The Rebel's Apprentice

The next day at school I walked to the cafeteria instead of the bleachers. I was dressed in a short light blue dress, that I'd dug out the cupboard. I'd never worn it. I clicked over to Jordy in my heels and stood for his inspection. He seemed surprised.

"That's better," he muttered. I sighed and sat down. I didn't hate dressing this way. I had the clothes in the first place after all. It just wasn't my style anymore, and the heels were worn more at weddings then everyday use.

"Have you heard from Ethan?" asked Jordy. I shook my head and he looked disappointed. "Shame, I want him to try and make a move on my girlfriend so I have a reason to break his legs."

"Break his legs? What the fuck Jordy? Haven't you done enough to him already?"

"Oh," Jordy smiled mockingly. "You thought that if you agreed to this, I'd leave Ethan alone? No that was only for your debate friends. Ethan I still hate and will still hurt. And guess what? As my girlfriend, I'll make you watch."

"Fuck this!" I spat. I stood and was ready to storm away from Jordy and his guffawing friends, but Jordy grabbed my arm first.

"I'm not done with you yet, sweetheart. You leave now and it's you're debate friends who pay the price." I groaned. In trying to do the right thing, I had gotten myself caught in blackmail with no way out.
I sat back down. There was nothing else I could do.

"So now what?" I asked impatiently.

"Now we play house." Jordy stood and pulled me up with him, keeping his arm around me. We entered the hallway and I tried my best to smile as people stared at us and gaped at my new look.
It was safe to say I felt awkward in my own skin. I lowered my eyes as we passed by Scott. I didn't want to see the anger and/or disappointment in his eyes.

In my Science lesson with Chloe, I asked her if the basketball team had stopped harassing them. She said they had and I was torn between feeling pleased they stuck to their word, and depressed that I now had no reason to go back on mine.
Chloe was worried about me still.

"What's going on with you, Alice?" she asked. "You hate Jordy. Why did you break up with Ethan for Jordy? I don't understand." I think it was the first time I'd ever heard her admit that.

"I've got it handled," I told her. "Everything's fine."

She shook her head. "I don't get you Alice. I thought Ethan was important to you. I even thought a one point that maybe you loved him." I said nothing in fear of spilling the beans.

"It's complicated," I eventually said.

"I'm worried about you Alice," she said in a small, scared voice. I looked at Chloe and forced a big smile. I had to save her from these worries.

"Don't be," I told her. "I'm happy."



That night I sat alone in my room in the dark. Jordy wasn't interested in seeing me after school. It was purely for show.
I questioned why I could never get a real boyfriend. I went from one fake relationship to another. But at least with Ethan it felt real. It felt real cause I loved him. There was nothing fake about my feelings for him. I now discovered how difficult it was to fake love someone.
I didn't know how long I was going to be stuck in this crappy predicament, but I hoped I got out before Jordy started expecting things from me I just wasn't willing to give him.
Beth bounded into my room and questioned why the lights were off. I told her I wanted to be alone.

"Is Ethan here?" she asked.

"No, Ethan wont be coming round again for a while." I didn't want to tell her he'd never come round again.

"Whyyyy?" Moaned Beth in a childish voice. "I liked Ethan."

"Ethan liked you too," I told her with a wilted smile.

"Did you break up?" she asked.

"Something like that."

"Are you not going to marry him anymore?"

"I don't know Beth," I sighed, tired of her questions.

"I think you will because you love him and he loves you."

"I don't think he does anymore," I told her, knowing he never did in the first place.

"Why not?"

"Beth, please. I just want to be alone." without another word, Beth left my room and shut the door, leaving me to feel bad about myself.



The next day at school was vile. I was back to being miserable without Ethan, only this time I knew he wasn't fighting for me.
This hurt more than being forbade to see him, for now I saw him but he didn't want to see me. I tried not to stare down the corridor at the hand that gripped so tightly to Cookies. I tried to ignore the hand that gripped so tightly to mine. This was all wrong. It should have been my hand Ethan held like he'd float away if didn't. It shouldn't be me trapped within Jordy's schemes.
Jordy pulled me to him and kissed me. I didn't try to remove him, but I didn't give him the satisfaction of pretending to enjoy it either. When his lips released mine I bit my lip and looked away from Jordy. I battled the tears in my eyes and questioned when I'd become so weak.
Or was this a sign of strength? Despite my own wishes and wants, I still stood strong for the protection of my friends.

