Restart My Heart

"Awww!" Ruth cooed, her pale eyes growing somewhat moist, "Levi, that it the cutest thing I have ever heard."

I smiled triumphantly, a slight rose pink rising in my high cheek bones at the slight thought of Stephen. We were sitting in Music class waiting for the teacher to come and I had just told her what happened earlier; Alex making my life horrible and Stephen making it better

"I'm so happy for you, even though I don't approve of skipping," Ruth said, bringing her acoustic guitar into her lap, tuning it carefully

Before I could respond, extreme drumming and an electric guitar came from the back of the room. Without even turning around I knew who it was. Ruth, though, looked over my shoulder and her gray eyes widened

"Its-" she started

"The jerk," I interrupted rolling my eyes

Ruth put her guitar down and looked dead at me."You just have to ignore what he does to taunt you," she advised

"I can't help it," I mumbled

She tucked her long blond locks behind her ear. I could tell she was in 'Ruth's Deep Thinking Mood'.

Then, I heard a beautiful voice singing and a steady drum beat, with a piano playing
This time I couldn't stop myself from turning around. Of course I saw Alex. An even more obvious thing; girls were crowded around him, giggling and cheering as the player winked at them all.

I noticed there were no sheets in front of them. They were making it up on the spot and surprisingly, it sounded amazing the way it just flowed:

"Beautiful girls, all over the world
I could be chasing but my time would be wasted
They got nothing on you baby
Nothing on you baby
They might say hi, and I might say hey.
But you shouldn't worry about what they say
cause they nothing on you baby, nothing on you"

When he was done, he smirked. His nostalgic devlish pure green eyes glistened as he nodded at some girls, his jet black hair following. All the girls squealed and climbed all over him yet again

I rolled my eyes. It sounded only half-decent and he gets all cocky. Typical.

"Wow, he is really good," Ruth gushed, her eyes glued onto Alex

As much as I hated it, I couldn't deny the fact it sounded amazing. Thankfully, the teacher came in so I didn't have to admit anything.

"To your seats, please," gorgeous Mr. Brooks said. He was only 24 and an English Major. He also taught music and plays drums, acoustic guitar and the electric keyboard; adding on some extra hottness.

"Sorry I'm late but while I was out in the hallway, I heard someone playing, who was it?" he asked

"Alex!" some sluts cooed at the same time and then squealed. I plugged my ears, protecting my ear drums, as immature as it was. His name was like an evil chant that seemed like it could turn me into those desperate girls surrounding him like he was god. He was the complete opposite; satan.

Alex smirked and placed his hands behind his head with feet propped up on the desk, enjoying the moment.

I scoffed thinking just how big his head could get.

"Yes, Mr. DiRoma, it was flawless. Now that I know you are capable, I would like to see this much effort put into all of your work," Mr.Brooks said with an innocent smile

I giggled as I saw Alex's smirk drop right from his cocky little face. Its amazing how my English teacher could act like another student without taking letting down his superiority

"Okay because of what Mr. Diroma did, it inspired me with a new assignment," Mr. Brooks continued

The class groaned

"So thank your fellow classmate because you are going to be remixing a song!" he announced

Everyone cheered

"Alright, the main key is to have fun and express your inner self. Remake one of your favorite songs or choose ones you hate and make it wacky, crazy and just you! So don't go asking if you could do one of your own original songs. You must change the tempo and use instruments for some already out song. You will also be marked on how much creativity you put in and your critiques will not only be me but also your class. Now get to work!"

I tapped my pen on my chin, thinking up a storm of ideas but not having much of an interest at the moment. My mind was too fumbled up.

"What are you going to do?" Ruth asked me, as the class got noisy once again.

"Something like, converting 2 songs together," I said "You?"

"Probably country-fying a really pop song," Ruth said, strumming her guitar. Ruth was deeply in touch with her western side since she grew up in Tennessee so it wasn't a surprise.

"I'm not that interested. Hey, wanna just write a song and play with it? Pretty please?" I pleaded. I always found peace whenever Ruth and I played something we thought at the top of our heads; plus, it was fun. She gave me an 'Are-you-on-crack-girl?" look. I just returned it with a puppy dog face

She sighed, her sign of giving in.

I smiled and began scribbling some music notes and lyrics; anything made up by my feelings entirely. I quickly finished and gave it to her.

She read it over quickly, nodding approvingly, "It's really good but this won't work without a good beat."

"Lets see about that," I suggested and started skipping to the back of the class with her guitar in my hand, where the piano was. I heard Ruth sigh and trudge behind me.

My best friend sat down beside me in front of the piano, placing the rough sheet I had just made in front of us. She started tapping the keys with her magic fingers and I followed behind on her guitar, singing:

'Everybody needs inspiration
Everybody needs a song
A beautiful melody
When the nights are long
Cause there is no guarantee
That this love is easy
Yeah, when my world is falling apart
When there's no light to break up the dark
That's when I, I, I look at you
When the waves are flooding the shore and I
Can't find my way home anymore
That's when I, I, I look at you'

I stopped and put down her guitar.

"You have a beautiful voice," Ruth praised, taking her hands off the keys

"You have beautiful talent," I smiled cheekily

As we were smiling at each other, someone started clapping. We turned around at the same time and saw Mr. Brooks walking towards us.

"Stunning," he said smiling, shaking his head satisfactorily.

