Chapter 7: "Blackmail Is Never Good"
Wow...this chapter is WOW! I can't tell you what happens at all, you'll have to wait & see. D This chapter just came out of nowhere. As I was writing it just came splurting out. Hope u like it!
After signing their names on the audition sheet, Justin and Alex went their separate ways in the lunch room. Alex went to hang out
with Harper, Justin with his Math friends.
When Alex reached her table, brown bag in hand, Harper asked her a bunch of questions.
"Where have you been?" "Did you hear about the Romeo & Juliet auditions?" "Are you signing up?" She stated a bunch of other
questions, but she was talking so fast, Alex couldn't understand them.
"Slow down." Alex said, "One question at a time." "Yes, I already signed up for the auditions." She said, while taking a big bite of
her PB & J, peanut butter oozing out on either side.
"Ooh, who do you want to play? I wanna play Juliet. I just hope whoever turns out to be Romeo is cute." Harper was obviously
"Well, actually Justin is thinking of auditioning for Romeo." Alex said.
Harper squealed at Justin's name. "Do you know how awesome it'd be to kiss Justin?" she said, dreaming about that.
"Yeah, I do." Alex responded in a daydream state, without realizing what she said.
"What?" Harper asked, after hearing that.
"I said I could imagine kissing Riley if he was Romeo." She said, thinking of a random name out of her head of a guy she used to
like.
"Really, didn't you used to like him?" Harper asked.
"Yeah," Actually Alex never really stopped. Riley just never really talked to her after the 'chocolate accident'.
"Oh, speaking of one of your crushes, one of them wants to see you in the halls." Harper stated.
Alex really wasn't that anxious to talk to whoever it was, considering she was dating Justin, so she waited until she finished her
lunch to wander out into the halls.
She walked outside of the cafeteria and was surprised to see who she saw. "Brad?" she said in a questioned tone.
"Hey, Alex," Brad said, acting completely cheery and happy.
"Harper said you wanted to talk to me. What do you want?" Alex obviously wanted to have nothing to do with him after he was a
jerk to her during Justin's home interview.
"Yeah, well I was wondering if you wanted to go to the movies or something on Friday." Brad obviously wanted Alex back, even
though he never had her in the first place.
"Well, I'm busy." Alex couldn't think of anything clever to say for once.
"Oh really, doing what?" Brad said, crossing his arms.
"Well, I have this family thing…" Alex tried her best to think of an excuse.
"Are you trying to get rid of me!? What, you seeing someone else or you just hate me that much, cause newsflash: I always get
what I want. And right now, I want you." Brad leaned closer and closer towards Alex, trying to kiss her.
Luckily, Alex pushed him out of the way and on the ground. She ran right into the lunch room as fast as she could. But not fast
enough, since Brad was inches away from her. He forcefully turned her around.
"Now, answer the question. Are you willing to go out with me?"
"No! I hate your guts, just stay away from me." Alex said, tears bursting out of her eyes.
The entire cafeteria practically froze. Alex and Brad were the main attraction.
"Hey! What's going on over here?" Justin said, defending his girlfriend and sister. Justin gave Alex a comforting look.
Alex just had tears and fear in her eyes.
"Nothing man. Just stay out of this," Brad said, while whacking him off the ground, knocking the wind out of Justin. "Now, do you
want to go out with me or don't you?" Brad asked Alex, yet again.
Alex didn't say anything; she just spat saliva in his face.
Brad wiped it off and did the most horrible thing to Alex, Justin has ever seen. He took his right hand, and smacked it across her
face.
This caused Alex to wince in pain, her cheek to become a rapid color of red to purple and her bottom lip to go bloody. Alex lifted
her hand up to her face and just couldn't believe what just happened. She had just been abused. She had seen it all in movies but
never thought it'd happen to her.
Alex just stood there, while Justin looked up at Alex and suddenly felt so much rage overcome his body. His stomach pains were
suddenly gone. He lifted himself up, faced Brad and did the first thing that came to mind. He clenched his hand into a fist and beat
the snot out of him.
The entire crowd had gasped.
"What is going on here?" the Principal had said, looking at the present state of the cafeteria. He currently saw Justin still beating up
Brad and Alex just standing there still, a mix of blood and tears tripping to the floor. "I guess you didn't hear me. WHAT IS
GOING ON HERE!?" the Principal screamed.
Everything and everyone stopped, including Justin.
