Jayden sat in the prinicipal's office, holding a bloddied rag to his nose as he waited for his father. He'd gotten into a fight. Again. This time it wasn't with one of his many borhters. It was with a vicious, snarling boy named Kahn, who'd had it out for Jayden ever since he set foot in the school as an intimidated freshman.
He bounced his leg impatiently, until he heard the door creak open, and he whipped around to see the prinicipal, looking down at him with a disapproving expression. Dr. Malard moved aside to reveal Ivan Summers, a man no one wanted on their bad side. And he was angry. Very angry.
Ivan did not say one word to Jayden as the principal read him his Miranda rights. Mr. Summers signed a detention slip with a face that said he thought Jayden deserved worse.
At the car, Jayden slid around to the passenger side and opened the door. It suddenly slammed shut.
"I got called out of a meeting," Ivan said calmly. "The most important moment of the week and I get called to your god forsaken school."
Jayden remained quiet. He knew about the meeting; everyone in their family did. Ivan had been talking about it for week, and so, since it was very dear to him, Jayden just had to ruin it.
"Sorry, Dad," Jayden apologized, not actually meaning it. He opened the door again.
"No," Ivan snapped, pushing it closed. "Walk home." He got in the driver's side.
When he backed out, Jayden shouted incredulously, "But it's six miles!"
"I don't see how that's my problem." The tires squealed out of the parking lot, and Jayden was left in the dust.
Although Jayden was exhausted by the time he got home, he managed to shower and make dinner for his ungrateful family. Then he passed out on his bed. He didn't even have time to study for his Calculus test, which he sorely regretted the next day.
He nervously shuffled into his math class, sitting down reluctantly in his assigned seat. When the exam was handed to him, he resisted the urge to lift up his arms and air his pits out. He began and thought maybe it wouldn't be so bad, he knew the first couple of answers. But then he passed number four and sat there for the rest of the period, not being able to fill in any of the blanks. When the bell rang, he contemplated just chucking the 'F' into the trash. He thought better of it, and turned it in.
At the end of the day, he pulled up his hood and stuffed his hands into his pockets. Of course, that just made him more obtrusive.
"Where you going, Va-Jay-Jay?" came the mocking voice of Kahn.
Jayden sighed and turned around. "What do you want, Kahn?"
He shrugged, crossing his arms, a smirk on his face. "Just some fun."
Kahn's gang stood behind him, ready to back up their leader if need be. Class and Octavian had smug looks on their faces. Zeb, a brown haired boy with outstanding wits, just looked annoyed.
"Let's just go," Zeb said, putting his hand on Kahn's shoulder. He shrugged it off.
Jayden attempted to brush past them, but Kahn caught his arm and towed him back, slugging him in the stomach.
"You know," Kahn drawled as Jayden wheezed. "I really hate people like you." He praised the end of his sentence with another hit, this time to the throat. "Pretty boy, rich boy," he spat. "How're you liking this now?" As Jayden rolled onto his back, clutching his neck, Kahn accompanied his insult with a kick to the ribs.
"Cut it out, Kahn," a new voice called above all the others. James Summers leaned against the chainlink fence leading to the parking lot. "We both know a dead prey when we see one." His eyes flickered over to Zeb, then returned to his brother on the ground just as quickly.
"Let's go," Zeb repeated. He crossed his arms and gave Kahn a fixed stare.
Reluctantly nodding, the leader took his gang and left, but not before giving Jayden another black look. "This isn't over, mutt."
"Thanks," Jayden muttered gratefully to James. "I owe you one."
"You always do," was Jame's only response. Then he spun on his heel and climbed into his sleek, black car.
"So I guess I'm walking home again, then?" Jayden called to the receding tail lights. "Perfect. The cherry on top of a wonderful day." He scoffed and stooped to pick up the things that had fallen during the brawl with the belligerent Kahn.
"Hey," he heard behind him. He turned and stared at a beautiful woman sitting on a motorcycle with a glorious mane of flowing, golden hair.
Confused, Jayden glanced over both his shoulders. "You talking to me?" He had to be sure before he made a fool out of himself.
The girl raised her eyebrows. "'Course I'm talking to you; you're the only one here."
His ears perked up pleasantly at the sound of her smooth voice. "Sorry, I just thought-"
"Do you need a ride?" she interrupted.
"You want to give me a ride?" he asked dubiously.
"Why are you asking all these dumb questions?" She rolled her sparkling, hazel eyes, sounding entirely exasperated. "Do you need a ride or not?"
