I'll Protect You (Original Version)

B.E.F.L: Best Enemies For Life

"Wait...what?"

"Help me get on Logan's good side!" I said again, this time desperation clear in my voice.

"You just revealed one of the biggest secrets Paradise has ever contained because your boyfriend and you are fighting?"

I pouted my lips and glared at the kid sitting across from me. Jeremiah. I have to remember that name. "Please! We had a fight--"

"Aha! I knew it!" Jeremiah said triumphantly. "Logan lied to us!"

"What'd he say?" I asked, curious about Logan's side of the story. My mind began conjuring up its own theory of how he would describe his perspective on the event that had exploded between us two. It would most likely involve him trying to be an understanding boyfriend while his bitchy, overreactive girlfriend kept picking a fight about every single thing.

"Something about him invading your personal space and that he needed to give you some time to cool down and relax. He was pretty depressed through the week. Kept checking his phone too," Jeremiah shrugged, and shoved some french fries into his mouth.

And that completely blew my mind. It was his fault? No, it wasn't! I was the one that went too far, not him! He wasn't invading my privacy! Hell, he was my bodyguard; he's supposed to invaded my privacy!

"Judging by your face, I guess you have another story to this fight?" Jeremiah chuckled.

"Either way, I still want to apologize. That's why I need your help, Jeremiah," I explained. "You're his best friend, so you should know how to melt Logan's...ice wall of unyielding difficult-ness."

"It's Josh!" he groaned.

"I even told you my deepest darkest secret! Two of them!" I pointed out. His face blanked.

"You think I'm stupid, don't you?" I thought out loud, the most amused smile on my face. He blushed and hastily looked away from my eyes.

"Don't worry; that's what my grandmother says most of the time she looks at me," I said. "Now will you help me? I'm going on a plane with him for a week, and spending the summer in Cimeria with him. I really need your help."

"Will you start calling me Josh?" he asked.

"Sure! Let's go, Jared!"

* * *

Right after school, I was seated at a table with Mark, James, and Josh. And can I just say, I think the meeting had given brought intensely awkward to a whole other level. Mark kept fidgeting, stealing suspicious glances at me while James blatantly refused to meet my eyes.

Josh was the only one who didn't seem to disturbed by the uncomfortable air. He cleared his throat, and three pairs of eyes snapped to his green ones.

"Look, I can tell this is awkward--"

"Tell me about it," James snorted, glaring at me. I smiled. Yay, he finally looked at me! "Why the hell are we helping her? Shouldn't we be helping Logan? Brothers before hoes?"

"I'm the ho?" I scoffed. "Who's the one making out with girls every freaking weekend?"

"Okay!" Josh interrupted, shohoting James a most irritated glance. "Don't piss her off. She's pretty scary once you get to know her."

James scowled at Josh, but obeyed nonetheless. Out of the Player Trio, James hated me the most since I beat him in an arm wrestling contest and flipped him onto his back once when he tried to push me.

Oh, and I beat him with my test scores once. Right after he had called me stupid using some very unattractive synonyms.

Mark was afraid of me because I once told him about escaping from a mental institute and living undercover as a normal teenager while hiding from mad scientists who tried to perform mutant experiments on me.