EPISODE #7

Austin entered Heaven Beach’s University. He trudged up the stairs and down the hallway. He had screwed up, big time. He continued down the hallway and came up to Mia’s door. He reached out his hand to knock but pulled it back. No… don’t. He began to walk away when the door opened.
“Austin?”
He turned around. “Hi,” he said meekly.
So he came to me instead of her eh? Ha. “Want to come in?”
“Uh… sure.”
She opened the door entirely and let Austin in.
“Look Mia… I’m really sorry. I shouldn’t--”
“It’s okay Austin. It’s perfectly fine to be confused. I mean you’re a college kid you’re expected to have raging hormones.” She looked at him. “It really is okay.” She grinned. and poked him in his side and giggled.
He jerked, “Mia…”
She began poking him in the side again and tickling him.
“Mia please…”
She continued her game. “Come on.” She said with a huge grin on her face.
Austin grabbed her hands. “Mia, just stop.”
“What?” She was only half grinning now.
“I can’t right now…”
“Why not? Come on party pooper.” She poked him in the side again.
“Seriously, stop.”
Her grin was erased entirely. “Fine.”
He looked at the door. “I’m going to go.” He walked out of her dorm room.
She frowned, opened a bag of baked potato chips and began munching on them. “Ugh… dammit.”
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“Kyle, everything’s okay now. There’s no need to worry.”
“How can I not be worried? You call me screaming about calling 911.”
“I’m safe now.”
“Safe from what?”
“Someone just tried to…”
Nicholas peered at April. She looked away, avoiding eye contact. “Someone just tried to steal my purse. That’s all. Nicholas came and scared them off. So I’m safe, no big deal.”
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine. Look I’ll talk to you tomorrow okay? I’m going home.”
“All right.” He clicked the off button on the phone. Her call had sobered him quickly.
“I’m going to go talk to Inspector Weiss tomorrow.”
“Okay, good.”
“Thanks again Nicholas.”
“No problem. I need to--” He pointed towards the hospital.
“It’s fine. Your aunt needs you.”
“Let me walk you to your car first.”
Nicholas walked April to her car and closed her door. “Good night.”
“Good night Nicholas. I don’t know how to repay you… but someday I will.” She put the car in reverse and drove away.
He waved goodbye. He was about to turn around to leave when a lead pipe came crashing into his head. He lie on the ground, unconscious.
“Little bastard…” Thomas stood over him with the lead pipe in his hand.
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It was nine a.m. Elizabeth Harper and her law clerk Philip walked into town hall.
“Can I help you?” The front desk secretary asked.
“Is Felicia Laurence here?”
“Unfortunately.” She sighed. “Go down that hallway and make a left.”
“Thank you.”
“Wow Miss Harper this is exciting isn’t it? We’re moving on up in the world. We’re working for a district attorney, that doesn’t happen to everyone you know.”
Elizabeth just nodded as she opened the door. “Excuse me is Felicia in?”
“She’s in her office.” The new secretary said as she pointed towards the back.
“Come on Philip.”
“Wow this office is really, really nice. I can’t wait to see mine.” He said, as he looked around awestruck.
“Philip we’re already late. Come on.”
“Right.” They quickly walked down the hallway.
Felicia sat at her new desk reading a case file. Someone knocked on the door. “Come in.”
Elizabeth opened the door. “Hi Felicia.”
“Elizabeth!” She rose from her chair. “It’s so good to see you.” She walked over and hugged her soon-to-be assistant.
“How are you?”
“I’m good.” She looked past Elizabeth and at the man behind her. “Who’s that?”
“Well on the phone you told me you didn’t have a law clerk. So here he is.”
“Ohh.”
“He was my law clerk in Tampa Bay.”
He extended his hand. “Nice to meet you Miss Laurence.”
She shook his hand. “Nice to meet you as well.”
“I’m impressed Felicia, district attorney.”
“Mmhmm.”
“How did you mange it?”
“Oh you know me. I can manage just about anything.”
“Well I’m glad you did. When do I start?”
“There’s a slight problem…”
“What?”
“You can’t start yet.”
“Why not?”
“Well… I’m not exactly the district attorney yet.”
“Do what?”
“Kyle hasn’t resigned yet.”
