Aye so I'd like to dedicate this chapter to @macpack11 because you have literally been here since chapter one and always encourage and I'm so thankful for that, it doesn't go unnoticed!xoxo
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I wake in my own bed, in my own room. It feels weird - being home. I crawl out of bed and throw on my jeans and band tee with a flannel before finishing getting ready and quietly heading out for school since mother was still in bed.
The walk to school was lonely without Alex's raspy morning voice chatting beside me about the latest school drama. It's so lonely to the point I feel like calling him, but I can't. Alex and I are barely on speaking times.
Why is that again?
Oh yeah.
1) He threatened Ethan
2) He didn't tell me he called
3)He deleted the calls
4)He is now with a new girl every day - is he sleeping with them?
I shake my head clear of the thoughts and head for my locker. The moment I get there, Grayson, Jace and Kyle are leaning on the ones beside mine. I file my books neatly.
"We haven't heard from you in a few days Maxy" Kyle states. I sigh and arrange my books in the order I'll need them.
"I've been busy" I tell them.
"Is something wrong?" Jace asks. I shake my head no.
"Come out with us tonight then" Gray says
Jace adds "yeah Tara's panicking you won't be joining us anymore" he chuckles.
I think for a moment "where's Alex?" I ask them.
The boys share and awkward glance before turning to face the end of the hall where Alex and Jessica are sucking faces. I scrunch my nose up and turn away. "I think I'll pass"
I head down the hall to my Science class where coincidentally the others are too. I remember how they'd ruin my experiments, throw dissected frogs onto my table and do the typical boy things.
"Don't mind Alex! Come for us" Kyle pouts playfully and my heart melts. I've always known how gorgeous each of them were, but only now do I notice the faint freckles across his nose and cheeks and how deep his blue eyes were.
"I'm busy tonight anyway" Jace opens the door and I thank him for holding it open.
"That's a lie" Grayson rolls his eyes and we sit in our seats. To which I appear to be sat alone after the guy who sat next to me before was moved up a class.
Once everyone is in the class Miss Adams informs us we are gong to work on a project in pairs. My eyes flicker to the empty seat beside me. Maybe she will let me work alone.
"And I've already paired you all up" she beams to which the whole class groans.
"Mr. McCall and Miss Clare" Kyle hollers, high fiving Grayson and taking a seat next to Alyssa Clare. The very pretty, kind of popular girl was lovely.
"Mr. Samuels and Miss Greene" the cheerful girl claps a few times, excited to be working with the bad boy and he rolls his eyes, going to take a seat beside her.
"Mr. ledger and Mr. McCormack" she calls.
"Man why don't I get a girl!" Gray scowls and the guy sits next to him, looking equally as wound up.
"Mr. Parker and Miss Carrington" you have to be kidding me.
"I think there's been a mistake Miss!" Alex calls. Alex don't you dare embarrass me.
"And what might that be Mr. Parker?" She looks at him over her rectangular glasses.
"My partner, I can't work with her" I turn in my seat to look at him, but his eyes don't stray from the front of the class.
"There's no mistake Alex, take your seat please"
"I want to trade partners" Alex tells her. Why is he being such an ass?
"Alex that is not possible. Now sit, she won't bite. I won't ask again!" She scowls in disapproval and continues to read out the names.
Alex takes the seat beside me. "What was all that about" I whisper.
"Nothing" he answers grumpily.
"There's no need to be an asshole. What did I even do wrong to make you hate me?!" I hiss.
"For gods sake Max! We don't have to deal with each other anymore so why not leave it alone" he speaks through his teeth.
I take a sharp breath in and let my voice come out soft again. "Are you dating Jessica? Or Amanda or whoever else?" I ask, it sounds pathetic out loud.
"Are you dating Ethan?" He replies.
"No" I whisper
"But you want to" he folds his arms to lean on them, laying his head on a side to look at me.
"I-I..." I have no idea what I am trying to say.
"Exactly" he mutters. He doesn't speak to me for the rest of the class, he barely even acknowledges me apart from pushing the mini microscope toward me and taking it again.
It's barely lunch and the day is already antagonizing and long. Alex sucking face with whichever cheerleader he finds first at any moment he gets, Grayson, Jace and Kyle hounding me for more insight as to what is actually going on between Alex and I, of course, I'd have to explain we kissed again which I'd rather not do and I barely even understand it myself if I'm honest. Casey and her nonstop gossip in math class about Jessica and Amber and how It's rumored Jace and his 'girlfriend from another school' are at possible Splits-ville and Grayson has a mystery girl that every other hormonal teen is jealous of. I should just put her out of her misery, Jace and Tara are most definitely not breaking up any time soon and Grayson's mystery girl was his cousin. Jeez a guy can't even talk to his own visiting cousin at a party without being rumored of being together. These girls are desperate.
