774A/N: Yay! I finally finished editing this! Um, yeah...I'm putting this up here just to tell you that some things have changed... Oh and I'm posting this real quick before I go take my last final, so I'll come back and work on all the grammatical things—I'm sure there are a few. Sorry.
Chapter Two: Boys & Their Testosterone Problems
by: Secretive
It is the quiet moments, the moments out
of the spotlight, that most defines character.
-Winston Churchill
Rosaline's Point Of View
Okay, I'll admit that slapping him for his perverted ways while my big brother was in the room, was probably not the brightest thing I've ever done. Calling him out on his pervertedness just made the situation worse or at least that was what was going through my head as I raced after my brother and him. Jere had showed up out of nowhere, grabbed Javier's arm, and had proceeded to drag him out of the gym by force. It would've been really impressive if it hadn't been so unnerving—it's cool to have a protective older brother and all, but sometimes you have to wonder how far a six foot for, two hundred plus pounds, muscle man will go. Or at least I wonder this, a lot. To say my brother likes to fight my battles for me would be a bit of an understatement...
"Jere!" I screamed when I finally made it out into the parking lot (after kneeing one of mom's enforcers). I groaned when I saw him hit Javier in the gut; devil spawn fell against one of the cars and kind of slumped towards the ground. Sighing, I quickly rushed over to them—well, as quickly as I could in strappy high-heels anyways.
What? My idea of feminism includes cute shoes.
"Jere, quit it!"
Jere looked up at me, anger in his eyes—anger that I knew wasn't aimed at me, but it was still kind of terrifying to see it. "What? I'm supposed to let him go around groping my little sister?" He growled, turning his focus back on Javier.
Javier hissed in pain, causing us to both look down at him. He was sitting on the cold, wet asphalt, holding his stomach. He glanced up at both of us and sighed, pushing himself to his feet. "Hey man, I don't wan to start anything here."
Jere raised his fist to hit him again, "Well, you did." He growled, Javier nodded and then sent his fist into Jere's face, before either of us even saw it coming. Jere reeled back and then turned his head to look at Javier in surprise, "What the...?"
"Do you think I'm actually going to let you hit me again?" Javier asked, smiling. "You've stood up for you sister and now you're going to stop touching me."
"You don't tell me when I'm done."
Javier shrugged, "Fine, but I personally don't want to start a huge fight in my school's parking lot."
Jere glared at him quietly for a moment and then glanced over at me. "Touch my sister again and I'll kill you."
"But man, what if she wants it?" Javier asked, sounding like he was trying to bait Jere. I turned to look at him in shock/anger.
"Are you trying to pick a fight? Because my brother could wipe the floor with you."
Come on, let's fact the facts: my brother is massive. Just looking at Javier and Jere standing next to each other you can tell who'd win a fight. Jere looks like he could squash Javier between his fingers. Jere's a linebacker and has the build of one—and he's smart as well. Which makes the fact that my brother is a jock a little more bearable—if nothing else, he's a smart jock.
Though, if I had to be technical, Javier is the same—a smart jock. He's on the school's soccer team, basketball team, and the baseball team. He's also the editor of the school newspaper and student body president (I didn't vote for him)...it's enough to make you sick. The fact that he has the build of a Greek (or should I say Hispanic? I think he's mom is from Spain and his father from Mexico...but I'm not really all that sure...) god makes me especially sick to my stomach. Mostly because people figure that that is enough of a reason to like him. It's not. I've had to sit next to too many girls talking about how great he looks without his shirt on...it's sickening. It's not like a well-defined chest is that attractive on a man Moreover, if I have to listen to one more girl talk about his hair... It's black, okay? Who cares if it always looked like he just crawled out of bed? I bet he spends at least an hour in the morning to get that look. It's not sexy or debonair, it just means that he needs a comb.
I'd buy him a freaking comb if it would get the female population to stop talking about him.
I just don't see the attraction, I really don't. He wears too many bracelets as far as I'm concerned. Sure, I've always thought leather bracelets where hot on a man, but not on that man. Oh, and he wears one of those watches with the huge leather band on his left wrist all the time too. Why am I pointing this out? Mostly because it's one of those things that I like on other men, but not Javi.
Almost everything about Javier Rodriguez I'd like if it weren't...you know...him.
"What was that?" Jere hissed through clenched teeth.
Javier held up his hands, "Nothing man, just chill. We both know there is no reason to worry about that."
"Exactly."
"I mean, I hear she goes for the chicks anyways."
And that's when Jere knocked Javier out cold.
What a night.
