Let Me Save You

When class ended Zach picked up my schedule from off my desk and scanned over it, then smiled. “We’ve got many of the same classes together. I can show you where to go if you like?”

I nodded thankfully and followed him out into the hall. It was just my luck that we would pass the blond football player from earlier.

“Oh hey look, it’s wrist cutter with the faggot emo brother!” Laughter and giggles echoed around us and Zach glared at them before grabbing my hand and tugging me gently through the crowd and up the stairs.

“I really hate people like him. So rude, thinking they know everything about you just because of the way you look.” He glared ahead of him as I jogged slightly to keep up.

“There’s my favorite little German!” Zach smiled instantly when he heard the girl’s voice as we walked into the science lab. He walked to the back and right into the arms of a tall girl with short spiky sea foam colored hair.

“There’s my favorite American!” His accent was thick as he said this, and they smirked hugging. I trailed slowly behind, keeping my distance and sitting at an empty lab table on the other side of the row.

“Cody, meet my new friend from ohio.” He smiled and came to stand beside me, throwing his arm around my shoulders. I resisted the urge to throw him off and waved awkwardly at the girl as she stood up and came to stand in front of me. She studied me closely for a few moments before breaking into a smile and wrapping her arms around my neck.

“I like her!” She stepped back and smiled before pulling my phone out of my pocket. Before I knew what was happening she had added herself and Zach to my contacts. I put my phone back into my pocket, not looking at the new text from Ashley.

“Hello wonderful scientists, may we start class now?” The teacher was a short bald man in a white lab coat. As he opened his mouth to speak again, the door opened and a short boy with deathly pale skin and blue and black hair ran in breathing hard.

“Nice of you to join us Alexander, please take your seat.” The boy ducked his head and headed for the open spot next to me.

“You’re late again Lexi.” Cody scolded as he passed, and he stuck his tongue out at her before stopping short next to me.

“You weren’t there before.” I let my bangs cover my eyes as he studied me.

“Mr.Alexander would you please take your seat now, and let the poor girl be?” He quickly took the seat on the other side of me and pulled out his notebook taking down the notes as the teacher wrote them on the board.

“Who’re you? I assume new girl isn’t your name?” He asked glancing up at me while he wrote.

“Jay.” I answered quietly, not bothering to take notes as we’d already covered this at my last school.

“It’s wonderful to meet you Jay, I’m Alexander, Alex, or more commonly known as Lexi. Call me what you like.” He smiled and I managed a small smile in return.

After science was the lunch hour, I followed the three to the lunchroom and into the line. As I stood in line between Cody and Lexi I saw Annie approaching us.

“Hey Lex what are you hangin’ out with her for?” She glared at me while she spoke, and I dropped my gaze, gripping my backpack straps a little tighter.

“What are you freaking out for? What problem could you possibly have with a girl you know nothing about Annie?” Cody asked throwing an arm around my shoulders.

“She looks innocent but she’s not, she’s a scheming little liar! I saw her a couple weeks ago at the mall with Andy Biersack. She’s trying to plant some kind of freak claim on him.” My jaw almost dropped at the accusation.

“Who’s Andy Biersack?” Zach asked curiously.

“BVB’s singer.” Lexi said matter of factly.

“She’s a little bitch trying to steal him!” By now she was talking quite loudly and those around us were starting to listen in and watch.

“Uh Annie I think you’re over reacting, you’ve never even met her before.” Lexi said uncomfortably glancing around.

“She’s a bitch!” I don’t think any of us were prepared for what happened, I myself hadn’t even figured it out. It was only after the loud slap of skin on skin echoed through the room and my cheek started stinging that I was able to comprehend what had happened.

“Hey!” Lexi said loudly, glaring at her.

“Annie!” Cody had pulled me into a hug, and Zach had stepped protectively between us and Annie.

Loud laughter pierced the silence and the blond football player from earlier walked up to us with a smirk on his lips. “Good job goth girl, but next time if you aim a little higher, and make a fist you could actually do some damage, just a tip.”

