A/N: So I've had this sitting in my files for about a year now. So I've just currently decided to upload it merely to see what you guys think and if there's an interest. Hopefully, you enjoy.

"Did you hear about the new guy?"

Rapunzel hummed slightly, despondent. She lifted her head slightly to show she was listening, but her eyes never left the paper she was drawing on. Pascal sighed. He knew better than to try to start a conversation with her, even if it was about something as intriguing as the mysterious new boy. Until a teacher told her to put away her sketch pad, it wouldn't happen. And Pascal knew from years of being her best friend that Rapunzel simply ignored everything and everyone while she was sketching.

He rolled his eyes and turned back around in his seat. At the beginning of the school year, he was under the inclination Rapunzel seated directly behind him in their least favorite subject would be a good thing. And it was, it was just... Well, she was always sketching.

This morning seemed a bit different though, because then Pascal felt a sharp poke in his back and turned around. Rapunzel was frowning at him.

"What new guy?" she asked seriously.

Getting over the shock she had found this important enough to stop sketching, Pascal answered, "No one really knows. But he's definitely here. They say he's a runaway trying to-"

Rapunzel cut him off by shaking her head. "I meant," she explained, "what's his name? What's he like? What does he look like?"

A playful grin appeared at the corners of Pascal's lips. "I see," he said mischievously. "Maxi better watch out. He has competition."

Rapunzel wrinkled her nose and (softly) smacked Pascal across the arm. "That's not at all what I said," she growled. If there was anything at all that drove her crazy, it was people talking about her and Max, especially Pascal.

"Okay, okay," Pascal said laughing. "Like I said before, no one really knows. But if you were listening to announcements a few minutes ago, which I'm assuming you didn't, then you'd know Principal Donners asked us all to be nice to the new guy." Pascal then leaned in closer and lowered his voice. "I saw a schedule laying on Donners's desk though, when I had to go to his office for those folders he asked me to get last week. It was a name I didn't recognize, a little odd if I remember correctly. I quickly glanced at it and the person had Geometry first period, just like us."

"Do you think it was the new boy's schedule?" Rapunzel asked curiously.

Pascal shrugged. "Who knows. If it is, he is one unlucky guy to be starting the morning off as boring as we do."

Rapunzel laughed at this. "If he's in our class, though, he'd have to be about our age right?" she asked, looking around the room at the rest of the sophomores. Some of them were excitedly chatting (Rapunzel bet about the new boy), and the rest were sleeping.

Once again, Pascal shrugged. "I would assume."

Rapunzel began to relax and smile a bit more and said, "Okay. That's good." Then she turned her head back to her sketchpad.

Bewildered, Pascal waved his hand in front of her pad in an attempt to get her attention once again. She looked up, annoyed at the second interruption. Pascal knew it was brave to stop her again (unless he wanted her to slap him again, this time being not so playful), but he was curious.

"What was that?" he asked, confusion seeping into his words.

Rapunzel frowned and furrowed her eyebrows. "What was what?"

"That," Pascal stated. When she looked at him like he had gone crazy, he sighed and continued, "That. That whole reaction to him being our age." Now she seemed completely lost. "You seemed genuinely happy about it. Maybe Max does have something to worry about." He couldn't help but to tease her a little.

Her eyes widened at the realization of what he was trying to ask. "You," she sputtered, "y-you think that - I - What?" She narrowed her eyes in anger at the accusation. Pascal held up his hands in surrender.

"I'm just asking about what I observe," he stated.

"Well I'm happy to inform you it is not because I like this new boy," she retorted heatedly. "Max and I are just fine in our relationship, thank you. I've never even met the boy before. Do not accuse me of things you observe."

Pascal stayed silent for a minute, and then said, "You did seem happier though."

Rapunzel glared at him and said, "You must have read my expression wrong."

"Yeah, or maybe-"

Pascal was cut off. "Class," Mrs. Elmin's voice rang throughout the room. "I'd like you to meet Eugene Fi-"

Mrs. Elmin was cut off by the simultaneous laughter. Everyone was thinking the same thing. What kind of dork was the new kid with a name like "Eugene"?

"Actually," a voice said, slicing through the laughter, "I prefer Flynn. Flynn Rider."

