Silent Poison

Putting her hand on his face she pushed, and shoved him back. Ricky laughed hysterically at Chris's attempt to kiss Auutmn and nearly sputtered food out everywhere. She didn't take her eyes off of her computer screen. When she did, she saw her brother who was occasionally glancing her way with a look of disapproval.

"So much love. I think she's perfect for you Chris. She doesn't even want to touch you." Ricky laughed.

Chris punched him the shoulder quickly silencing him. Autumn was the one laughing now.

"Hey." Allie greeted.

Everyone replied in unison with the exception of Autumn. She stopped typing then looked to the side. Allie had sat down on her other side. She smiled brightly at Autumn, and tucked a tendril of her golden, blonde hair behind her ear. Autumn shook her head after a second and cleared her head of the sweet and innocent distraction. Allie was one of the few that had never asked for her 'help'. Then again, she was new to the school. She'd only been going to Spenser for three months. Angelo asked her out her second week here.

Chris pinched her in the side. Swallowing back her squeal of immediate pain, she glared at him. He glared back with the same dark intensity. Autumn turned and smiled at Allie politely then went back to typing.

Ricky and Balz exchanged curious glances. Chris shrugged and turned to watch Autumn change a student's schedule. He laid his chin on her shoulder.

"Eventually you'll have to join the real world, you know. Your brother keeps staring over here and I'm feeling a bit inadequate." Autumn could feel Chris's breath on her ear. She fought the shiver threatening to crawl down her spine.

"Let him stare. I could care less if he thinks I treat you like shit." She said.

Chris didn't move his chin from her shoulder. Reaching out, he closed her laptop. Auutmn's jaw clenched in irritation. Slowly, she turned and stared coldly at him. He just smiled as if he was the angel.

"Autumn, play nice." He said.

"Me? I'm more worried about you." She said then looked at the table diagonal from them. Four girls were entranced, staring at them or more particularly, Chris.

"I think they're having a hard time accepting that I'm officially a one woman man now." he sighed.

"I don't know what you want me to start with. The one woman part or the man part. You choose." Autumn smirked.

Autumn sat up and rolled his eyes. He took pride in her insults. They meant that she thought about him and decided to waste her breath on him. It was a way in. Why he was looking for the in was still murky. She was different. It wasn't like the usual chase, but whatever was at the end...who knows.

"You two have a really weird relationship." Kate commented.

"Yeah," Autumn said, faking a smile, "I just love the threats these idiot school girls give me."

Autumn didn't wait for anyone to speak. The look of shock on each of their faces including Chris's was enough. She put her laptop in her messenger bag and left the cafeteria. She hadn't touch any of the food she got.

Halfway to Italian IV, she was stopped. A girl had grabbed her by the arm and before she knew it, she was backed against the wall. One girl had girl had turned into three. Autumn knew that Chris once had relations with each of them too.

"You know, I don't like you." the one who shoved her said. Her plastic friends giggled. "As a matter of fact, I hate you. You've got Chris wrapped around your finger and you act like he's your dog. You may be a wiz on that little computer of yours, but you are a horrible girlfriend. How about I make a suggestion?"

She put a finger to her chin and stuck out her tongue as is thinking deep thoughts. Autumn tried not to laugh. This girl wasn't capable of deep thoughts.

"You dump Chris and we let you walk away."

Autumn looked around. Strangely enough, the hall was empty. The one time that witnesses would've proven useful and there were none.

"How about you take your suggestion and shove it up your ass. My relationship isn't your business you skank." Autumn snarled.

She smirked. Hit me. It'll only make what I'm going to do to each of you that much easier. She looked at each of them as they enclosed in on her. Autumn watched as if time had slowed down each moment, the leader of the little group clenched her fist, pulled back and swung. Auutmn cried out and cradled her face as she sunk to the ground.

"There's more where-"

"Auty!" The trio turned, wide eyed then ran as Chris came running down the hall. He knelt down beside her and slowly pulled her hand from her face. Her lower lip bled, swelling up. Her chin and part way up her jawline, bruising became evident. "Fuck."

"I'm fine." Autumn said and wiped her lip. She looked in the direction the girls ran.

"I am going wring their necks." He gritted through his teeth.

Autumn laughed at the statement. It was weird to hear him say it because he sounded so serious like he meant it.

"How would you like to be a witness," she asked, smiling.

Autumn went to classes, but whether she paid attention or not was a different story. She got sucked into her laptop again only she wasn't working for the students who paid her. This was payback and a warning to other girls who thought they could walk up to her and speak. People had forgotten their place and it was high time they remembered. This time she had an ally. Granted, he wasn't that great of an ally, but he was more than willing to help her.

"Autumn?"

She looked up and saw the professor holding a yellow slip of paper.

"The provost wants to see you. You too Chris."

Autumn glanced at him then got up and grabbed her stuff then left. She could feel the stares of everyone on her back.

"You ready?" she asked.

"Of course."

Chris took Autumn's hand. Rolling her eyes, she let him hold, but didn't lace her fingers with his.

