"Do I have to go to school Dad?" Ryan sighed, his dad gave him a gentle smile but nodded.

"Yeah, you do. I know this first nine weeks hasn't been easy but you have to keep trying. Who knows, today might be the day a girl notices you." Ryan blushed and gave his dad a slight glare as they continued driving through the streets of Chicago. His dad just laughed and patted the muscular boy's shoulder, they pulled up to the school McMahon High. "Have a good day son, I love you."

"I love you too, Dad." The door to the truck slammed loudly and Ryan couldn't help but flinch, he shot his dad an apolegetic look but the elder man dismissed it. Ryan still wasn't that great at minding his tremendous strength despite being nearly seventeen.

His skin prickled as he felt people watching him walk up the steps of the school, he didn't even need to look at them to make them move out of his way. Like Noah parting the Red Sea he walked through the crowd easily, alone. He could make out the mindless chatter others were having, someone had new shoes, another had a new girlfriend, some chick was crying about her parents hated her.

"Just like any other day," He mumbled to himself, not that anyone else was itching to conversate with him. Spotting a familiar, friendly figure he moved with a slight smile on his face, Kane was leaning against his locker dialing his combination.

"Hey," He grunted to the long hair boy, who flinched at frist, still not use to having someone talk to him, Mark was usually a grouch at school and home and the supermarket and everywhere. A nod was all Ryan recieved from his friend. "How's the voice today?" Kane waggled his hand as if to say 'eh so-so.'

"Try doing the excercises," A shrug from the larger boy. "You know I'd like to one day conversate with you and you're impeding that dream." Another shrug and a barely amuse stare. "Dream killer." That got a smile behind the long dark hair.

Ryan started to say something else, about Kane coming over later to help him with Algebra, when Kane's hand shot out to nudge him. He turned in the direction his scary friend was gesturing and immidiatly turned away. The door to the front hand opened and a trio of girls had stepped through. Kaitlynn, AJ, and... Sarah. His face was red and he sent a viscous glare to his friend who shrugged, unaffected.

"Don't start with me," He growled. "I'll talk to her when I am ready." Kane laughed and got a devious look on his face, before Ryan could question it, Kane raised his hand, beckoning the three girls over. "Please don't." He hissed to his smirking friend, who ignored him.

"Hey Kane!" AJ shouted and both boys finched, the young woman was always hyper. Kait gave him a subdued greeting, Sarah just smirked at the bouncing AJ.

"So whatcha need?" Kaitlynn asked quickly, giving Ryan a glance. "He bothering you? Cause Sarah's been itchin' to fight someone all week." Sarah rolled her eyes.

"It's only Monday, Kait, you're so dramatic." She paused to look at Kane, she had never really hung around him, feeling he needed to have his space more than anything. "But if someone's messing with ya I'll handle it." Kane shook his head and held up his Algebra textbook.

"Oh! You need help in math?" Kaitlynn asked. "Cause AJ is really good at..." She trailed off her shorter friend had disappeared. "Well Sarah's really good at math." Kane shook his head again and pointed to a nervous looking Ryan. "I'm sorry I don't know your name..." Kait started.

"And that's saying something, she knows everyone." Sarah giggled shoving Kait lightly. Ryan wanted to leave but he was frozen in place.

"I'm R-Ryan." He managed to stutter out, Kait gave him a look, a knowing look.

"Oh, Sweety, you're one of the shy ones." She smiled gently and patted his elbow. "Makes sense, Kane doesn't like loud mouths."

"Untrue!" Sarah cried purposefully over dramatic. "He's always walking to class with AJ or Layla." Kane made a face that said otherwise and the girls laughed, even Ryan chuckled alittle.

"Well, if you need some help you can come over to my place after school, if your parents are cool with it. Dean was gonna come over anyways so I don't think my Dad will mind another visitor." Ryan could feel himself deflate. Who was Dean? Her boyfriend?