The new boy revealed himself. Rapunzel stiffened and grew pale. She could hear some of the other girls actually swoon, despite the fact he had a black eye. Normally, she would roll her eyes at them, but instead her eyes just grew wider as she looked upon her fellow classmate. This couldn't be happening.

"Right, of course," Mrs. Elmin mumbled as she wrote it down on her paper. "I'm Mrs. Elmin," she said introducing himself. Flynn wasn't paying any attention, though. He was too busy flirting. Finally he turned his attention back to Mrs. Elmin. She continued, obviously not noticing his lack of attention. "Anyways, he's a..."

"Senior," Flynn supplied winking at the class. Rapunzel heard two girls gasp, swearing it was right at them. She refused the urge to throw up.

Mrs. Elmin nodded. "And he's transferred here from..."

"Elkwood," he stated nonchalantly.

The entire class stirred. Elkwood was known for their delinquents. Rapunzel could tell the rumors were already starting about why he "transferred" here. She heard Elly to her right excitedly talk about how it was so cool he was in their class. A very attractive, delinquent senior was quite the catch, apparently. This time, Rapunzel did roll her eyes.

"I'm expecting you to be welcoming," Mrs. Elmin finished, narrowing her eyes at the class. Their school wasn't very great at accepting people, especially troublemakers. But what did teachers expect from a school where classes reached the size of eighteen and everyone knew everyone?

It seemed to Rapunzel, though, Flynn would have no trouble fitting in.

Looking around the classroom, Mrs. Elmin seemed to be mumbling to herself. Finally looking directly at Rapunzel, her eyes lit up as she gestured to her and said, "You can have the seat behind Rapunzel, there."

Rapunzel resisted the urge to groan, or to show any emotion really. She quickly lowered her head back to her sketchpad, grateful she'd worn her long blonde hair down for once today. Maybe he wouldn't have noticed her. Maybe her hair covered her face just enough he wouldn't be able to see her features.

The behavior wasn't lost on Pascal, though. "Hey, what's up with you?" he whispered slightly as Flynn made his way to the back of the room. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

Rapunzel shook her head and said, "I just really want to get this sketch done before class."

"Right," he said skeptically. "You're a horrible liar, you know?" She ignored him. "You want to know what I think?"

"No."

"Well I think you know the new guy, and you dislike him," stated Pascal matter-of-factly.

Rapunzel scoffed, peering through hair a tiny bit. Pascal could see the disgust in her face, trying to hide her emotions. He knew he was right, and anyone Rapunzel didn't like, though he teased her endlessly, he didn't like either. Rapunzel opened her mouth to say something, but she was interrupted.

"Whispering is for people with secrets," a new voice entered with a mock whisper. Rapunzel quickly ducked her head down again and pretended to be working intently. Pascal narrowed his eyes at the boy sitting behind her, leaning into their conversation. He could tell why Rapunzel wouldn't like him, but where, or when, had she met him?

Flynn raised his one eyebrow at Pascal lightly. He looked like he could care less. This set Pascal off. He knew he wasn't very tall or big, but no one had made the mistake of taking him lightly before. His expression turned into a glare, and he almost stood up and walked over to him. Catching his message, Flynn backed off on underestimating the short guy.

Instead, he turned his attention to the girl who was obviously ignoring him in front of him. He liked a challenge.

"Hey Blondie," he said. Rapunzel stiffened, but continued to work. So that was how it was going to be. "How long is your hair, anyways? It's touching the floor, you know. That can't be sanitary."

"I cannot believe you are trying to talk to me right now," she growled.

Flynn furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, but recovered, saying, "Class hasn't started yet, Blondie. I'm allowed to talk. You're not being very friendly right now, you know. And Mrs. Allen said to be welcoming."

"Elmin."

"What?" he asked bewildered.

"Our teacher's name is Mrs. Elmin," she said sharply. "Which you would know if you actually paid attention when she introduced herself, instead of flirting with half the girl population in this classroom."

"Ouch," he said, feigning hurt. Where had he heard that voice before? He knew it from somewhere! Something in way she just said that triggered a memory, but he couldn't place it. "Is someone jealous I was flirting with all the other girls, but not you?" He saw her grip her pencil tighter, her knuckles turning white.

"Where'd you get the black eye?" she asked evenly, her back still towards him. But he could hear the anger in her voice.

