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Chapter 4

       "You wouldn't happen to know who Trey Maguire is, would you?" I asked Luce the next day as she drove me to school, her dark hair tied in a sloppy bun on top of her head and her bright blue eyes sat hidden behind her dark sunglasses.

       "Never heard of him." She mumbled over a tired yawn before leaning back sleepily in her seat. "Why?" Luce always had this authoritative tone to her voice that no one ever went against... if they wanted to stay on her good side.

       "He's my friend, I-I guess, and he walked home with me yesterday."

       "Okay, and the point is?"

       I let out a sigh as she pulled into the school's parking lot and raised an eyebrow at me. "Well, Tate wasn't really happy that I was with him and they knew each other. I was just wondering if he said anything about Trey to you..." I didn't bother mentioning the whole Rex thingy. That would just be more stress added onto my sister's life- more than she needed.

       Her eyes softened and she gave me a smile before unlocking the car. "No Rosie, he didn't say anything to me. I'm sure he was just in one of his moods. Don't worry about it." I frowned, but nodded and reached over to give her a quick kiss on the cheek.

       "Are you picking me up after school, or do you want me to walk?" I asked as I opened the car door and stepped out into the chilly fall air.

       "I have classes till late tonight, so if you don't want to walk I'll have Tate pick you up."

       "Okay, thanks Lulu! Love you!" I shouted over my shoulder before I closed the car door and headed into school. The rest of the morning was pretty uneventful. I kept a lookout in the hallway for Jason and the Big Four, but I didn't see any sign of them the entire first half of the day. I was just so confused by the whole situation. Tate didn't elaborate on the whole 'family' thing, and I was terrified of even daring to ask Rex.

       I wasn't expecting him to talk to me in third period, and he didn't- but he also didn't complain when I sat next to him either. I watched him shift uncomfortably in his seat a few times throughout class, and when the bell rang he was gone faster than yesterday. I knew he still didn't really like me- I wasn't that dumb, but I still couldn't hide the excitement building in me at seeing the others at lunch. They just made my day so much more interesting.

       "Hey Princess." Trey's happy voice sang as I stepped into the lunch line. I glanced over my shoulder to see the giant mountain-like man walk up behind me. A few students standing in front of me glanced over at us, but besides a few raised eyebrows no one said anything.

       "Hey." I gave him a shy smile, but he only laughed and draped his heavy arm across my shoulders. My face heated like a tomato when his thick finger reached up and tapped the tip of my nose.

       "You're too cute, I swear."

       My blush only grew as he shook his head and glanced down at me with those bright green eyes. "You sitting with us today?" He quirked his eyebrow and watched as I dropped my gaze to my shoes and bit my lip nervously. Even though Rex had apologized to me the other day- with the whole 'coming to my house for no apparent reason' thingy- I wasn't stupid enough to believe he wanted me hanging around him and the others. I didn't want to risk another explosion.

       "If Rex is okay with it..."

       Trey rolled his bright eyes and let off a ridiculous scoff. "Good God girly. Forget Rex okay? He's an ass to everyone, even me. Half the time he doesn't want us sitting with him, but we still do. I promise it's perfectly fine." He thumped my chin for emphasis, like he did the day before, and I couldn't help that insane blush as it spread from my cheeks and down my neck.

       "Okay." I mumbled hesitantly. Even if what he said was true, I didn't want to be somewhere I wasn't wanted- especially if it was Rex that didn't want me there. I rolled my bottom lip between my teeth nervously. He was always so... intimidating.

       "Good, now why are you waiting for this shit they call food?" His voice didn't hide the disgust shining in his eyes as he shot distasteful glances at the lunch line. It made a small smile pull at my lips.

       "Because that's all they have?" I raised my eyebrow like I was asking a question, but he just snorted and started pulling me from the line like he did the day before.

       "I get my older brother to bring me pizza every Wednesday for lunch, you can have some of that." His words sounded like an offer, but the tone in his voice left me no room to argue. I tried not to laugh as I let him tow me towards the Big Four's table. They always sat at that table, ever since I started school here. Not that anyone would dare try to take it from them. Denton and Brett were laughing about what I was sure was something stupid, and Rex was staring blankly out at the crowded cafeteria. His eyes never once looked at me- I tried not to let that fact bother me.

       "Buttercup! There you are!" Denton cheered when he saw Trey drag me over, and he immediately stood up and scooted one seat down so I could take his previous one. I gave him a grateful smile. I saw Rex stiffen out of the corner of my eye, but he didn't demand what I was doing there like he had the day before. As a matter of fact, he didn't say anything at all.

       I sat down slowly next to Denton when Trey released my shoulders, and my smile widened when his face lit up in joy. "I missed you Rosie, my days just aren't the same without you in them." He pouted and Brett scoffed as that stupid blush lit my cheeks once again.

