Formerly known as We The Young / Vera, a singer held back by her size, and Ashton, a songwriter looking to stop failing himself, team up to achieve their dreams by forming the greatest rock band of our time.
***
Vera has always dreamt of being a sin...
Ayrton laughed. "Somehow we're worse than you being a lap dog to politicians more corrupt even than you? Or than our drunk off her ass mother?"
My eyes widened.
I didn't know these things. Ashton never said anything.
The Senator snapped. "Shut up, I'm not talking to you."
The lawyer cleared his throat. "Um, excuse me, sir. This is not the best place to have this kind of discussion."
The Senator looked around at the many eyes on him and adjusted his tie. "Right."
"Well, I have good news." The lawyer pushed his glasses up his nose. "I checked with the law enforcement and none of you have been pressed any charges, since your tests have come out clean. We've made sure your records will stay clear; after all it isn't illegal to attend a party while being a minor, as long as there is no consumption of alcohol or illicit substances. You just need to be picked up by your legal guardians."
We all looked at each other, wondering if we were hearing straight. Quinn, especially, was reluctant to believe it.
"How's this possible? I thought we were in trouble," he said.
The Senator looked him up and down. "Not this time, Montgomery. Although this could become a pattern."
Everybody jumped out of their skin as I started laughing. I slowly made my way up, my chest bubbling with dark amusement. I stood in between his sons and looked up at his face.
"We meet again, sir," I said, smiling even though I didn't mean it. "I'm sure you're expecting us to fall over our faces in gratitude for your help, and don't get me wrong, I am thankful — for your lawyer. You?" I tilted my head with a frown. "You've disappointed me. I thought a man like you was supposed to be a servant of the people, not a bully to his own flesh and blood. Or that you'd dare imply that we'll keep getting in trouble. Why?" I asked him, narrowing my eyes. "Because we're not in the same social circles as you? Or is it something else?"
I felt a hand on my shoulder. Ashton's.
I grabbed it and pulled it down so that I could hold it in mine. The Senator's eyes caught the action.
"Young lady," the man positively growled. "I don't appreciate being spoken to in this matter. Especially after I'm here to help you, all of you."
I smiled wider. "And I'll for sure keep that in mind when I become your constituent in less than a year, sir."
Ashton squeezed my hand.
With one last glance at his sons, the Senator turned around and barked at the men around us to hold all of us until the morning. So that we'd learn our lesson, he said. Although I didn't know what that was supposed to mean.
I took a deep breath and said, "Your dad's a dick, guys."
The twins said in unison, "Yeah."
"Okay," Link piped in for the first time since we'd been apprehended, without any of his usual fuckery. "We won't have any criminal records thanks to your dick of a dad. Great. But who's calling their parents? Because I don't know if you've noticed, but my parents live in Korea, and a stint in jail isn't precisely in their long list of things for me to do."
We all looked at each other.
"I don't know about you," I said. "But if my ma catches wind of this I'll be a goner."
"Same," Leti said. "My mama will kill me with her chancla."
DeAndre lifted his hands. "Don't look at me. My dad enjoys a good belt whipping."
Madison tossed her hair back. "My parents are in Paris right now."
Of course.
Addy sighed. "Mine in the Seychelles trying to save their marriage."
That pretty much left Quinn.
"Y'all," he said in a panic. "My mom is a black woman, do you not know what that means?"
We all found out well after midnight. Quinn's mom signed us all out and spent a solid half hour screaming us deaf. Even the cops who got us in this mess in the first place, seemed to suffer from a decent amount of pity.
And then Quinn's mom said something that made us all freeze, "You think I'm bad? Just you wait until the school finds out where you spent your Friday night after curfew."
We were pretty much fucked.
SONG OF THE DAY: Muse - Supermassive Black Hole
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this chapter is the definition of THAT ESCALATED QUICK, lol.
also, i'm aware that this one and maybe the next will require some suspension of disbelief, and i'll be very happy if you refrain from lectures about the legal system because a) i am not a lawyer and b) creative writing FTW. 😉
