Taylor & Ryan (3)

3. Taylor

" Do you know why you are here?" a plump security guard asked in an attempt to be menacing. His mustache was littered with powdered sugar.
" For almost beating the crap out of my evil stepmother." Taylor answered with a satisfied smirk. The guard wasn't amused. He got up quickly for a person of his size, and crossed the table to a closer chair to where she was seated. Red rings were still visible on her small wrists from where the handcuffs had pierced them. She gave a glance to the black window where her parents, or rather parent, were watching and listening. The two way window protected her from seeing Jane's evil glare, but she could still feel it on her back.
" Are you aware that your stepmother..." he paused to look at his file, "...Jane Hayden has decided to press charges and that could mean you would possibly see jail time?" he said expecting to see her smirk disappear. It didn't.
" Dad won't let her do it. He would resent her if she did. She's too much of a wimp to get on his bad side. Especially since she practically killed Rachel." Taylor replied to the guard but stared straight into the window. She didn't need to see, to tell that her dad was no longer holding Jane. Her words did the job exactly how they were meant to. Make her Dad think twice about his spurious wife.
" If you aren't going to charge me with anything, then you can't hold me here. That's one of my Miranda Rights." Taylor said knowingly. That government class really paid off sometimes.
" Yes, well. I'll be right back." he said a little shocked that she knew that. Normally the kids who get arrested can't even to long division. This kid was smart and if she played her cards right, would probably get out of here without even a warning. He raised up from his chair and went out the room. He sighed before opening the neighboring door.
" Are you going to press charges Ms. or not? We can't hold her unless you do." the guard said a little bored.
" Ye-... No, there will be no need to press charges." Jane answered quietly. No need to get Thomas all riled up. He would have a fit seeing that he has already lost Rachel. She gave a quick glance at the window. Taylor was leaning back in the chair with a victorious smile on her face. Your just lucky that your sister took the bullet for both of you.
" Alright then. We will have her out as soon as the paperwork goes through." the guard said pulling out a few blank forms. " You can go in now." Thomas stayed behind to fill out the forms.
Jane didn't need an invitation to go out  the door. She was gonna make her give an apology. Even though she couldn't care less weather she meant it or not, she just wanted to make her say it. It would hit a nerve, and that was enough.
" I have decided not to press charges, under one condition." Jane said in her serious voice. Taylor was still leaning back on the stiff backed chair's hind legs. She lazily turned her head to where the voice issued.
" What condition." she didn't have enough interest to make it into a question. Jane was crazy if she thought she was getting an apology.
" I want an apology." she said placing her hands on her hips. A cocky smirk plastered itself on her face. Taylor tipped back and forth while sucking her teeth for a few moments looking her over. Taylor rivaled Jane's smirk with her own.
" I'm sorry your so deranged and that I didn't have the chance to bash your face in." Taylor said in a sincere apologetic voice. She almost laughed as Jane's smirk quickly faded and a flicker of fear crossed her features. Her small weak hands balled into fists as Taylor finished her sentence.
" Charges dropped right?" Taylor said before letting herself down from the chair. Jane didn't answer. Taylor shrugged her shoulders as Jane tried to take the term 'if looks could kill' to a literal meaning. A few minutes of silence followed before Jane finally spoke again.
" Wait till your father gets over this Rachel situation. Two words. Boarding school."
" You mean the situation that you caused? One word. Divorce." Taylor retorted.
Jane lost all of her remaining reserve at the word. Thomas wouldn't really divorce her, would he? If he found out that she literally forced Rachel to eat the cake, then yes. That thought scared her. She had to keep Taylor's smart mouth shut. Thomas was the best thing that had ever happened to her, money wise that is. She practically had him wrapped around her finger. His little brat wasn't going to take that away from her.
" We'll see about that. If you think that you are going to get away with putting your hands on me, then you have another thing coming." Jane spat after a few minutes of collecting her thoughts.
" If you are really dumb enough to challenge a black belt then be my guest. Plus you might need to save your strength. I hear prison cells get pretty violent."  Taylor said enjoying every bit of her little speech. Just wait till I get a few minutes alone with Dad, she thought.
" Have you two made up yet?" Thomas said poking his head in the room. Jane quickly switched off her evil voice.
" Yes. Taylor apologized and I accepted. That's water under the bridge now. Right Taylor?" Jane said returning to her palaver attitude.

