The Rebel's Apprentice

Lunch time came round pretty quickly. I was on my way outside to meet the others under the bleachers when I got cornered by two people. I sighed at Chloe and Abigail, both from the debate team I was once on.

"We cant let you throw your life away like this Alice. You'll regret it when you cant get into college," threatened Chloe.

"I'm not letting my new friends effect my school work."

"Other than when you shamelessly cut class every other day," Abigail glared, folding her arms. I sighed just as someone stepped up beside me.

"Hey, ladies," beamed Scott. The girls glared at him while I smiled.

"Excuse me," shot Chloe. "Cant you see we're having a mass debate?"

"I'd love to have a masturbate myself, sweetheart, but there's a little thing called public decency. So if you'll excuse us." Scott lead me away from the two horrified, disgusted girls and I couldn't help but laugh at his humour.

"Thanks, Scott," I smiled up at him as he lead the way to the bleachers.

"Any time," he smiled back. "You're part of the pack now. Have to take care of our own." My smile widened. I was so thrilled that I was actually seen as part of the pack. If the rebels saw me as part of their pack, maybe others would too. Maybe the respect, envy and fear wasn't so far in the distance after all.

"Hey, Scott," Called Cookie as we approached, deliberately ignoring me. It's okay though. I'm used to it now. Ethan shot Cookie a sideways glare before smiling at me.

"Hey, Alice," he called. Cookie glared at Ethan. I smiled back at him.

"Hi."

"You're coming back to mine after school, okay?"

"oOh, uh, I am?"

"Duh, yeah. My mom thinks you're tutoring me remember? We need to keep up appearances. Seriously, I want that car."

"Okay," I said, my eyes darting to Cookie's for some reason. She had a very dark look waiting for me. It scared me a little so I looked back at Ethan, fiddling with his cigarette.

I saw Zach, sat on the floor, looking thoughtfully out onto the playing field where all the cheerleaders were rehearsing a routine. I took refuge with him and sat by his side.
'hey Alice,' he greeted without looking away from the girls. I looked at them also and wondered why he was watching them.
I noticed one girl out there, with wavy ginger hair and a cute side fringe, kept glancing over and whenever she did Zach lowered his eyes. I found it peculiar and intriguing, though I never questioned it. I didn't think it was my place. At least not in front of the others.
I looked back at the girl. She had a few freckles across her pale white skin and a shy smile. Again she glanced over, her gaze lingering on me briefly before she looked away again. Zach sighed and stood up. I looked back at the orange haired girl, getting on with the routine, refusing to look back over here.
Curious



We walked silently back to Ethan's house. I didn't really have a lot interesting to say and Ethan looked too distracted to be paying attention anyway. Soon enough we paused outside his house. He hesitated a moment before looking at me over his shoulder.

"Lets go," he said, strangely nervous about something. I followed as he asked and we entered the house. His mom came straight through from the kitchen to greet us.

"Oh, hi, Alice," she said with an almost rehearsed tone of voice. "I wasn't expecting you." she shot a meaningful look to her son. He dug his hands in his pockets and glared at his beat up combat boots.

"I'm working on it," he replied moodily.

"Well you kids go study. I'm just making you both some pizza." Thought she wasn't expecting me? she smirked at us as I frowned in confusion after her. I turned to Ethan to question his mother's strange behaviour, but he was already making his way upstairs. I followed quickly and walked into his room after him where he shut the door behind me. He collapsed face down into his pillow and groaned. I wondered briefly what to do before awkwardly perching on the edge on his bed.

"What's up?" I asked. He rolled so he was on his back and looked up at me. He licked his lips as he frowned.

"Um . . ." it was the first time I've ever known Ethan to be lost for words. "Okay so my mom likes you, well done to that. But . . . Well, she likes you too much . . . Says that . . ." he paused. "Says that you're the perfect influence on me . . . she wants you around more often . . . basically, she wont buy me a car unless I ask you out." my heart stopped beating for a second or two. "So here's the plan," Ethan began. "When we go down for food, lets just . . ." he cringed a little. "Hold hands or something." My heart and brain started functioning again and I took a deep breath.

"Wow. You must really want that car. What happened to your no dating students rule?"

"Well it wouldn't be for real," Ethan butt in. "It would be purely for show whenever you come over here to tutor me."

"Oh . . . I see." we were quiet a moment. We looked at anything but each other. Awkward. I thought about what Zach had said. About him being a sensitive guy and how Cookie messed him about. I'll probably be his first girlfriend since her. I wondered what she did to him and considered asking Zach next time we cut together.

"Pizza's ready!" called a voice from downstairs. Ethan sighed and got up.

"Show time," he said with zero enthusiasm. Surely holding my hands for five seconds couldn't be that painful? Ethan reached his hand out to me and I tentatively took it. He gripped my hand awkwardly and threw open his door.

"And don't forget to smile," he added as we walked down the stairs. "You've just been asked out remember?" I nodded and pushed a weak smile onto my face, as did Ethan.
We entered the kitchen and Ethan's mom eyed us before eyeing our interlocked hands. She beamed smugly from ear to ear.
She gestured for us to sit and we did so.
Ethan reached across the table and grabbed a slice of pizza. I copied him.

"So what are you teaching him today?" asked Ethan's mom as she leant against the counter with a cigarette between her fingers. I gulped down my pizza, Ethan's eyes shot to me desperately as I thought of my science lesson earlier.

"We're learning about the sonic particles in sound," I said, sounding rather impressive, even to myself. "It's quite simple once you get your head round it. Listening to music helps us to understand it. You see, music is made of very basic elements. Rhythm, melody, harmony, timbre, dynamics, so it really does explain how sound works very easily. Y'see sound is a pressure wave, a vibration of the particles as they move in sound waves from both the left and right through the air." Ethan's mom looked totally lost in my moment of geek talk. Ethan looked lost too before quickly nodding like he understood exactly.

