He's Dying to Get Inside

Clouds filled the sky that Monday morning, some of the clouds were releasing precipitation. The light rain fall fell on Raylee as she walked to school, she had missed the bus and her parents had already left for work. Her converses paddled along, making squeaky noises as her heel hit the bottom of the shoe with each step. She kept her head down, avoiding her face from being pelted with raindrops.

A car eased along the road once it spotted her, the window rolled down and a voice caught her attention. Ray turned to see three boys in the car, Alex, his friend Jack, and her lab partner Rian. She just looked back down, not wanting to hear what Alex had to say, since he was the one in the passenger seat that had rolled the window down.

"Raylee-cakes, don't you want a ride? You're gonna get all wet and ruin that amazing face."

She continued walking fast.

"Alex doesn't mean to be like that," Rian countered causing her to slow down and look at him, "don't get sick on his behalf, get in the car. I promise Jack is capable of getting us to school in one piece."

She paused as the car stopped, she looked into Ri's sincere brown eyes and white toothed smile and decided to take another chance. She wouldn't ever trust Alex again, she knew that for a fact, but Rian was trust worthy. She'd known him for most of her time in high school, they only talked when they had class assignments together, but she'd never seen him in trouble, and even the teachers loved him.

"Thank you," she mumbled, clicking in the seat belt and putting her books in between her and the shaggy haired boy, "Jack."

The skunk haired boy nodded and continued to concentrate on his driving.

"Do we have lab today?" Rian asked her casually.

She reached into her bag and pulled out her planner, showing it to him, "Mr. Mich told us when we were going to be having labs this month so we could meet him there, I wrote it down..." she scanned the planner, "No, we have one tomorrow."

The two looked up at the sound of Alex's laughter. Ray's face flushed and she threw her planner back into the bag, looking out the window and crossing her arms. She could feel the boy next to her watching her, but she didn't make any move to show him that she did. As soon as the vehicle stopped, she scooped up her bag and jolted out of the car toward her locker.

Derek caught her arm as she entered the courtyard, "Were you just in the same car as Alex?"

"It wasn't like that, I missed my bus and no one was home. They saw me walking and Rian offered me a ride, he's my lab partner."

He nodded, but wasn't quite sure if she was completely telling the truth. "Okay, next time call me."

"I figured you left already."

"I'd come get you, I don't want you or Darcy around those boys anymore."

Raylee smiled at him and rubbed his arm, walking to her locker as he stood there to glare at the boy as they approached. She turned around when she heard commotion, she saw everyone looking at Derek and Alex as they stood close to each other.

"I thought I told you to stay away from her?"

She rushed forwards, "Derek, don't get in trouble for me, just drop it okay, he didn't try anything. You won."

"No, no. I think tough guy needs to learn a lesson, he messed with two of the wrong woman."

"Hey," Alex said defensively, "your sister wanted me, it's not my fault I enjoyed it."

The broader boy shoved the musician, causing him to stumble backward and hit the glass door, which luckily didn't shatter. The caramel haired boy stood up, holding his head high as if he wasn't hurt. He got right back to where he was prior to the shove.

"Alex, drop it." Jack grabbed his friend's arm and attempted to pull him away.

He smacked of the lanky boy's hand and remained, "Do you really want to do this right now?"

"Derek. Football!" Raylee reminded him, "Don't throw that away over some cocky boy, he isn't worth it. Remember what you always told me, ignore those who stand in your way, they won't make a difference unless you let them. Well, you're letting him."

He looked at her, not sure if he should pull away or not. But from the sad look on her face, he did, telling himself to take advantage of the situation the next time it arises. As Derek went to wrap his arm around her, Alex slugged him, catching him off guard and making him fall to the ground.

"ALEX STOP!" she shrieked as he bent over to hit Derek again.

She wanted someone to do something, but everyone just watched, a few of the teachers stood off to the side afraid that they might get hurt in the process. She took it into her own hands--well, sorta-- she took her bag off her shoulder and brought it down on Alex, using it to push him off Derek. He looked at her with chocolate eyes, as if he had no idea why she did it.

"I said stop!" she muttered, putting her bag back on her shoulder and walking toward her locker.

"Ms Jones, Mr Gaskarth and, Mr Marks, follow me to my office."

Raylee turned back around to see the principal, her face flushed for the second time that day. She ducked her head down and walked forward, Derek took her bag for her and followed behind her. Alex rubbed his side as he walked, more hurt by the stack of textbooks than the actual fighting.

The balding principal took his seat behind is paper coated desk and waved for the students to sit down in the chairs across from the desk. They did so, Derek setting the book bag between him and Raylee, Alex sat on his other side. The older man shook his head, not knowing what to say to the teens.

"May I ask what started all of this?"

"Alex asked her to a party, sir. She went, but only to apologize to me over an argument we had earlier in the week. But Alex was too smashed to thing correctly, he was going to force himself on her to finish off his stupid list."

"But I didn't hurt her, Derek."

"You would have if I hadn't found you!"

"All I did today was offer her a ride because of the weather, she was walking and that bag is heavy, I was only doing it to be kind. I enter the school and am attacked because I was told to stay away from her," Alex told the principal trying to keep a serene face, "I didn't mean to cause any harm, but to make up for my mistake."

"Were you alone in the car?"

"He wasn't, my lab partner was with him," Ray said, breaking her silence.

"Well, I don't know what else to say to you kids except that you have a weeks worth of detention Raylee, and you boys are suspended for three days. Derek, I don't like seeing this from my athletes."

"I know sir."

"Don't let this happen again," his words were laced with dismissal, causing the teens to stand up. "Alex, we must call your mother, I'm sure she'd love to hear what you've done. And, care to explain this list to me?"

Raylee watched as the caramel haired boy ran his hand over his face before sitting down, she felt bad, even though she knew she shouldn't. She bent down when she got to her locker, pulling out the books she needed and snatching her bag from Derek.

"What's wrong?"

"I told you not to start anything!"

"I told you to stay away from him," he countered.

She slitted her eyes at him,"Seriously, we're going to go there? I don't like fighting with you. This never happened until we attempted kissing each other, and now that we did, it isn't any better. What's up? Hmm. How can we fix this?"

"Ray, I didn't want to start anything, I'm sorry. I just don't want to see you knocked up like my sister."

"I'm not having sex until I'm married," she noted, "not even for you."

He looked at her, not used to her saying things so bluntly but just ignored it. Derek kissed her cheek and walked off to class, trying to calm himself down so he could tell his teachers that he needed work for the days he was suspended.