Thanks for all the reads and votes guys! It means a lot to me :) Nicole Cummins on the side as Joney.

Enjoy!

***

Finally, it was lunchtime. I have been starving since I hadn't eaten breakfast this morning, since I had been too busy avoiding my mom.

My stomach grumbled, and my face flushed in embarrassment as I set a hand on my pit of endless hunger.

"Thank you." I smiled genuinely at the lunch lady when she gave me my change.

I looked across the lunchroom to see Joney sitting at the table near the door, and I started making my way over to her. I put my tray down, and immediately shoved some fries in my mouth moaning in delight. Before I could shove more in my mouth, Joney's hand came up and slapped my fries away.

"Slow down, your going to get indigestion," she said playfully.

I shrugged and picked up my fries again. "Who cares? I'm hungry," I said, my mouth full.

Once I swallowed I pointed at Joney. "You and I have to figure out what we are doing for this stupid showcase coming up," I said looking through my bag for my notebook.

I'm not exactly sure who did it, but my bag was in my locker this morning when I came to school. I guess maybe someone picked it up, knew it was mine and put it in my locker.

The only thing that bothered me about that was that Joney didn't do it, but she is the only one who knows my locker combo.

Nevertheless, I had my bag back with everything still in there, so I wasn't complaining.

Joney poked at her food and pouted. "I swear Mr. Haltz just hates us. Why else would we be the only juniors asked to participate?"

Still looking through my bag I let out a huff. "I don't know."

I shuffled through bag even more before giving up and looking at Joney.

"I left my notebook in my locker, let me go get it quickly. I'll be back," I said getting up from the table.

"We don't have to do this now, you know," she said eating a piece of her pizza, or at least I think it was pizza.

"When else will we feel like doing, though?" I said grabbing a few more fries, and walked out of the lunch door.

Whistling, I aimlessly looked around my school's main hallway. I would start bragging to you about how its intricate designs and beautiful mosaic on the walls attract over fifty new students each year, but I'd be wasting your time.

Mainly because I'd be making it up.

Our school was dull. The hallways were dull, the classrooms were dull, even the damn teachers were dull. You wanna know our school colors? Brown and maroon.

Excuse me? Whoever decided those colors go together should be arrested, and never released, forced to suffer in their own personal six by eight brick confinement room.

My pointless observations allowed me to reach my locker quicker than usual. I put in my combination in my locker and grabbed my blue notebook from my top shelf.

"Well I don't know what else you want me to do, I am as close as I can get," I heard a familiar voice say a little further down the hallway and around the corner.

My curiosity got the best of me, and I slowly began walking closer to the voice all the while getting an uncomfortable whiff of Déjà vu. Maybe it would have been in my best interest not to have a repeat of last night.

But, you know, I'm stupid, so I kept walking.

I bit my lip, feeling uneasy with the situation, but I decided I might as well check it out since I was already within reach of the corner. I slowly peered from behind the wall at whoever was talking.

Speak of the devil.

Axle.

"Well, we'll figure it out; she's not going anywhere anytime soon," he said before shutting off his phone, and leaning back against the cool surface of the wall. Who's not going anywhere soon?

Closing his eyes, he stood in that position for a while. I took that as my cue to leave. As I turned around, I smacked straight into the side of a locker, my nose becoming one with the metal.

"Oww," I moaned, forgetting that I was supposed to be quiet at a moment like this. I rubbed my sensitive nose trying to ease the pain. I guess that's what I get for eavesdropping though.

"What are you doing?" Axle growled from behind me. I turned around slowly to look at him while he took slow but predatory steps towards me.

Without another thought, I ran, making a feeble attempt to get back to the lunchroom in one piece.

I heard Axle gaining on me, only making me attempt to limp faster. Right as my fingers grasped the cool metal door leading to the cafeteria, I was ripped away from it and slammed up against some nearby lockers, hurting my already aching back. I groaned in pain as I slowly slid down to the tile floor.

He wrapped both of his hands around my forearms, yanking me back up, not giving me any time to recover. My body immediately protested the harsh and sudden movements as Axle mercilessly maneuvered my body.

A groan was all I could manage. This guy was strong and swiftly taking all of my strength away. Not that I had a lot to begin with.

"What did you hear?" He asked through his teeth, glaring at me with emotionless hazel eyes.