       "Let up man. You don't have a chance with the kid. Your pickup lines suck." That heat seeped to the back of my neck as Denton's pout grew. I quickly glanced away from the twins and drew my attention to Trey who had slid a plate with a slice of pizza on it my way.

       "Thank you." I mumbled softly. He sent me a wink before digging into his own slice.

       "What are you talking about? My pickup lines are the best." Denton argued, and I couldn't help the laugh that built in my chest. They were so funny, like all the time. It honestly made my day better.

       "She's too pretty for you. Your atrocious face is only going to scare her away." Brett added dirt to his brother's injuries, and Denton sulked further in his seat.

       "I do not have an atrocious face. And FYI," He grumbled before throwing his arm over the back of my chair, "We would make beautiful babies together, Buttercup." Denton sighed, but his pout was no longer real. Trey burst out laughing and the blush that spread across my face put all my earlier ones to shame, even though I couldn't hide the laughs of my own.

       Suddenly the loud scraping of a chair being slammed back against the wall had my full attention drawn to Rex. He didn't even look at me as he grabbed his bag off the floor and slammed the chair under the table. We all watched with wide eyes as he stalked off angrily.

       I frowned and played with my uneaten pizza as an awkward silence fell over the boys. "Does he get like man periods or something?" I mumbled quietly down at the plate. His moods swings were just too much to handle, and they made that odd feeling in my stomach twist uneasily. Trey let out a dark chuckle.

       "No, don't worry Princess. He doesn't have man periods He just... He just gets angry over little things." He sighed and stared at the double doors that his best friend had stomped through barely a moment before, before turning and flashing me a smile.

       "What little things?"

       "Don't worry about it."

       Well, that only made me worry about it more. If I knew what made him so upset all the time I would be able to stop it. Maybe then, we could be friends... "You should go talk to him." Trey's voice suddenly whispered in my ear as the Dimajio brothers went back to arguing about Denton's face.

       "M-me?" I asked incredulous, my eyes wide in horror, but Trey only leaned back in his chair with a small smirk.

       "But he doesn't like me. I-I'm sure I'm the last person he wants to talk to right now." I mumbled more to myself than to him, but he still heard and his smirk slowly disappeared.

       "Stop with that bullshit. He likes you more than you realize... Hell, probably even more than he realizes."

       I stayed quiet and stared at my tray in deep thought. It was barely ten minutes ago when Trey was telling me that Rex not liking me didn't matter, but now he's saying that he does? I honestly do not understand boys. I wasn't going to go look for Rex, but when Trey nudged me and nodded towards the double doors, I sighed and grabbed my binder. "I'll see you guys later." I mumbled my goodbye and trailed reluctantly after Rex when they said theirs.

       I was already fearing the worst.

       I found him leaning against the outside wall of the cafeteria with his eyes closed and snapping his gum repeatedly. I never really knew why he was always chewing gum, but I've never seen him without a piece before. It made a bunch of scenarios zoom through my head. When I first came back I had a gum chewing problem. It helped with the stress and the constant ache to grind my teeth together when the panic hit.

       I didn't realize he knew I was standing there until his deep, gruff voice filled my ears. "If you have something to say then just say it. Don't stand there like a dumb fuck." He grunted, but kept his eyes closed with his beautiful face pointed towards the sun. I tried to hide my hard gulp and clutched my binders tighter to my chest as I stared at his handsome features. He was wearing dark jeans today with a dark green t-shirt and that black jacket that only made his hair look deliciously darker.

       He was so drool worthy.

       "I just wanted to check on you..."

       He scoffed and did that fake laugh guys do when they think something was insanely stupid. It made me nibble on my bottom lip uncertainly again. "Check on me? You wanted to check on me? I'm perfectly fucking fine, Rose." His tone was hard, cold- and it made my insides clench painfully. I opened my mouth to say something else, but he held his hand up and cut me off- his dark chestnut eyes open and staring at anything but me.

       "Just because I apologized for being an ass before doesn't make us friends. I don't want to be your friend, and I never will. So, get that fucked up notion out of your head."

       My eyes widened and my heart dropped to my stomach as that familiar burning feeling swelled in my eyes. I hated crying, I hated tears, but they never seemed to leave me. I knew he hated me- Trey was wrong. Rex Turner did not like me, he never has and he probably never will. I was stupid to think otherwise.

       "I'm sorry-"

       "Stop it! Stop fucking saying you're sorry about everything! It pisses me the fuck off! You don't even fucking do anything wrong and you're always taking the blame and saying "sorry". It's fucking annoying." His icy voice was like a hard slap right against my cheek before he turned his back on me and began to walk away. I was thankful really, I didn't want him to see the tears I was wiping frantically from my cheeks.

       "Stay away from my friends Rose." He stopped to throw more verbal knifes over his shoulder. "They will never be your friends."

