BlackCanary98: You didn't think I'd forgotten about the originay HSS crew did you? Of course they'd stand up for Rose so Jessica has to silence them before they do. And I'm glad you liked Jason's performance.

Jason's POV

I study my boyfriend's face, gauging his reaction. Instead of looking scared or sick, he glares straight at Jessica.

"You ok, babe?" I whisper to him as they set up the interview.

"Never better," he replies, clenching his fists. "She's not going to scare me this time."

I beam and kiss his cheek, pulling him close to me.

"That's my brave man," I murmur. The gesture makes him go red in the face and smile back at me.

I notice Jessica glaring at the two of us. She and Bianca whisper angrily to each other. I don't know what collusion they have, but I won't let it bother me.

"Will she ask me any questions?" Aiden asks, breaking my thought train.

"Maybe. If anyone tries to spin the story on us, we gotta make them look as bad as possible. Got it?"

"Do I get to hold your hand the whole time?"

"Duh."

"Ok, lovebirds, it's time to start the show. Take a seat," May barks at the two of us.

There's a black loveseat here. Nice. Aiden and I take a seat in front of Jessica and Bianca. May sits in between all of us.

"Now, Jay, I'm sure you're aware of the rumors surrounding you and everyone else."

"Yeah, and I'd like to say that they're all lies blown out of proportion."

"So the rumors about you being a transvestite are false?"

"Yes! Well...technically I identify as male but...I haven't done the…*ahem* the surgery," I mumble. This is not going as planned. "But I actually wanted to talk to you about Rose. She's actually a really good kid."

"How so?"

"She's always helping people out of a pinch. She even help me start a glee club here. And...if it wasn't for her, I don't think Aiden and I would even be together."

"Does that mean that Rose is single handedly responsible for ending Jessica and Aiden's relationship?"

"I don't know the exact details, but if you ask me, she did him a favor. I know from the experience of dating Jessica that she's a toxic person."

"That bruise on Aiden's cheek is new. How did he get it?" Jessica rudely butts in.

"I got hit with a baseball," Aiden covers for me.

"I thought you didn't like sports." Jessica presses.

"We were passing by a baseball field when it hit me." Aiden continues.

"I'll take it from here, Jess darling. I have a question for Aiden himself. What the hell do you see in Jason that you didn't see in Jessica?"

"A person who loves me as much as I love them," he replies calmly, putting his head on my shoulder.

"Yeah, yeah, all that sappy crap. But let's be real. Your boyfriend lives in a shelter. My sources tell me even you didn't know about his being transgender until he was outed. How did that make you feel?"

He sighs.

"I was really hurt at first, but then I realized that he wasn't ready to be out of the closet yet, and I shouldn't be upset that he was forced out without his permission. At least now I know and we've gotten closer as a result."

"Doesn't the fact that he kept secrets from you bother you?"

"My ex girlfriend had an ex boyfriend I didn't even know about until a year later, and turns out, they're still seeing each other!"

"Rose set me up! I would've never kissed Asher if she hadn't made him come on to me," Jessica protests. She walks up to Aiden and takes his hand. "Baby, it was a moment of weakness, I swear. We had a good thing together."

"I can't do this back and forth thing with you. I'm with someone better," Aiden says, shrugging off her advances. Jessica's not someone to give up so easily.

"Better? Please. You know as well as I do that Jason couldn't give you even half the things I could," she scoffs. "Think about it. With your talent and my connections, you could be performing anywhere you could possibly want. Everyone would know what a talented musician you are. Just like your heroes Rope Tart and Bait Oven."

"Mozart and Beethoven," he corrects her with a scowl. "And I don't care about being famous.I care about my friends and my boyfriend. And the fact that you can't even name two famous composers that I've mentioned on several occasions tells me you never cared about me either."

"As much as everyone would love to hear this back and forth continue, the point of this interview is so people know our side of the story," I cut in before Jessica can retort. "Honestly, it's fucking stupid how you let one person get so much power that you believe anything you hear from her over someone most of you have known since this school was open. You're so quick to judge that you go from hating one person to the next. Has it occured to any of you assholes that a person doesn't change overnight?"

Professor Edwin is probably heading over to take the mike away from me but I'm on a roll now. Students are starting to jeer and boo. Funny, considering they were at my knees a few minutes ago.

"I thought you were cooler than this, Jay," a skater dude calls out.

"So did I, until I realized you can't trust everyone. Rose helped me find my voice in this school, and I'm sure she's done plenty more for the rest of you," I say. "Kendra, didn't Rose help you win the Iron Warrior Competition? Samuel, she helped you set up a fashion show for your idol and landed you an internship, right? Eleanor, Rose helped you prompose to Miley last year!"

"No one does all these things without expecting anything in return. Obviously those acts were done to get on our good sides."

I shake my head. The truth was as out as it could be, and yet they still won't listen.

"Maybe you don't, but Rose does. Maybe you don't even deserve to be in this school at all." I drop the mic, the feedback reverberating through the auditorium. I feel a hand grip my shoulder. I look up, and Professor Edwin is glaring at me.

"I think this little interview is over," she growls, dragging me to my feet and taking me out of the auditorium. Students start to cheer, the little bastards.

I yell over my shoulder, "I hope all you fuckers see how stupid you're being. Hopefully it won't be too late when you do!"