"Don't worry," Jordy said. I looked back at him in distaste. "I'll be done with you pretty soon."
I felt relief first, soon washed away by fear. Jordy wanted something big from me, clearly. By the sounds of it, he wanted it sooner rather than later. I sighed and glanced back towards Ethan and Cookie. They were gone but instead I met eyes with Zach before he shut his locker and walked away.

On my way to lesson I bumped into someone I recognised, but didn't actually know. She had a pretty heart shaped face. Porcelain smooth skin with a light sprinkling of freckles across the bridge of her nose. She had long ginger hair and she was incredibly cute.

"Alice," she addressed me in surprise.

"Um. ." I frowned. "You're Pam right? Zach's girlfriend?"

She smiled and blushed lightly. "I am now. He asked me to be his girlfriend today." I smiled genuinely for the first time in days.

"Aw, that's great. I'm happy for you both, really I am."

"Thanks." Pam watched me carefully a moment and I smiled awkwardly. "I don't get it," she said more to herself than me. "You seem really nice."

I frowned. "Pardon?"

"I probably shouldn't be talking to you," Pam glanced over her shoulder. "But I was curious. You're like this forbidden topic in the group. I started to hang out with Zach's friends," she explained.

I shook my head. "Forbidden topic?" I panicked.

"Well . . ." Pam glanced about again. "I remembered that you used to be one of them and when I asked what happened, whether the rumours were true, they just all went quiet and said 'we don't talk about Alice anymore.' when I asked Zach about it later on he just told be I was walking in thing ice and to-"

"Tread carefully," I finished for her. Really? Had I really become Cookie? Have I hurt him that bad that they wont even talk about me?

"Yeah," said Pam. "So I just wanted to see what you were like, and I think you're nice."

"Thank you," I told Pam absently. I snapped back to reality and felt the desperate need to confide in Pam. I snatched her little hands in mine and she jumped. She looked into my pleading eyes. "I never wanted to hurt him," I told her in a low voice. "I hate myself."

"Alice I. . ." Pam shook her head, unsure what to make of my outburst. I released her hands and said I had to go. I left her confused in my wake.



I hid myself behind the school and cried. Face buried in my knees, I held my legs tighter to my chest. I had no idea anything could hurt so much. The one thing I was always certain of was that Ethan would always be there for me. That he could never hate me.
I'd proven myself wrong. In trying to do right by some old friends, I'd lost some new ones.
I was scared of Jordy's intentions. But I was tired of being scared. I was tired of being weak and vulnerable and constantly needing a man to protect me. But it was too late for that. I'd already ruined everything and I wished I'd handled the situation better than I had.

"You need to give me a reason to sit with you and you need to give it quick." I held my breath and peered up at Zach, staring down at me. He looked angry and disappointed and forgiving all at the same time. He was willing to give me a chance to explain.

I shrugged my shoulders. "I've lost him," I sniffled patheticly.

Zach nodded. "Yeah, you have." His tone was unforgiving, despite what I saw in his eyes.

"I love him," I whispered.

"Got a funny way of showing it," he muttered. I stood and glared at Zach.

"For someone so smart you sure are dense," I snapped. "Open your damn eyes Zach! You're the only one who knows how I really feel about Ethan. Why the hell would I do this to him?" he frowned at me.

"What's going on?" he asked. I fell back against the brick wall behind me and pushed my face into my hands.

"I can't protect everybody," I moaned through my hands. I felt Zach try to prise them from my face. "And if I can't protect everybody then I wont protect anyone. I wont choose."

"Alice, look at me. Talk to me. What's going on?" I looked up at him. He looked worried. "What's Jordy got on you?"

"I only made it worse," I cried, Zach's questions never registering in my brain. I shook my head and left the tears to settle on my cheeks. "I didn't want to hurt him. And now he hates me." I was sobbing by this point. Zach enveloped me in his arms and held me tight.

"What's Jordy got on you?" Zach asked again.

"Everything," I admitted through my tears.

"What's everything. I can't help you if you don't tell me,"

"No, you can't help me," I agreed. "Ethan mustn't know, if he does the whole thing's blown."

"What thing? Alice, I'm worried now. What's going on."

"I have to go to Jordy's tonight," I told Zach cryptically. '"He asked me and I had to say yes. I'm his girlfriend now."

"You can't possibly actually like Jordy?" Zach asked.

"What do you think?" I said in a tone that required him to actually think about it. I walked away and left Zach to consider.



