The rest of the week pasted by incredibly slow.
Tino gave me unpaid extra hours at the shop as punishment, and made Jared fix 2 of his junk cars for free. Neither of us complained considering the fact that we were still breathing.
"Your court dates tomorrow, right?" Jared asked. We were now both still in shop after hours. I had to clock in three more hours this week in order to reach my minimum hour requirement since I was also working unpaid hours.
Jared just hadn't finished one of the junk cars yet, and Tino wanted it by tomorrow.
"Yeah." I replied to Jared's question. I had to pause a moment to finish jacking up a new customers car before I could continue. "Tino thinks he might be able to get me out of the alcohol class they'll probably make me take because of the alcohol charges, but I'll most likely end up having to do community service."
"Oh shit. That's much better than what Nicolias got charged with." Jared replied. I had completely forget that Matt and Nicolias all got charged as well. It was more serious for them considering their cars were bought stolen.
"Street racing with a stolen vehicle is a crazy risk. I mean, you can't get pulled over if the vehicle is still hot. You've gotta have a supply of fake plates as well, and even with that, you'll have to create a diversion for the cop so he doesn't actually have the time to run the plates. Then you've got to get rid of that plate and switch it with a new one. It's far too much trouble to be worth it."
Jared nodded in agreement. "Obviously you can save thousands by buying them stolen, and you'll have more vehicles to race with, but those pros still don't outweigh the jail time and felony charges that'll come along with getting caught."
"Exactly." I replied. "How much you got left on that car?"
"Just fixing the timing belt. It's giving me problems." Jared replied. "I'm surprised that this was our only punishment."
"Correction: this was your only punishment because you're 21. I'm still dealing with these pesky potential alcohol charges." I reminded him.
"You'll be okay, Alex." Jared encouraged as he took a break smoke a cigarette.
"I guess we'll see, huh?" I replied, pulling out a lighter to light my own.
~
"This better not become a thing, Alex. You're starting to build a real colorful track record here." James Brown spoke as soon as the court had settled.
"Would you believe me if I said I just really missed your presence?" I smiled back politely.
"God no. You were just here a few weeks ago with a trespassing charge."
"In my defense, I thought the zoo was still open."
"At two in the morning?" Judge brown asked.
"24 hour?" I offered.
"What zoo is open 24 hours, Alex?" She shot back. That one stumped me.
"Let's just get on with. I've got an episode of Blackish I need to catch up on. Please state your claim for the court." Judge Brown instructed.
"I recognize the fact that a breathalyzer was performed, and alcohol was discovered in my system. I recognize the fact that I was underage drinking in in a moving vehicle at the time I was pulled over. That was poor judgement on my part, but I'd also like to make known to the court the fact that there isn't an alcohol charge on my record-"
"But best believe there's everything else." Judge Brown cut.
"Well, yes. Driving while intoxicated is something I wouldn't do though, and my level was below legally acceptable for driving. I ask the court to give me one last chance to steer my life back on track." I finished.
"Your last chance was back at the beginning of this summer when you trespassed on your old principals private property and flocked his lawn." Judge Brown reminded me, as she wasted no time spilling the tea to the court.
"They were just plastic flamingos."
"You used 259 plastic flamingos. You shoved 5 of them into the top of his chimney, then you broke his gutter and rose fencing trying to get off his roof." She replied.
"He tried expelling me for a harmless senior prank!" I shot back.
"You released a python into his school."
"A harmless Ball Python. Lannister is the most well mannered python I know." He was the only python I knew.
"Okay we could go on for years talking about the situations that have brought you into my courtroom. I'm sentencing you to 1 alcohol awareness class, and 36 hours of community service. Don't even try to have your uncle bail you out of the class because you will be going, or I'll suspend your license." Judge Brown added. "You will serve out your community service at The Academy of Classical Ballet.
"Meet with the director tomorrow morning to see what you'll be working on." She finished before slamming her gavel down against the wooden plaque and standing up to leave. "Don't let me catch you in this courthouse again, Alex." She added as she glanced at me then disappeared through the back door.
The court was adjourned.
~
"It could be worse."
"Academy of Classical Ballet?"
"It could've been at a dump site."
"Jared," I groaned, "this school is filled with Rich preppy kids. I'd rather work the dump site."
"Well you better suck it up butter cup because Judge Brown wasn't playing." Tino replied, as he sat down with his coffee on the love seat besides us. "And you better be up bright and early tomorrow to head to that ballet studio thing. Just serve your time and take the class. We don't need any more issues."
"Ugh alright." I groaned again. Jared flipped through shows until we all settled on some Shameless.
Today was my last free day before my community service hours would start. It was also my last day before the war with the preppy academy goers would begin.
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