I see Aiden get up and try to follow me, only for Jessica to grab his arm.

Aiden's POV

"Let go of me," I hiss as Jason disappears behind the doors.

"Trust me, he's nothing but trouble for you," Jessica assures me, her hand around my arm in a vise like grip.

"Like you weren't any worse. Leave me alone!"

"Poor baby," Jessica cooes tracing her finger around my bruises. "You've really been brainwashed haven't you? Everyone you thought you could trust has stabbed you in the back more times than you can count. You know I'm your best option, aside from a pig who's already taken and a lying drag king whom I'm pretty sure is responsible for that little bruise you've got here."

"No! You're wrong. Our history goes way deeper than whatever there was between you and I. I was in love with him before I knew for sure I was. What every you and I had, that wasn't love. It never was. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go find my boyfriend."

I wrench my hand from her grasp and take off for the main office. When I get to the office, Jason is sitting by himself, his head buried in his face.

"Jay!"

Jason looks up, tears in his eyes. We practically leap into each other's arms.

"Aiden…*sniff*...It was supposed to work, but I blew it...I ruined everything."

"No you didn't Jay. You did the best you could."

"And it still wasn't good enough! Thanks to me, this case is probably going to be dropped and it's all my fault!" Jay chokes as more heaving sobs escape him. "I promised I'd stop anyone from getting hurt by her...I promised. But, as usual, I lost my damn temper."

"Jay, don't be so hard on yourself. I still believe in you. Rose still believes in you. Come on, we can still fix this-"

The door swings open.

"I would have thought being kicked out would have taught you a lesson by now, but I see not, Jayda. We're going home. I'm going to end this once and for all," booms the leering voice of Jay's father. I look at Jason. He's too shaken to fight back, with him trembling in my arms.

"Leave Jay alone, Mr. Parker," I say, surprised at my own audacity. "You don't deserve someone as awesome and brave as he is."

grabs my collar and practically throws me to the wall. Wincing, I look up and glare at him.

"Listen you little punk. I know you're responsible for this whole catastrophe with my daughter, and I'll give you one last chance to stay away from her so I can undo whatever damage you've done. Otherwise...you won't like what I'll have my associates do to you."

"Jay, snap out of it!" I plead as Mr. Parker takes his arm and drags him away. "Jay, please, you're not a failure. I love you!"

This seems to work a little, as Jason offers a little resistance and comes back.

"I love you too babe. That's why I need to leave. It'll be better for both of us."

Then, in one final act of defiance, he kisses me passionately before his father yanks us apart. And just like that, my brown haired, blue eyed hero is gone. Rose enters soon after Jason leaves.

"Aiden, I saw what happened, are you ok?"

Who cares?" I blurt out, on the verge of hysteria myself. "Jason's given up on himself. He thinks the interview was a failure. And now, I don't think he'll ever be ok if his dad has his way with him."

"Oh, Aiden," Rose says as she hugs me in a sisterly fashion. A flash goes off, and we turn around and see Jessica in the door, holding her phone tauntingly. Rose grabs the phone and tosses it against a wall. The screen shatters and goes black.

"What the hell, Rose?" she has the nerve to screech.

"What's wrong with you?! Haven't you done enough?" Rose retorts.

"I warned you you'd pay dearly for going against me Rosemary. Trust me, the world isn't even prepared for what I have in store for you all."

"Wait!" I cry out. "I'll do anything you want. Just don't let them hurt Jason."

"Aiden, are you sure about this?" Rose asks me.

"No way I'm letting Jason get hurt for my sake," I insist. Jessica smirks at us.

"How cute, it's just like when we were dating when you'd say that you'd do anything for me to stay away from Rose."

"Wait, you went through hell for me too?" Rose gasps.

"I always had my suspicions. I just never acted on them...well, because I still thought I was in love with the right person. Let's go, Jessica."

"Gladly, baby," Jessica cooes, giving me a kiss on my bruised cheek as we walk out the office. It feels so unnatural with her kissing me instead of Jason's sweet lips pressed to my skin. "First thing we'd have to do is get rid of Jason's scent on you."

I frown. She can keep me physically away from my boyfriend, but not mentally.

"But I like his scent," I protest. Jessica narrows her eyes at me.

"It makes it seem like you belong to someone else. From now on, you belong to me and me only. Got it?"

"Yes…"

(Sneak Peek of the Next Chapter)

Rose's POV

"Roscoe, where's Ethan?! The trail's in a few days an I think we've lost two of our witnesses already," I press.

"His flight was delayed, and he's doing everything he can to still make it. I'm sure you guys can pull though until he gets there."

"What. . Lost. Two. WITNESSES. Did. You. Not. Get?!"

"Rosebud, I know you're under a lot of stress right now but-"

I hear a piercing scream from the background and then Addison's voice: "Uh, Roscoe? I think my water just broke."

"I thought you weren't due until-"

Another scream.

"I don't think the baby wants to wait any longer- AHH!"

"I'm coming, Addibabe. I'm sorry, Rosebud, I gotta go!"

"Roscoe? ROSCOE!" The line goes dead. I turn to the rest of my friends.

"We'll do everything we can to fix this Rose," Ace assures me.

"We're not leaving your side this time,"Ava adds.

"Count me in," says Wes.

"Thanks guys," I says, trying not to cry. "I know we can get Aiden and Jason back. I just know we can."