"Why don't you face me, and I'll tell you," he suggested. He was curious to see the face of this girl who so obviously disliked him. He'd only been here for, what... five minutes? What had he done to scare her off so quickly? Whatever it was, she must have spread it to Shorty in front of her.

She scoffed. "Not happening. I have to finish this." He couldn't help but think that wasn't the only reason for her evading him. "How about you tell me about your eye, and I'll think about it."

He smiled. They all gave in in the end.

"Well, that's a great story. You see, I was walking down the road, when a man ran up to me with a woman's purse. Doing the heroic thing that I instinctively always do, I-"

He was cut off by her heated voice saying, "Liar."

"What's your problem," he demanded. "You have no idea what happened to me. You're the one who asked!"

She slammed down her pencil, not caring it attracted the attention of the whole class. Here it was, he thought. He was going to lay the smolder on thick for this one.

Just like he predicted, she whipped around to face him. She looked annoyed beyond anything he'd ever seen before. His smolder faltered. And that's when he recognized her.

He instinctively backed away from her and said, "You?"

"Yeah," she said annoyed, still whispering. "It's me. And I know exactly what happened to your eye. I was just curious if you would admit it or not." Then she whipped back around to face forward just as Mrs. Elmin started class.

Flynn sat in shock. He looked cautiously around a the class. They were nervously looking at him after the outburst. Apparently, that was strange for Blondie. It was clear, though, that none of them knew what it was about, so he gave them a fake charming smile. They all shrugged and turned back to face forward as well.

He sat there going over the events in his head. She hadn't had that long of hair before, did she? How had he not recognized where that voice was from? He didn't pay attention the rest of the class. He was staring at the back of the head of the strange girl he desperately wanted to talk to and avoid completely at the same time. Had he actually just tried to flirt with her? Flynn reasoned that he hadn't known at all who she was, so it wasn't completely his fault.

But still...

The ringing of the bell to signal the end of first period caused Flynn to jump. He was lost in thought about the mysterious girl in front of him, which he now noticed was darting for the door as he sat there.

Jumping up, Flynn gathered his things and tried to follow her through the wave students eagerly leaving their classrooms.

Rapunzel darted through the crowd expertly. She was hoping Flynn wouldn't follow her, if for nothing except the fact senior and junior lockers were on the opposite side of the school from sophomore and freshman lockers.

When she finally whipped her locker door open, she hid behind it and breathed a sigh of relief. She was safe, for now.

Rapunzel knelt down and exchanged her geometry books for biology. As she was standing up to shut her locker, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She jumped, causing her to nail her head on the top of her locker and drop all her books.

"Woah, sorry," said a familiar voice, and Rapunzel forced herself to calm down. She was being really paranoid.

She watched as Max knelt down to picked up her books. Startled, she realized she should help. Rubbing the sore spot on the back of her head, she gently shut her locker door and crouched down to help him. When they finally picked them all up, they stood up and transferred them all to her hands.

"Thanks," she said gratefully, shooting him a genuine smile.

She noted the attention they were attracting by just standing there together. It was a well known fact she and Max were dating. It's not everyday a freshman and a junior start going out. They had been dating for a year and a half now, and for some reason, everyone was just as interested in their relationship now, as they were a year and a half ago. It didn't bother Max, but it drove Rapunzel nuts.

There age difference wasn't the only reason they attracted so much attention, though. Rapunzel knew Max was pretty good looking. Okay, very good looking, with his light, wavy, blond hair, dark and mystifying brown eyes, and pale skin that only he could pull off. Rapunzel knew girls swooned at the sight of his well built body and almost melted under his charming smile. Heck, she wanted to melt when he smiled at her. Perhaps it was his job that girls found attractive, too.

"A little jumpy today, aren't we?" Max chuckled. Rapunzel silently nodded. "So," Max said casually. He wasn't in any hurry. His second period classroom was right by Rapunzel's locker, and Rapunzel's was right across the hall. They met up and talked at this time for three minutes everyday. "Did you hear about the new guy?"

"What is it with everyone obsessing over him?" she demanded irritated.

Max held up his hands and playfully backed away. "Woah, sorry," he said, but Rapunzel could tell he was teasing her. She balled up her fist and gave him a wimpy whack in the chest. He started laughing quietly, and Rapunzel scowled. Max put an arm around her her shoulder and said, "Hey, why are you so bothered by this?"

"It's just," she started. "He's just... And when... Ugh!"