The next day at school, I'll admit that I was a little nervous that Javier was going to try to exact his revenge. Having someone's older brother hit you so hard you went out like a light can't be a pleasant thing. For one, you'd probably wake up with a massive headache. And for another, I'm sure it can be a bit of a hit towards the male pride.
Actually, it was that thought and the fact that I slapped him that kind of put me in a good mood. But only when I knew that Javier was nowhere around.
"She's lost is, hasn't she?" Lulu (yes, her name is actually Lulu—I find it amazing that her parents actually named her that as well) Ostow asked, toying with a lock of her long black hair. "Not that I've ever be one to say she had it in the first place..."
"Hey! You know many a person has thought she was sane." Ellen Nichols (yes, daughter of my mom's current crush) exclaimed. "There was that...one person."
Bree smacked her upside the head and laughed, "'That one person'? Come on, practically everyone thinks she's off her rocker."
"This is true." Jade Ostow (yup, Lulu's twin sister—identical twin sister, to be exact) replied, rolling her heavily shadowed eyes.
I slowly blinked my eyes and then frowned, "Could we stop talking about my insanity?" They all laughed and I shot them all glares.
"Come on, you know we only kid because we care." Nikki Lee said, hitting me playfully on my shoulder and then went back to flipping through her skaters' magazine.
"Hey, Bree." A deep voice said from behind me, causing me to shiver in surprise (and terror), before I turned around to see who it was: Javier was standing right behind my chair and easygoing smirk on his face. "Hello, Rosaline." He greeted, and I found myself staring at the bruise on his jawline. The bruise my brother had given him...
He rolled his eyes and handed a paper bag to Bree, "Aunt Teresa wanted me to give you this—you forgot your lunch today."
Bree groaned, "She's into a tofu thing lately, I've been eating it every night for supper. I refuse to eat it for lunch as well." She declared, pushing the bag away.
Javier smiled and dropped the bag in front of her, "That's what I thought you'd say." He murmured.
Bree raised an eyebrow and sniffed the air, then a huge grin broke out over her face. "That smells like a cheeseburger, cousin!" She squealed, opening the bag and breathing in the delicious smell of greasy food. "I LOVE you!"
He laughed, "That's what you tell me." He replied, turning away from the table, "I'll catch you after school."
"Sure, thank you!"
"Not a problem." He said over his shoulder and then looked down at me. I stared at him in horror, not quite sure what the look in his eyes meant. Slowly a smirk covered his face and he leaned down in front of me, "Rowe." He whispered huskily into my ear, his face so close to me that I could see where he'd cut himself shaving that morning. "Fun night last night, huh?" He went on, his voice sounding like it was barely containing his anger, and that's when he lifted his hand up and slowly traced my jaw line—right where his bruise was. I glared at him and swallowed hard.
That was around the time he positioned his mouth so that it was within centimeters of mine. "What would your brother do if he could see me now?" He asked, leaning in closer—then laughed when I shoved him roughly away.
"Pervert!" I hissed, causing him to laugh.
"Prude." He said before walking away and heading out of the cafeteria. I jumped out of my seat and was about to run after him and pound him into a little bloody puddle, when all my friends grabbed me by the shoulders to hold me back.
"Rowe, you can't go kill him, okay?" Nikki declared, "You'd get detention for sure."
"I'd be worth it." I growled.
"Yeah, how many detentions have you gotten this year?" Nikki pointed out.
"True." I muttered—thinking back to how Mom said she'd bury me alive if I got another one.
"Don't kill him for the rest of us,okay? This school cannot afford to lose any eye candy." Elle said, a smile in her voice. "Like, my God—how hot is Bree's cousin?"
"I know." Lulu replied, "That is one fine piece of—"
"—People, I share blood with him!" Bree squeaked.
"Seriously, don't talk like that in front of me." I announced, "I don't want to lose my lunch all over you guys."
Lulu rolled her eyes, "If you didn't hate men and gave him half a chance, I bet you would see what the rest of us see."
"No, I wouldn't."
"Yes, you would."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes, times infinity."
"No, times infinity squared."
"Yes, times infinity cubed."
"No, times—"
"Would you two stop?" Jade, Nikki, Ellen, and Bree exclaimed.
We both jumped and then blushed, "I'm right." I whispered as I cleared my throat.
"No, you're not!" Lulu exclaimed.
"You're both being immature." Nikki exclaimed, tucking her silky black hair behind an ear. "We're seniors now, could you act like it?"
"Yeah and join us while we lust after hot guys?" Ellen added.
"You can count me out of that." Jade replied with a roll of her eyes, "Men are just oppressors."