"How's your face?" he asked.

"It's a bit touchy. I think the provost will like it. It'll add to the other fights those girls have provoked."

"Wait, those three? Hilary, Bailey, and Vicky? They're harmless. Trust me, I know…well they're usually harmless." Chris said.

"I know."

Autmn took deep shallow breaths as she let Chris hold her protectively while they stood in the provost's office next to the three girls. The leader, Bailey Helitzer, glared at her.

"I expect perfect discipline in this school, not fights and here in your transcripts…all three of yours as a matter of fact, I see this isn't the first time you have gotten into fights."

"Provost-" Bailey started.

"I don't want to hear it. Your excuses are pointless as is anything I could tell you because apparently you don't listen none of you do. I don't even know why this is the first time I'm seeing any of you."

Autumn gulped keeping up the wounded puppy dog look while making Chris out to be the super hero. The provost gave the two a sympathetic look.

"Chris, tell me what you saw."

"They had my girlfriend pinned to a wall and hit her. I was lucky to get there or else she could look worse right now." He said.

Autumn admired how realistically relieved he was that she was safe.

"Autumn, look at me." The provost asked, his voice gentle.

Autumn lifted her face more so that he could see the bruising on her face. He sighed heavily.

"That is it girls. You have gone too far."

"She's setting us up!" Vicky cried. "We don't get into fights!"

"Did you leave those marks on her face?" he asked getting enraged.

"Yes, but-"

"No buts. As of today I am calling your parents."

"We're suspended!?" Hilary exclaimed.

"Oh no, you're expelled. I will not tolerate student violence. Chris, Autumn, you may go back to class."

"Thank you." they both said in unison.

They both left the office quietly, Chris still holding Autumn and glaring at the three girls. Autumn smiled a dark smile of accomplishment. Chris let go of her and straightened his jacket some.

"I'm impressed. I almost believed you." she chuckled.

Chris grinned, raising an eyebrow. He surprised himself.

"You wanted a partner in crime and now you have one."

"Ha! Crime. The only crime you partake in is ripping away young girls' dreams of the perfect guy."

Chris stopped.

"Why do you do that?"

Autumn turned around and looked at him confused.

"Do what?"

"Insult everybody."

"I told you or maybe you didn't hear me the first time."

"We're below you? I don't believe that's all of it. I think you feel threatened. I mean, you got rid of those girls pretty quickly and—well I won't say who else you've gotten rid of." Chris said.

"Threatened? No, they are no threat. Idiots like those three girls forget who holds power and that's me."

"Whatever you say Auty. Just let me know when you are ready to open up. Opening up just a little can do wonders."

"If I need a therapist, which by the way I've been to three, I'll come to you. until then, shut the fuck up and remember that you wanted so bad to get under my brother's skin."

Chris walked towards her with great haste closing the space between them. Autumn took steps back to keep him at a distance, but was backed against a wall for the second time that day. She tried to duck out, but he quickly blocked her exit by putting an arm up and slamming his hand to the wall. It stung, but only for a second.

"Get under your brother's skin? There are so many ways I could get under your brother's skin with you, but that requires touching and honestly I don't think he's buying it much now. You keep shoving me away, literally. It won't take long before nobody believes it. " Chris said haughtily.

"I can't help that you make me gag." She spat.

"I can't help that you're uptight and unbearable."

Autumn looked away from him. His intense gaze made her uncomfortable. Nobody had looked at her like that. It was fiery and angry and annoyed and everything she felt all the time with everybody because they didn't understand anything about her in his eyes. She couldn't look at him and was struck at seeing TJ coming down the hall towards the provost's office. Why are you coming here?

Chris caught on to what she saw. Placing his fingers beneath her chin, he turned her face so that she was forced to look up at him as he towered over her then, without hesitation, he kissed her. Perfect timing. This should buy us both a little time.

Autumn grabbed his jacket and pulled him against making him almost lose his balance. She felt his hands at hips then, and a ripple of warm, inviting chills swept through her. The kiss intensified; Amelie opening her mouth, allowing Chris a taste. It was electrifying on both ends.

Auutmn shoved Chris back quickly making him stumble as he caught his breath. TJ was gone.

"I hope you enjoyed that." he voice was quiet and short. "It won't happen again."

Chris stared after her disillusioned; she was nearly running. Why not?

Autumn looked at herself in her in the mirror of her old redwood vanity table. The swelling of her lip was gone and the bruising had dulled to a brownish color. Make-up helped greatly. She touched her bottom lip thinking about how Chris bit it when he had kissed her outside the provost's office a few days ago.

"Stupid." She muttered and got up.

She fell back onto her bed and rested her head on her pillow. The gossip about Vicky, Bailey, and Hilary had spread like wildfire. She smiled gleefully thinking about it. The small shot that people had, thinking she had a weak spot, vanished. People would no longer feel like they had a chance to have an 'in' with her whether it was good or bad.