I looked at him weakly. "Nothing, I swear. I had to pee."

"Tell the truth!" He yelled in my face. Well now I really did have to pee.

The guy in front of me was downright terrifying. I had no idea that someone could conjure up this much rage. Oh wait, yes I did, because Jacen looks like that on a daily basis.

"I... I swear!" I stuttered, trying my best to maintain eye contact.

He didn't calm down at the slightest and gripped my forearms even tighter if possible. I winced, but didn't give him the satisfaction of knowing he caused me pain. I gritted my teeth, as angry tears burned my eyes.

Stop crying all the time, you stupidly emotional teenage girl.

I looked him dead on with every ounce of bravery I had left. "Screw you." I spat in his face, feeling immense pleasure from my actions.

That was, until I saw him raise his hand after wiping his face. My eyes widened out of fear and realization of what he was about to do. Was he actually going to hit a girl?

My generation sucks. I scrunched my face and awaited the blinding stars I was sure to see from behind closed eyes.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?"

Axle and I both whipped our heads in the direction of the voice, a voice that belonged to a very pissed of looking Jacen. Fury was present all over his face with a glare directed solely at Axle.

"I think I just asked you a question. What the fuck do you think you are doing?" He asked with gritted teeth and clenched fist.

I believe that's two dollars in the Swear Jar for you Mr. Matthews.

Axle smirked with just as much hatred, lowering his hand. "Just having a friendly chat," he turned to me with a glint in his eye." Isn't that right, Z?" I looked at him with pure disgust as he traced his fingers over the cheek that I knew he was about to slap.

Jacen came up, and harshly pulled Axle's hands off of me. He shoved him further away from me, standing in between us.

"Zaph, leave." Jacen turned his head in my direction after an uncomfortable silence. I look at him incredulously. Does he really expect me to listen to him right now?

"What? No!" I crossed my arms over my chest. He can't tell me what to do.

Just then I heard more approaching footsteps. I felt slightly relieved when I saw Finn, Luke, and Spencer coming running up to us. At least whatever is about to happen won't get too out of hand.

"One of you, get Zaph out of here now."

"Stop!" I said when Spencer came towards me. "I'm staying here!" I stomped my foot childishly, when Spencer tried to pull me away despite my effort to stay put.

Jacen looked at me with an alarmingly dangerous look that I have never seen before on him. "Now," He said with a lot of authority, leaving no room for discussion. Spencer wrapped an arm my shoulder, forcing me to walk with him away from the scene.

I looked back one more time to see Finn and Luke on either side of Jacen, standing with stiff postures as the all stood facing Axle.

"Just don't get yourself into juvey! I'm serious!" I shout before Spencer shoved me back into the cafeteria. With a sigh, I resume my previous position across the table from Joney.

She looked at me curiously. "Where's your notebook?" I sighed.

Dammit.

***

Smack!

I jumped in my seat when my notebook I had dropped in the hallway landed on my desk right in front of me. Startled, I looked up at Jacen who was looking down at me with his arms crossed. "Be more careful. And stop wandering off every opportunity you get. It's troublesome on my part." I scoffed.

"First of all, I didn't ask you to interfere, you did it on your own free will," I said standing up trying to look intimidating against what seemed to be a 6"1 body. But then again, he could be like 5"7, because I am really bad at determining height just by looking at someone, you know, considering the fact that I'm not a walking tape measure.

I always wondered how girls in my romance books knew the exact height of a guy they may have just met. Excuse me, I was not aware you took the time out of your day to measure your potential love interest's height. Anyways.

He smirked at the obvious height advantage he had on me. "And second, it's the twenty first century, who still says troublesome?" He rolled his eyes in agitation before looking me dead on.

"You don't know how much I wish I could just leave you alone." I wasn't sure what that was supposed to mean, all I knew was that the comment hurt a little. I attempted to cover it up with a humorless laugh and just sat back down, entertaining myself with my chewed up number two pencil until I saw him leave to his seat.

Why are all guys so mean? It's like none of them have filters. You don't say those types of things to a girl, it deflates the facade they have up around them, which is like breaking a dam. Which leads to nonstop waterworks.

Don't break a dam my friend.