"Um, yeah."
"Then get on." Quickly obeying, he slid onto the miniscule space behind her, awkwardly clinging to the bottom of his seat. The girl purposefully revved the engine powerfully, giving the bike a bit of a jerk and successfully scaring Jayden enough to fling his arms forward to grab her waist. She snorted and kicked up the stand.
"Michelle," she introduced as they glided down the street at a much faster pace than Jayden would've like.
"I'm Jayden," he replied, holding out his hand to hers. She gave him a strange look. "Right, you're driving."
"You can take a hit pretty well," she complimented. "Not even bruised."
He shrugged, leaning forward to better hear her. "Eh, I'm used to it."
"Was that your twin?"
"One of them. There's four of us," he elaborated.
"And you don't have a car because...?"
"My dad doesn't want to buy me one. He doesn't think I deserve it." He changed the subject. "So how come I haven't seen you around before?"
"I'm the new kid, haven't you heard?"
"No. In high school, the new kid isn't that big of a deal. Unless you're really hot."
"Are you implying I'm not hot?"
"No!" Jayden exclaimed. "No, no I'm not. In fact, you should probably look out. Some will attack you."
"So you're saying we attend an academy that contains vicious children that hurt good looking people?"
"Um, more like horny jocks."
She peeked at him out of the corner of her eye. "You're funny. Where am I taking you?"
"Turn right here. I'm not kidding," he continued, clutching tighter to her leather jacket as the bike bounced over a speed bump. "Those guys will fall to their knees to be with you." He scoffed derisively, rolling his deep, brown eyes. "Idiots."
She smiled slightly, but said nothing more. Jayden pointed where to go and the rest of the ride was silent, until Jayden suddenly broke it.
"Stop here," he commanded. Michelle did as was told. She shirked her aviator sunglasses and peered curiously at the empty lot of grass with only a rickety set of swings sat, set back farther from the road.
"This is where you live?" she asked dubiously.
Jayden pulled himself off of the bike and shouldered his bag. "Sure, I guess."
"Sure... you guess?" She narrowed her eyes at him.
He shrugged and began walking the block left to his home. He realized Michelle was following him after having gotten off her bike. He wasn't surprised when she spun him around by his shoulder and glared up into his eyes. He towered over the beautiful girl.
"Why don't you want me seeing where you live?" she asked.
"Well possibly because you're a stranger and I don't know what you're capable of?" He tapped his chin. "Yeah, that's a good reason."
"You know I'm just going to follow you, right?"
He kept walking, using his long legs to stay in front of her. "Why are you so interested?"
"Because you don't want me to see it."
"You always want what you can't have."
She ran to catch up with him. "Look, I know your dad is a millionaire." His expression darkened at the mention of his father.
"So what?"
"So-"
"So you can seduce my money out of me?"
"-I don't care!"
Jayden fell silent as a confused expression came across his face. "Huh?"
"I don't care about your money, Jayden."
"Every girl that's ever talked to me only wanted my money," he said, crossing his arms. Even as he said it, he wondered why. He looked just like his brothers and all the girls seemed to want them. He was just as handsome, so why did they not like him?
"I'm not every girl."
"But you don't even know me!" He pointed a suspicious look at Michelle. "Why did you give me a ride?"
"Um, maybe because I'm just such a nice person?" She rolled her eyes sarcastically. "I don't know. I just did. Does it matter?"
"Well-" he faltered.
"That's what I thought." She jerked her head back towards the bike. "Can I drive you home?"
He nodded and swung a long leg back over the motorcycle.
The vehicle sat idly in the driveway of the esteemed Summers residence. The colossal mansion stared down at the two teenagers intimidatingly.
"Thanks for the ride." Jayden got off and held his back pack to his chest.
"See you tomorrow?" she suggested. He nodded once again and then she was off.
As soon as he stepped over the door's threshold, the front of his shirt was enclosed in a fist. He was pushed back against the wall, and the door slammed. The wind of it blew his hair back. Jed sneered at him.
"Spill, little brother. Who was that piece of ass on the bike?"
"I'm not your little brother, we're twins," Jayden snapped.
Disregarding the comment, Jed took on a surprised tone. "And she was talking to you! How odd, don't you think?"
"Move, Jed. Get out of my way." He pushed past his brother only to be reeled back against the wall.
"Is that any way to talk to your superior?"
