I am on a roll today!!! Haha!! Let me know how it is! :D

****

At school the next day, Nicole and Chase walked up to me hand-in-hand. I acted like I didn't notice. I didn't like pinpointing things like this. I wasn't sure why. But I just smiled and the three of us chatted. Chase and Nicole told me a lot of stories about last night and I laughed so hard. I was a weird drunk. Apparently, I was a happy and lustful drunk. Nicole and Chase stopped laughing and talking out of nowhere.

"What's the deal?" I asked.

Nicole just gave me a look and I turned around. Clex.

"Hi, Clex," I smiled and waved.

"Hey," he wrapped his arm around me and smiled.

I looked at Nicole and she just gave me that same look that said, "there's-something-iffy-about him." I looked at Chase and he was just emotionless. I saw Ben walking up to us. I looked around for Anais, but she was nowhere in sight. Ben didn't look happy.

"What do you think you're doing?" Ben demanded.

"Whoa, Ben, calm down," I said. "He's not doing anything."

"Yeah, Ben," Clex said. "I'm not doing anything."

"A word?" Ben growled at him and they walked off. I looked at Nicole and Chase and they shrugged. I watched as Ben kept jabbing his finger into Clex's chest, and how Clex just stood there. I couldn't understand what they were saying. But I heard one thing:

"If you hurt her, God help me, I will kill you," Ben said.

"Did you hear that?" I asked Nicole.

"Yeah," she exhaled.

"What do you think is going on?" I asked.

"I'll find out," Chase said walking to them.

Chase joined in and then more yelling began. Clex yelled loud enough for them to shut up and got in their faces. I went to go stop it, but Nicole held me back. I looked at her and she just shook her head. "I don't think that'd be a good idea."

I sighed and waited for them to finish their dispute. Ben looked at Chase and said something and Chase came back to us. He looked like he had just seen a ghost.

"What's wrong?" Nicole asked.

"Alexis..." he said softly. "You should stay far away from Clex."

"Why? What'd he do?" I asked.

He shook his head. "You really don't wanna know."

"Well, I kinda need to know," I said.

"I'll tell you later," Chase sighed, walking away.

Nicole followed him and Ben looked at me. Clex was out of sight. Ben swallowed and walked up to me. Tears were already in his eyes. He took a deep breath and stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"Alexis... Would you please just trust me when I say to stay away from him?" he asked, barely audible.

"Can I ask why?" I looked over him.

His breaths became slightly ragged. "Please just trust me?"

"Ben, we've known each other for years! And ever since Friday, the day I turned sixteen, is the day you finally want to talk to me. And then you want me to just trust what you say? I feel like I barely know you, and yet know everything about you. Why can't you just tell me what his deal is?" I let it out.

He shook his head. "I can't. If you don't trust me, and still wanna hang with Clex, just be careful."

Before I could respond, he walked off and Clex's arm took its place around me. I looked up at him and smiled. He looked completely harmless. But apparently I was missing something. What is was, I wasn't sure. Clex just seemed like a regular guy. The bell rang for class and he walked me to class. He walked me to every one of my classes and at the end of the day, he walked with me, Nicole, and Chase to the bus.

"Well, I'm gone," he said.

"How are you getting home?" I asked.

"I have a truck," he shrugged.

"Right," I nodded. "See ya."

"I can give you a ride," Clex said.

"Um, Nicole, Chase? Y'all wanna ride?" I asked.

They shook their heads. "No thanks. And, she can't get a ride, because she has to go home and I'm meeting her there for this project, so you know, maybe some other time," Nicole said as she rushed me on the bus.

"What is going on?" I asked her.

"He's not the right guy, Lexi," she said.

"She's right," Chase confirmed.

"Why?!" I exploded. "You keep telling me that he's bad and I need to stay away from him, but every time I ask why, there's no answer."

"You don't need to know," Chase said.

I huffed. I wasn't getting any information out of them. "Nicky, tell me."

She looked at Chase and he just had a look on his face I couldn't pinpoint.

"Don't look at him, look at me! Tell me!" I yelled.

"I don't feel comfortable saying it," she admitted.

"Is he a killer? Stalker? Kidnapper?" I listed.

"No, not really," she said.

"Then, I don't see the problem with him," I said and walked off. "Clex!" I called and ran up to him.

"Change your mind?" he smiled at me.

"Why does everyone hate you?" I asked. "Ben, Chase, Nicole... What did you do?"

He sighed. "Look, I didn't do anything. Ben's sister liked me, and Ben has hated me from the moment we met. He hated the idea of his sister growing up, so he takes all of his anger out on me. He says she's drastically changed since she met me, but nothing ever really happened. Sure, I liked her, but I ended it after a month."

"Why?" I asked.

"There was no more spark," he shrugged.

"Was the breakup bad?" I asked him.

"Kind of," he admitted. "She didn't take it well. She yelled at me and made up rumors about how I hurt her."

"Did you?"

"No," he said.

I just nodded, looking back at Nicole and Chase.

"Look, I like you," he said. "But I don't want drama to overcome us."

"I don't like drama, either, but I just want the truth," I shrugged.

"I just told you the truth," he said looking in my eyes.

"Fine," I said after a moment of hesitation. "I believe you."

"So how bout that ride?" he asked.

I laughed. "Okay."

We walked to his truck and just as I opened the passenger door, Ben's voice echoed a loud, "GET AWAY FROM THE TRUCK!!"

I groaned and looked at him. "What, Ben?!"

"This is de ja vu," he said.

"Come on, Ben," Clex said. "I'm just giving her a ride home."

"Yeah, just like you gave my sister a ride home," Ben snapped.

"Look," I said agitated. "Just because your sister told everyone he hurt her, doesn't mean he did. You weren't there for the breakup, were you?"

Ben glared at Clex. "That's what you told her? That my sister spread rumors about you hurting her? Nice, Clex. Real nice. Try manipulating her about something else, why don't you?!"

"Ben, let me go home!" I yelled. "Go check on Anais."

Ben looked at me and I wanted to cry. There was care written in all caps on his face. It was obvious to anyone who looked at him. But he wasn't about to control who I liked, or who I wanted to be with. He sighed and walked off. I got in Clex's truck and he started driving. I gave him directions and when he pulled up, he killed the engine and looked at me.

"You okay?" he asked.

"I'm just really tired," I said.

"Don't worry," he said. "This'll blow over soon."

I laughed and got out of his truck. I walked in, both parents sleeping. I went in my room and Nicky was sitting on my bed, writing in her pocket journal.

"Um, hi," I said.

She looked up at me and sighed. "Did he hurt you?"

"No," I said.

"Good," she nodded, writing again.

"Nicky, he's harmless. So Ben's sister spread rumors about getting hurt. Doesn't mean they're true," I sighed.

"Rumors," she scoffed. "That's what Clex said?"

"Yes," I narrowed my eyes.

"Okay," she nodded.

"Okay? You've been givng me hell all day about this guy, and you just say okay?!"

"Because I'm done!" she exploded. "I'm done trying!"

"Wha--? YOU HAVE HAD PLENTY OF OPERTUNITIES TO TELL ME!!! YOU NEVER DID!!! I WOULDN'T CALL THAT TRYING!!!"

"I have to go," she stood and walked out of the house.

What the hell was going on?!

****

What do you think he did?? Comment, vote, promote, fan!! :D Love ya!!