DOMINIC AND CARTER IMMEDIATELY JUMP IN and pull Justin off of Creep Dude. They act instantly because they know that Justin will resort to murder if absolutely prompted. He's about two seconds away from that.
Devin, who was notified about this, runs down the hallway. He's wearing heels but he could care fucking less. Something's happening and he needs to make sure Justin's alright. Yeah, these two prioritize each other. That's just how they are. Don't say a damn thing about it.
"Justin?"
The sound of his baby's voice pulls said male out of his angry reverie and leads him to turn around. He pulls Devin into a hug, quickly burying his face in the latter's neck. Devin cutely pouts and leans closer to his man.
"It's okay, papa. I'm not going anywhere."
Carter averts his eyes away from the couple to look at Dominic, who looks away from Creep Dude.
"Honestly Dom. If any dude said some fuck shit or even touched Juliette wrongly, I would do the same damn thing." Oh yeah, if I haven't already mentioned this, let me tell you now. Carter and Juliette are brother and sister. They'd kill for one another.
Dominic nods in agreement because he's seen in person what happens when you mess with Juliette. Carter might be nice to everyone but he'll fuck a bitch up.
FLASHBACK TO LAST YEAR
"She obviously thinks she looks sexy doing that shit. Girl, you look like a fucking constipated rat. Ugh, I'm contemplating skipping English so I won't have to listen to Victoria drone on and on about how much dick she gets but I cannot. I don't need my parents calling me asking me why I'm not in class."
Juliette giggles and pulls Devin down the hallway, not caring one bit about the boys surrounding Victoria's trifling ass. Until one of them gropes the former's ass. Her obsidian eyes turn darker than they already are.
"Damn girl, you sure are plump back there."
Juliette pulls out her phone, sending a text to Carter to haul ass to the second floor, and then turns to the groper. "Touch my ass again. I will see to it that you no longer have use of your hands."
The dude's friends laugh childishly. What the hell do you expect from a group of idiots with not an ounce of damn common sense?
"Oh yeah. What are you going to do? Cut my hands off? That ass is so round and plush I just couldn't help myself."
Juliette goes to cuss him out but feels a hand on her shoulder. She looks up to see Carter, Dominic, Justin, and the entire football team standing there. "Jules, go with Devin. We got this."
She nods and throws a death glare toward the dude. She doesn't know his name and to be frank, she doesn't give a shit what it is. All she wants is for him to never touch her again.
Devin, blowing a kiss at Justin, grabs Juliette's hand and pulls her away from the scene. Once he makes sure the two are completely out of sight, Dominic slams the dude into the lockers, pinning him so he can't get away.
Carter narrows his eyes in anger. "So you inappropriately touched my sister and then tried to be slick about it to her face. Bad idea homie."
Two of nameless fool's (We don't acknowledge dumbasses around here) friends gasp in realization as to who Carter is. "Oh shit. You're Carter Harrington. James, you just fucked up, bro."
So that's his name. Fuckin' fool.
"Am I supposed to know who he is, exactly? Is he the king around here or some shit?" James keeps running his mouth about how he could fuck Juliette and then throw her away like trash which is a bad idea because Carter cracks his knuckles (which is a clear sign for Dominic to move out the way) and punches James clean in the eye. The other male yells and starts cussing loudly. "What the fuck did you punch me for?" (bitch, what the fuck else?)
"You're lucky I didn't kill you for that shit. You disrespect my sister and expect me to do nothing about it? Nah. That shit doesn't fly with me. If I hear that you're talking shit, I will see to it that you end up six feet under." Carter says in a menacing tone. Don't mess with a Harrington or you will burn.
He turns to Justin and the boys, walking forward. That's his silent code for 'let's go'.
Downstairs, Juliette is standing by the restrooms, ranting to Devin about how violated she feels. Devin rests a hand on his best friend's shoulder.
"Add him to your list."
Juliette and Carter have a list of all the people that ever did them wrong. A year ago, two of them mysteriously went missing and to this damn day, they still haven't been found. But that's for another day.
"Knowing Carter, that dude might be on there already."
Speaking of Carter, he's heading her way, a look of concern plastered on his face. "Jules, are you okay?"
She nods. "Like I was just telling Devin, I feel violated. People like him disgust me. I hope you beat the shit out of him."
"Nah, not this time. I was more concerned about you. I did threaten his whole life though."
"Good."
A voice comes in through the PA system. "This is Coach Patterson. I need the varsity football team to stay after school for a meeting. Yes, you too Harrington."