Jayden snorted, trying not to let his anger show. He skirted around Jed's grabbing hands and booked it upstairs. "You're not my superior, you idiot!"
~*~
Jayden disregarded the whispering at lunch. He sat in a corner and always used this time to make up his missed homework, get ahead, study for a test, or just read.
Today, however, he wasn't alone. Michelle plopped down in front of him with a tray of cheese fries. Even though they were greasy, Jayden noticed how she still looked brilliant while eating them.
Wow, he thought. She chews in the cutest way. It makes her dimples show.
"What are you looking at?" she snapped. Jayden hadn't realized he'd been staring, and jumped slightly when she spoke.
"Oh, um, nothing, sorry," he stammered. In his head, he added, you're just an amazing thing to see.
He turned back to his work, his face blushing red but a small smile adorning it nonetheless. The second he picked up his pen again, the math book was snapped shut. His head jerked up to see Michelle grinning.
"Don't do that." She knocked the book off the table. It landed on the floor with a thud that was drowned out by the surrounding chattering of voices. "I think math gives people brain damage."
"I actually think it does the opposite," he laughed, leaning over to pick up the fallen literature.
She shrugged. "We all have our opinions."
Just then, a pretty girl in a cliche cheerleading uniform came up to their table and sat next to Michelle, completely ignoring the youngest Summers boy.
"Oh em gee, you're the new girl!" she squealed.
Jayden gave the girl a weird look and Michelle cocked an eyebrow at her. "Yeah, I am." She was obviously trying not to sound too annoyed. Jayden noticed though and snorted into his hand. The girl flipped her almost-white blond hair and glared at him.
"Anyway," she said preppily to Michelle. "I'm Ginelli, head cheerleader and queen bee! Why don't you come sit over at the cool table with us?" She threw another sneer toward Jayden, who, shamefaced, closed his things and got up, not even giving Michelle a second look before leaving the vicinity in a timely fashion to avoid humiliation.
Michelle looked to the table where Ginelli was pointing. Jayden's brothers all sat there, along with other beautiful people. Michelle assumed that was why they invited her over, because they hadn't even seen what see could be like in the morning.
"No, thanks. I'm good," she said stiffly, then went to chase after the only boy she actually wanted to be friends with.
She found him sitting under a large oak near the sparkling lake behind their expensive school.
"Hey!" she called from up the hill. Jayden whipped around and, even though his eyes widened, relaxed when he spotted someone who wasn't here to hurt him.
Why is this girl so persistent? he thought.
"Why did you run away?"
"I felt intrusive. I didn't want to ruin your chances of having friends."
"Oh, please. That prep is not my friend."
"Don't you need friends?"
"I don't need friends," she corrected.
"Let me rephrase that. Don't you want friends?"
She shrugged, kicking at the grass near the base of the tree. "Sure. Everybody wants friends."
"But?"
"But what?"
"I don't know, I sensed a but at the end there."
"Do you want friends, Jayden?"
He was quiet for a moment. "Yes."
"Then I'll be your friend if you promise to be mine." Michelle sat down on the grass next to him, their sides touching. She drew her knees up to her chest. "Why does everyone hate you?"
When he didn't answer, she knew she hit a touchy subject. As she was about to take back her question, Jayden shrugged. "You'll have to ask them." Then grinned as if he hadn't a care in the world and bumped Michelle's shoulder with his.
Michelle sat in the library during study hall, making up a book report that was due for her class the previous week. Her English teacher said she didn't have to complete the assignment since she wasn't here. Michelle had shrugged and took the requirement anyway, never passing up the opportunity for an extra grade.
Hearing a giggle, Michelle turned her head, finding two girls snickering behind books. They were wannabe plain-Janes, she noted, and they were staring at Michelle from behind a bookcase. Setting her pen down, Michelle crosed her arms in front of her purple tank top and glared at them.
"Do you want something?" she snapped.
They sobered up and Michelle figured they'd scurry away, but they approached her table and smiled down at her.
"I really love your boots," one of them complimented.
Michelle raised an eyebrow, but did not say a thank you.
"Anyway," the other girl said, realizing Michelle wanted them to cut to the chase. "We noticed you hanging out with Jayden Summers." She scrunched her nose up in distaste.
"Actually, everyone's noticed it," the first girl cut in.
"We just wanted to let you know that his brothers are much cooler and Jayden's a really big loser." They both nodded with big smiles on their make up caked faces.
"I think I'll be the judge of that." Then she closed her book with a bang and marched out.