Chapter 10
The next day, Cuddy wasn't at school….which suited House just fine as she was the last person he wanted to see at the moment.
During lunch, he sat by himself in the cafeteria, looking across the room at Jason, who was surrounded by a crowd of football players and cheerleaders, including Becca, who was seated beside Jason, his arm draped around the back of her chair.
House clenched his jaw, looking away for a moment.
How could he have been so stupid? How could he have been such a fool? This was high school after all, with the popular kids doing whatever the hell they felt like doing and getting away with it. He had been through it before, seeing the casualties and the victors at his earlier schools, but somehow he believed that Cuddy had been different.
Returning his gaze to the group of jocks and bimbos, he finds Jason staring back at him, that is until Becca whispers something to the boy that makes him turn his head in her direction.
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The next day when Cuddy returned to school, House played dumb, asking her how she was feeling and talking to her as if nothing was wrong, even though it was taking everything inside of him to do so, he ended up skipping Biology class, not able to stomach anymore interactions between Cuddy and Jason, and when lunch came, he ate by himself in the stairwell between the first and second floor.
When the school day was finally over, he waited outside of the building for Cuddy to appear once she was done helping out in the office.
"So how'd tutoring go last night?" He asks her, standing up from where he had been leaning against the retaining wall.
"How'd you know I was tutoring someone, and why weren't you in Biology class or at lunch today?"
"I know how much you like supporting the football team, especially the quarterback." He replies, ignoring her other questions.
She stops just as they reach her car. "Is this about Jason again?" She asks, slightly annoyed.
House takes a step closer to her. "I was just wondering how much I would have to dumb myself down in order to get you to fuck me like you did Nick."
She looks up at him confused. "Are you joking with me right now?" She asks.
"Okay, maybe trying to get you to fuck me right off the bat was too much too soon. How about we start with you giving me a blow job if I get a D minus on one of my papers instead?" House asks her.
He was certainly not kidding with her, the tone in his voice and the look on his face telling Cuddy he was dead serious as he continued to degrade her.
For the first time in her life, she felt the sort of anger that comes from deep inside of a person, the kind that sends a wild current throughout your entire body, destroying everything and anything in its path.
"Fuck you." She tells him.
"Great! Just tell me what empty house you want to meet up at and I'll bring the condoms. I'll even bring an extra one for Jason."
When Cuddy slapped House across the face, his tall frame swayed for a moment, every ounce of rage she had felt inside of her ...effectively delivered with a tremendous force no one would have ever believed could come from a girl so much smaller than he was.
"Don't you ever come near me again you piece of shit!" She shouted, expelling the rest of the pent-up rage inside of her.
"What the FUCK did you do to her?!" Tom yelled, from behind them, charging up to them both and slamming House down on the hood of Cuddy's car.
"I didn't do anything you dumb ape. "House spat out, his jaw already starting to ache from where Cuddy has slapped him while his head was being pressed into the hood of the car by the behemoth.
"Just let him go Tom." Cuddy told the linebacker, grabbing hold of his arm.
"No, if he hurt you…..."
"He's not worth it Tom, he's just some military brat who won't' take no for an answer." Cuddy calmly says to the boy.
House feels the impact in his gut at the verbal punch Cuddy has just thrown his way as Tom slowly releases him.
"Don't' you ever come near her again, you hear me?" The linebacker warns him, pointing a finger into House's chest as Cuddy stands behind the football player.
"Not a problem." House replies, swatting the guy's finger away from him before spitting the blood, which had pooled in his mouth onto the macadam beneath him.
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Turning the corner on the street that leads to his place, House zones in on the red pickup truck parked in the driveway, the boy standing beside the vehicle, talking to his father, none other than Jason Winters.
"Greg, I had no idea you were interested in joining the football team?" His father says to him with a smile as he parks the motorcycle in the driveway.