       The lump that clogged my throat made it hard to breath and I had to cover my mouth to hide the sob that rose to my lips. I felt like someone took a chisel and carved my heart out only to shove it back down my throat and into my stomach. I think I was going to throw up. I turned around quickly, ready to skip the rest of school and cry in my bed all day, when his next words stopped me in my tracks.

       "They're not good enough for you Roza- I'm not good enough." But then he walked away without a backwards glance, his hands shoved deep into his pockets.

       Roza?

       Did he just call me Roza?

       Despite the tears running down my face in waterfalls, I smiled. Looks like all of the Big Four have a nickname for me now, even if their leader openly hates me... at least, I thought he did.

-&-

Trey

       "You like her." I stated lazily that afternoon after we all went back to my house- all except Rose.

       "What the fuck are you talking about?" Rex growled with his back turned to me as he picked through the extensive CD collection on the desk.

       "Rose. You like her." It was weird saying that out loud- admitting it to the quiet air around us. We all like her, some more than other. I crossed my arms over my chest and leaned back against the door frame as his large figure hunched over the table.

       "I don't know what you're fucking talking about." He grumbled but with the way his back stiffened into a board at my words told me he knew exactly what I was talking about.

       "I'm pretty sure you do. You got extremely pissed off at lunch today when Denton made that comment, more pissed off than anyone who hated her would." I couldn't figure out why the hell he had shouted at us the first day we had met Rose, yelling at us about how we didn't need to be caught up with people like her. But now I know- he liked her.

       I waited for his reaction for what felt like forever before his voice finally reached my ears. "She's to fucking innocent. It basically pours off her in waves. And it pisses me off." He growled through gritted teeth, but my smile only grew.

       "It only pisses you off because you like that about her."

       "No I don't." He spat the words out through clenched teeth, and gripped the edge of the counter so tightly his knuckles turned white.

       "It's okay, Rex. It's not like it will hurt anyone." I tried to soften my tone and lose the cocky attitude- but this was just too damn fun. Never in my life had I pictured Rex-freaking-Turner having a crush on someone, especially not someone as sweet and innocent as Princess.

       "No. It's not okay Trey. She's too fucking sweet for her own good, and that gets people like her hurt. She will never survive in this world on her own. She tells me she's sorry, and she genuinely means it, like she thinks it's her fault- when it's mine. And she thanked me, man, like actually fucking thanked me. No one has every thanked me for anything..." His voice trailed off and he shook his head as he slammed a CD back into its holder.

       "No one at this school is good enough for her. Hell no one on this fucking planet is good enough for her!" His voice was dark with anger as his grip on the desk tightened, but I didn't interrupt him. "If I hadn't told you about that fucking idiot the other day, she would be destroyed right now- and I have no doubt in my mind that he won't try to do it again. They all will..." His voice trailed off as he stared blankly at the wall, trying to put all of his anger in his gaze alone.

        "You're right, they will. Which is why she needs someone to protect her. Someone to take care of her, because we both know she will never be able to do it herself." I was trying to get it through his thick head that she needed him, just not as much as he needed her- but the fucktard wouldn't listen.

       "You and those two fucking idiots seemed to have that covered." He grumbled and went back to picking through the CD's, even though he couldn't hide the angry tremble in his shoulders.

       "Hm, maybe you're right." I muttered and glanced lazily around my music room. "If you won't admit you like her, then I have no problem taking her. She's got one fine-"

       My words were viciously cut off when a hand snapped out of nowhere and crushed my throat. Rex's dark and hate filled eyes were staring down at me with such rage it was a wonder he didn't actual spit out fire.

       "Watch what you fucking say about her." His eyes flashed as he growled and closed his hand tighter around my neck. I gasped. "She's not yours."

       He let go of my throat and I chocked down lungfuls of air. Even though the bruising pain in my throat pissed me the fuck off, I couldn't help but smile up at his pissed off face. "S-she's not mine, eh?" I gasped but held the smirk on my face proudly. "So much for not liking her..." I coughed a few times before standing back on my feet.

        "You fucking pansy bitch. You made me do that." He hissed and narrowed his already slit eyes.

        "I had to see if you were lying or not, which you were." I smirked in victory as his dark eyes drifted away from mine and looked across the room, his fist unclenching and clenching repeatedly.

       "I-I don't." He snapped before his shoulders slumped in defeat. "I can't like her, I'll only destroy her." He ran his hand down his face before staring at me with hard eyes. "But, if I did like her you couldn't tell anyone." He growled and took a threatening step towards me. "Especially her."

       I laughed.

       "Don't worry, you sorry fucker. I won't tell anyone." I clapped him on the back, but the dick didn't even budge- he only glared at me. Even though I was practically made of muscle Rex was the only one who stood a chance against me in a fight. Well, a clean fight that is.

       I turned to leave the music room, but barely had the door closed behind me before the sound of breaking dry-wall reached my ears and the wall beside me shook. "Brett! Call the hardwood store again! Rex put another hole in the wall!" Denton shouted from the living room before I could.

-&-

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