The Trouble-Makers

Going to this party I didn't expect much to happen. I knew it'd be boring, and it'd suck for me, but I had to actually give Zack's friends a chance. He really did like me, and I wanted to really like him back, but something was holding me back. So I had to give them a chance.

"Drink something, you hoe," Nicki laughed, handing me a beer. Well, I guess I didn't have to give her a chance, I mean, she's known to be a back-stabber by the entire school.

"No, I'm good," I said, but Nicki still made me hold onto it. The party tonight was of course at Kellin's house, part of the popular clique but cared about parties more than anything...well, so it seemed. That's just what I gathered from him, I've never really talked with him before. But I have heard him talk to other people who he didn't consider important, and just from that I didn't like him.

"God, don't be such a goody-goody, you need to actually have fun!" Nicki sat back against a counter. Right now our group had wandered into Kellin's kitchen, where all the alcohol was supplied at.

I rolled my eyes at that. She was acting like I had never drank before, or partied for that matter. But I wasn't going to say anything else to that comment. I was still trying.

"Seriously, why is Zack dating you if you don't even know how to party," Nicki asked, her voice now dripping with venom. I knew this side of her was going to come out eventually, because all she was acting like to me was her nicer form at school.

"Guess I'm just a lucky girl." I said through my teeth. I was already fierce when it came to defending myself from people who constantly did this, but trying to hold it back was something I wasn't exactly used to.

"You must be good in the bed, then." She rolled her eyes, returning her attention to Kara who was standing beside her. But that was the last straw, I couldn't be here anymore, not around them anyways. I set the beer down and walked towards the front of the house. Surprisingly, a lot of people showed up. And, unfortunately, all of them were watching me; probably wondering why the quarterback's girlfriend was looking like she wanted to punch someone.

I threw the door open in front of me, walking off to the side where I sat down on the house's porch swing. It wobbled at first but then steadied out. There was no one outside, literally. Not a soul in sight. There was only cars parked everywhere in front of me, but all the people must be inside. Enjoying the suck-y party. I sighed, leaning against one of my hands.

"These parties suck, man," I heard a male voice say. It sounded like it was coming from the makeshift parking lot.

"I know," someone replied, but his voice was closer. Whoever it was they were coming this way.

"Then why are we going?" The first person asked.

"Like that's even a question," I heard another voice say hostilely. I knew that voice though, I heard it too much today to forget it.

"We'll just look around and stay for like an hour, and then we'll bail," the second voice said, but as soon as he said that the group came into view.

"Alex, come on," Jaime complained. He was the first voice, I guess, the one complaining before too. They continued to walk towards the house, not noticing me yet. They probably wouldn't until they got onto the porch itself, if they noticed at all.

"Shut up, you know we can't go to these kind of things alone," Alex defended himself.

"He's right," Rian said. He was the fourth Trouble-Maker, the nice guy. I never really had any classes with him before, so I had no idea why he was part of them because whenever I saw them he was always behaving. "Alex would probably be getting the shit beaten out of him if he came here alone."

"Now we can all get beaten together," Jaime mocked. They were only a few meters away now.

Jack suddenly grabbed the collar of Jaime's shirt, and all the guys stopped. He dragged Jaime close and looked at him eye-level. "What's the rule?" Jack growled. Jaime didn't say anything. "Say it!"

"We go together or we don't go down at all," Jaime said reluctantly.

Jack let go of him now, running a hand through his hair. "Since we couldn't convince this idiot not to go," Jack gestured to Alex, "we all go."

Jaime mumbled something I couldn't hear.

"Yeah, well, you weren't a Trouble-Maker at the time, now were you?" Jack replied. And then they continued walking. Alex was the first to reach for the door handle when he saw me, and he paused. Rian ran into Alex, expecting him to open the door, and he let out a 'hmph'.

"What the h-" Rian followed Alex's eyes until he saw me, and at that the whole gang saw me and I could feel my skin crawl on me. To be honest I would rather be stuck with Nicki alone rather than the whole Trouble-Maker gang.