House looks over at Jason, who had obviously told the lie to his Father, "Well yeah, I'm not one hundred percent sold on the idea yet." He replies, getting off the bike.
"I completely understand, that's why I'm glad Jason here took the initiative to come over and talk to you a little more about it." His father says, the sparkle in his eyes, something House would have killed to have seen back when he had been just a lonely and confused boy.
"Your Dad told me you have a room above the garage, is it cool if we go up there to talk?" Jason asks.
House nods, not sure if punching Jason in the face or kicking him down a flight of stairs would be the best option, once his Father leaves the two of them alone of course.
"Good, we'll I'm heading back inside." His father says. "Oh….and Jason, dinner should be ready in about an hour if you want to stick around."
"Thanks for the offer Mister House." The quarterback replies with a wave.
"Come on." House says to Jason, wondering just how many more physical and mental blows he'll be taking before the day is over.
The quarterback follows him up the stairs and through the front door, House's concerns about anymore acts of violence justified as Jason slams him up against the wall inside the kitchen as soon as he shuts the door behind them both.
"You need to leave Lisa alone, you hear me?" Jason tells him as the veins in his neck rise with anger.
"I've already got the message from your buddy, Tom. Now let go of me ...or I'll make sure your pretty little face isn't so pretty anymore." House warns him.
Jason stares at him for a moment before letting him go, the quarterback turning his back to House before lowering his head.
"I love her." He says to floor beneath their feet.
"That's great; now get the fuck out of here." House replies.
Jason turns around "Do you love her? Because if you don't…..I might just have to beat the shit out of you."
"What the fuck are you talking about?" House asks, watching as the anger rises up in the Jason's face once more until it suddenly dissipates just as quickly.
"You didn't' know about us?" Jason asks.
"No." House answers.
The boy runs his hands through his hair, staring over at House again. "Of course you wouldn't' know about us, no one did because we wanted it that way. I just thought she would have told you after she told me she couldn't see me anymore."
"I guess girls who like to screw boys behind their girlfriends backs like to keep that sort of thing to themselves." House responds flatly, even though the news that Cuddy had ended things between her and her boy toy did help to ease some of the pain he was feeling.
"We weren't' having sex." Jason informs him.
House laughs at him ."Okay so how far did she let you go then? Heavy petting, fingering her a little bit? Jacking you off while you played with her tits?"
This time Jason punched him square in the jaw. "You stupid fuck, I asked her to show me how to kiss my girlfriend." He said standing over him with his fist still clenched as House fell down to one knee.
House shook his head, clearing away the stars that were circling around him as he rubbed his jaw, "You had to meet her at 1am for a make out session?" He questioned, bring his own fist up and punching the guy square in the balls.
"Fuuuuuck." Jason groaned, dropping to his knees, both boys now face to face once more.
After both of them regain the strength to stand, they got up and Jason spoke once more.
"Like I said, we didn't want anyone to know, I've known Lisa since we were five, I trust her...and yes I even dated her...back in middle school. But after Becca said I was slobbering all over her when we kissed, I knew I would get anywhere close to having sex with her until I tightened up my game a bit."
"But you just said you loved Lisa." House reminds him.
"I do, that's the bitch of this whole thing, me wanting Becca is what got me and Lisa together the first place, and now….well….the girl I really want ends up wanting some jerk who likes to hit below the belt." Jason admits, feeling the urge to punch House again, but deciding against as his groin is still recovering.
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He took a chance, riding his motorcycle in the bitter cold, the wind slicing through his jacket and seeping into his skin as he gunned the engine, his eyes never wavering as he rode the bike up to the top of a lonely mountain just as the stars had begun to show themselves in the wake of twilight. Up to the mansion where he hoped Cuddy would go to find refuge from all that had transpired between them earlier today.
