When the bell rang to end second period, I was doing a mental happy dance. First period had been a drag, even though I had Jake to occasionally make funny comments when the teachers back was turned. Second period was even longer. There were only three students in the entire school, including myself, that took art. Funnily enough both of those students, were either skipping or weren't there that day. The policy of the classroom is if more than half of the students are out, the projects don't have to be done. It's a free for all. It was nice drawing to myself, but today I wasn't feeling it. My creativity wasn't flowing, and the hour and a half long period dragged for an eternity. I quickly went to my locker, where Jacob was waiting for me. I wanted to get there quick so Jake didn't think I abandoned him, and thankfully he was standing there. I exhaled when I met up with him.

"Did you get lost?" He asked with a chuckle.

"No," I said. "I accidentally took the long way around though and I didn't want you to think I up and left."

"Don't worry about it, it's your first day and for some unknown reason they put the art room at the end of the school where no other class is."

"Ms. Hilbert said that it was like that so they could have easy access outside for landscape drawings."

Jake snorted. "As if there is ever a day where it is nice enough to go out."

I laughed while putting my combination in. "Well you'd be correct." I put my Art History book and my new sketchpad that I received upon entering second period into my locker, along with U.S History notebook.

I kept only my second notebook and my pencils with me as I grabbed a small bag with a couple little odds and ends from the fridge. I shut my locker and looked at Jake before he and I walked forward.

"What are you having?" Jake asks as he walks beside me, eyeing my bag like a wolf at prey. I laughed.

"Uh, I think I have a bag of grapes, a hoagie, a small lemonade, and a fudge chocolate oatmeal bar."

"I will trade you," He reached into his lunch bag, "This delectable, delightful granny smith apple for that chocolate bar."

"What? No way!" I said, that's the best part of my lunch I said smiling.

"But Red, how could you pass up this shiny little thing." He rubbed at the apple as if it were a grand prize. "It's five times bigger than an ordinary sour apple, and is the apple god. "

I let out a burst of laughter and Jake's smile widened. "Yes, but does it compare to the mouthwatering glamour of a chocolate bar? Can it really be enough for such a treat?" I teased. Jake began to pout and immediately I gave in. I couldn't help it. It was too adorable."Alright alright, here."

"Yes!" He exclaimed and took the bar while giving me the apple. He tore into the chocolate bar, and in only bite had it in all in his mouth.

"Oh gross! Did you even have time to enjoy that?" I laughed and his cheeks puffed out as he chewed. All he could do was nod his head.

After a moment he swallowed and smiled. Even though he just downed a chocolate bar, his teeth were still pearly white. "Of course I enjoyed it, I just didn't take mini bites to savor it."

I rolled my eyes as we headed closer to the cafeteria.

" So what are you doing this Saturday?" He asked, looking down at me.

"Nothing that I know of. I mean I don't really do anything. Why?" I asked.

"I was wondering if maybe you wanna do something that day." He peered at me and I sent a charmed smile his way.

"Like what?" I asked, to which he responded with a slight shrug of his massive shoulders. I chuckled.

"Well there's an old arcade my buddies and I like to go to. We were suppose to go this Saturday, but whether or not that will actually happen isn't known. Plus, I figured I'd have more fun if you and I were there. So would you like to?"

I didn't even need to think about it. I really enjoyed Jake's company, and I don't think it would hurt at all. "Sure, I'd like that."

"Awesome," he said. "I can pick you up around one and we can go have lunch too."

"Are you sneaking a date in there?" I asked teasingly.

He laughed. "I mean, if that's what it's called, I just think it'd be nice since there may be a chance the guys come to the arcade."

"I agree with that. Alright, sounds good." I said as we walked into the lunchroom.

"There's the gang." He nodded to a table packed by the windows. " We better head over or it'll be hard getting a seat." He said awkwardly. He walked ahead and I slowed down behind him, to which he noticed. "Don't worry they're good guys." He laughed. I eyed the people he sat with. Most of them were all tanned, steroid-buff, guys. Except for the one girl. But she was bulky like the others. Not that I was scared of them, actually I probably would get along okay. I was just kind of apprehensive with how many buff guys there were all at one. I might feel crammed. I smiled gently and followed. The closer we got to the table I noticed that weird smell that I couldn't identify from this morning. Jake had a light smell to that accompanied him, but he mostly smelt of the woods. I tried to ignore it. Nearing the table, some of the guys were messing around, playing rough but Jake walked right through. I tried to do the same and stick close to Jake, but that did not happen.

One boy was pushed backwards and I couldn't move in time; his back slammed against my right side. It all happened very quickly, but it was as if it was slow motion for me. I wasn't able to regain my balance and I could feel my body fall to the floor. Somewhere in the midst of my falling, Jake had turned around. However, I didn't expect him to reach for me.