Kait must've seen the change in the young man because she went on to say. "Dean isn't her boyfriend." Sarah laughed loudly at that.

"Oh God no! I'm not his type." Ryan paused, how was she not anyone's type? "I have a vagina." Kane made another face and Kait grinned devilishly. Ryan felt his face heat up. "But yeah he crashes at my place alot, ignore him most often. He can be a real jack asses, but we love him."

"We, as in the 'Rejects'?" He asked tentatively, this got a nod from both girls. He started to ask if he could join when the bell rang.

"Shit I'm gonna be late!" Kait cried dragging Sarah off to their next class. When both girls were gone Ryan gave Kane a heated glare which was given a grin in return.

"I hate you." Kane shrugged and started for class.

"Dean!" The auburn boy resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

"Yes sunshine?" He turned to look at the approaching Sarah, it was history class they had together first period.

"I'm tutoring a new guy after school today so try to be pleasant." She grinned at the apathetic boy, he sighed and gave her a bored stare.

"I promise not to cock block." He smirked when his friend's face flushed red.

"No, God you're gross!" She rolled her eyes. "I just meant don't start any fights. With him or my brother."

"Aw but my very existence is aggrivating to Mike." He wrapped an arm around her neck lazily. "I can't help but bother him."

"Just be polite." She sighed. "This guy could be a new recruit and I don't want you scaring him off."

"You should've waited until the third date before introducing him to me. But I'll try to be on my best behaviour."

"We're doomed. And I'm not dating him!" The brunette growled shoving the boy away in frustration, he just chuckled and ruffled her hair.

"Hey! Ryan was it?" The colosial man flinched at the loud voice, blushing slightly when everyone in the room glanced at him and AJ. "Sorry I meant to say hi earlier but I saw Punk and thought it would be fun to steal his Pepsi. Which I don't recomend but still it's funny!" She babbled and laughed, he nodded silently with a smile.

"Anywho!" She continued without letting him respond. "Sarah told me to give you her address, or you could ride over there with her and her brother Mike- again I don't recomend." That caught some student's attention- rich loud-mouthed Sarah inviting the tall, scary Ryan over? Ted DiBiase turned in his seat at the mention of the brunette's name, who was this guy and why was he going over to her and Mike's place?

"So it's 8773 CherryBush Drive." She scribbled it on the still silent boy's paper. "And word of warning, her brother is an irritaion but you're pretty big so he'll probably just ignore you. Unless his friends are over, Randy will pick a fight for the fun of it and Dolph will join in out of boredom. But Dean'll be there so it's pretty even fight, Sarah won't let anyone mess with you really, she's like the Batman for anyone who gets bullied. I should make her a costume! That would be so cute! Oh for Halloween, she'll love it! Anyways ignore Dean he likes to pick fights but he's a real sweety when it gets down to it and Mike is mostly bark. Sarah is all bite and not in the fun way- well maybe in the fun way. I have no idea she's only had one boyfriend and she doesn't like to talk about how far they'd gone. So she might be a biter in the good way."

"Please slow down..." Ryan mumbled, his head was starting to hurt, he was getting dizzy. AJ started to talk again when the bell rang and she had to sit down, he turned towards the front and noticed Ted glaring at him. He made a face of confusement and the rich blonde scoffed and looked away. What was his problem?

"I can see why you're always trying to get away from AJ." Ryan said when he sat down next to Kane at lunch, giving a nodd to acknowledge his brother, Mark. The gesture was returned and Kane gave him a sympathetic smile and a chuckle. "In under a minute she spoke over two words." He groaned, earning even a pitied look from Mark.

"Hey, Ryan, Kane you guys should come sit with us." A tan girl smiled, Ryan didn't know her well but she had a nice smile and a british accent. "Mark I would invite you too but I know how you hate social interaction." She teased the Senior, he gave her a smirk.

"Thank you for your consideration, Layla." Oh yeah, Layla, she was Kait's girlfriend, he forgot that.