"Well if it isn't princess," Jack said, walking over to me. "Why looking so gloomy? Someone not have a good day at school?"

"Piss off," I growled at them. Normally I would try to ignore them, but right now my blood was still boiling from holding back all my rage to Nicki and I could really use someone to take it out on. "You've already made your point about not liking me at school so can you please just leave?"

"Well doesn't this princess have claws now," Jack was about to continue, but a hand fell on his shoulder. He looked up at Alex. "What?"

"Come on, dude," Alex said, shaking his head.

Jack stayed with his eyes locked onto Alex, as if they were passing some sort of hidden message, and then stood up. He bumped shoulders with Alex and returned to the guys, opening the door and going into the party with Rian and Jaime right on his heals.

I looked up at Alex, confusion obviously crossing my face. "What was that all about?"

"Jack's just a little heated up is all. He's not used to anyone facing him head on like that, and he knows I won't back down if he tried saying something back to me." A shy smile was on his face. "Why are you out here, anyways?" He sat down on the chair where Jack was just at.

"I just needed to get away from that stupid group for like two seconds," I explained, letting out an exasperated sigh.

"Not getting along well with them?" Alex asked.

"Not even the slightest."

"Why stay with them, then?" He asked.

"Because these kinds of parties suck and if you venture out of your own clique to go talk to someone else you're shunned by everyone." I rolled my eyes, and from the look on Alex's face he completely agreed with me.

"That's not what I meant." Alex chuckled. "Although I understand that, I mean why stay with the popular group?"

"I'm trying to give Zack a chance, I guess," I said slowly, not sure if I should be telling this to a Trouble-Maker; I wasn't exactly on their good sides right now. But then again if they even tried telling Zack I'm sure he wouldn't believe them.

"And why did you start dating him?" Alex asked.

"Why are you so curious about this?" I asked back, tilting my head to the side. I didn't even know Alex, so yeah it felt weird having to explain all of this to him.

"Just trying to make you feel better." He shrugged.

"And why that? I mean, I'm a 'popular' kid now, why try and bother since you're a Trouble-Maker? I thought you guys hated me."

Alex watched me quietly at that, obviously thinking of something to say. But just as he opened his mouth to say something, the front door swung open and Alex shot up.

Jaime and Rian were seen first, dragging Jack out behind them by his arms as he was trying to pull back inside. One of Jack's eyes was looking red, and it was already swelling up. Whoever he was fighting with hit him good. "Let me finish him off," Jack yelled, and at that Alex ran over to him, helping push him out and closing the door so Jack wouldn't run back in.

"We were here for literally ten minutes, how did this happen?" Alex asked, throwing his hands into the air.

Jack shook out of Rian and Jaime's grip, locking eyes with Alex. "If you heard what they said you would've done the exact same thing," he spoke as if he were about to burst any moment.

Alex looked at Rian who nodded at him and Alex sighed and he looked over at me, almost apologetically before turning back to Jack. "What did they say?"

"It's that Kellin kid," Jaime said, crunching his knuckles. "If it hadn't been Jack already knocking him out, I would've tore him apart myself for you."

"What did they say?" I asked, standing up and walking over.

Jack's eyes narrowed, but Jaime looked a bit shocked that I was listening for some reason. Rian, on the other hand, wouldn't look up at my eyes and Alex just shook his head. "Whatever it is, I don't think you want to know, Stella."

"But I have the-"

"If she wants to know, whatever, tell her, but we have to go," Rian finally spoke up. "As soon as they're done fixing Kellin up they're going to come back out here to retaliate."

Jaime and Rian both turned away at the same time, walking back towards the direction I first saw them and Jack reached forward, grabbing my arm and tugging me with him as he followed them.

"What? I don't want to go with you guys," I protested.

"Trust me, you don't want to stay here either," Jack said, letting go of my arm and catching up to Rian and Jaime.

"Come on," Alex encouraged, replacing Jack's grip and grabbing my arm to direct me towards where they must have parked their car. "This better be one hell of a story."

I heard Jack chuckle. "Trust me, it is."

Notes