"Wow," said the woman, her head spinning a little. "Have fun with that." she gave us a smile before leaving the kitchen. Ethan sighed in relief and gave me a thumbs up. I smiled shyly back and balled my hand into a fist. Savouring the memory of how his hand felt against mine.



Thursday morning I pulled my folders out of my locker and stuffed them awkwardly into my bag. They were far too big for my bag. I shut my locker and continued to try and fit the folders into my bag as I walked towards my lesson. Obviously to do this I had to be looking at my bag and not at where I was walking. It's why I walked into Todd Grayson so easily. I gasped when I looked up and he pushed me away from him.

"I'm sorry," I stuttered.

"Watch where you're walking," he snapped.

"I'm sorry," I repeated.

"I think she gave you geek germs," laughed one of Todd's friends as Todd cringed at the sleeve of his jacket. I shrugged, feeling the urge to retaliate and not finding the will to stop myself.

"Well, you could do with the extra brain cells."

"What was that?" he growled, face darkening as he backed me against a locker. The group circled me and I gripped my bag tight, just for something to hold on to.

"Nothing," I stuttered. "I said nothing."

"She called you dumb," goaded a guy with dirty blonde hair.

"I know she did," Todd answered, glaring at me still, his gaze not shifting and making me feel really uncomfortable.

"I didn't mean it," I tried to reason. "It just slipped out."

"Yeah?" he asked mockingly. "Y'wanna know what else just slipped?" I cringed. I knew what was coming.

"My hand." and I felt it across my face. I said nothing, holding back the urge to break down. I wouldn't give them that satisfaction. They all laughed at me and Todd's surprisingly quick retort as they began to walk away. I sighed as I leant against the locker I had been cornered against.
I glanced up and met the confused eyes of Ethan who was supposedly on his way to his lesson. He looked at me a moment and then at the group of jocks who were walking down the hall. I went to walk away so Ethan couldn't see the red mark on my face but he was on me like a hawk within seconds. He held my face and turned it to get a good long look at the red hand print. Combined with my yellowing bruise I must have looked a right state. Ethan lowered his hand from my face and looked back at the jocks, his face growing scarily dark.

"Leave it Ethan," I whispered desperately. "It's not worth it." He narrowed his eyes at me and the joke my self esteem was. He gripped my arm and pulled me along after the jocks. When we were about five metres away from them he let go of my arm and took a few steps forward so I was behind him. I felt a knot in my stomach. Whether it was his intention or not, I felt like he was standing in front of me in a protective way. I felt giddy at the idea of Ethan wanting to protect me. It would be interesting enough to find out if he cared that much.

"Hey!" he shouted. The jocks turned around, startled. "I think you owe my friend an apology." I felt the corners of my mouth twitch up a little at Ethan's choice word to describe me. A few of the jocks looked a little troubled to see Ethan stood there, worried at the prospect of being on Ethan's most wanted list. Todd however squared his shoulders up and glared down at Ethan. Todd was on the basketball team also, he was pretty tall but a matter of height would never stop Ethan on a rampage, despite the good few inches he had on Ethan.

"What are you?" Ethan questioned. "A fucking retard? What are you doing hitting girls? Even I know that's wrong," he said like he's ordinarily excused from anything moral at all.

"She asked for it," stated Todd.

"Yeah?" Ethan asked with raised eyebrows. "So did Jordy Dawson." Every square jaw of the jocks fell open. Even mine a little. Even though deep down I knew Ethan had done that to Jordy, I didn't like to believe it after he'd told me he hadn't
He lied to me.

"You wanna watch your back." Ethan threatened before turning around and leading me away with his arm across my shoulders.
Ethan was still scowling when we walked out to go behind the school. I take it we're cutting today.

Ethan scared me.
I'd never seen him like this. He pulled out a cigarette and lit one up before blowing smoke gratefully into the air.

"You did it," I whimpered, feeling hurt. "You told me you hadn't. You lied to me."

"I didn't lie to you," Ethan stated calmly.

"But back then-"

"I said what I had to to make them back off. Christ, I didn't break Jordy's leg. I'm not that fucked up." I stared at him a moment. "Look, kid," he said, stepping closer to me. "Sometimes in life you have to lie to save your own ass. And if it makes people fear or respect you, makes 'em back down and leave you the fuck alone then more power to ya." I sighed, just glad that Ethan had some morals.
He blew more smoke into the air before placing the cigarette between his lips and holding it there. He stood in front of me and gently took my face in his hands. His touch was so soft and delicate. It made my skin tremble a little. He turned my face from side to side, examining it. I must have looked a right state. He shook his head slowly.

"Why you?" he asked.

"Why anyone?" I asked back. "This is how us geeks get treated." He shook his head again.

"But you're not a geek. You've been hanging with us over a week now - which also means Cookie lost the bet - but I don't get why they're targeting you. When you're so clearly part of our pack." I smiled a little at Ethan's acceptance. "Why are they even attempting to pick on you? Why would they risk a brawl with our lot?" he asked himself. I liked how he said 'our'. My insides melted a little as he pouted the tiniest pout. I knew he was in deep thinking.

"We need to toughen you up," he said slowly. "How well do you hold up in a fight?" he asked.

"Not well," I admitted.

He nodded. "Well there's your problem. Meet me out front after school. We're going to get you fighting like a pro." he let go of me and dumped his cigarette on the floor, stepping on it. He walked over to the fire exit of the school and opened it.

"Who will I be fighting?" I asked shakily. Ethan smirked over his shoulder at me.

"Me," he replied smugly.