Carter rolls his eyes. What is it with these damn teachers thinking they can just put you on blast and shit? Better go somewhere with that.
END OF FLASHBACK
Justin whispers in Devin's ear, telling him to meet in their room after class. Good thing they both have a free period.
Devin nods and smirks at him. "I'm there, daddy. See you soon." He tugs on Justin's Saint Laurent monogram leather belt buckle, kisses him, and turns on his heel to go back to class.
——————
SOMEWHERE ACROSS CAMPUS
"I can't do this..." The boy moans and his eyes roll up to the ceiling helplessly as the gorgeous redhead straddles his midriff and trails kisses up his collarbone and neck. She places her hand on his muscled chest and purses her pomegranate-tinted lips.
"Oh, Drew..." She lets out a soft sigh and runs a manicured hand through his brunette hair. "You can, and you will."
"Marissa!" He suddenly pushes her back and frowns. "I have a girlfriend, okay? A girlfriend who I love and refuse to cheat on."
"What Bianca doesn't know won't hurt her..." She slowly begins to undo the buttons of her shirt in a way that just reeks of experience, letting the creamy lace of her La Perla bra peek through seductively. "Besides... you know you want it. We both do." She smirks and gently pushes him back down towards the mattress. "And don't worry. Bianca will never know."
His navy eyes darken with lust but he continues to back away.
"N-no. I can't. Bianca ... S-she trusts me. She loves me. I can't do this to her..." He trails off as she slowly lets her barely-there Rock&Republic destroyed denim mini fall to the ground. "Marissa, no-"
She chooses to shut him up by pressing her soft lips to his own and he, albeit regretfully, succumbs, running his rough hands through her silky flaxen curls and rapidly yanking his shirt off. She feels a slight pang of guilt in the pit of her stomach as she thinks of Kennedy, who is probably waiting outside her dorm so they could walk to class together. What the other girl would say if she knew what her friend was doing right now. But she pushes that thought away and concentrates on Drew Carson's experienced hands trailing down her back and undoing her La Perla bra. Bianca Wallace deserved this. The bitch had ratted her out for cheating on last year's Chemistry final, which almost cost her a chance at Dartmouth. She smirked almost victoriously as she relished the thought of finally getting Drew Carson to cheat on his girlfriends-since-day-one-of-freshman-year. Any second now... 3... 2... 1...
"Drew! I was thinking tonight we could-"
They break apart abruptly to stare at the open door, where a willowy girl with soft, chestnut waves stands, her green eyes widening at the sight.
"Bianca!" Drew shouts, shoving the girl on top of him to the floor with a thump and hastily grabs his t-shirt. "No, wait! Listen, it's not what it looks like-"
Instead of running away sobbing as Marissa had hoped, Bianca just narrows her eyes and folds her arms defiantly across her chest.
"Oh, really, Andrew? Please then, enlighten me. Why are you making out with someone who looks like she belongs in a brothel when you have a girlfriend, huh?" Her normally complacent, smiling face looks cold with fury.
"It wasn't me!" he almost begs, looking so desperate and pitiful, even Marissa almost feels bad. "She practically jumped at me! I couldn't do anything about it!"
"She jumped at you," she repeats, her eyes narrowing. "Right, well, it seemed to me like you were enjoying it," He opened his mouth to object. "Save it for someone who gives a shit, Carson," she snaps scathingly and he closes his mouth, looking defeated. "I hope you and Windsor's very own STD factory have a good time. Because we are over." She hitches the FCUK Ethnique Rose satchel onto her shoulder, turns on her heel, and strides away.
"Wait! Bianca, please!" Drew shoots a dangerous glare in Marissa's direction and bolts out after his ex-girlfriend, out the door, and into the hallway. The door swings shut behind him and Marissa rises gracefully from the floor and adjusts her skirt and tousled hair with a self-satisfied smirk.
Mission Accomplished.
——————
AS SHE SITS IN AP ART, NATALIA CAN ONLY THINK about how brash and bluntly rude Noelle is. She's not surprised though. The self-proclaimed Queen Bee is not the first mean person she's dealt with, but goddamn, is she intense. She can't help but think about their first encounter.
