Enchanted n.h. au

Chapter Nine

Andrew and Alex White were done. They had taken all they could of Maggie and everything she'd put them through. They had been devising their plan since Gypsy had been locked in the box. It was the perfect plan. Maggie was out on a date with her shrink( as she was under intense stress due to the recent rebellion of her depressed niece) and to their amazement were left in charge.

Andrew snuck down to the phone, while Alex was entering the kids. Picking up the receiver he was doing what Gypsy had tried three days before. He carefully dialed the newspaper number and thought of what to say.

The phone was picked up to quickly, and caused an idiotic "uhhh" to hang in the air for a second.

"Well!" the voice shouted impatiently. Andrew could feel the sweat bubbling, his heart racing.

"I'm a friend of Gypsy's." he spat out, hoping that was enough.

"Sure." the voice said sarcasm thick.

"The locket's shaped like a door."

"Yeah, I'll put you through."

Quickly, before the guy could hang up, Andrew spilt out something else, "Listen, I have a story for you. My name is Andrew White, Gypsy, my twin and I live in an orphanage. Gypsy's aunt is in charge. She's terrible. Currently she's involved in three marital affairs-she's the mistress- and she's doing the do with a priest."

Andrew looked over her shoulder, fearing that she'd show up. So he was laying the dirt on a little thick, but it's a pap, they'll stretch it even farther. "Anyway, she's been abusing us for years. Yesterday, Gypsy turned 18. She's forbid to leave."

He could hear the scratching of a pencil, and could almost see the sweat of anticipation on the pap's forehead now. "Why?" he grunted.

"She's been locked in the basement for three days now." That was enough to seal the deal.

"Jesus, this is better than a three headed turtle surfing!" Andrew couldn't help but wonder why Niall Horan would go to this rag for an article, but he didn't question it. "I'll call child services while you talk to Horan."

Andrew wrapped the cord around his fingers tighter and tighter. Oh please hurry up, he thought. The hold music stopped-to which he was glad, it was some song about suicide-and clicked to a different line. He could hear the anticipation in the breathing of the other person.

"Hello, is this Niall?" he asked softly.  There was a small pause, before a yes was said in an Irish accent.

"My name's Andrew, I know Gypsy. The locket is shaped like a door, and has a picture of her mom holding her. It's in black and white with 'My girls. Love forever and always' on the back. You danced with her until my twin and I showed up. You wrote something on her hand, something about stars."  Andrew was trying his hardest to be clear, look over his shoulder, and remember the plan.

"My God yes!" Niall shouted into the phone.

"Okay, you have to hurry." there was the smallest since of urgency in Andrew's voice. It was just enough to cause Niall to worry.

"What's wrong?" the Irish boy asked, though it came out muffled by his getting dressed.

"Listen, it's along story. I'm going to met you at the Barnes 'n Noble, in the teen section. We have to hurry." Niall  could sense the panic through the connection.

"Alright, I'm on me way." Niall said running for the door.

Andrew sighed, he could handle this. Running up to Katie he fumbled over his words. Was it him or was she looking different? He shock away those thoughts. "I'm going. You know what to do." With that he was running out the door.

Katie smiled to herself as she worked. It had taken her several attempts but she'd managed to stich back Gypsy's dress. Folding it carefully, she pulled out the mask. When they would get here, and Gypsy would be let out and there was no way she'd let her best friend be seen looking a street rat. She skipped down the stairs, to the basement. Knocking on the door, she slipped the dress through the food hole. "Hang in there." she whispered, placing a kiss on the door.

Now I'm pacing back and forth, wishing you were at my door.

Gypsy paced back and forth wishing someone could open the door. Anyone. She'd tried to get out. She'd be crazy if she hadn't.  Katie was good about passing in food, and she even pushed in her dress and mask. To her surprise, the dress was fixed.

The first night in the box, was dreadful. It was dark, damp,  smelt like the bin and she was positive that there was something living in the corner.. She curled her knees to her chest, sleeping on the middle of the steps. She'd passed the point of crying and had graduated to dry sobbing. Her throat retched, she could taste the bile that crept up her throat.

Somehow she had managed to fall asleep, but it  wasn't east. The second day her anger returned. She was 18 now. The old bat couldn't keep her anymore. In her rage, she studied the door. It was old, she could probably, maybe, push it down. If she turned her shoulder right, and hit it with enough force....The thought was tempting, so she did it.

Running up the stairs at the right angle, she slammed into the door. Nothing. Okay she thought, let me just back up. Gypsy dared a few steps into the dark box, stepping in some sort of puddle along the way. Shivering in disgust, she ran again. A small quiver. She kept trying and trying until she was sure her shoulder was out of socket. It was no use.

Tiredly she slid against the door in more pain than ever. When she awoke, she was sore in places she thought couldn't be sore. She started pacing. Someone was to blame. There had to be someone. Niall, he'd be easy to blame, she thought. After all, if it weren't for him not letting her go, she wouldn't be here in the box. The twins would be good. It was there stupid idea to go, and they were the ones who brought out the paper. Katie, she left the window open.

Just like the door, there was no use in blaming them. If it weren't for Niall, she wouldn't feel love. Love in the true sense. There was something about him that caused a flutter inside, a nice flutter. The twins lead her to Niall, and Katie saved them all.

Giving up, she slid against the door. It wasn't her fault either. It was her parents. Her stupid parents. If she'd had the locket she would have thrown it until it shattered. It was the last gift from her father. He didn't mean it, he never meant it when he said, "Forever and always." If he'd meant that, he wouldn't have left. He met some woman-she never knew who- and he left. Mum, shut down. She shut down hard. She was somewhere in a mental hospital. The only relative was Aunt Maggie. Aunt Maggie was on her mother's side. The two were nothing alike. Nothing.

Niall Horan drove a bit too recklessly to the book store. He ran a bit too quickly to the teen section. Standing there was a shaggy hair red head. "Andrew?" he asked.

The boy nodded, wringing his hands.. "Did you drive?" he asked softly.

"Yeah." Niall answered.

"Let's go." Andrew pushed, following Niall out to his Range Rover.

"What's wrong?" Niall asked putting the car into drive. Andrew gulped,

"'Cuse, me, but given the traffic, and the chance that ya might have an Irish temper, I'd rather not get into an accident."

Niall rubbed his clean shaven jaw, "That bad?" He glanced to Andrew for confirmation, and felt his stomach knot like the cable sweaters he own as the red head nodded.