Disclaimer: I don't own WOWP, but if I did I doubt they would allow it on Disney channel.

Chapter Twelve: Confrontations and Cartwheels

Alex Russo was in a fantastic mood which was really quite strange for several reasons. For one it was ten o clock in the morning and she definitely preferred not to get up until noon. Secondly she was at school which she had to admit was not her favorite place in the world. Another thing was that she was currently wearing her cheerleader uniform which she could have sworn she had shredded up and thrown in a dumpster across town. Yeah not even Harper showing up at her locker with a clean perfectly pressed yell squad uniform and demanding she wear it for game day could spoil her mood. And what do you ask was making Alex so happy. Oh just the simple things.

Things like finding the perfect spell to make any girl that flirted with Justin look like Sasquatch, or having Justin roll around it torment all night while she had slept like a baby.

Yesterday when she had been laying on Justin's bed as he lectured her about how important it was that she behave herself when the news crew came on Tuesday to interview them she had not really been listening. She had been way too distracted by the clean Justin smell on his sheets to pay much attention at all.

Her greatest desire had been to pull the covers up over her head and curl up to sleep for the night but then that would have been kind of weird wouldn't it. So she had quickly come up with a second option. She looked over at Justin to make sure he wasn't watching her and pulled out her wand zapping his pillow to send it to her room. Then she had replaced his orthopedic pillow with a sack of flour magically disguised as a pillow. When Justin had finished his lecture and asked her "Do you think you can do that for me?" she rolled her eyes at him and answered "of course" before quickly exiting the room.

That night she borrowed a magic stethoscope from Max that he had ordered from the back of a wizard magazine. She stayed up till eleven listening to Justin grumble and roll around uncomfortably while she clutched his pillow giggling and inhaling the clean scent of his hair eventually falling into a peaceful sleep. Yep. Life was sweet when the man you loved was also the man you loved to torture.

The sight of a peppy Alex Russo in the hallways of Tribecca Prep caused uneasiness in everyone around her. What was she up to? They didn't know whether to expect a hilarious prank or a horrendous disaster. Even the jumpiness of all her peers couldn't snap Alex out of her happiness. She could be happy if she wanted! Besides watching them jump and jerk around in distress was kinda funny anyway.

The warning bell rang and she decided to make her way to class turning around she spotted Justin at his locker. He almost looked hot in his basketball uniform only he had managed to dork it up by wearing a t-shirt under his jersey. What was he afraid of? That someone might actually see his shoulder's and faint from the impropriety of it all? She decided to make her way over to him, after all she hadn't gotten in her morning insult yet and she didn't want to fall behind on her Justin taunting schedule.

Alex took a few steps towards Justin but was brought to a halt by someone standing in her way. She moved to walk around them but was quickly blocked again. Gigi was standing in front of her a stupid smirk on her face and Alex's happy mood from earlier shriveled up like Max's dead lizard. "Get out of my way Gigi." Alex said roughly trying to hold in her temper.

"Oh. I don't think so Alex. You know you don't have to be so rude! I just wanted to ask you how poor little Max is." Gigi said in a falsely sweet tone.

Alex's anger was ready to erupt at Gigi's words. How could she come up to her and say that acting so innocent after what she had done? Didn't she feel at least an ounce of remorse? Alex wanted to punch her but she knew she couldn't. She had promised Max that she would keep it a secret how he had gotten hurt and there were still students milling around. She reined back in her anger and spoke softly in a calm voice. "Meet me in the ninth grade locker bay after everyone else goes to class." she said chillily.

Alex walked away from her as if nothing had happened but of course something had. Gigi had basically just rubbed the fact that she had attacked her little brother in her face. She should have just ignored her and went to class because Gigi was obviously baiting her to get a reaction. Maybe Justin was right. Maybe Gigi had attacked Max just to get at her. Did Gigi have a strange obsession with her? There was only one way to find out so she made her way over to the ninth grade lockers and waited. The halls cleared and the tardy bell rung the sound of pattering foot steps dissipated as students disappeared into class rooms. Finally there was silence and Alex continued to wait.

She stood there for ten minutes and was about to leave when Gigi walked up to her. The girl had a smug look on her face that revved up Alex's temper once again. She needed to remember to stay calm. Gigi wanted her upset and she had no intention of giving the girl what she wanted.

"Well hi there Alex. You wanted to see me?" Gigi said putting a sickening saccharine tone to her voice.