"Are you a lesbian?" Ellen asked out of the blue, staring at Jade with actual curiosity.
Jade sighed, "I'm done with this talk."
Ellen stared at her, her light blue eyes filled with innocence and confusion, "What? Wait, what did I say?" She asked, following after Jade as she walked away. "It's a legitimate question."
We watched them both go and after a moment Nikki sighed, "Ever wonder if Ellen is a dumb blond?"
"Not all blonds are dumb." Bree said, "But...yes."
"I shook my head and then glared at him, "Why didn't any of you stop him?"
Bree rolled her eyes, "Like any of us thought for a moment you'd actually let him kiss you."
My eyes narrowed, "Like he wouldn't have forced it."
"He would never force it." Bree said in a bored tone.
"Yeah, it'd probably be you trying to force it." Nikki replied, laughing.
Alright, I might be a little slap happy, but she had it coming.
"Ow!" Nikki exclaimed, "I can't believe you did that!" I stomped on her foot (not that she could feel it with the skater shoes she had on...) and then stormed away.
So perhaps I'm a bit of a violent person, so what? People never listen to me when I'm nice all the time. Generally they just walk over me, so I hide my marshmallow-y inside under a rock hard exterior.
It works.
I pushed through the doors to the cafeteria and walked out into he empty hallways. Taking a deep breath, I walked down the hall and leaned against a locker. Training my eyes on the world outside the window; snow gently fell onto the ground and I couldn't help but smile. I love it when it snows—snow make the world beautiful and gets the world ready for the next season. I love winter, I love the stillness of it, the silence... It's like the whole world is sleeping, getting ready to wake up for spring and once again become a bustle of life and movement. However, for just a few months, everything slows down, softens, sleeps...
"It's quiet." A distinctly familiar voice declared from down the hall. I turned my head to the side to see Javier as he walked towards me, "I'm guessing you like that."
I glared at him, but nodded my head. "Yeah, I enjoy the peace and quiet...pervert."
He leaned against the locker next to me and stared out the window with me, "Of course you would." He whispered, his focus on the snow.
"Let me guess, you don't?" I asked and then added as an after thought, "Pervert."
He shrugged, "My two older brothers are deaf. I can take or leave silence." He suddenly pushed himself away from the locker and turned to me, "I'm not a pervert, by the way."
"You just tried to kiss me." I hissed, "And you groped me last night—all signs point towards pervert."
He laughed and leaned over me, bracing his hands on either side of my head, "A pervert is someone who is sleazy and slimy."
"Y-your point?" I stammered, very aware of where his body was.
"I'm more of a refined pervert then." He said with a smirk, "Or maybe I'm just very aware of how women react to me." He stared down at my lips and slowly traced my bottom lip with his thumb, "How their pulse quickens, their eyes dilate..." He trailed off and pressed his body against mine and I gasped in surprise. "How they react to my touch."
I stared at him with wide eyes and then once again shoved him off me, "I thought I was supposed to reform you. Make you a man."
He smiled seductively, "You want to make me a man, Rosaline?"
I glare at him, "A gentleman."
"Oh, I am gentle."
Oh God, this is freaking me out.
"You know what I mean."
He smirked, "I told you that you can try to reform me. I'll just do the same to you in the meantime."
"How on earth can you reform me?"
"Simple."
"What needs to be changed about me? Pervert?"
"You need to let go a little—accept life as it happens and have a little bit of fun." He smiled, and you obviously need to get a little closer to at least one guy, you're uptight."
"I am not!"
He laughed and leaned back against me, "You're uptight. Can't you feel yourself tensing up this very moment? Because I can."
"I'm not uptight! Besides, you're loose!"
He smiled, "First lesson in your reformation."
"What?"
He lowered his lips once again towards mine, so that they were once again mere centimeters away from my mouth, "Kiss me."
"What?" I whispered, leaning away from him—trying to get away from his spicy and immobilizing scent.
"You heard me." He whispered, "Kiss me."
A/N: Okay, so there were only minor changes, but I like it better this way. I'm definitely having a lot of fun with Javier—I missed my walking hormone character. For new time readers, I hope you enjoyed this—and how many people are waiting to see what she does? Actually, since I am editing, perhaps everyone should be wondering...
Soundtrack: "These Walls" by Teddy Geiger, "Famous Last Words" by My Chemical Romance, "When I Come Around", "Basket Case", and "Insomniac" by Green Day, and "Brighter Than Sunshine" by Aqualung. (Yeah, a bit of a weird bunch of songs to listen to while editing, but what have you?)