Rule 3

Rule 3 (not proofread, I'll fix any errors later. This is a small chapter that appeared longer in google docs so apologies about the length, the next one will be longer. This is merely a filler).

The following morning was pretty much the opening for World War 3 and Team Alex wasn’t doing overly well.

“How long until your lesson starts?” Dev asked, leaning against the doorframe with an exasperated expression.

“There isn’t one. I’ve told you, Dev, I don’t want to go to college.” He just looked at me blankly and then shook his head.

“Why didn’t you have this debate with your parents before you moved up here?!” Dev exclaimed. I bit my lip in annoyance and rolled my eyes.

“Because my parents won’t listen to me! They want me to go to school and be half the student that my sister was. That isn’t going to happen so I may as well pack in the family dream now,” I countered.

It was at this point that Ash, who had proclaimed himself ‘no man’s land’ wandered into the living room in just his bottoms with a rather unattractive bed head.

“Can I just in interrupt here and say that I am trying to get over a hangover and I would appreciate it if you were to both put a sock in it,” he grumbled as he plodded into the kitchen. By the sounds of the drawers, I assumed that he was looking for some paracetamol.

Dev moved away from the doorframe and dropped onto the plush sofa. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands.

“Alex, you’re asking me to lie to your parents,” he muttered. I shrugged.

“You do nothing but lie to your own parents, what makes mine different?” Team Alex was clearly in the lead, I just silently begged that it stayed that way.

After Melinda got her first award, I had my first maths test failure and breathalyzer test pass. I’d assured him that because I’d passed one test with flying colours, I was on top of everything. He didn’t find the joke very funny. From that moment on, it seemed like my mum and I against my dad and Melinda. It was safe to say that my mum eventually joined my dad. What can I say? I liked to live in the moment.

“Can’t you just let her skip college for a few days to find a job?” Ash asked as he walked out of the kitchen. My look of disbelief mirrored Dev’s. “And if she can’t find one, ship her off home so I don’t have to deal with her voice in the mornings,” he finished. I rolled my eyes and slumped down onto the arm of the sofa.

“If you find a job and stay here, you have to ring your dad and tell him,” Dev started but I shook my head.

“Not until I’m 18,” I countered.

“That’s six months,” Dev deadpanned and I groaned.

“Cut me some slack here! Just until they find out. They might not find out,” I tried to assure.

“They receive progress reports.” I glared at Ash for his input before turning back to Dev. He checked the clock and then sighed, waving his arm in dismissal.

“I don’t care anymore. Just get a job and make sure you have the money to pay me rent if your parents stop paying me. Okay?” I squealed and grinned, jumping on him for a hug. He chuckled and responded with a one armed hug back.

“Thank you!” Ash rolled his eyes and Dev rolled his lip into his mouth and grumbled.

“Don’t thank me, just start looking through the job ads. Make me regret this and I’ll drag you around the street by your intestines,” he threatened and I grinned.

“If you try to tell my parents before they find out, I’ll get someone to chop your dick off with a shaving razor while you sleep,” I replied, getting up to go to my room.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” he chimed as he grabbed his coat. “I’ve got to get to work. Try not to kill each other while I’m gone,” he shouted over his shoulder. I slipped into my room just as I heard the door shut and his footsteps retreat.

I’d started to change into some half decent clothes to go job hunting in when my door opened and Ash came in to sit on my bed. I held my shirt up to cover myself and I glared.

“Do you bloody mind?!” I hissed. He shrugged and rested his back against the headboard.

“Not really, no. As you were,” he drawled, gesturing towards the top in my hands. I shook my head and nodded towards the door.

“Get out!” He didn’t move, just looked at me with no expression on his face whatsoever. I didn’t know what was worse, the look or his stupid retorts. With as much dignity as I could muster, I turned around and shoved my shirt on before folding my arms over my chest and resting a knee on the foot of the bed.

“You don’t have much room in here, do you?” he taunted. I narrowed my eyes and pointed towards the door.

“If you came in here to take the piss then you may as well leave,” I droned. Ash raised an eyebrow and grinned. On the more positive side, or negative if you’re a little bit of a pervert, he’d put a shirt on.

