Courthouse

Mental gears

Everyone started talking at once,

"There is no way we are working with them"

"Oh diablos no!"

"We can do it on our own"

"WHY"

“That is not happening!”

“NO WAY!”

After a few minutes, Mrs. Williams Yelled, "Oh, Grow up already!" Making everyone stop and looked at her in shock, not that I don't agree with her, but Mr. Grey is crazy. "Everyone out, Now!" She yelled 

"What?" I asked in a small and shocked voice, when did Mr. Williams become scary? I didn't know little old ladies could be so aggressive, I mean I knew my grandmother can be scary but I thought that was just her being herself.

She gave a small laugh and said, "You see that door? I want you all on the other side of it, Now."

We all slowly made our way out the door and into the hallway. Frozen where we stood, shocked that such a sweet lady could be so intimidating.

"Wow, lady packs a punch" We all turn to Alex, who now had a light purple bruise on his jaw, and just stare at him, "What," he asked.

Walking away we leave him in the hallway calling after us "What did I say?"

When we got to the main area Paul, Tomas, and Lucas turn around and look us up and down. 

"We are going to talk to our father about this," Paul said with a frown," we are not working with you."
"Good," I say "because we are not working, at all." I started planning our next job before Mr. Grey even said Elm Street.
Luke and Alex look at me in shock while Nova slowly nods her head.

"What do you mean by 'at all'?" asked Alex I'm guessing he knows and just wants me to be the first to say it.

"What do you think it means?" Nova rolls his eyes and nods at me as if saying "go on" while 

Alex just shakes his head and frowns.

Slowly the pieces of my plan start to come together in my head "It means we are in no way, shape, or form working with a bunch of-" 

"Don't say something you'll regret" Pauls's face looked as though he could wring my neck, not that that's anything new, I tend to have that effect on people.

"Don't worry about Tess regretting anything, she never has and never will, regret anything," murmured Luke.

Rolling my eyes I say, "Thank you, Thank you, I will be here all night!" as I take a small bow.

"No, you won't." Came a voice from behind us I didn't even have to turn around to know it was my mother, "we are going to have a long talk about your behavior."

"Wonderful," I yelled, "Just what I needed a nice long talking to by the one and only killer of fun, sponge of joy, and witch of worry, what an honor ." 

Seeing as it's Tuesday, that means I have 3 days to plan everything, and if there is one thing I've learned in the past, it's to never leave a paper trail or texts or anything that can be used against you. That's why I plan everything in my head and why no one is told anything until the day of. This is also why we hardly ever get caught, I give my friends a time and place a week before and they tell their parents there is some sort of school thing going on that day.

I don't think I going to get much planning done for the next few hours though because my mother is in the mood to speak every word in the dictionary.

By the start of the weekend, I knew 3 things;
1) There was only one way not to do work, sneak out.
2) My friends were all in.
3) Mr. Grey's office needed a little "remodeling"
   
Our job starts today and we have all the spray paint needed, The sky is blue, the birds are singing, the kids are playing in the streets, Mr. Grey was out of town, and Mrs. William is having a bingo party. The courthouse was closed for Memorial Day. In short, it was a wonderful day for trouble. 

We planned to meet at the old mall since it wasn't too far from Mr. Grey's office, to collect our ‘items’. It wasn't hard to convince them, I just said that when we are done we could get milkshakes. 

Driving up to the rundown eyesore we call a ‘mall’ I see all my friends running around, I laugh at their childish behavior knowing that these guys are just as crazy as me. Yelling out my window I say “ You guys look like kindergarteners!!!” The empty parking lot makes my words eco.

Before I can get my car parked and get out I hear distant voices.

“¡Pensé que ibas a hablar con papá sobre esto!”
“¡LO INTENTÉ!”
“Cállense hasta dos, terminemos con esto.”

Great if I would have known that they were actually going to come here and work I could have worked them into our plan, But no, they just had to show up.

Looking over to my now fuming friends I realize that they are standing face-to-face with the Miller Boys.

“I thought you all ‘weren't working at all.’” Lucas said smirking, he thought he had us. Yeah right, dude.

“We’re not, Tess here was just about to tell us the plan for today” Alex spoke up and out of turn, the bruise on his face now has a yellowish tint to the edges.

Nova turned to him and gave him a dirty look “ Not that they need to know THAT!”

Luke began to speak up for the first time in a while. “I thought we could—” 

“I don’t want to hear it,” interrupted Paul. “ If you are not going to work, here with us, then leave and do whatever it is you plan to do.”
I take a step back and sit on the hood of my car. The wheels in my head start turning and slowly all the missing parts of our plan started to fall into place.

“Tess, what are you thinking?” The look on Nova's face mixed with worry and suspicion 

I know my face is turning into the creepy one; when you see it, you know what the person is thinking, and if you are someone like me that could be concerning. 

“I think, we should run.” Lukes's face contorted into one of mock fear.

Rolling my eyes I say “Oh relax scary cat, I was just thinking—”