Autumn closed her eyes relishing the peace and quiet. Knocking at the door, squashed it quickly, but Autumn had gotten accustomed to knocking. It was mostly Chris trying to get into her room. She let him break one rule, but if he broke them all for his little game then there would be chaos. There couldn't be chaos, not just because he wanted something he couldn't have.

Autumn opened the door ready to tell him off with a brand new insult and was faced with something new a deadly.

"Autumn, hey! Allie and I were going to go out and see a movie then maybe get coffee afterward. We were wondering if you wanted to come and take a break." Kate had said it all before Autumn had a chance to say anything.

"A break?" Amelie's thoughts evaporated from her mind and was quickly replaced by confusion.

"You're always busy on your laptop or trying to fend Chris off," Allie laughed. "We just thought that…it'd be cool to hang out, just us girls away from guys."

"Oh." Autumn stared from Kate who tried to sneakily peer into her room to Allie who nervously twirled a lock of her dyed black hair around her finger nervously. "I don't know."

"Oh c'mon. It won't be horrible. It's just a few hours and then you can go back to being your evil self, promise." Kate said, holding her fingers up in scout's honor.

Autumn sighed. They would keep pestering her.

"Sure. Just let me change." Autumn glanced down at herself. She hadn't fully changed out of her uniform.

She closed the door quietly then ran across the room to her closet. Picking jeans was the easy part. She tossed her black, holed jeans onto her bed. The top was a little more complicated. And then, there was the matter of brushing her hair and fixing make-up. Being a train wreck was not allowed in front of any company, one of her mom's rules.

Autumn settle on a red band t-shirt and a black blazer. She took her clip out of her hair down and brushed it quickly then put it up with the clip again. After fixing up her make-up some, she grabbed her keys and stuffed them in her pocket.

Kate and Allie were still waiting for her by her door when she came out, switching her light off as she did. She stood awkwardly by them waiting and wondering what to do now. It was strange to not feel in control.

"So, what movie are we going to see?" Auutmn asked as she sat in the back of Kate's SUV.

"We were thinking about the new romance flick about the one where the girl gets pregnant, but doesn't tell the father and then the kid goes looking for him years later and then he has cancer or something like that, unless you want to watch something else." Allie replied.

"I'm much more of a horror, thriller kind of person, but romance is okay." Autumn said quietly.

Autumn sat beside Kate who sat in the middle of the two of them. The good thing about the movie was that you couldn't talk through it. It was an hour and forty-five minutes of not speaking. It was going to get coffee afterward that required talking.

"How did you and Chris…get together?" Kate asked as she added sugar to her black coffee.

"Uh, I couldn't stand him and he was persistent. So, I gave up and said yes to a date. He turned out not to be completely fully of shit." Autumn said. she noted the lack of emotion in her response and hoped they bought it.

"Wow, sounds like Chris has his work cut out for him." Kate chuckled then took a sip of her coffee.

"I'm shocked he's dating period, not that you aren't pretty it's just-"

"Chris is an almighty asshole." Autumn finished for her, a smile spreading across her lips because they all knew how Chris was.

"I hope you can tame him. If you can't then I don't know who can." Kate said. "I just mean that you're a tough girl, strong, a challenge even. Nobody knows that much about you except that TJ's your brother and that you're a freaking genius."

Autumn just smile some more. The rest of the evening was filled with short talk. Allie and Kate found out the extreme basics about Autumn that couldn't be used in any way against her. they split ways once in the dorm halls.

"I'm glad you came with." Kate said.

"Yeah, definitely." Allie agreed.

"Thanks for having me. I don't hang out a lot with people and you guys aren't all that bad."

"You hear that? The infamous Autumn Bell says we aren't that bad." Kate said dramatically.

Autumn rolled her eyes.

"You aren't so evil yourself." Kate laughed. "See you tomorrow?"

She sounded hopeful.

"Uh, sure." Autumn replied then walked down the hall to her bedroom.

After unlocking her door, she flipped on the light and put her keys on her night stand next to her alarm clock. Exhaustion swept through her. She got changed into her pajamas then laid down. Thank god it's almost the weekend.

Autumn shared a class with both Allie and Kate, and they both sat by her. that didn't slow her down on getting test answers for five students though. They talked and she listened. Occasionally she'd give the acknowledgement that she was paying attention, but not say much. Less communication meant less of a chance that they thought she was their friend.

By lunch however, they were coaxing her to talk so she talked about class. A few people including Chris stared finding it weird that she was a part of a clique. She thought it was weird too, but went along with it anyway and convinced herself that in order to keep up appearances she would have to look like she was friends with Chris' group. When Friday came around, she felt her bones vibrating with anticipation. She was chewing at the bit to get away for a little while. The week had been a little more excitement then she wanted.

"So what are you doing this weekend?" Ricky nudged Autumn. For some reason, he thought it was okay to sit by her in American Literature.

"I'll be out of town." She replied as she downloaded the fourth set of test answers, Geometry. They weren't hard to get, but the professors were idiot for putting them on their computers.

Christopher glanced at her as she did her best to ignore conversation. It was a knowing glance. This weekend sure would be very interesting for both of them.