“Or what? You’ll pay someone to chop my dick off with a razor. Or would you want to do that yourself?” he pondered aloud. I just groaned and dropped onto the bed, collapsing on top of my knees.

“I wouldn’t go near that thing with a 20 foot long barge pole,” I scoffed and he grinned, leaning back with a smug smirk on his face.

“Lying is considered a sin, you know,” he chided. I just gave him a look.

“Your arrogance makes you unattractive. What do you want?” I asked and he chuckled.

“Ouch, love, you’re getting me where it hurts,” he said, feigning hurt. I merely rolled my eyes and got up, sliding my way through the narrow gap to the side of my bed. His eyes followed my every move.

“Can you leave? I have stuff to be getting on with,” I retorted and folded my arms over my chest. Ash moved slowly, his lightly tanned arms pushing himself up as he twisted and sat with his legs on either side of me. I was just about to move back when his hands clasped my hips and he pulled himself to his feet.

“Get off,” I grumbled and took a step backwards, swatting his hands away. He smirked when my back hit the wall. Damn the lack of space in my bedroom. He rested his hands on the wall, one on each side of my face and he gave me a small smile. It seemed like a few minutes that he just stood there, drinking my features in, when really, it must’ve only been seconds.

“Your breath reeks of beer,” I muttered awkwardly and he let out a bark of laughter, pushing himself away from me.

“Nice pickup line.” I scrunched up my nose and pointed to the door again.

“I’m not, and never will, try to pick you up,” I snapped. “Get out.”

He held his hands up defensively and moved over to the door, stopping to look at me.

“I suppose you don’t want to know what I actually came in for then,” he taunted. I raised an eyebrow and sighed. Curiosity killed the cat, my sensible alter ego warned. And satisfaction brought him back, I decided.

“What did you come in here for. Apart from attempt to perv on me as I changed?”

“I didn’t come in here purely to watch you change, Miss Perfect, don’t get up on your high horse,” he teased. “I came in here because I have something to ask of you,” he said.

“What do I get out of this?” I enquired. A small smile appeared on his face, showing a barely there dimple in his cheek, which admittedly, was quite cute.

“You don’t even know what I want yet.” I waved a hand dismissively at his words.

“Details.” He didn’t comment on my comeback, just rolled his eyes.

“I can get you a job,” he offered. My eyes must’ve done some brightening because he grinned. “That got your attention,” he added.

“A job where?”

“With Sid and Matt down at the bar,” he replied. I nodded, liking his idea.

“How can you get me this job?”

“My mum owns the place. Anything else or can I tell you your part of the bargain now?” he asked. When I didn’t answer, he continued. “I just need you to attend a small dinner that my mum is holding with me.”

“No,” I said, cutting him off before he could say anything else. He smirked, raising an eyebrow.

“Not as my date, smartarse. I need you there because your sister just so happens to be honoured by the British public,” he replied and paused. “And because you shouldn’t look too bad on my arm.” I shook my head.

“You’re not using me for some crappy dinner purely because my sister has some connections. I am not her and I am not representing her,” I retorted with a hint of anger riddled through my voice. I was fed up of being used and spoken to just because my sister was famous and intelligent. The day someone spoke to me because I was me, was the day that I’d be a very happy girl.

“You’re getting the wrong end of the stick,” he tried but I cut him off again.

“I am not going with you, I can get my own job. And rule number three, knock before you enter my room,” I finished, moving my forefinger down with the instruction. His smirk widened as he leaned on my door frame.

“And what happens if I don’t follow your petty little rules?” he asked. I narrowed my eyes.

“You’ll sincerely regret it,” I warned but he merely grinned.

“I take that as a challenge.” Because he wasn’t moving, I strolled over and pushed him out of the doorway, ready to slam the door in his face. Unfortunately, his foot was in the way. By the sounds of the crack coming from his foot when the door collided with his bones, I didn’t think he’d be riding his bike for a while. Or walking, for that matter.

“Let me know when you change your mind!”

“That’ll be never!” I shouted back and rested my back against the door, sighing heavily. I only moped for a few minutes before continuing to grab my memory stick and bag so that I could find a printer and print off several copies of my CV. The job hunting mission had begun.