The Trouble-Makers

The rest of the day I sat tense in my classes and all I could think about was Alex. As much as I hated to admit it, he was a lot like Jack when it came to the ticking time bomb theory. All it took was one thing to set him off and he'd blow up, and of course I was really worried Kellin would find him again to try and push him over the edge. If Alex truly wanted to beat the crap out of Kellin, I would let him so he could get past this, but I wasn't about to let Kellin get the best of him and get him expelled.

"Snap out of it, princess," I heard Jack say beside him. I looked over at him and he was watching me with a casual look. Of course, we were in English class. This was the only class I had with Jack, at least the only one I had with him that he didn't skip.

"What is it?" I asked, leaning back in my seat.

"I could be asking you the same thing. Why so tense?" I didn't answer to that, figuring he'd probably laugh at my response. Plus, if he wasn't going to tell me a lot about him, why should I tell him stuff about me? "It's Alex isn't it?"

I bit my lip and turned away. The closer I got to the Trouble-Makers, the easier it was for them to read me like a book. I didn't like it, but it was something I was coming to accept. I mean, how was I going to be able to avoid that, anyways?

"Look, Stella, don't worry about him. He's a big boy and he can handle himself, he only lost himself there because Kellin shoved you," Jack said, causing me to look back over at him. "He doesn't like it when other people mess with his friends, he'd probably do the same thing for me or the rest of the guys if Kellin did that. I mean, I guess he wouldn't because we'd retaliate ourselves, but since you don't stick up for yourself, he decided to do it for you."

I watched Jack carefully, trying to see if he was lying to me or telling the truth...but from what I could tell, he was being honest. Slowly shaking my head, I tried to comprehend that. "Why would Alex go out of his way to do that for me? I don't need it, I'm fine."

"It doesn't matter what you think you need or not," Jack said, and I must have taken an offensive stance to that because he quickly went on, "I mean, look...It's what's going through Alex's mind. He's already got a beef with Kellin for what he said about you, and then him shoving you was just another thing to push Alex over the edge. In his mind, it was perfectly logical for him to kick the crap out of him because that's two strikes now. I don't know how you were able to stop him, because I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have been able to myself...but if it's one more strike, Kellin's out." Jack shrugged his shoulders and his words didn't make me relax at all.

I stared at Jack with wide eyes and my mind began to flurry with things that Kellin could do right now to piss Alex off. "B-but," I stammered, trying to come up with an excuse but I couldn't find the words.

"Look, Stella, this is how I see it and why you shouldn't be worried. Although Kellin's words themselves do piss him off, he didn't act on them. I mean, you stopped him before he snapped out of it, but I think he would've gotten out of the blood-thirsty-mongrel if we actually drove all the way back to the party that night. But when Kellin physically touched you...he reacted much more quickly and aggressively. So, Kellin can only really piss him off is when you're around Alex." Jack shrugged his shoulders. "See? Problem solved. Stop your worrying."

I furrowed my eyebrows at him, shaking my head. "So your idea is to get me to stay away from Alex?"

Jack sighed. "God, I really do have to spell things out for you. Every time Alex got pissed off, you were able to calm him back down. So, in a sense, you're also the cure to his anger. As long as you calm him down before he punches Kellin, you'll be fine."

"Why do you want to defend Kellin so badly, anyways?" Jaime suddenly joined the conversation. I could never tell when he was paying attention and when he was daydreaming.

"I don't," I protested. "If Alex wants to kick the crap out of Kellin outside of school, by all means he can, I mean, as long as he doesn't take it too far...but in school, I don't want him getting suspended because that's what Kellin wants."

Jaime nodded his head. "Makes sense, I guess."

The bell rang, and instead of fleeing the class like the Trouble-Makers usually did, Jack stood up slower than he usually would. "Hey, princess, we're going to the mall today after school, you in?" I stifled a giggle at that...I couldn't picture the Trouble-Makers going to a mall. All I could imagine was Jack going to stores and trying on a bunch of clothes. "Stop your laughing, it's for the music stores, sweetheart."

I wrinkled my nose at his stupid pet names and stood up myself. "Yeah, sure, I'm in. What time?"

"All the Trouble-Makers are going so, since we have Mike now, we can't all fit into my car. So you and Alex are driving alone," Jack said, and I could see Jaime fighting a smile on his face. I narrowed my eyes at him, confused, and Jack turned to see what I was looking at before he punched Jaime in the shoulder.

"Geez," Jaime complained, and Jack shooed him away.

"Okay, see you later, princess," Jack said, walking after Jaime.

***

"I hear you're coming to the mall today, eh?" Alex said, standing beside me as he opened his own locker. A purple beanie sat on his head, and I swung my bag over my shoulder.

"You heard correctly," I nodded my head. "Jack and Jaime still didn't tell me what time, they just told me I was riding with you." I shrugged my shoulders, closing my locker door and leaning against it to wait for Alex. The time didn't really matter, I guess, since it was a Friday night after all.

"Not one hundred percent sure, but I do know we're meeting at your place after school." He slammed his locker shut, not bothering to bring his backpack. Him and the Trouble-Makers never did seem to ever bring it home with them...ever.

"Why is my house the new gang hang out?" I asked, letting my body to slump against my locker dramatically.

Alex chuckled at my act, bobbing his head to the side to motion that we were walking towards the back of the school. "We're only meeting there because we know you need to feed your cat."

"Oo, well aren't you guys so sweet," I said, walking beside him.

Alex shook his head. "Not sure if that was sarcastic or not, but I'll take it."

We pushed the back doors open, walking into the school parking lot. I let Alex lead the way since I hadn't a clue what his car even looked like.

"By the way, I didn't know you had a car," I said, looking over at him.

One of the corners of his mouth pointed upwards and he shrugged. "I guess there's still a lot you don't know about me."

Notes