Chapter Twenty Six

Aspen

Thankfully the bell rings, saving me from any more questions about the goings-on with Whitney and her posse. We all make it to class with plenty of time, and the four of them walk to their usual seats at the back of the room. I stop short, not knowing where to sit, since I don’t exactly want to be by Boston at the moment, when Lincoln gestures towards the empty desk next to him, “Sit here.”
“Thanks,” I say with a nod, then take my seat and begin pulling my book, notebook, and pencil from my backpack.
The next several hours go by pretty smoothly, and before I know it, it's lunchtime and the five of us are walking into the lunchroom. Lincoln has his arm strung across my shoulders, earning looks from several other students as we pass them by, while Boston stays on the other side of Dallas, furthest from me. I try to pay them no mind as Lincoln leads me to a table in the middle of the room and then tells me that he’s going to go get in line to get our lunches.
It feels strange to have Lincoln taking the place that Boston had taken up yesterday, especially since I don’t see him like that in the least, but at the same time, I’m grateful for it.
Boston, thankfully, has respected my wishes so far and given me space, even though he looks a mixture between miserable and pissed off—which I’m not going to lie, is sexy as hell.
As soon as I’m alone, someone plants themselves right next to me, the overwhelming smell of perfume letting me know that it's definitely not anyone that I want to be bothered by, "You're spreading your legs for all four of them boys, aren't you?" The nasally voice says, announcing her presence, as if I couldn't already smell her, "There is no other way that *all* of them would be so protective of you otherwise."
I just snort a laugh, not even bothering with justifying her claims with an answer. If I'm quick to react, I'll likely be playing right into her hands and giving her just the reaction that she's looking for.
"What do you want, Mallory?" I ask instead in a bored tone.
“I want to know what is so special about you because frankly, I just don't get it." She says, haughtily, sweeping her eyes up and down me with a look of utter disgust on her caked-on face.
I just shrug my shoulders, turn away from her and pick up my phone from the table, not bothering with answering her. What's going on between me and the boys is none of her business, even if there were something actually going on with them.
Let her be jealous or whatever, and to be honest, green is definitely *not* her color.
“What the hell are you doing, Mallory?" Says an incredibly angry voice from behind Mallory and me.
Mallory quickly whips around and giggles, placing her hand on my shoulder as if we're besties and were just sharing a hilarious joke.
*I guess the idea of her ever wanting to be my friend is pretty hilarious.*
"Why, I was just having a good laugh with my *best friend* Aspen here, of course." She says, giving Boston a Chesire smile.
"Cut the shit Mallory, and fuck off," Boston growls as he steps up closer to me, placing a hand protectively on my shoulder, "No one wants you here."
I should probably shrug it off, but I find that I don’t want to.
Mallory gasps, jolting back as if he'd just slapped her, "I beg your pardon, but I told you that I was—"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah...we heard you. I'm pretty sure the entire cafeteria heard you," One of the other three says as they step up beside their brother, "But we all know that you’re nothing but a filthy little liar. So, why don't you do us all a favor and get lost."
"Is her pussy really that good, that she has all of you under her spell?" Mallory shrieks as she stands up and turns back towards us, her eyes lit up with her hatred for me.
"You better watch what comes out of your mouth next, Mallory," Boston growls, his grasp on my shoulder tightening to a slightly uncomfortable level.
"Or what, huh? What are you going to do?" Mallory seethes as she turns her attention to Boston and then back to the other three, "That's what I thought, you won't do anything! So, I ask again, what is it about her that makes four of the most sought after guys in school fall all over themselves for her?"
She stops speaking for a moment to look at each of the boys for some sort of a reaction, but quickly begins talking again, "does she have something on you four? Is that what it is, because I honestly don't get it. She shows up," she says, pointing at me as if we don't all know who she's talking about, and then turns and gestures with her hands to the four boys who have my back, "and you all treat her like complete and total shit. Then bam, the next day all is good and she's hanging all over you four like she's dick drunk and you all are suddenly assholes to everyone."
I hear one of the guys growl at her description of our relationship and I tense, really not wanting to make any more of a scene than we already are, but also not going to allow her to cause problems for the guys.
"If you say one more word about them, so help me God, there won't be enough makeup in the world to cover up the amount of damage that I will do to your face," I tell her, standing up from my spot at the table, shrugging off the boys' hands and rounding on her. "They are all great guys, and it's not against the rules for them to be nice to me. So, yeah, maybe they had a few screws loose that first day and fucked up, but they are making it right." I growl at her through clenched teeth, hating that she's insinuating that the boys could be played or controlled that easily. "And as for what’s going on between us? They're my *friends*. I know that girls and guys being *completely* platonic friends is a foreign concept to you, but news flash, you don't have to spread your legs for every Tom, Dick, and Harry that you come across."
"Fuck you!" She screeches as she charges at me, grabbing ahold of my hair and yanking, knocking me off balance. Her unwillingness to let go of my hair causes her to fall right along with me.
Fortunately, I am able to turn us as we go down, landing so that I'm straddling her torso, and holding her hands against the ground by her head as she tries to buck me off of her, all the while she's yelling obscenities at me, and still trying to rip my hair from my head.
"Aspen, let her go!" One of the guys says gently, but I shake my head, unwilling to let her up, knowing that if I do, she will likely come at me again and I really don't want to fight her and end up getting put in detention, or worse suspended, my first week here.
"Aspen, please, stand up and let the teachers take care of her.” Boston pleads. In response, I continue shaking my head *no*, knowing that unless one is at my flank, ready to take over with the flailing girl, I am not budging.
"Not until one of them is here. If I let go, she will come at me again, and I can't promise that I won't make good on my promise to fuck up her face if she does." I tell him honestly.
"What in God's name is going on here?" I hear a familiar stern voice say as all the other voices around us begin to settle down, "Girls?" When he doesn't get a response from either of us, he must turn his attention to the guys, because I hear their names and then more conversing.
One of the boys must use the distraction to his benefit, because I feel arms settle against my ribs just beneath my armpits and then lift up, pulling me from Mallory, his cologne telling me that it’s Boston.
As soon as I'm lifted off of her, Mallory is on her feet, coming towards me again when I see Mr. Coltrane grab her with an arm wrapped around her waist, keeping her pinned firmly against his chest as he tries to talk her down.
"Let me have her! I swear that I am going to fuck up that *pretty* face of hers! Then, neither *them* nor anyone else will want anything to do with her!" She screams each word, fighting against Mr. Coltranes' hold on her.
He just shakes his head and then looks at me, "Will you please follow me to the office?"
Heaving a sigh, I nod my head in affirmation and then follow Mr. Coltrane as he turns and makes his way toward the principal's office.
*So much for not getting detention my first week here*, I think to myself as we near the office.
"We will back you up, you know that right?" Boston says, gently grasping my elbow and turning me towards him, "You didn't do anything but keep her from hitting you. The entire cafeteria saw it and I have no doubt that others will back you up too if it's needed." I just snort out a laugh.
"Do you really think that any of *them* will stand up for *me*, against *her*? That's a crock of shit and you know it just as much as I do." I spit out my words, derision dripping from each one as Boston slides his hand from my elbow to my shoulder as he tries to comfort me. Instead of accepting the comfort being offered, I just shrug it off, not wanting or needing it right now.