That night I rode in Jordy's car to his house. The journey was silent neither of us actually wanted to speak to each other. What would we discuss anyway?
I took in the outside of his house as the car pulled to a stop outside it. It was very well presented and I could tell straight away a very house proud family lived here.

"My parents are out," Jordy told me. "We got the place to ourselves." I shrugged and got out the car as Jordy did.
When we got inside, my suspicions were only confirmed. The house was immaculate.
I followed Jordy to the dining room where he crouched at a wine rack. He slid out a couple for inspection before finally sliding out a different one. Call me ignorant, but wine was just wine, surely?
So he wanted to get drunk? Okay, I could do that. Wasn't like I'd never been drunk.
Jordy told me to follow him and I did so. As we walked down the upstairs hallway, I looked at all his family photos on the walls. They seemed like such a normal, happy family. So it was just Jordy who was messed up then?

He took me into what I could only assume was his bedroom. He shut the door behind us and I looked about his room. It looked like a regular teenage boys room. I almost smiled at the small basketball hoop positioned above his laundry basket. I wondered if he ever trained using it or if that was where his love of basketball came from.
Everyone's normal at one point, before something messes them up in the head. Although Jordy has always been a dick, he was never a psycho. Did Ethan breaking his leg, turn him into the sick demented person he is now?

Jordy walked passed me and sat on his bed. He patted the space next to him and I reluctantly obliged. He took a swig of wine straight from the bottle and then offered it to me. I denied it but he insisted. I sighed and tipped the bottle to my lips. It was sweet yet dry. Funny how liquid can be dry. We continued this way until the bottle was empty and Jordy was aiming it at the hoop over his laundry basket. He threw it and got it in. he cheered and I couldn't help stifle a giggle, feeling a little tipsy.

"what do you say we get to it then?" he asked, turning his whole body to face me. Cause apparently that was easier than simply turning his head. I think maybe Jordy was feeling the effects of the alcohol, but not as much as me.

"To it?" I frowned.

"Yeah," Jordy smirked. "Lets have sex."
My blood ran cold through my veins and I said nothing to Jordy as I stared at him.

"C'mon. Just once and then I'm done with you."

"Why?" I quivered. "Why would you want to have sex with me?"

"What better pay back than to sleep with Ethan's girlfriend." I shook my head, now worried that the alcohol would affect my judgement and lessen my chance of escape.

"Jordy, I can't sleep with you."

"Why not? I wouldn't need to break his legs if you did.2 He was blackmailing me again. I wouldn't have it this time. I stood and Jordy frowned.

"I'm not sleeping with you Jordy," I told him firmly.

"Aw c'mon. I'll put Ethan to shame." He was under the assumption that I'd slept with Ethan. Being his 'girlfriend' for so long I suppose he would. "Unless Ethan never slept with you cause he's a prude."

I scoffed. "Ethan's not a prude. He's quite the opposite in fact," I said remembering to the time when Beth burst in on us in my room.

"Then let me sleep with you. It's the best revenge plan ever. And then you can go back to him after everyone knows I banged Ethan's girl."

I scowled and shook my head. "You're such a pig Jordy." I stormed from the room and ran, just in case he gave chase. He didn't.
From Jordy's I walked home and decided I wanted nothing more to do with him. It wasn't worth it anymore. Nothing was worth the risk of getting attacked by Jordy, not even Ethan's legs.



I walked into school the next morning and met the eyes of all my peers around me. They stared and whispered as I walked by. I was growing tired of the constant gossip. Of the assumptions and accusations made of me. I wondered what I had done now as everyone continued to talk around me. Some even giggled, making me very self conscious. What could they possibly find to say about me now?
I was soon to find out as something snagged my arm and hauled me roughly into the girls bathroom. I was thrown and pressed against a wall and I stared up at the full extent of Ethan's rage.

"How fucking dare you," he growled in a dangerous voice. "Was public humiliation not enough for you or something?" I tried to push him off of me and he grabbed my face instead, holding it up to look him in the eye.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I glowered. Ethan laughed bitterly and tossed me across the room. I staggered and span to shout at Ethan. He was leaning against the sinks, head lowered. His knuckles turned white as he gripped the sinks edge. I watched him a moment before he lifted his head to meet my eyes. I saw the pain in them and felt my strong foundations crumble to my feet.