“Felicia. I give my firm up and put my house up for sell and you’re not even the D.A. yet?”
“Don’t worry Elizabeth. He’ll resign. I’ve already made sure of that…”
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Laurie sat in her world history class. Last night had been hell. She just didn’t want to get out of bed this morning. She still just couldn’t believe it… Why would Austin do something like that? I guess its just time to throw in my towel and give up. There was no way she was going to win against Mia. She had been so sure of herself. But if he would kiss Mia obviously he wasn’t that into her at all. She sighed.
“Mister Graham?”
“Yes Laurie?”
“Can I please be excused I don’t feel well.”
He nodded, Laurie was one of his best students and she was caught up she could afford to miss a day.
“Thank you.” She picked up her purse and walked out of the classroom.
She walked down the hallway, heading towards her dorm.
“Laurie.” A voice said behind her, she turned around to see who it was.
“Austin.”
“Hi… Can we talk?”
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Kyle adjusted his suit. He did not want to do this and the painful thing was it was all his fault he was here in the first place.
“Hello I’m Janet Stewart with channel four news. District Attorney Kyle Roberts has called a conference to announce his resignation as district attorney. We do not know as of now if he will go back to this original position as assistant district attorney. Mister Roberts was quite popular in both terms. We all are eagerly waiting to see who he names as his successor. Stay tuned to channel four news for a full report.”
April turned on the television set. A news bulletin flashed on the screen “Kyle Roberts is holding a press conference about his resignation as district attorney. More at six.”
“Oh my God Kyle…” She grabbed her keys and ran out of her house.
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Phyllis paced around the living room. “He never came home last night and mother didn’t see him at the hospital. I’m worried Victoria.”
“I’m worried to mother. But there’s nothing we can do. He’s over eighteen, he has to be gone for four eighty hours before we can report him as missing.”
“Dammit. What are we supposed to do until then? Sit here and wait?”
“I don’t know mother. I don’t know.”
“I just can’t deal with this Victoria… my sister’s in a coma. My son is missing. I just can’t deal with all of this at one time. And the worst thing is I am completely helpless.”
Victoria stood from the chair she was sitting in and embraced her mother. “Mom…”
“I just can’t deal with this Victoria…” She began crying. “I just can’t deal with it…”
“I’ll call Inspector Weiss. She’ll help us. She always has.”
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Sarah picked up the phone and dialed Amir’s number.
“Hello?”
“Hi Amir, its Sarah. From the club last night.”
“Like I could forget you? How are you?”
“I’m good. So you said, or maybe I said we should do something tonight at the boardwalk.”
“Yeah. Is seven good for you?”
“Great.”
“Okay I’ll pick you up then.”
“All right. See you then. Bye.”
“Bye.”
She hung up the phone.
“Who was that Sarah? You were smiling ear to ear.”
“Oh my God grandmother I met the most wonderful man last night.”
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Kyle stepped up on the podium. He took a deep breath and began his speech. “I have brought all of you here today to announce my resignation as Heaven Beach’s district attorney…”
April ran on to the lawn in front of city hall. “Dammit…” She was too late.
“In life everyone is forced to make difficult decision that they necessarily do not want to do. Today I am forced to make a difficult decision. Thought I do not want to resign as district attorney I fell I should. Heaven Beach’s district attorney should be someone with a lot more experience than I…
April walked around the side of the crowd trying to get to Kyle.
Felicia sat in a folding chair behind Kyle, gleaming in triumph. She turned to Elizabeth, “What did I tell you? No worries.”
Kyle continued his speech as April neared the podium on the small stage. “Excuse me miss you can’t be this close to the stage.”
“Look I need to speak with Kyle before he makes a huge mistake.”
“I’m sorry but I cannot let you on the stage.”
“So Felicia what did you have on this guy?”
Felicia chuckled, reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out the picture of Kyle and Claire.
“Oh my…”
“Yeah.” She returned the picture and smiled at the crowd.
“Damn you!” She tried to push past the officer but it was useless. She faked going right and ran left before the man had time to react she had reached the stairs. He lunged at her and barely grabbed her by the wrists.
“Kyle! Don’t do this!” She tried to jerk away from the officer’s grip. “Kyle!”
