"There's pizza today," Red says before closing his locker.

"Oh." I bite my lip, nervously.

"Feeling better? After the state you got in on Saturday."

"Yeah... Look, about that night-"

He puts his hand on my shoulder. "We don't need to talk about it. It's all cool."

"Okay. Well, um – did anything else happen? I can't remember much after taking that pill."

"Nothing big. You were just dancing around with Val and trying to climb onto the ceiling."

He starts to laugh and I laugh too, even though i'm completely embarrassed. I can't even remember how I got home, never mind things like that. I remember being in bed though... Or I think I do. My thoughts are all messed up.

"Something funny?" Red is pulled back, his hand being taken from my shoulder.

"Uh, yeah," Red narrows his eyes, confused by Alex who stares at him with the most intense glare.

It's then I remember something. Alex... He was there I think. Maybe I only remember him because I always think about him – no, I remember seeing his face. Why though? How?

Jace stands behind him, his hands on his back to push him away, but Alex doesn't budge. Instead, he throws a punch at Red, the impact making his head bang against the lockers behind him, and his back slides down until he's on the floor, clutching his face.

"Chrissy!" I shriek, getting down beside him. "Why would you do that?" I shout up to Alex.

He ignores me completely, not even looking at me; just focusing on Red. It affects me a lot more than it should. Am I really that unimportant to him?

"Come on," Jace rolls his eyes, pushing Alex the other way.

"What was that about?" I ask Red as he stands up, his face screwed up in pain.

"I have no idea."

"You need to go to the nurse." I take his arm and pull him down the corridor the same way Alex went. I can see him ahead of us, and I shoot daggers into his back, hoping he can feel the anger i'm sending him. Maybe he does, because he looks over his shoulder at us and makes eye contact with me, then looks at my hand wrapped around Red's arm, making me let go.

"He's mad jealous," Red says and I look at him.

"Maybe it's you he likes, 'cause he made his feelings towards me pretty clear."

"Wouldn't it have been you he hit then?" He laughs, then winces as if it hurt. We go into the nurses office and Red gets an ice pack for his cheek. I wait there with him while he sits, and then he suddenly starts whacking my arm, his eyes popping out at someone behind me. I turn around to see Yasmin walk in the door.

"Hi, Amelia," Yasmin smiles awkwardly.

"Hi-" Red hits me again and I shoot him an annoyed look. "You know Chrissy, right?"

She looks at Chrissy in a weird way, shoving her hands into her back pockets. "Yeah... Hi."

"I barely saw you at my party," Red says, still holding the ice pack at his face.

"Wonder why." She looks at me.

Am I missing something? Wait... "Did you see us kissing or something?"

"Everyone saw," she chuckles but I can tell it's forced.

"Including Alex," Red shakes his head as if all the pieces are coming together. "That's why he hit me."

"Yeah well, that's what happens when you get with a girl he just got out of a relationship with."

"It's not like anything happened. She only kissed me because she was upset over him-"

I kick him in the shins. "Shut up!"

"Wait, really?" Yasmin's face screws up in confusion. "It was only kissing?"

"Yeah. Did you think we did more?" Did Alex think we did more? Does he actually care?

"Uh, yeah."

Red snorts. "I'm not into blondes."

"Please. You're probably into anything with lady parts." Yasmin crosses her arms over her chest. "Where's the nurse?"

Red shrugs. "Why are you here? Stalking me?"

"As if, dude. The only thing I know about you is your name and that you have red hair."

"Giving me that much attention to notice my hair colour?" He smirks and I step back, putting my bag over my shoulder.

"I'm gonna go and leave you two..." I walk backwards out the door and Yasmin waves bye.

"You're a shit wingman," Red says when I sit down at his lunch table. It'd be awkward to sit with Alex so i've been eating here with his friends.

"You're shit at flirting."

"Am not. I got Yasmin's number."

"No he didn't," Jack cuts in. "Yasmin doesn't go for guys as desperate as you. No chicks do."

"Well-" Red looks at me. "Amelia did." Some of the guys looked shocked while Lewis just asks for details.

"I'm sitting right here, you know." I glare at Lewis. "And nothing happened." I then glare at Red. What is it with guys trying to show off when they make out with someone of the opposite sex? Them and their fucking pride.

"Almost did," Red smirks at Jack and I hit his arm.