"So whadda say boys?" She smiled again, Ryan glanced at his friend, he didn't want to go without him. The silent boy seemed hesitant. "You know Daniel is sitting with us today." Layla said absent mindedly, that was all Kane needed and he was standing, taking his tray over to the table designated for 'Rejects.'

Ryan started to stand and follow when he paused, turning to Mark. The elder boy had never really been overtly friendly with him but he had accepted him and stuck up for him when others wrote him off. "You know you can come and sit with them too?" He said hesitantly.

"I know and I appreciate your care," Mark started, his tone and face seemed the opposite of what he was saying but Ryan had learned despite his body language Mark never lied. "But I do enjoy sitting alone."

"Okay," He trailed off and went to sit with the other group. Sarah patted the seat beside her, Dean was to her left, Punk on his other side with AJ beside him. Next to AJ was Kait, then Layla, then Daniel Bryan, then Kane next to the empty seat. Ryan sat down with caution, worried they'd be scared of him, but no one really looked at him except to wave hi.

"Hey what's up?" Sarah smirked Dean had his legs stretched on her lap, leaning back to rest against an annoyed Punk's shoulder. "Dean get your stinky feet off me!" She shoved the auburn boy, he slid from the seat, nearly bashing his head on the table. A hand gripping his shirt stopped, the group looked to see Football star Roman Reigns steadying the boy.

"Careful." He murmured lowly, grey eyes unreadable before he stalked off. Dean was silent for once and didn't seem upset that Sarah had nearly injured him.

"Raise your hand if you felt the sexual tension." Sarah stated. Everyone's hand went up, Dean sent them all a glare and the subject was dropped. Layla turned to smile at Daniel.

"I'm glad you sat with us today." She said honestly. "I hope your friends aren't to upset."

"Naw," He grinned. "Cody and Johnny had a project to work on and I didn't wann ruin their 'thinking space'."

"Oh that's nice, what are they working on?" Kait asked, wrapping an arm around Layla. Ryan could feel Sarah lean forward to hear the quiet Daniel, her hair brushing against his arm. Glad I left my jacket at home, he thought.

"Some art project about unrequited love." He responded dismissively, biting into his sandwhich.

"Oh the irony," Punk finally spoke up, he had nothing infront of him except three empty Pepsi cans.

"Why is that?" Daniel asked, unaware of Kane watching him with longing in his mismatched eyes.

"No reason." The tatooed boy said waving them off, to dissolve the subject he turned to his girlfriend AJ. "Hey babe, what do you think the Rejects should do for Halloween?" Ryan let out a groan when her face lit up.

"Oooh! I was telling Ryan," She motioned to the larger student earning confused looks from the others. "Sarah should total be Batman! Dean could be Robin, I wanna be Harley Quinn- Duh!- so you would be the Joker. Ryan could be like Bane or Kane could be Bane since the names rhyme. Or is that to cliche? I don't know but Daniel could be the Riddler and Layla would be Catwoman and Kait would be Huntress!" She clapped happily. "Cody and Johnny could come too, maybe as Redhood and Nightrunner."

"So we have no say in this?" Layla smirked.

"None!" AJ giggled and Punk smiled shaking his head.

"Why am I the only cross dresser?" Sarah pouted playfully.

"And I refuse to be Robin." Dean groaned.

"1. Sarah you're like the Dark Knight with a worse temper and a huge hero complex. 2. You will wear what I say and you'll like it Dean." AJ threaten. "But if you're gonna bitch, you can be Nightwing and Ryan will be Robin."

"I thought I was Bane?"

"You were but Kane and Bane rhymes so you got beat," AJ smiled widely looking around the table. "So is that a yes?" Punk made a gesture for everyone to agree.

"I take it you'll be making these costumes yourself?" Layla asked with a giggle.

"Uh Duh! So this weekend everyone is coming over to my place, I need measurements." AJ ordered, no one argued.