Annie glared at him for a moment before turning and stalking away. “Whatever.”

“You alright Jay?” Cody asked softly, lifting my chin to inspect the damage. The football player wandered off, and we quickly went through line getting our food and walking out into the courtyard. We sat down at a table in the shade of a large tree.

“I can’t believe she had the nerve to do that.” Cody stabbed her fork into her pasta a little too violently, and Lexi peeked at her from the corner of his eye.

“I’ve never liked that girl. I don’t get why you talk to her anymore after what she did to you Lexi.” Zach said, then bit into his sandwich.

My phone buzzed in my pocket and I pulled it out seeing two new texts. The first was Ashley asking me how my day was going, and the second was Andy asking again. I typed out a quick ‘fine’ to both of them and hit send, then put my phone back in my pocket and started eating my apple.

As the last bell of the day rang I followed Zach out into the hall and to where his locker was, and where Cody was waiting.
“I’d walk you out, but we have a presentation for English to work on that’s due in a few days, so we’re both staying after.” Zach said turning to me.

“It’s fine.” I offered a small smile and turned, starting toward the door. I had only made it a few feet before I was shoved into a row of lockers as the three football players passed. I straightened up and they shoved me back again, opening my bag and scattering my things laughing, then continued walking. People around me stared then went back to what they were doing, and I collected my things as quickly as possible before heading outside the school and to the side of the building where Andy said he would wait for me.

I rounded the corner and took a deep breath before walking over to the familiar black car parked in the shade. I put my bag in the back and climbed into the front seat, keeping my gaze away from his.

“How was it?” He asked hopefully.
I shrugged and pulled on my seat belt.
“That bad huh?” He sighed and turned on the car. “Well first days are always tough, even for the best of us.”

I left my bag by the stairs and walked into the kitchen where CC was handing an open magazine to Andy, who went from confused to worried. Once he’d finished looking at whatever it was he closed the magazine and set it on the table then looked at me.

“So uhm, apparently people are saying we’re together or something, which is crazy cause you’re only 15 and I’m like 30 and that’s just weird, but anyway, I’ll take care of it as soon as I can. Don’t worry about it, I’ll straighten it all out.” I nodded silently and lifted the lid of the pot sitting on the stove to find some kind of soup. I grabbed a bowl and served myself some before wandering into the living room and curling up on the couch with my soup. My phone buzzed and I pulled it from my pocket.

Lexi: Sorry about Annie, that was totally uncalled for I can’t believe she did it.
J: It’s fine. It doesn’t even hurt anymore. That part was true, it had stopped hurting sometime after lunch and I had managed to cover the brilliant red mark with cover-up borrowed from Cody, before going to meet Andy.

Ashley: Yeah, sure. How was it really?
J: It was long, and confusing.
A: That’s more like it. :D
I rolled my eyes and set my phone on the coffee table before starting to eat.

“Hey,” CC and Andy joined me on the couch. “We’re starting to record tomorrow so I won’t be around until later at night, maybe nine or ten. Is that alright for you?”
I nodded, continuing to eat.
“If you need anything you can always call any of us for whatever reason, There’s some money in the drawer in the kitchen if you want to order out. I’ve got a bike in the shed you can use to get to school, or you can walk, whichever you like.”

I nodded. “I can bike to school.”

“Ok, I’ll go dig it out and make sure it’s good to ride. The lock is by the front door in the closet, and the key is with it.” He stood up and walked outside to the shed in the back. I quickly finished eating and stood up to bring my bowl into the kitchen.

“What’s that mark from?” CC asked curiously, lifting my sleeve to reveal a dark bruise. I glanced at it then looked at my bowl.

“I accidentally walked into someone’s locker door.” I ignored the skeptical look he was giving me and brought my bowl into the kitchen. I put it in the dishwasher and grabbed my bag heading upstairs on the excuse that I had a lot of homework.