" Whatever." Taylor said bitterly. " I want to go home, Dad."
" Go start the car, then." he said throwing her the keys. " I'll just make arrangements for tomorrow."
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Taylor's subconscious began to relieve itself from the pain as she slipped in and out of sleep. The steady hum of the BMW did nothing to soothe her heart  as her dreams propelled her further and further away from the biting reality that was death.
Instead, it created a simulation of Rachel. All it could manage however, was a spurious girl with dreary green eyes. Her features were distorted into an emotionless mask. She looked like she was breaking some law of some kind and kept looking over her shoulder into endless black. She opened her mouth to speak.
Find Ryan.

Taylor awoke with a start. She quickly raised her hand to undo her seatbelt, but then realized that she was in her bedroom. Glancing over at the turquoise clock face, she realized that it had been at least six hours since the hospital drama. Cold sweat lubricated her face and neck. A few fresh beads rolled down the sides of her temples followed by salty tears.
Rachel had looked so frantic. Well it wasn't exactly on her face, but the awkward hand motion that always used to relay some sort of  message was present. Then she remembered her words.
" Who the hell is Ryan?" she found herself asking. None of the guys she knew had that name. Then it happened.
Someone who you need to find. Rachel's gentle voice replied loud and clear. For a split second, Taylor seriously questioned her sanity. She was delusional, that's it. Her brain was going haywire with all this stress and stuff. What other explanation was there? Rachel couldn't seriously be communicating with her...could she?
You aren't delusional, Taylor. the voice reasoned. Okay she wasn't delusional, just insane. Rachel was laying on her death bed about thirty miles away.
I have crossed over. Well about ninety-eight percent of me has. As long as you are alive, I am. Taylor almost fell out of the bed. Okay... her Twin Telepathy powers were obviously playing cruel tricks on her. They were finally getting their revenge from all the abuse they endured during last semester's finals.
Taylor quickly decided not to respond again. If she did, then that would surely make it worse. She pulled back the itchy bed spread and slipped on her house slippers before heading out into the hallway. A stream of voices was coming from the kitchen downstairs.
" Jane, I don't see why you care if the tombstone is gold or platinum." a tired and equally confused voice answered.
" I don't. It's just that under the circumstances, I think that it will be best if we opted for the less expensive tombstone. Maybe granite or silver." the lighter voice cooed.
" It was decided before... well, before we were married, that all of our tombstones would be either gold or platinum. And what circumstances are you talking about?" Thomas answered. You could tell that his patience was wearing thin.
" Our financial situation isn't the best right now. All of the gold ones start at $10,000!" Jane said a little frustrated. Why was he spending this much on the brat? She wasn't that special.
" We are perfectly covered! I'm using her college fund to bury her. We will even have enough left over to put some in Taylor's account. Not to mention the insurance money." Thomas said resisting the urge to yell. Why did she care so much? If he wanted to bury her in a royal tomb, he would. No matter the cost, Rachel would have a proper tombstone. Maybe even identical to Laura's.
This conversation refueled  the anger in Taylor again. How dare she? It's not enough that she practically killed her. If it was up to her, Rachel would probably have a cheap plastic rock above her grave. That was it! This has to end and end now. She made it apparent that she was up by going down the stairs a little louder than usual. The conversation quickly faded as she entered the kitchen.
" Did you get some rest, honey?" Thomas asked glancing up. It had been a challenge getting her up all those stairs.
" Yeah, did you?" Taylor said noticing the bags under his eyes. He looked like he hadn't slept since Rachel was taken to the hospital. Jane looked well rested, however.
" No. I had to make all the arrangements and such. I'm almost done. Just deciding on the tombstone." he explained with a quick glance at Jane. You could physically see his walls crumbling.