"I swear you'll be like the greatest fashion designer ever." Kaitlynn sighed, smiling at her best freind.

"So we going trick or treating or will we be crashing a party?" Dean piped up. "I would prefer tricking."

"Course you would." Sarah rolled her eyes. "Ted and Mike are throwing a bash at my place, parents will be gone for the weekend." She gave Punk a wild grin. "It'd piss him off if ya'll bitches showed."

"I'm in!" Punk grinned and for once Dean agreed.

"You in Boy Wonder?" She turned to Ryan with a playful smirk.

"Um Sure." He mumbled and AJ let out a loud cheer as the bell rang.

"Yay! It's all happy! I'll get started on drawing designs, I'll have them ready by Wednesday so if you want something specific tell me." She called as she dragged Punk along to their next class.

"She goes all out for holidays. Halloween, Christmas, Valentines day, New Years." Layla explained to Ryan and Kane. "But it's always fun and her parents own a fabric store so... Yeah."

"How was school?" Mr. Reeves asked as his son walked through the door, coffee and newspaper in hand.

"Good... Um can I borrow the car?" He asked his father tentatively. That got his father to look up in surprise.

"Sure where ya going? Whose gonna be there? When will you be back?" He rattled off in a authorative tone, the grin on his face betrayed his amusment.

"A girl offered to help me in Algebra. Her parents and brother and some weird friend of hers named Dean. I'll be back as soon as I can." He listed, counting on his hand that he covered all bases.

"A girl?" The grin got wider. "What's her name?"

"Sarah McMahon."

"That's on the upper part of town." His father mused. "Try not to mess with the boys up there to much." He cautioned. Ryan nodded and accepted the keys held out to him.

"Thanks, Dad."

"No problem, I'm glad you're making friends."

"Whatcha want?" Mike asked in a bored tone, Ryan was hoping Sarah would answer the door instead of her jock of a brother.

"Sarah said she'd tutor me." He mumbled.

"Oh yeah, her and her charity cases." The blonde jeered but allowed the larger man entrance, he led Ryan through a long corrider. "She's in the kitchen with Maria."

Before he could ask who Maria was the blonde left, so he entered the spacious modern kitchen. Sarah was at the sink, washing dishes while a thiry- maybe forty- year old Hispanic woman pulled cookies from the oven. He watched for a moment. "Maria I told you I would get it." The brunette chastisied playfully, not seeing her student yet.

"It's my job." Maria sounded almost nervous. "They were going to burn and you already helped me enough."

"Meh, I like cleaning." She smirked, the woman returned it with a motherly smile. "Besides it's not like I can't make Dean do it."

"I'm sure he is very helpful." Maria giggled.

"Hey! When did you get here?" Sarah finally spotted Ryan standing awkwardly at the threshold. "I didn't hear the doorbell."

"Um Mike let me in." He muttered, staring at the floor he could hear Maria putting the cookies on a plate.

"He didn't cause trouble did he?" She asked with a dark tone, even Maria flinched at that.

"No."

"Good, his friends aren't here yet, he'll get worse later on." She sighed and took the plate from Maria. "Thank you, they smell delicious." Maria smiled and pinched her cheeks, giving Ryan a nod as the two walked out of the kitchen.

"Dean fell asleep right after we got home, probably on my bed." She sighed in annoyance. True enough when they got to her room he was sprawled out across her bed sheets. He said nothing as she set down the plate and went to wake Dean, taking the time to study her room.

The walls were alittle darker than a robin's egg, brown bed sheets, and a dark almost black, blue carpet. Several pictures on the wall, most of them her and other Rejects but one was a recent one of her and Mike. He didn't really see the resemblance between the siblings- She had brown black hair his was blonde, her eyes were hazel and smoldering his were blue and cold. The only similairity was they both had amazingly tan skin, Mike's a tad orange though.