~~~
Alex's POV:
"Alex Parker, Kyle McCall, Jace Samuels and Grayson Ledger to the principals office immediately!" Mr. Foreman booms down the microphone.
I head down the hall, a smirk plastered on my face. I had wondered how long it would take until he called us in.
I'm the last one to turn up, I open the door and swing it shut beside me, taking a seat straight opposite Foreman and giving him a cheesy smile.
"What can we help you with sir?" I grin.
"I suspect you already know what" he narrows his eyes.
"We haven't done anything sir" Kyle speaks up.
"Oh so the outrageous drawings on the side of the school was the chess club then huh?" His eyes narrow further in disbelief.
"Maybe" Jace shrugs. "Who knows"
"Don't play dumb boys, own up now and the consequences will be the minimum of cleaning it all up and six weeks worth of detentions, if you don't and I find out it is you, it will be immediate expulsion" Foreman threatens, but I don't buy it, this guy can't stand losing and that's exactly what will happen without us on the lacrosse team.
"Wasn't us " Grayson says and Foreman sighs, leaning forward to prop himself up on his elbows.
"You're on thin ice boys" he warns.
"You have no proof it was us?" I ask, the excitement of trouble making my eyes wide. Foreman sighs at sits back in his black leather chair.
"Then I guess we walk away guilt free" I grin. I'm aware I'm basically owning up to pulling the prank, but Foreman can't be 100% sure and that seems to make him angry.
"I've had enough of your attitude Parker! And I don't appreciate the rude drawings!" He growls.
"But sir there's no proof I did it" I hold a hand to my heart and a grin to my face.
"The team will do just fine without you" he threatens.
"Drop me and watch us go from top to bottom" I show my confidence and stand up.
"We will show ourselves out" Grayson says and we file out the door.
"Man he is hot on your case" Jace warns me but I shrug it off.
"What's he going to do? He will never suspect Max and there were no cameras" I tell him.
"Aight I gotta run, I have my next period with the very gorgeous Violet Ainsworth" Grayson smirks and hurried down the hall. Recently, Grayson has had a thing for that girl, though she's either not interested or playing really hard to get. Either way, it seems he isn't giving up just yet.
~~~
Max's POV:
By lunch, I just want the day to be over. I want my bed and I want it now. Casey and I sit at our own table, just the two of us and a few empty seats - I didn't feel like sits with the guys today.
I pull out my fruit pot and tune in to the new gossip that has occurred since second period to now - surprisingly a lot.
"Miss me?" The soothing voice asks from behind me, I'm about to turn when Ethan is already walking around the table and taking a seat between Casey and I.
"Casey" he gives her a small smile and a head bop.
"Hey Ethan" she swoons, I'm just glad she isn't noticeably drooling. Yes, Casey agrees that Ethan O'Donnell is insanely hot, though she argues that Kyle McCall is way hotter. This used to be a constant bicker for us, but now having bonded with Kyle and actually seen him up close and not feel a furious urge to punch him in the face (this usually occurs after they helped Alex pull pranks on me) I'm not so sure anymore, in fact I agree he is freakishly gorgeous and if I wasn't so caught up with others, I could probably easily fall head over heals in love with him.
"Hey! You never told me you were coming back to West Vale high?" My brows furrow and I pop a grape into my mouth.
"Surprise" he flashes a toothy one sided grin and his eyebrows shoot up momentarily.
"So I've been gone a year and the two of you still sit at the exact same table alone" he observes and adds "y'all must be very friendly to make so many friends."
"Actually Max here has been sitting with the bad boys lately" I cringe at the touchy topic...Ethan and the boys never seem to mix well in a conversation. "And she refuses to tell me what happened to make her not sit there today" she scowls and effectively crosses her arms.
Ethan's eyebrows shoot up in surprise and he doesn't try to hide the relief on his face. "You're arguing with Alex?"
I pop a strawberry into my mouth, unhappy with the conversation. "Why do you assume it's Alex?"
"Well isn't it?" Ethan asks, disbelief set in his features.
I roll my eyes and look around the room.
"Well, you got more out of her than I did" Casey smiles, content with the information she received but she will most likely still grill me for more.
The bell rings and I toss the remains of my lunch into the nearest bin, Casey has already ran off, shouting after a friend in her Religion class.
"What's your next lesson?" I ask Ethan, we head down the hall and he scans his timetable.
"P.E" he grins. P.E was my worst nightmare, but not Ethan's, he loved P.E, he was great at long distance running and just about any sport - I hope to god he isn't in the same group as Alex.
"Have fun" I tell him, though my voice is monotone signalling just how much I hate the subject to which he just chuckles.
He ruffles my hair - which he knows I hate. "Catch you later?"
"It's a date" I stick my tongue out though I mentally face palm myself at my choice of words. Stupid.
He winks and hurried down the hall in the opposite direction to me.