I smiled proudly while meek Ruth blushed

"It was all Ruth," I praised her modestly

"N-no, you wrote the s-song," she stammered, cheeks still a crimson shade

"Is that so? Ms.Meester I am truly impressed. Well you two can do the assignment together, " he smiled. My heart melted; damn was he fine and now nice

We squealed happily, holding hands

"With Mr. DiRoma" Mr. Brooks suddenly added. My heart dropped at the sound of his name, automatically taking back everything nice I said about my sadistic teacher.

Every student in the class gasped and as I stared down at my palm in pure shock, controlling the urge to turn around and see Mr. DiRoma - I mean Alex's reaction, I could see at the corner of my eye Ruth's sullen and pitiful look directed right at me. In the end I gave up my morals, gave Ruth a reassuring smile and searched for Alex, ready to give him death glares.

But when I found his just surprised face, for almost just one milla- second, I had a heavy heart; the heart I refused to feel anything for, especially him. In that split second, his face twisted back into his cocky smirk and I hated myself for almost thinking I felt anything other than hatred for Alex again. I continued shooting death glares, rolled my eyes and turned back to the despicable English teacher.

"It would be my pleasure, Mr. B," I heard Alex's snobbish voice as he walked over

"But, Mr. B-" I started in my best whiny voice

"How about you sing the song you just wrote?" Mr. Brooks interrupted in his stern authoritative teacher voice that basically meant 'don't-you-dare-disapoint-me-Ms.Meester'.

I mentally smacked myself.

"So sorry, Mr. Brooks but did you not say it has to be an original song?" Ruth stepped in. I can always on Ruth's brain to pitch in some logic in any debate

"Yes, but that was before I heard such a beautiful song. Let's make it more interesting, why don't you guys make a song, play in front of the school and I'll give you a grade on it?" he asked perusing us with his puppy eyes. I forgot; our English teach isn't very logical to begin with

I swallowed the angry words I wanted to yell in his face and lowered my head muttering slowly in almost a whisper, "Yes Mr. Brooks."

Ruth nodded, giving in with me with a frown as well.

"Isn't this going to be fun, Ms. Meester?" Alex asked me in an almost mocking manner. I just stared wide eyed, astonished, at his eyebrows wiggling in excitement; something they often did before...

If it was possible, I believe I want to kill this guy even more than before.

*

As the last bell rung,I dragged myself over to Stephen's locker

"Hey Stephen," I said, trying my best to sound like my cheerful self

"Hello Levi, something wrong?" he asked closing his locker

I stared at him, dumb struck into his gorgeous pure chocolate eyes.

At that moment I just wanted to break down, crying in his arms and drowning my sorrows in his chocolate colored eyes. During all of last period, I was debating with myself, thinking whether I should tell Stephen about the happenings at Music class. After all, it wasn't right to bother someone I just met with all my problems, especially if he was Stephen. So, I had decided to hide and act like nothing happened but he still saw right threw me.

Nobody could be as perfect as him. So, I ended up spilling my guts about the music assignment.

"Who knew Mr. Brooks loved games so much," he chuckled

"That's not the point!" I cried, feeling so much more refreshed after telling Stephen about it even though he was practically teasing me about it.

"But it sounds fun!" he smiled. We started walking down the hall, side by side. It was breath taking how this moment felt; like we were dating and we were telling one another about our day since we we were separated in the morning. Was it normal how oddly comfortable I felt around him? All my problems and stress almost disappeared just walking beside him

I sighed, not knowing if it was from displeasure anymore, "Not if your with Alex DiRoma,"

"Why? Its not like he's a bad person, right?" Stephen slightly cocked his head, almost innocently; too pure. It was like law for sixteen year old boys in this day and age to be corrupted. Stephen completely defies all these laws.

I stopped walking, giving him a 'are-you-really-saying-that?" look.

Well, Stephen was never a gossip kind of a person and never judged people by labels, even hating drama and rumors, spiting down on them. So obviously he never heard about what happened a year ago, not just because he was a transfer student that came at the beginning of this year.

I didn't know if I should tell him or not, if I should dirty his angelic mind. I bit down hard on my bottom lip; he would be disgusted in me if I told him about my pathetic past. The slight memory of it again even made me sick.

I started walking abruptly again and Stephen followed

"You haven't actually talked to him, have you? Besides, all he does is play with girls hearts carelessly," I said, choosing my words carefully so nothing would inconspicuously spill out

Stephen frowned, "It's not right to judge people by-"

"Labels." I sighed, finishing, "But in Alex's case, it's not just a label. It's the truth."

"How do you know?" he asked giving me a questioning look

"I know girls who had their cherries popped and hearts broken by him," I said nonchalantly

"Have you talked to him though?" he asked as we exited the school

I hesitated. Oh, Stephen, why are you defending such a jerk?

"Have you, Stephy?" I finally asked but before he could answer I added quickly, "Drive me home please?"

"Sure," he smiled and unlocked the locks of his BMW with the tiny remote

I giggled, hopping into the driver's seat like a five year old high off chocolate. Maybe I was high off chocolate; Stephen's chocolate eyes that is

Stephen chuckled, leaning against the open driver's seat door. I let my legs hand, slightly nudging as they swung on his leg, "What are you playing, Levs?"

"You owe me a cookie, Stephy," I reminded him innocently

He laughed and closed the door. I waited patiently as Stephen climbed into the front passenger seat of his own car and I drove us out the parking lot.