Alex crossed her arms and stood examining Gigi. She looked extremely pleased with herself a wide grin on her face her eyes sparkling with malice. The girl really seemed to be enjoying jerking her around on a string. Alex smiled back at Gigi causing the girl's grin to falter. The only thing was Alex wasn't the type to be jerked around. No she was most definitely the type to jerk back.

"Let's cut the crap Gigi. You attacked Max. I know it and you know it. The question is why. Is this your twisted way of showing you're madly in love with me? Cause I gotta say I don't feel the same way." Alex said snarkily. Gigi eyes narrowed and her lips compressed in look of distaste at her remarks. Mission one accomplished. She had wiped the smug grin off her face. "Don't flatter yourself Alex." Gigi shot back obviously not getting the sarcasm in Alex's words. "I didn't recognize Max at the time but after I did it was pretty pleasing to think about your reaction to what I did to him."

"What is wrong with you? My reaction to what you did to him? Why are you so fixated on me? I've never even done anything to you Gigi. Ever since we were kids you have harassed me. You've taken every opportunity you could to embarrass me. All I've done is fight back and try not to get trampled by you and now you are even taking pleasure in hurting my family. You've taken it too far Gigi. It has to stop!" The words heaved out from inside Alex and she had to suck in a deep breath to refuel her lungs. She stared at Gigi waiting for the girl to react. To say something.

Gigi's face was red as if all the blood in her body had rushed up into her head. A vein pulsing at her temple looking as if it would burst. She opened her lips and a chillingly emotionless tone drifted out. "Never done anything to me?" Her blank eyes rose up to look into Alex's face and her voice filled with rage. "You've say you've never done anything to me! Since the first moment I met you you've been ruining my life!" she screamed out as her fists balled up and her whole body shook with unchecked emotion.

Alex would have been lying if she were to say that the way Gigi was acting did not disturb her. She wanted to get away from the girl but she needed to know exactly what Gigi thought she had done to her. Every instance she could remember Gigi had initiated their antagonism then Alex had no choice but to finish it.

"Okay Gigi just tell me one thing. One thing that I have done to you that you didn't force me into." Alex demanded.

Gigi's face became impossibly redder and she glared at Alex as she replied. "As if you don't know! I could give you a hundred instances but if you just want one what about what you did to me on Wednesday when I came back to school. You planned that whole thing out didn't you! You wanted to humiliate me! Well believe me you won't have the last laugh!" she howled out irrationally.

Alex thought back to two days ago when Gigi had arrived at school near the end of the day and had almost shoved her to the ground. A small twist of fate had turned it around and Gigi had been the one that ended up on the ground splattered with food. Sure the things she had said to Gigi had not been very nice but that was just their usual dynamic. It didn't explain the girl's rage.

"Gigi I don't know what you are talking about. I didn't do anything. I didn't even know you were there at the school so how could I have possibly planned anything out? Look Gigi do you really think I care about our little feud enough to bother with planning out a prank that elaborate. No. I don't care about our feud and I don't care about you." with that said Alex turned and begun to walk away.

Hatred bubbled up inside of Gigi and she reached out grabbing Alex's arm in a tight grip. She spun her around and shouted down into the brunettes face. "Don't walk away from me like I'm nothing! I'm not done with you! You leave when I let you!" She drew her arm back in preparation to slap her captive. Her pink manicured nails glinting in the light. She hoped her nails scratched her. A giddy laugh bubbled out at the thought of Alex's blood painting her nails as it oozed out of her face.

Alex was in shock. She knew what Gigi had done to Max but some how she had never thought of the possibility of being attacked by the girl. Her mind was frozen and she didn't know what to do. For all her tough girl acting she had never actually been in a real fight. Not even a girl fight. She saw the hand coming towards her face and she squeezed her eyes shut her whole body tensing as she waited for the flesh to connect. It never did.

Her arm was released and she opened her eyes cautiously to find Justin standing behind Gigi clenching her upper arm in a bruising grip. The sight was almost more shocking then the fact Gigi had been about to slap her. His jaw was clenched and his eyes were burning. Every muscle in his body seemed to stand out as if to say 'don't mess with me'. She had never seen him so angry and she had done a lot of things to make him angry over the years. She knew it was an inappropriate thought especially at a time like this but she couldn't help but think it. He looked totally hot.

"Uh, Alex, I think it would be a good idea if you moved out of the smack radius." Justin said causing Alex to lose her deer caught in the headlights expression.

Alex moved to the side frowning at her brother. "Just when I start to think you might actually be cool you have to go and say something like 'smack radius'."