"You three in my office, NOW!" he was clearly ticked. After all, this was the first real bad case of fighting and sexual harassment
he's ever seen. He lead them to the main office and made Justin and Alex sit on chairs outside of the Principal's office, while Brad
was getting yelled at in the Principal's office.
Justin looked towards Alex and said, "Are you ok?"
She didn't say anything. It's like ever since Brad hit her, everything was different.
"Alex?" Justin questioned. He watched Alex just stare straight ahead, almost looking like she was sleeping with her eyes closed.
Suddenly, Alex was no longer staring straight ahead. She looked at Justin and started crying once again.
"Alex, come here." Justin said, bringing his sister and girlfriend closer and closer to him, eventually having his arms wrapped
around Alex. "Seriously, Alex, are you ok?"
"No. Not really. What if he yells at me again? What if you get in trouble? What if…" she was about to say another 'What if' when
Justin put his pointer finger in front of her mouth to make her be quiet.
"None of that matters as long as you're ok. Just don't think of the 'what ifs'. Think of the positives." Justin said to Alex.
"I'm scared." Alex said, more tears coming out of her eyes.
A nurse was available for Alex just then. Justin motioned for Alex to go with her and told her that everything would be alright.
"Mr. Russo!" the Principal yelled out of his office as Brad was walking out with his head down.
Justin did as he was told. He really didn't want to get suspended or expelled. But if he had to he would, for Alex.
"Sit down, young man." the Principal stated, still with a booming voice.
Justin did as he was told.
"At this high school we have zero tolerance for fighting and sexual harassment. I gave Brad a five day suspension and I was even
thinking of expelling him. I thought about you and how hard you work at school and never get in trouble. I was originally planning
on three days, but you were defending Alex after all. So I've decided to give you one day suspension. I've called your parents and
they are on their way here. You and Alex have the rest of the day off."
Justin just heard all of this and couldn't believe it. He had gotten one day suspension for defending his sister. He didn't care, as
long as he protected Alex, he didn't care.
"Thank you, Sir." Justin said, shaking the Principal's hand vigorously up and down, like a businessmen. He ran out of the
Principal's office, and went straight to the nurse's office to see Alex.
"Hey, Alex, I only got one day suspension!" Justin said, for some odd reason excited.
Alex was quiet, like she was previously.
"Alex, we have the rest of the day off." Justin said, trying to think of something that would change Alex's state. He looked up at
the nurse and asked, "What's wrong with her?"
"Nothing physically. But mentally, she's traumatized. After what she just experienced she's going to be out of it for a while." the
nurse stated, trying to make this negative as much of a positive as she could. But unfortunately it was no use.
"Is she free to go?" Justin asked.
"Yep. She's fine, really. She might be sore for a little while, but not that much. What you did back there took guts." the nurse said
to Justin.
"Oh, thanks." Justin said, with a smile on his face. "Oh, thanks for everything, by the way." Justin told the nurse as he managed to
put his arm around Alex and walk her out the door.
"Don't mention it. I wish my older brother did that for me when I was her age." the nurse said, while Justin and Alex walked out of
the nurse's office.
Justin brought Alex to her locker so she could get her things, even though most of her things were with them right now.
Alex did the locker combination and her locker opened. She didn't need anything so she closed her locker.
Before she could close it, Justin noticed a white envelope that was nestled in the front of the locker. "Wait, what is that?" he took it
from the locker and opened the envelope.
Inside the envelope were photos. But these weren't photos that should never have been taken. The photos were of Justin and Alex
how they were previously in the supply closet, making out.
This got Alex's attention. She got out of her depressed state and looked at the photos with shocked expression, same with Justin.
Yet another crisis to deal with.
Intense enough for ya? haha. Yeah, the ironic thing is in EVERY story I write (seriously) there is ALWAYS abuse in it. Maybe there's something wrong with me. haha. Well I did just finish "Speak" & we are learning about the Holocaust in US History, so that probably triggered it. Let me know if u have ANY suggestions, requests, and for you Shakespeare buffs, can u help me with certain quotes for "Romeo & Juliet"? Thanks! I definately will not update this story for awhile. I have a Meet Selena Contest to do (I'm doing an essay & everything!!!), and the Creative Writing thing. Oh & just so u know...someone mentioned to me last chapter that I shortened Justin's name to, "Just". That was on purpose; total accident.