"Why him?" he said barely above a breath. He shook his head. "I don't care that people think we never slept together. It's true." I frowned. Was that the rumour. "But what gets me is the fact that you slept with him." My eyes widened. There was my rumour. "Of all people to lose your virginity to, it had to be him? Really Alice?" I shook my head.

"I- I didn't- I wouldn't- I-" I was gob-smacked. Utterly gob-smacked.

"Why, princess, why?" Ethan approached me again and gripped my forearms. I didn't fight him off this time. "Why did you hurt me?" I lowered my eyes.

"I didn't want to . ."

"But you did."

I sighed. "Jordy blackmailed me." I opened up, no longer caring to hide this. Ethan's eyebrows disappeared into his hair. "He was hassling my debate friends so after the meeting I left early to find him and talk to him-"

"Did he hurt you?" Ethan growled. I shook my head.

"We made a deal. A deal I wish I didn't agree on."

"Which was?" Ethan asked.

"He wanted me to break up with you . . . to hurt you. He wanted me, thinking I was your girlfriend. He thought that would be a fitting punishment for you. To have what he thought meant the most to you. But it wasn't enough. He was still stuck on breaking your legs. I wanted to leave but he said he wasn't done with me." Ethan's eyes grew darker and darker. "I went to his house last night-"

"What?" barked Ethan.

"He wanted to sleep with me. Said it was the best pay back. I told him no and now he's told everyone we did anyway and that you and I never did. I think he wanted to make you look like a bad boyfriend or something." I finished. Ethan was silent. I watched him and continued to babble. "I never wanted to hurt you that bad. I got stuck and I didn't know who to protect in the end. I thought maybe you could take it but I know my debate friends can't." Ethan's hands fell from my arms.

"I can take a lot of things Alice. You'd be surprised how much I can take. But I couldn't take that. Seeing you with Jordy . . thinking you actually cared for him . . thinking you'd never be mine again . ." Ethan bit his lip and I saw that vulnerable side of him again. He covered it just as quickly as he revealed it though. "And now knowing that none of it was real, and that it was all him," Ethan shook his head, his dark hair dancing to the movement. "I'm going to break more than his fucking legs."

"Nooo!" I cried as Ethan turned to leave and find Jordy. I thought quick and acted on impulse. I grabbed Ethan's arm and pulled him back to me with all my strength. He span round and I threw my arms around his neck, locking him in place. I clamped my mouth over his and tightened my grip on his neck. He was frozen with shock, I thought it would work, but not quite so well.

Suddenly all thought of hurting Jordy evaporated and Ethan kicked into action. He knotted a hand into my hair and snaked an arm around my waist. He took control of the situation and I was grateful for that. He was the more dominant between us and I was fine with it. I was quite happy to succumb to his will and I know he loved that about me. His mouth worked hurriedly over mine and he picked me up, placing me on the counter the sinks were mounted into. I didn't care that we were missing class. Nothing else mattered but me and Ethan and our burst of passion.
I gripped a handful of his hair and pulled his head away from me. He let me.

"Ethan," I gasped breathlessly, lips inches from his. That was all he needed. He pulled back against my grip and his lips locked mine again. I felt his tongue against my lips and I opened my mouth to him. I slowly coiled my legs around his waist as we kissed each other deeply. I didn't care how it looked. It felt right and it felt good. I felt Ethan's hands slide up my legs and slowly under my top until they were at the small of my back, drawing me closer. Ethan came up for air. We were both breathing heavily.

"Fuck, you make me crazy," he gasped. I felt my stomach do flips. "I don't know why. You just do something to me and it makes me crazy." I ran my hands up his chest and he bit his lip. "Fuck this isn't good," he muttered.

"What?" I asked quietly as I slid my hands back down his chest. I wasn't really paying attention. I was too caught up in the moment and my own emotions.

"You're turning me on," he admitted. My eyes finally snapped up to his. "You shouldn't be doing that. You're my apprentice, remember?"

"I don't want to be your apprentice anymore," I whispered.

"Why?" he asked, still short for breath.

"Cause then I get to do this." I leant forward and placed a light kiss on his lips, and then another just under his lips. And then another and another until I left a trail of kisses along his jawline, down to his neck.

"How'd you get so good at this?"

"I had a good teacher," I answered honestly, allowing my hands to slide back up his chest and around his neck. He stared at me a moment and I couldn't place the emotion that flitted through his eyes.

"Christ I want you right now. Is that wrong?" he looked almost worried.

"You tell me."