Forgotten

Chapter 7: Confrontation

Alex:

            I felt like I was on the verge of a panic attack. Something about the guy headed in this direction freaked me out, but I couldn't say what it was. Maybe it was the way he kept leering at me. I suppressed a shudder as he continued to head in my direction. What should I do? I unconsciously moved closer to Tucker, who put a hand on my shoulder in a comforting manner.

            The guy stalked closer and I leaned even closer to Tucker. If I had been paying attention to the guys, I would have realized that they had all stopped talking as soon as I saw this guy. "She's mine," he practically growled out when he got close enough.

            Tucker pulled me closer, "Looks to me like she doesn't want to go with you." His voice was soft, but it still sounded like a threat to me.

            "I said, she's going with me!" his blue eyes flashed with the promise of retribution if I didn't obey, but I was afraid to leave the safety of my newfound friends as well.

            "Back off." Paris stood up next to Tucker, towering over the other guy.

            "I don't think so." I swear his smile bordered on psychotic.

            I was surprised when Kane suddenly spoke as the feet of his chair hit the ground, "Want to take this outside, Fucker?"

            "Bring it, Pretty Boy." The other boy snarled back.

            This was surreal. Two guys were fighting over me, only I didn't even know one of their names or what he wanted with me. Why would he have said I was his? My gaze shifted to the side so I could look at Tucker. His lips twitched, as if he fought a smile, but I failed to see the humor in this situation.

            I glanced at Kane just in time to see his pierced brow rise up skeptically. "Pretty boy?" He glanced at the others as they all shared a chuckle. I could sort of see why they might find that humorous. Kane had a black stud in his left ear, a black ring in his lip, and from the glint of metal I saw whenever he opened his mouth, I guessed he had his tongue pierced as well.

            I whipped my head back around as I heard a chair topple over and sensed someone move in front of me. I cringed and jumped back, only to realize that Tucker had jumped between me and the other guy.

            "You heard me." The boy spoke up from the other side of Tucker.

            Rylan sighed, "She's not a fucking possession." Then he turned to look at me, "Would you like to go with..." he trailed off since he wasn't sure what to call him. Heck, even I wasn't sure what to call him. I simply shook my head and he turned his gaze back to the other guy, "The answer is no. Sorry. Maybe if you'd quit treating ladies like they're property, you'd actually get somewhere with one."

            Paris chortled, "burn."

            The other guy growled convincingly. He sounded like a rabid animal now. "Leave it." Rylan commanded as he stood up. He glared at the other guy without blinking until the other guy looked away. "Leave. You aren't welcome here." I blinked in confusion. The way Rylan said the words made me think he meant something more than just to leave the table.

            The creepy guy huffed and glared at everyone. I noticed that he avoided looking at Rylan before he stomped away. "What was that about?" I asked softly.

            All five of them turned towards me and I could feel a blush working its way into my cheeks from their attention. "Don't worry about it, Lexi."

            The bell rang not long after that, and I was worried about going to my next class alone. It wasn't that I found myself dependent on the boys, but after the confrontation in the cafeteria, I was afraid of what 'Mr. Creepy' would do if he caught me alone.

            "Lexi, which class do you have next?" Rylan asked as he stood up.

            "Um..." I looked at my class schedule, "Study hall?" I replied.

Tucker plucked the schedule out of my fingers. "Kane, isn't that the class you have next?" he asked as he slid the paper across the table to Kane.

            Kane nodded and a slow grin appeared on his lips, "Fuck yeah."

            Paris grabbed his stuff, but before he walked off, he said, "Be good, Little Princess. Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

            Rylan shook his head, "Have fun, Lexi."

            Kane pouted, "What about me? Don't you want to tell me to have fun as well?"

            Rylan and Tucker both shook their heads and muttered a no at the same time before Tucker elaborated, "If you were having a good time, you'd be blowing something up or starting a fire somehow."

            Kane slowly slid his fingers into mine, as if testing to see how I'd react. I wasn't sure what to do, but I allowed him to hold my hand loosely in his own. "They aren't wrong, you know." He admitted.

            "They aren't?" I asked. Did he really enjoy blowing things up? I supposed I could see why he'd enjoy it, I mean, I'd always thought it would be cool to blow something up.

            I allowed him to hold my hand all the way to our next class, even though I was freaking out about it mentally. I wasn't sure what it meant. Maybe it meant absolutely nothing, but what if it did mean something? Why were boys so complicated?

            I squeezed through the crowd and nearly ran into Kane a couple of times as I tripped. I could already tell that it was going to suck at this school, trying to get through the halls between classes. We made it to our class with time to spare, thanks to the way Kane shoved through the crowd. Kane made me sit in the chair directly in front of his. "Why am I sitting here?" I asked quietly.

            "Because, I'm telling you to sit there." He responded in a soft tone, as his lips tilted up in amusement.

            "But why are you sitting behind me?"

            "So I can make sure your pretty ass doesn't get in trouble." He replied in a low rumble. I twisted in my seat and attempted to figure out why he was calling my butt 'pretty'. He snorted, "Pay attention. Class is starting." He had a hard time saying it with a straight face, especially when I raised a brow at him, as if to say 'oh really?' Now he was concerned that class was starting?

            He sighed and shook his head, but didn't say anything else until class ended.                                                                                 ~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~

            I had never been so happy to see the end of a school day. Paris led me out to the parking lot. Luckily we shared a last class, so I didn't have to wonder if I was supposed to meet up with them or just leave. "Rylan can take you home, if you'd like."

            I shook my head, "I don't want to inconvenience anyone. I'm fine taking the bus."

            Paris sighed, "Then Tucker will be taking the bus as well."

            I bit my lip, "I'll be fine. He doesn't need to take the bus because of me."

            Tucker suddenly appeared next to me. "Who's taking the bus?"

            "You." Paris replied.

            Tucker glanced at me, then at Paris and sighed, "Fine, but someone owes us both a ride tomorrow."

            I started to shake my head, but Paris used his large hand to make me nod my head. "Yes, Tucker. Whatever you say, Tucker." He said in a high pitched voice.

            I snorted and Tucker laughed at that. Off to the side of the school's front doors, Rylan, Kane, and Cedric were all standing in the grass, waiting for Paris and Tucker I assumed.