~~~
At the end of the day, I grab my things and head to Ethan's locker since he lives so close to me, we could walk home together. When I reach it, he's already there, I can't see his face due to the locker door.
"Hey" I stand by the locker door. He's reluctant to turn to me, but when he slowly does, a huge purplish bruise swells under his eyes and around it's side.
"What happened to you?!" It's his first day and he is already in trouble? Ethan has gotten into a fair few fights before, but it's his first week home and there's already been two?
He slams his locker door, swings his backpack over his shoulder and shakes his head.
"Spill" I press as we slowly head toward the main doors.
"Maxxx" he whines.
"Ethannnn" I mimic, but in a much whinier, high pitched noise.
"Alright. so p.e right, we're doing lacrosse. I played well and the coach asked me to join the team. Your little set of assholes...mainly Alex, didn't like it. So he 'accidentally' hit me in the face with his lacrosse stick which led to a full blown fight." He sighs, locking and unlocking his jaw.
"Oh my god...I'm going to kill him. Does it hurt?" I poke the ugly purple bruise that makes him look oddly badass and he winces pulling away.
With that, the anger boils up within me and I'm storming out the doors and down the steps despite Ethan's objections who is currently hot on my heals. I scan the open space for the familiar asswipe and when I spot him, I'm practically running at him.
"What's your problem?!" I shake the back of his shoulder and he swiftly turns to me.
"What?" He looks bored, he has a slight bruise on his jaw but it's barely visible compared to Ethan's.
"You think you can go around doing whatever you want just because girls love you?! Well guess what, you're not as gorgeous as you think you are so get over yourself!" I snap, I'm seeing red. My heart beats heavily and the smug look on Alex's face makes me even angrier.
Alex looks over my head which only irritates me more. "What you need your girlfriend to stick up for you?" He mocks. I'm furious he is giving Ethan such a hard time.
"You're just scared you'll lose your place as captain" I challenge and his eyes narrow.
"What to him?" He laughs hysterically.
How big is his ego?!
"Yeah next joke cupcake" he pats my head and before I know it I'm lunging at Alex Parker, literally smacking the smirk off his face and going in for more.
I feel multiple hands on me pulling me backward as I claw to hurt Alex. I never lash out, but he had it coming. I give up, surrendering and looking up to see Jace and Ethan holding me while Kyle and Grayson stand by on alert.
I glare at Alex, who barely seems fazed that I tried to attack him.
"Come on Max, lets go" Ethan orders and I follow him down the street. "You shouldn't have done that" he tells me.
"He deserved it" I retort.
"Yeah but I don't need you to stick up for me" there was no annoyance or anger in his voice, he was simply just stating it.
"The whole reason he is giving you a hard time is because he doesn't like you all because of that night at the party with the punch. Basically, because of me. Forgive me for butting in" I roll my eyes and he nods.
~~~
"Girl where the hell are you?! I miss you!" Tara says down the phone, I lay back on my bed in my slacks, I can hear that the others are with her, my guess is Jace's garden.
"I'm home. I miss you too, but I don't really think I'll be able to hang with y'all anymore" the thought weighs on my chest, I couldn't bare losing my new found friends.
"Right...yeah I heard something was going on but nobody really gave me a clear answer. Give me the run down and who the hell is Ethan? He put up a good fight with Alex I'll give him that, his jaw is blue" if I'm correct, Tara is finding the fight situation amusing. It must be irritating to not be able to actually see the things that go on in West Vale high, but her parents are adamant to let her spend even more time with Jace.
"I don't really understand it myself. Ethan is my ex-boyfriend. He moved away last year and he is home. The guy Alex went to find cause of the punch situation...and trust me, I hate to say it but Ethan's face is worse" I tell her.
"And you hit Alex right? Yeah he is pretty pissed. He's been grouchy all night" I can already see her rolling her eyes.
"He deserved it. Alex and I are worse than ever lately and I don't even know why. We were great before the party then after...I don't even know" I sigh.
"What do you mean great? Like you were getting along well?" She presses for more information and I hesitate. I haven't even told Casey.
"We sort of kissed...again"
"No freaking way! I knew something was happening. Tell me all the details" She squeals.
"T you cannot tell anyone!" I warn before continuing. "I was helping him pull a prank on our principle and we got into a paint fight and I kissed him...and he didn't reject me"
"You guys would be the cutest couple" she whispers into the phone.
"Whatever I hate him" I dismiss.
"What you're back to not being friends then?" She sighs confirming what she already knew.
"What can I say?" I ask, playfully adding "the bad boy is my enemy"
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Hola aye this is like the second update in a few days?! That's like the quickest I've ever updated!:) I hope y'all like this, please vote, comment etc. I love hearing feedback and it's super encouraging for me to write quicker! I'm gaining more reads lately which I love! I can't thank you guys enough. Last thing, this story will probably have about 5-10 more chapters before it ends so enjoy:) xoxo Jersey