Cuddy stood on the balcony with her headphones on, the Walkman tucked inside her coat, looking out at the city as the night air did its best to freeze her in place where she stood, the music she was listening to, keeping her company as she wondered how she could have been so wrong about House, how she could have been so deceived by him. He only wanted one thing from her after all ...and the realization was enough to bring her to the verge of tears even though they had only known each other for a few weeks.
You don't want to hurt me,
But see how deep the bullet lies.
Unaware I'm tearing you asunder.
Ooh, there is thunder in our hearts.
Is there so much hate for the ones we love?
Tell me, we both matter, don't we?
You, it's you and me.
It's you and me, won't be unhappy.
The feel of a hand on her shoulder, sent a chill up her spine and on instinct she slapped it away as she turned around to face the intruder, the music still blaring inside of her head as she looked up at House with the cold moon resting behind him.
And if I only could,
I'd make a deal with God,
And I'd get him to swap our places,
Be running up that road,
Be running up that hill,
Be running up that building,
Say, if I only could, oh...
He reached for her headphone and she smacks his hand away for the second time. "I told you to leave me alone." She reminds him before removing the headphones herself.
"I'm sorry. Cuddy I'm so sorry...you have to listen to me.." He tells her, her cheeks a bright shade of crimson from her time spent out here in the cold as he looks down upon her.
She walks past him and into the bedroom. "Get out." She states pointing to the door.
"No, not until you explain to me just what in the hell's going on between us." He demands.
She smiles at him, a chilling, wicked smile that cuts him to the core. "I thought you already figured that out for yourself. I'm a cold, heartless bitch who gets off on screwing around with guys both mentally and physically."
He walks up to her, looking down into her eyes. "You're not any of those things. I know that now." He tells her.
She laughs and turns away from him, hugging herself while looking up at the stars. "Well good for you. Now get the fuck out of here."
He feels the anger and frustration rising up inside of him. "Dammit why is it so hard for you to be honest with me?" He asks her.
She spins around to face him again. "You want honesty House? Okay, I'll give you honestly I've been fucking Jason for three months now, every chance I get in every empty house my mother has up for sale."
"I don't believe you." House interrupts.
She laughs at him sarcastically "Oh come on House, I'm either a slut or tease according to you, so which one is it?"
"I never called you a slut, and you're not a tease...but you are a coward."
"You're insane." She replies as the cold air tightens its grip on the room.
"And you're scared."
"Scared of what, you?" She asks, folding her arms in front of her.
"Scared of this." He tells her, taking hold of her just before he kisses her.
His lips no sooner meet hers before she shoves him away. "I don't want you in my life! How many times do I have to tell you that before you get it through your thick head?" She questions.
"Fine, then prove it, kiss me and tell me you don't feel the same thing I do every time I look at you." He insists, stepping closer to her again.
"This isn't a game, House." She replies.
"I finally realized that." He whispers back at her.
She looks away from him, out into the night, her head telling her to flee, her heart begging her to stay.
"Just kiss me." He repeats,taking her hand.
She looks up at him, into his face, trying to read what's going on his brain while tracing the outline of his mouth, leaning closer to him and pushing herself up on her toes before she loses her nerve.
Her lips barely touch his at first, her fingers holding tightly onto the cold leather jacket he's wearing. She feels his hands move to her hips, her heart beginning to race after she notices how much they're 's as afraid as she is and it changes everything between them in an instant,her mouth opening up and welcoming his tongue inside, every part of her kissing him back now with everything she has inside of her, her arms wrapped around his neck as they fall against the wall behind them, his hand moving up to her jaw, his thumb caressing her cheek, the coldness between them suddenly set on fire.
She never wants to breathe again, never wants to have the biological need for oxygen as kissing him is all she requires from this day forward, all she needs as she feels the room begin to spin, the gravity holding her fast to the floor melting away as quickly as her convictions.
"See, was that so hard?" House asks her, trying to catch his breath when the finally do separate.
"I'm not sure, let me try again." Cuddy replies under the watch of a hypnotic moon before rising up to kiss him once more.