Chapter2

#Chapter2

New generation, same problems

We all pulled up to school. I thought Junior would kill the hellions by the time we got there. They are the type that you need a sedative to be around them because they are freaking crazy.

Matt and I got out of the car along with RJ. Elijah got out of his vehicle with Liam and JJ. Then Junior got out of the car with Austin, Mack, and Nik. He ordered them into the school, along with the double trouble twins and RJ. He also gave them a warning if he found out, they got into trouble and could deal with our dads.

Junior walked over to the three of us. /"I do not miss this place./"

/"We know. You tell us the past two years,/" Matt said.

Junior shot Matt a glare, and Matt shrugged. Elijah rolled his eyes, and I looked past them as something caught my eye. Or should I say, someone?

/"I’ll catch you later,/" I said, walking away from my brother and cousins.

/"Liz, where are you going?/" Matt yelled at me, but I ignored him.

/"Something got Liz’s attention, or should I say someone,/" said Elijah.

/"Let’s hope it’s not what it is,/" said Junior, standing there with his hands in his pockets.

I went to school and tried to find the person I saw. With all the students, it was like the person disappeared into the crowd. I sighed and went to my locker. I opened it, put my stuff away except for my schedule. I closed the locker door when a guy leaned next to it, scaring the shit out of me.

I looked to see the last person who I expected, Maddox Frazier. Let me give a bit of backstory about Maddox. I know what you’re thinking, and no. It doesn’t relate Uncle Frazier to Maddox, although Maddox’s family and my family have a bit of a messy history. Maddox has been a thorn in my side since he arrived here two years ago.

First, it started with him trying to be my friend, which was fine because I didn’t know who he was, plus I was careful. Then he decided he wanted more. But I had no interest. Then it got worse after that I rejected him. Every chance he arrived, he tried to make my life a living hell.

I kept from my family because I knew what they would do, but I was more afraid of what Maddox would do. The dude was crazy, certifiably crazy.

He was leaning against the locker whistling, then stopped. It sent chills down my back and not in the right way; it was creepy.

/"Well, if it isn’t Lezzie,/" Maddox mentioned.

/"I told you to stop calling me that,/" I said, clenching my fist.

/"Oh, Lezzie, we all know you like chicks. That’s why you don’t like dicks. It’s so obvious,/" Maddox said with a snarky attitude. Thanks to Maddox, guys wouldn’t ask me out, and I got taunted by the girls. Even though my brother and cousins would ask me what was going on, I would lie to them and tell them nothing. Everything was fine.

There were nights I thought they would be better off if I wasn’t around anymore. I would be one less thing that would worry about everyone. So, most of the time, I kept to myself.

/"Leave me alone, Maddox!/" I spoke through gritted teeth.

Maddox stood up from the locker and walked over to me, whispering in my ear. /"You could have made things easy, but you chose the hard way./"

I was so done and let it rip, swing my fist at Maddox with him catching it. He pushed me up against the locker, pinning my wrist above my head and pressing his body against mine. I couldn’t move.

/"Wrong move, bitch,/" Maddox said, glaring at me. He was about to hit me, making me flinch, when someone caught his hand.

I opened my eye to see a guy standing there, holding Maddox’s fist in his hand. He stood six foot one, lean muscular build, with red hair and ocean blue eyes. He was wearing short sleeves, revealing two tattoos on his upper arms and peeking out of the top of his chest area. That was the guy who I saw outside.

/"Yeah, I would reconsider that if I were you,/" the guy said in a husky voice.

Maddox turned his head, and if I’m not mistaken, he looked like he saw a ghost. His face drained of color. Maddox let go of me, and the guy let go of Maddox’s fist. Then, before I knew it, the guy grabbed Maddox around the neck and picked him up.

/"I’m telling you this once and once only. If I ever see you disrespect this girl again, you will never see daylight. Do I make myself clear?/" The guy asked in a deep, husky voice.

Maddox nodded his head. The guy threw him down, causing Maddox to scramble to his feet and take off like a bat out of hell. I watched as he booked it out of our view.

I turned to thank the guy, but he started walking away. What the heck was that? Better question, who was that? I needed to find out.

A few minutes later, Matt and Elijah walked up.

/"Why was Maddox running through the halls looking like he pissed himself?/" Elijah asked, opening his locker.

I didn’t know what to say. What could I say? Some guy I never met before scared the living shit out of Maddox? They would make some stupid joke about it.

/"I have no idea,/" I said, heading to my first class, leaving them both looking at each other and shrug.

I found a seat in the back of the classroom. I tried to stay to myself, so I attracted less attention. It didn’t work. I got the same taunts I got every year, thanks to Maddox. The only time they stopped was if I had a class with Matt or Elijah. When one heard the name, the person needed the nurse.

They weren’t in the first hour, so I got the pleasure of enduring snarky comments and name-calling. I shrunk into my seat, trying to go unnoticed. Thank god for my high IQ because it was the only thing that kept my grades high. It sure wasn’t people at school.

I sat there, trying to block out the comments as usual when the class went quiet. I didn’t bother to look up. It was the teacher getting ready to start the course. I put my head on the desk and doodled in my notebook. It was the only thing that helped me block out people.

/"Move,/" I heard someone say to a guy sitting next to me. It was Matt or Elijah, so I kept doodling. The guy got up; then someone took his seat.

/"Matt, could you be any scarier than you already are?/" I asked my brother, still doodling.

/"Who’s Matt?/" The person asked.

/"Sorry, Elijah. I forgot you guys hate when someone compares you, even though you have the same presence and voice,/" I said.

/"Who’s Elijah?/" The person asked again.

/"Oh, come on,/" I said, lifting my head, then stopped talking as my eyes widen. I found myself face to face with the guy from this morning.

The guy was sitting there. He had his chin in his hand, looking at me. /"So, are you going to tell me who this Matt and Elijah are?/"

/"Matt is my brother, and Elijah is my cousin,/" I said in a bare whisper.

/"What? I couldn’t hear that,/" the guy said with a smirk.

I shrunk back into my chair, turning my head to the front of the class. Oh, god, I finally talked to the guy I followed, and now I couldn’t even utter a word. Thanks, Mom, for your quiet gene.

Each time I glanced over, I saw the guy still staring at me. Then each time, I turned to face the front of the class. Okay, I don’t know why this guy unnerved me so much when he saved me this morning.

As soon as class ended, I gathered up my stuff and hurried out of the classroom. I don’t know why I felt like this was a big setup since people set me prior. That’s a story for another time. Let’s hope I can survive today, let alone the rest of the year, as best as I can.