I expected an impact with the cold, unforgiving, cafeteria floor.

It didn't happen. In less than a second from the impact with the boy to the near hit with the ground, someone actually grabbed me, their arm wrapped around my left hip and roughly yanked me up and I was slammed into a rock hard- grey covered chest. The air was nearly knocked out of me. Even though the chest i was being embraced into was warm, it was just as unforgiving as the floor would have been. My heart was racing and I was breathing quickly, much to my embarrassment. A hand was gripping my left wrist tightly as the other hand was wrapped around my hip. I didn't want to look up.

I really didn't.

There was a fear lying within my stomach. It wasn't Jake who pulled me up; I already knew it. But whoever had me right now, wasn't going to let go.

I let out a fearful exhale and I looked up.

Whoever this man was, was quite frankly, the most beautiful man I had ever seen. Regardless of that face that he had features most of the town had, there was something about him that tugged at my heart. Like a sadness locked deep in his dark eyes. He had high cheekbones too, but they were set lower than most. His nose was slightly pointed, with rounded flared nostrils. He had thin lips, but his bottom one had a luster to it that I simply wanted to bite. He had strong jawline that cupped into a rounded chin. But his eyes were what captured me. Even though I could see there was so much more deep down in those forest ground eyes, for some reason at that moment, they held nothing but rage.

His grip tightened on me and it hurt. I heard a sharp inhale of pain, only to realize that it was mine. Yet at the same time, in the same moment of pain, he had brought my body unbearably close to his, which is when I felt something very different from the enraged features planted on his face. I felt a hot flush creep into my cheeks. I was embarrassed; I was in pain; and for a moment I was in pleasure.

"Paul," I heard Jake's voice. I felt Jake's hand on my arm and the man in front of me growled at Jake.

Growled. He growled.

Jake's hand disappeared, and he was silent.

I felt that that was the only moment I could get away. "Please let me go." I said, hating how childlike and fearful my voice sounded. It was then that I also realized that the room was eerily silent. A type of silent filled with heavy gazes, and judgmental faces.

However, his attention was immediately drawn back to me. His features softened for a moment and though he didn't let go my hip; he did let go of my wrist. His hand slid my arm, across my shoulder to my neck where his thumb began to stroke the middle of my throat. I felt my heartbeat increase, and he gave a small smile. As if it were even possible, he pulled me even tighter against his body. He moved a sort of way that ground himself against me and my lips parted as a warmth began to pool from down below. My cheeks grew redder, but I think it was more in anger than anything. How dare he?

"Let go." I hissed and trying move away from his hand and body.

"Paul, let go of her." A female voice hissed from behind me. "You're making a scene." She growled lowly. The guy looked up from me to the table. He growled and shoved me away.

"What the hell?" I asked and moved back. Jake enveloped me apologizing profusely in my ear.

"Hands off of her," the other man said when he looked back. Jake's arms fell but he didn't move away from me.

"Red, this is Paul." He motioned to the man who saved me from my fall and ground himself against me like a dog in heat. "Paul this is Red." I frowned and looked over fearfully at the man who had my arm grasped in a death grip only a moment ago.

I wanted to be strong, but in that moment I felt weak. However, I shook it away. I couldn't be weak. And I had to establish now that this wasn't going to happen again. No man was to do that to me, not that one at least.

I grabbed my notebook off the floor, looking at the apple in dismay before grabbing my lunch bag.

"Yea cool." I looked up at Jake as I stood. "I think I'm going to go now. I don't want to be around a creep." I said, looking at Jake, hoping he understood. He did, and nodded. I turned on my heel and began to walk away, aware of all the gazes on me.

I heard a voice from behind me, an angry one. "Is that your version of a thank you, bitch?" I stopped and turned around where a smirking Paul stood, arms crossed and arrogance radiated from every confident pore in his sadly delectable looking body. Jacob's jaw dropped but he said nothing, to my dismay.

"Thank you to what, being knocked over and groped like you're a dog in heat." I said with a fake ease. To be honest, I really regretting the words leaving my mouth. I felt like he was ready to pick me up and slam into the wall. Anger flared up on his face, and he took a menacing step forward. Jacob was biting his bottom lip to keep himself from laughing.

"Fuck you!" He growled as Jacob's arms launched out to hold him back.

I gave a little laugh. "From your little," I stressed the word 'little', even though it was far from the truth. '"Problem, I'd say you wish you could." I said frankly with a little snarl to my tone and walked away. The room began whispering and getting as loud as it was before as I walked out of the lunchroom. What the hell was that guy's problem? Temperamental seemed like the tip of the iceberg.

Weird seemed to describe the rest.

I mean what made him think he could come onto me like that, regardless of him just saving me from the floor? I clutched my notebook and bag to my chest. Even though I felt angry and disgusted with what he did, somewhere deep inside of me, I was denying the fact that I was yearning for more.