"I like you a lot better when we're alone."

"I bet Chrissy does too," Wyatt says – another creep, except he's pretty nice.

"You guys make me want to sit with Alex again," I take a fork full of my salad, trying not to think too much about him or else it'll make me want to go home and cry because i'm that weak.

"That would be shit," Lewis says. "I love how pissed he looks by you sitting here." I turn around to where Alex is sat, staring at the table and obviously thinking hard about something.

"Don't say shit like that. She might tell him and you'll get your ass beat," Wyatt says.

"I don't care; he's a douchebag. I'll shout that to him right here right now."

"Go then. Shout that he's a douche," Jack urges on and Lewis hesitates.

"Don't." Maybe he is that, but Lewis will just end up meeting the end of Alex's fist.

"See, she still likes him," Wyatt adds.

"So what?" Red questions. "They just broke up – d'you expect her to just immediately lose all feelings?"

"If it's a dick like him, then yeah."

"Can we stop talking about him?" I say loudly, rubbing my temples.

"About who?" Red and I turn around to where the voice came from, and Ray steps forward to the front of our table.

"If you must know – Alex," Lewis says.

"And you have to talk about him over here and not to his face?" Ray frowns. The Fuentes family really have no fear, do they? I don't know of much fifteen year olds that would stand in front of four seventeen and eighteen year old guys and say things like this when they don't have to. Maybe people are scared of him too, no matter his age. He is a little intimidating with his mysteriousness.

"I will say it to his face. Why don't you get him to come over here, kid?"

"Do I look like I do shit for people?" Ray gets closer to Lewis, leaning down. "And don't call me kid."

"Or what? You'll get Alex to beat me up? I'm an actual boxer. I don't need to waste my time on amateurs like Alex."

Way to brag.

"You think I get Alex to do my dirty work? You must have your head stuck too far up your own ass to know anything about me."

Lewis is about to say something but I speak before he can. "This is stupid, guys. Stop before it gets bad."

"I don't know how you can stand this piece of shit," Ray says to me. Is he always this problematic? I look back at Alex who's looking over here now.

"I don't know how your mother can stand you. Well, she obviously can't and that's why she abandons you every day like your Dad did. Prison must be better than seeing you guys, right?"

"Lewis!" I yell, shocked. Holy shit. Ray looks like he's about to explode, then he grabs Lewis by the neck, lifting him to his feet and squeezing tightly on his neck until Lewis's face goes red. Oh no oh no oh no.

Lewis grabs Ray's arm, trying to pull it away until he figures it out and lifts his leg to kick Ray in the stomach. Ray steps backwards, trying to catch his breath from being winded while Lewis recovers fast and punches him in the face.

"Stop!" I shout, getting in between the two boys. Red holds Lewis back and Ray takes that opportunity to punch him twice in the jaw.

People in the cafeteria start cheering, obviously getting enjoyment from seeing them hurt each other. This started over nothing. It's like Ray was trying to get Lewis to say something like that to set him off.

Lewis goes for a punch at Ray, but it is blocked by Alex's hand around his fist. He twists it, making Lewis yell from the pain, and shoves him backwards so hard he falls.

"I don't need your help," Ray says angrily to his brother.

"Yes you do." Alex looks down at Wyatt, Jack and Red. "Get away from these people before you catch a disease."

These people? He's a dick. These people are actually nice. Maybe not Lewis, but Jack and Red definitely are.

"Why do you have to be so horrible all the time? You didn't used to be like this." Alex and Ray freeze when I say this.

"Guess I was a good actor."

"And I was just stupid for falling for it, right?"

"You said it." He shrugs. "I better go. Your boyfriends worried about you."

"I'm not her boyfriend," Red says in defence. "The way you talk to her is disgusting, by the way."

"Look man, I don't know who you think you are-" He steps towards him but I get in between them.

"You've already hit him today for no reason, isn't that enough?"

Alex stares into my eyes for a moment too long and I can almost see something in them. Something that I used to see. A nice, but broken guy. That blows out of my mind as soon as he says, "Don't talk to me again."

He turns around and walks straight out of the cafeteria, and Ray stands looking at me with a little bit of pity and I try not to fall apart in front of everyone. "He loves you, Amelia. He just has a really weird way of showing it, I swear."

+++

picture of Ray up there 👆🏼

teaser: Alex goes down a bad road

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