YET ANOTHER FLASHBACK
She grasped the handle of the door apprehensively, took a deep breath, and pushed it open. Immediately, the scent of Chanel No. 5 hit her nose and she stood in the doorway awkwardly, looking around. The room was great- almost as huge as the one in her summer bungalow on the LA beachside, with plush, alabaster carpets, a large, circular bed with a silky, lime green duvet, cream-colored walls, and enormous walk-in closets on either side of the room. Sitting cross-legged on the opposite, royal purple Tempur-Pedic Allura mattress was one of the most gorgeous girls Natalia had ever seen- which was saying something for someone who bumped into Hollywood's hottest celebrities on a daily basis.
She was frowning into the latest French Vogue, her flaxen black curls cascading past her shoulders and brushing the bedspread. Her sun-kissed face scrunched up slightly as she wrinkled her ski-slope nose, splattered with freckles (something that would have looked childish, but managed to simply increase her already heightened beauty), at something she must have found heinous in her fashion magazine. Her head barely rose when she heard Natalia enter- if anything, she trained her icy cobalt eyes even more intently on the article, probably dismissing her new roommate as no more important than a common household maid.
"Hey, are you Noelle?" she asked, in a voice that sounded much too cheery and too much like a used-car salesman to be her own. "I'm Natalia Copeland, your new roommate."
After a fairly lengthy pregnant pause, Noelle finally rose from her bed and ran her reverse-manicured hands down the sides of her filmy, eggplant-colored Versace blouse and black pinstripe D&G pencil skirt. Her eyes, cold and calculating, shamelessly looked Natalia up and down before she responded.
"Yes, I'm Noelle Grimaldi," Her voice was too calm and collected to be normal, but Natalia shrugged it off, albeit uncomfortably. "I like long walks on the beach, waking up to the sound of rain, and laughing with old friends. I don't especially care about your interests, so don't bother. Here's how things work around here Miss Copeland," Noelle's tone instantly hardened and became brisk, almost business-like. "This room is mine. Not ours. Mine. You are simply staying here until further notice- meaning when I find you a suitable replacement. Furthermore, you do not touch any of my books, makeup, or electronic devices- ever. If you even step into my closet, you will die a very painful death, I can assure you. Rock and Country music is hereby banned. You do not invite people over here without my permission- none of those Organic Chemistry study groups or anything. If you must hook up with someone, kick Kayla Briggs out of her dorm and use it. I don't need to deal with any of that. Oh, and if you even go near my boyfriend Sebastian Ashcroft, you'll be out of here before you can say 'Prada'. Understand?"
Natalia nodded numbly, almost quaking in her Giuseppe Zanotti sandals. She was going to have to live under the thumb of this... evil, Siren-like demoness for the rest of the year? Oh, dear...
"Good," Noelle's hard expression melted into a saccharine-sweet smile. "I'm sure we're going to be the best of friends!"
END OF FLASHBACK
She looks up to see Devin coming in. That male is gorgeous. He had generously invited her to the party and she, on a mission to make friends, immediately accepted.
"Hey, Natalia!" Speaking of said male, he's heading to his seat, which happens to be right next to her seat. Her eyes widen because she finds herself intimidated whenever she's in the same vicinity as him.
As the fashion-forward male takes a seat, she can't help but glance at his outfit. He looks good in everything he wears. Hell, Devin could rock a fucking trash bag and make it work. "Hi, Devin. You look wonderful today."
"Thank you. So you do. Loving the outfit. And the shoes. Love a good pair of Louboutins. How's your day going?"
"Good. Still getting settled in and shit."
Devin nods and turns to look at her. "How is it going with Noelle? Being her roommate and all." According to him, Juliette and Delaney, Noelle is the worst person to have as a roommate.
"Uhhhhhh, I'm scared out of my fucking mind. I've been waking up in the middle of the night, in fear that she's going to be standing over me with a knife wanting to slit my throat or something."
"Yeah. She can be terrifying. I'm immune to her bullshit though. At one point, she tried to come for me but I shut her ass down. I have this thing where I use my last name to get ahead. Just mentioning who you are makes everything better."
Natalia's parents are just as powerful as anyone else's at this school. Her father, Emerson Copeland, is a high-profile plastic surgeon who dabbles in cosmetic surgery depending on the client. Natalia knows doctor-patient confidentiality exists, but the stories he has in his arsenal... A lot of people would be afraid.
Her mother, Celeste Copeland, is a name that always sits on the New York Times Best Seller list at #1 for her endless books and series that have people sitting on the edge of their damn seats.
And as for the whole 'going near her boyfriend' thing, Noelle needs to chill. Natalia already has a boyfriend, Jaylen, whom she's madly in love with. So yeah, don't nobody want him.
She might just have to take Devin's advice and let Noelle know a thing or two.