn't take it well... as expected," Levy says eating a grape like I do but this time it makes me sick with its terrible flavor, so much that I end up vomiting on the floor. "Madison!" one of them holds my hair while the arcades continue and I can't stop.

"Are you okay?" Levy asks passing his hand on my back. I don't think I am okay, this wouldn't be happening if I were okay. It's not supposed to happen.

"Water," I ask and immediately they give me a small glass of water. But the moment it touches my mouth it ends up in the floor.

"Madison," this time I hear my mother who in less than a second is already beside me. "Honey are you okay?" she holds my face and looks me in the eyes. "You are burning." She touches my forehead, neck and hands, worried.

"I am fine," I assure her despite the headache that it's beginning to grow and the fact that all I want is more sleep.

"What's wrong?" she asks worried.

"I want to sleep," I say trying to lie back down and she looks at me confused when clearly my eyelids begin to close against my will.

"Sure, you... are going to be fine," she says helping me to lay down again and passes her hand on my hair sitting next to me. "Did they give her something?" I hear my mother saying like she's talking through a tunnel far away. I don't hear any answer but I suppose they say no.

* * *

The court where we are cited three days later is huge. A room with dark wooden furniture full of chairs of the same color. The desk where the judge is supposed to be has a big and shiny golden plate with his name carved on it: JUDGE WILLIAM FREDERIKSEN. Next to it there's the small podium where we will testify later, and in front of this there are two tables, each with two chairs; one for the applicant and the other for the defendant.

Behind and separated by a railing, there are the places for the witnesses and observers. From one side the witnesses for the applicant and the other for the defendant's. If you ask me I don't really know why they bother to separate us.

"Hello, Madison you look gorgeous," Clarisse greets me giving me a kiss on the cheek and holds my hands in hers. "You can relax, the only thing you need to do is answer with the truth," she assures me.