Max had known Rapunzel for all his life. He knew all the warning signs for all her emotions by now. So when he watched her face go from a light skin tone to a bright red within the ten seconds of her trying to describe the guy to him, he knew immediately this guy must have really pissed her off.

"Hey," he said quietly. "Calm down."

Rapunzel sighed, her face returning to a normal color. She never liked to blow up on Max. He was always so cheerful and understanding towards her, even when they weren't dating.

"So," Max ventured, "I take it you met him."

She nodded. "He's in my geometry class, but you've-"

Rapunzel stiffened as she felt a hand tap her on the shoulder. Realizing she was being ridiculous and paranoid, she figured it was just Pascal, who always took a strange enjoyment in interrupting her and Max.

"Pascal, really," she said turning her head. "The fact that you still find enjoyment from-"

That was the second time Rapunzel dropped her books that day.

Max turned as well, to inspect the person who just interrupted their conversation. When he saw Flynn standing there, his eyes narrowed and fists clenched. Flynn's eyes doubled in size.

"You?" Max demanded in a loud voice, attracting the attention of many of the onlookers.

"You?" Flynn asked incredulously. "You can't go to school."

"And why not?"

At this time Rapunzel had finally gathered the rest of her books up to find herself standing in the middle of two boys who were waiting for the first swing.

Glaring at Max, Flynn turned his attention to Rapunzel. "I need to talk to you," he said quietly. Just the way he said it made her skin crawl.

Her eyes widened as Max grabbed the new boy by the shoulders and slammed him into the lockers. No one moved. Those who weren't paying attention to the exchange before, were now. The bell rang for second period to commence, but everyone stayed frozen. Rapunzel held her breath as Max put his face in front of Flynn's and demanded, "Answer my question!"

No one rushed in to help Flynn. Not even the teachers standing by. They all knew Max was a relatively calm boy. Even when something did make him angry, he was able to control it. Unless it related to his job.

Gaining some self-composure, Flynn flashed him a lazy smile and said, "Well I always thought policemen were well educated professionals. They must be lowering their standards."

Rapunzel was stopping the fist before she realized what was happening. This tallied up to third time within the past five minutes her books slammed to the ground. Max looked at her incredulously.

Usually, Rapunzel let Max do what he had to do. She knew it was tough on him, growing up as their town's infamous police chief's son. He had started volunteering on the force at age fourteen. She remembered that summer. The job changed him. In some ways he was more calm than usually. Little things like a bloody knee didn't hardly bother him anymore. But in many other ways it hardened him. He told Rapunzel repeatedly when she inquired about the things he did on the job they weren't stories she wanted to hear. Besides telling her he had a high-speed chase or a drug bust the night before, Rapunzel stayed out of his "nightlife", as she liked to call it.

But, for some reason, she couldn't stand by as she watched him beat this new guy up, no matter how much trouble Flynn caused for her.

"Rapunzel," he growled, fighting her.

She shook her head, refusing to let his fist connect with Flynn's face. Flynn looked like he was having a hard time trying to decide whether or not he should be terrified of the fist about to hit him (his only shield being a skinny little blond girl) or to just be amused by the events taking place. Max looked at Rapunzel with intensity, which she respond with silent pleading and tears filling up her eyes.

"He already has one black eye. Please don't do something you'll regret and give him another one," she stated desperately.

Looking at Flynn and realizing what he was about to do in front of his girlfriend, Max withdrew his fist and stared at Flynn warningly. Rapunzel gently pushed Max away from the lockers to the center of the hallways, Max never taking his eyes off the new boy, as the principal Mr. Donners called out, "Alright, everyone! To class before I give you all tardies!"

Everyone scrammed from the hallways, nervously chatting about the events that just occurred. Rapunzel could feel all the glances she was getting, but she didn't care. Not this time. She didn't realize she was crying until she felt the wet streaks down her face. Max gently pulled her into him and just held her. He shut his eyes and rested his chin on her head, which was buried in his chest.

Flynn, standing awkwardly alone and trying to get his bearings, quietly bent down to grab his books, which had also fallen to the ground. He tried to silently slip away, but Mr. Donners caught him.

"Sir?" Mr. Donners said sternly as Flynn tried to creep past him to his next period classroom. "Would you care to join me in my office?" Mr. Donners was barely able to grit the question out.