"Hey! Bitch!" He shook his head, Sarah still couldn't wake the snoring Dean. "Ugh fine, be like Burger King, have it your way." She growled sitting cross legged on the floor. He sat beside her, she bit into a cookie, offering one to him. It was still warm and had mini chocolate chips.

"So are you having problems with the basics or what we learned this week?" She asked through a mouthful of cookie.

"I can't seem to balance out the X's and Y's." He offered weakly, not sure what they had learned recently.

"Here try this," She began pulling out a notebook and a work book, writing down the equation. "See ya just gotta move this here, and that there." She explained, drawing arrows and checking to make sure he was following along. A loud snore from Dean interrupted them.

"Why does he sleep at your house alot?" He asked, wondering how the teen could be comfortable with the way his body was twisted and contorted.

"Yeah..." She hesitated before continueing. "He doesn't have the best home life, and so he usually crashes here. My parents really never notice but if Mike complains enough he either goes back home or over to Punk's."

Ryan didn't say anything for along time, he could never think of a life where he was afraid to go home. He resolved to make friends with Dean. "Don't tell him I told you, he's alittle self concious about it." He nodded along, hearing the front door open and bang close. "Theres Mike's loser friends." She groaned.

Downstairs Ted, Randy, and Dolph were welcomed into the home by Mike, they lapped hands and pounded fists. "Hey Ted, you figure out how to sneak some booze out of your house for the party?" Mike asked the blonde.

"Uh I don't know," Ted said nervously. "My dad is really watching the Liqour Cabinet after last year's rager." The other boys groaned in unison, Randy and Mike shared a look.

"That's cool, maybe Sarah's new boyfriend will be able to snag us some." Mike comented off handedly.

"New boyfriend?" Mike smirked at Ted's eagerness.

"Yeah she up there with him now, he's huge bro, I wouldn't doubt hes got some booze connections." He laughed and led them up the stairs, Mike nearly jumped with joy when he saw Sarah's door was open. Allowing the boys to peek in to see Ryan and Sarah sitting close, hunched over a note pad. "Told ya."

"I'll bring something." Ted frowned, glaring at the young man in the blue room.

Sarah looked up and noticed them staring from the hallway. "Whatcha want, a cookie? I'm busy I don't have time to play with you guys." She said dismissively, Ryan feeling uncomfortable with the way Ted was looking at him.

"No one here wants you to play with them." Randy scoffed and Sarah shot him a grin.

"Aw Randal if you want I get wake up Dean," She nudged the sleeping man, who jerked away in response. He rolled his eyes at the sight of the Jocks. "Dean wake up, Randy wants you to play with him."

"You couldn't pay me enough." Dean laughed rolling out of the bed, he saw the look Ted had on and decided to provoke him. "Hey Teddy, I went where you haven't Sarah's bed!" The blonde was fuming, Dolph resting a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't make it sound so extravagant." Sarah teased back to the auburn. "It's not the first time."

"Or the last." Dean grinned and Mike decided to intervene.

"Can you not talk about getting in bed with my sister?" He sighed as if they were beneath him.

Dean reached across to stick his hand in Sarah's left pocket. "Look I'm in her pants." Sarah burst out laughing, even Ryan had to grin. He slipped his pointer finger into the other pocket. "Ha! Even Ryan's getting in on this."

"You know we out number you," Randy growled, tired of the jokes at their expense. "I wouldn't be acting out."

"Actually, since I'm tutoring Ryan in math, let's turn this into an equation." Sarah smirked. "I've kicked you ass before Randal, Dean is probably pretty cranky after his nap and he's never liked Mike, and we all know Dolphin and Teddy aren't gonna fight. And if they do Ryan here is a big boy," She winked at Ted. "I think he can handle two scrawny kids like you." She turned to Ryan. "So Me + Randy + Dean +Mike -Dolph and Teddy and you get."

"Screwed." He smirked for once feeling confident. They group in the hall scoffed but left to go down the hall.

"I think we won that battle," Sarah grinned. "Now where were we?" She pointed to the paper. "Finish this equations."