Kyle finished his speech and looked at his struggling girlfriend. He was ashamed of himself. He looked down at the ground as he walked to a folding chair on the stage.
Felicia nodded at Kyle and stepped up the podium. “Ladies and Gentlemen…”
“You heard it first from news channel four very popular defense attorney Felicia Laurence has been named as Kyle Roberts’ successor.” Janet belted out excitingly.
“No!” April screamed. She managed to slip out of the officer’s grip and charged at Felicia. She wrapped her arms around Felicia’s waist and slammed her on the floor of the stage. “You’re not going to do this!”
“Hey!” The officer screamed, chasing after April.
April saw a Polaroid picture fall out of Felicia’s jacket. She looked at it and gasped, she then looked at Kyle. “Kyle… no.”
“New district attorney Felicia Laurence has literally just been tackled by Mister Robert’s long term girlfriend, Doctor April Moore. More on the press conference and Felicia Laurence at six.”
The officer pulled April off of Felicia and dragged her away from the stage.
“K-Kyle… how could you?”
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“Laurie. I just wanted to tell you how sorry I was about yesterday… I don’t know what I was thinking… It was a mistake.”
“Was the mistake kissing me or kissing Mia?” She wanted answers. She only hoped it was what she wanted to hear.
He shrugged, “I don’t know. I really like you. At first I thought I just wanted to be friends… but I guess that changed. On the other hand I really like Mia too. I don’t know I’m just really confused.”
“You sound like you are. But Austin you should know this. I am not one to wait around while you make up your mind. It’s not fair to me and it’s not fair to Mia either. You really need to make a decision and stand by it. You can’t have us both.”
“I-I know…”
“Good.” She kissed him on the cheek. “I’ll talk to you later okay?”
That was his cue to exit. “Yeah.” He turned around and walked out of her dorm room.
Mia walked down the hallway and saw Austin coming out of Laurie’s dorm room. “Oh crap…” Was his hair messed up? Was that lipstick on his cheek? Her mind raced for answers and she came to one conclusion. Oh God no… She stormed into Laurie’s dorm room. “You cheap little tramp…”
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Felicia brushed herself off, picked up the picture and stood up. “Well Kyle. Not only is your career over but it looks like your relationship is over as well.” She smiled. “You’ve done well for yourself.” She motioned for Elizabeth to follow her as she walked down the stage’s chairs. “Bye sweetheart.”
“Go to hell Felicia.” April screamed. “Let me go!” She tried to get out the officer’s grip. “Damn you.”
Kate ran towards April. “Bruce let her go.”
“Inspector she attacked the district attorney.”
“Let her go. I would have done the same thing if I was near her.”
Bruce released his grip. April put her arms around Kate. “She’s ruined my life…”
Kate patted her friend on the back. “Her day will come soon enough April.”
Kyle slowly approached April and Kate. “April… I--”
April faced her lover. There was an awkward moment of silence. She slapped him. “You bastard…”
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Victoria picked up her cell phone and dialed Kate’s number. “Please pick up. Pick up dammit.”
“Hello--”
“Kate!”
“This is Kate Weiss please leave me your name, number, and a brief message after the tone.”
“Damn. Uh, Kate its Victoria Slater this is very important please call me as soon as you get this.”
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Nicholas slowly opened his eyes. His head was pounding. He looked around him. He was in a large, smelly room with one fluorescent light on. “Hello?” He called out. Where in the hell was he? What had happened? He tried to move his hands that were behind him but they were tied together. “Is someone there?”
A door opened, the light coming from it blinded him. “Who’s there? Hello?”
Thomas closed the door and walked over to his captive. “Hello dear boy.”
It was the man with April from the alley. “Who the hell are you? What do you want with me? Where am I?”
He moved his index finger side to side. “Too many questions. You’ll find out soon enough, you’ll find out [I]everything[/I] soon enough.”
His right hand had been behind his back the entire time. “What’s behind your back?”
He removed his hand from behind his back revealing a needle.
Nicholas held his breath.
“Something to keep you quiet.”
“No! Don’t come near me with that thing.”
Thomas held on to Nicholas’ right arm. He pressed the needle into a vein.
“No!”
And injected the liquid within the needle.
Whatever he had shot him with affected him within minutes. His head was down. He was unconscious, again.
“Sleep tight.”