Rapunzel and Max looked over at Flynn nervously, wondering what his next move would be. Noticing the attention he was receiving from the lovely couple, Flynn immediately played it off. Like this happened all the time, and it wasn't a big deal. The first was true. The latter, not so much. Flynn avoided cringing. His new foster dad was going to kill him, especially after the trouble he got in last night with the police. It's not like this was his fault. The guy slammed him into the lockers. All he did was answer his question, and he was all over him.

But Flynn knew better than to challenge the high schooler who apparently does some side work on the police force. Because, let's be honest, Flynn's record (both criminal and school) would immediately cancel anything he would say. They probably wouldn't believe him if he said two plus two was four.

So instead, Flynn flashed his dapper smile and put on as much of a show as possible.

"Of course, Mr. Dander. I would love to spend some quality time with you."

Mr. Donners narrowed his eyes and roughly grabbed Flynn by the forearm. He shoved him to start walking down the hall to his office. Then Mr. Donners relaxed and turned to Max, who was looking at him intently.

"All you alright now Max?" Mr. Donners asked calmly and almost fatherly.

Max nodded. "Yes sir," he replied solemnly.

Rapunzel saw what neither of them did. Flynn had looked back at the exchange and glared at them. She cringed and felt the pit of her stomach drop. She didn't mean for him to get in trouble the first day he was here, no matter what their history was.

She turned her attention back to Principal Donners when he said, "Alright then. When you guys are ready you can just head back to class then."

They both nodded solemnly as they watched the principal walk past them, quickly following Flynn. They turned to each other and looked into their eyes. Max immediately picked up on something bothering Rapunzel.

"We should have said something," she stated flatly.

"No, Rapunzel, we shouldn't have. That guy is-" he struggled to get his words out. Then he grabbed her hands, looked intently into her eyes and said, "Please trust me on this. I know I can't tell you about what I do, but we picked this guy up last night. Why we let him go, I don't know, but you saw how he is."

Rapunzel refrained from pointing out that Max was the one to slam him against a locker and almost give him another black eye.

"Stay away from him, okay?" Max asked, looking deep into her eyes, rattling her brain. She caught her breath and feebly nodded. Then Max suddenly let her hands go and turned to walk into his classroom.

Rapunzel looked after him with a strange feeling in her stomach. This was the first time, in all her years of knowing Max, she felt as though she might not like him. And she was glad he had never told her any of his force stories before. Because if they were anything like this incident, framing a seemingly innocent person, Rapunzel didn't know how she would think of Max.

Instead, she tried to push the matter aside, telling herself it was still just Max. Caring, loving Max. But the image of pure rage across his face as he tried to slam his fist into Flynn's face kept coming up. She closed her eyes and shook her head, kneeling down to pick up the books she dropped at her feet

As she was gathering them up, she heard the bathroom door thump closed. She looked up to see Pascal looking at her questioningly.

"What happened?" he asked. "All I heard was Principal Donners shouting."

In spite of herself, Rapunzel laughed. Leave it to Pascal to be in the bathroom during such an event.

So as Pascal helped her stack her books, she related the story to him. At the end, Pascal looked at her incredulously.

"How did I miss all that?"

Rapunzel shrugged as they made their way across the hall to Biology. When they walked in, a grand total of seventeen minutes late, the teacher, Mrs. Arcamp, quickly glanced at them and nodded as they took their seats. Rapunzel didn't want to bring up the incident, and, thankfully, neither did Mrs. Arcamp.

Rapunzel felt the stares as she and Pascal walked to the back of the room together. She had never been more grateful for a back row seat before. Most students were forced to look back to Mrs. Arcamp, but a few brave souls continued to stare. Mrs. Arcamp yelled at them for their attention, which the straggling lookers reluctantly granted her.

When Mrs. Arcamp turned her back to demonstrate something on the board, Pascal leaned over and whispered, "Well at least one thing good came out of this."

Confused, Raounzel looked at him and whispered, "What's that?"

Pascal grinned and replied, "I didn't get a tardy for being late from the restroom."

Everyone turned to stare at Rapunzel once again, but this time because she was laughing.

So let me know if this is something you would like to see continued. I have a few more chapters already written, and I plan to update each of my stories every one to two weeks from now on, so this can be added to that list of updates. So please let me know if you would like to read on!