It's a good thing I'm not too sensitive, or else I would still be focused on the words in general instead of an underlying message. I tapped my pencil repeatedly down on my desk, contemplating the meaning of his words.

You don't know how much I wish I could just leave you alone.

Wish he could? What's stopping him? It's certainly not me. I looked back at him, trying to figure out the mystery that is Jacen Matthews.

***

I grabbed my jacket from the employee's closet and grabbed my house keys from my purse.

"Uncle Sherb, I'm leaving! Have a good night!" I shouted as I left out of the door into the dark abyss of night. I shivered. Who really knows what lurks around at this time? Predatory eyes watching oblivious people like prey, waiting for an opportunity to strike.

The sheer thought of someone watching me right now made me clutch my jacket tighter around me, and glance around the nearly deserted street while picking up my pace. Although, I wouldn't be surprised if someone was watching me, due to the recent events that have occurred.

I rounded the corner leading into my neighborhood, relieved that I had almost made it home without any impediments along the way.

As I approached my house, I saw Axle standing outside in his yard, talking to three guys. Or more like shouting. Judging from his stiff posture, these guys weren't his friends. Without much of a warning, they all charged at him for an unfair fight of three against one. Axle was doing his best at fending them off, as good as a guy outnumbered can, but he was still losing.

"Hey, leave him alone!" I shouted impulsively and started running towards them.

They ignored me as they began punching and kicking him brutally. My brain went into overdrive and I stopped thinking and started doing. I grabbed a long stick I spotted on someone's curb, and jumped onto one of the guy's backs, smacking him in the head repeatedly with it.

"What the-crazy bitch! Get off of me!" He yelled trying to get me off of him, while I was letting out one of my Tarzan howls. I swiped and slashed the stick at the other guys who attempted to come closer to me, and was feeling pretty awesome, until I was flipped over the guy's head and onto the hard ground in front of him.

I groaned at the pain that shot up my spine, and saw the men starting to approach me, when Axle jumped up and got in front of me, shielding me from them. What the hell had I just done? It was like I had been high for a good thirteen seconds.

"Ahhhh I see," one guy said smiling as if he caught on to some inside joke, "She's your girl, huh Fields?" He stated more than asked.

"I'll have your damn money by the end if the week," he says, not answering the guy's question. He pursed his lips and looked down at me, before his eyes widened as if understanding something.

I inched backwards at his stare. "No need. I want her now," he said pointed at me with a disgusting smile on his face.

My body froze.

Axel's body stiffened and he growled at the man. "Not a chance."

The guy smirked and started backwards towards his car, maintaining eye contact with Axle.

"We'll see. She seems to be the one everyone is after, it's just a shame you got to her first. I'd watch your back from now on Fields." He then closed his car door along with his two henchmen and drove off.

Axle let out a string of profanities pacing back and forth as I sat on the grass breathing hard.

"Twenty dollars," I said timidly as I looked at him.

"What?" He said menacingly.

"Twen-Twenty dollars in-in- the swear jar," I said, stuttering under his hateful glare.

"You think I give a fuck about a stupid jar?"

"Twenty one," I mumbled, looking down at the grass in front of me. He looked at me for a moment before speaking.

"You really don't get it do you?" He laughed humorlessly. "You just got yourself involved in something you really wish didn't exist Zaph," he said through clenched teeth.

I pondered that thought. "How could I wish against something I didn't know existed? And you'd be surprised how normal this kind of situation is for me by now," I said disturbingly unaffected by his comment.

"Well then you should have been smart enough to know it shouldn't have happened again. Now you have a relentless gang leader on your ass because you couldn't mind your own damn business." I stood up, patting the grass of my butt harshly. Talk about ungrateful.

"I was trying to help you! You know, your form of gratitude sucks." I said glaring at him one final time before walking over to my house, while annoyingly scratching my arms. I had just rolled in grass for that guy. If I died from a allergic reaction tonight, I would be very disappointed that my last few moments on earth would be talking to the douche that I vainly sacrificed myself for. Yet, out of everything he has said to me, next few words that came out of his mouth were like a bullet straight through my heart.

"I don't need help from an orphan."

A/N *gasp!* Weren't expecting that were ya? Or maybe you were.. well whatever the case, thanks for reading and I hope you guys will comment and vote! Suggestions are always appreciated :) XOXO :-* (kisses for everyoneee)