Justin rolled his eyes at his sister's comment. He had just saved her from being bitch slapped and she was still insulting him. He released Gigi's arm and pushed her slightly away from him. She spun around to face him with her best glare but it didn't really compare to his and her expression crumpled before it was even fully formed.

"Gigi," Justin spoke softly. "I'm a nice guy so I want to give you some friendly advice. You need to think twice the next time you decide to put your hands on my sister, my brother, or any of my family or friends for that matter. In fact if you know what is best for you, don't even talk to them, don't even look at them because if something like this ever happens again I might not be such a nice guy anymore." He stared her down with a chilly look in his eyes until she slunk away.

With Gigi now gone Justin spun around grabbing Alex's hand he began dragging her down the hallway. "Seriously Alex what the hell are you doing meeting Gigi in a deserted area of the school? She is obviously mentally unstable. She just attacked Max yesterday. What do you want to be next?" he shouted exasperated.

Alex, finally breaking out of her shock from seeing Justin so effectively threatening Gigi, put on her breaks stopping him from dragging her any further. "Well I didn't think she would attack me." she said defensively.

"Yeah you obviously didn't think. The girl tried to shove you to the ground two days ago and you didn't THINK she would try to attack you?" he yelled at her.

Having lost this round Alex decided to change the subject. "What are you doing out of class anyway?" she asked.

Justin ran his fingers through his hair irritated by the evasive question. "I noticed you didn't go to class so I told my teacher I needed to go to the library to do research for an essay competition. When I was looking for you I saw Gigi wandering around. I figured if I followed her she would probably lead to you." he explained.

Alex didn't say a word. She just grinned up at her brother until he aggravatedly yelled "What!" at her.

Her smile didn't falter in fact she began to laugh. "I love it when you lie. It almost makes me feel like I'm the good child." she said jovially.

"Alex, how could you possibly be the good child? You are skipping class too. Plus you are the reason I had to skip class." he said in his no nonsense tone.

"Well I did say almost didn't I, besides you lied to get out of class I just didn't show up. That makes what you did worse." she distracted him with her words as she began leading him in the opposite direction.

"No, Alex. I have a hall pass so if I get caught I get away with it. If you get caught you get detention. That's the difference and that's why I'm the good one." he said superiorly. He hadn't even noticed where they were going until they were at the door. Stopping he pulled Alex back when she moved to shove the door open. "Oh no Alex. You are going to class and I am going to the library." he said sternly.

Alex plastered on her 'Oh just give me what I want smile' before turning towards Justin. "Come on Justin! We are both already out of class. Its ten-thirty we might as well just take a long lunch. You deserve it after what you did. It could be like your reward for saving me." she cajoled.

Justin's determination faltered at her words and she took the opportunity to drag him outside. As they headed of in the direction of a café Justin muttered out, "Well, it would be the first time you ever paid instead of me."

Alex paused a moment before she spoke back. "Yeah, Well I don't actually have any money on me so… I guess I wouldn't take the word reward too literally."

Justin shook his head not really all that surprised by what she said. He steered her towards the restaurant after all if he was paying he might as well get to eat where he wanted.

Alex didn't protest when Justin led her to the touch screen restaurant. She had her last date with Dean here about a year ago but it had been so long that it really didn't bother her. Despite the fact that he was the rebel she had always imagined to be perfect for her, in reality it just hadn't worked. He didn't know her and he hadn't shown that much interest in actually getting to know her.

Justin led her over to a table near the skee ball. He dug some quarters out of his pocket and turned to Alex. "You want to play?" He inserted a coin taking a few tosses before letting Alex take a turn.

Alex tossed the ball and frowned when it swung to the side rolling into the zero hole. "I'm not very good at this." she muttered embarrassed. Moving to pick up another ball Justin came up behind her sliding his hand over hers he guided her arm. She felt her arm tingling with electricity as she released the ball letting it arch perfectly into the one-hundred slot. She spun around smiling at Justin. "I wouldn't think you would be good at that type of thing." she said with surprise.

"Yeah. Well it's easier when you think of it in terms of physics." he said seriously.

Alex laughed. "Of course. Whatever you say Dorkules. I have to go to the bathroom." Alex walked away quickly feeling awkward. This so felt like a date to her. She needed to cool down before she did something crazy. She spent a few minutes in the bathroom reminding herself to act cool then splashed her face with water. It was strange that she had never felt so nervous with a guy before. As soon as she sat down at the table with Justin a waitress came out placing her food down in front of her. She looked at Justin confused. "I didn't order." she told him.

Justin smiled at her "A double bacon barbecue cheeseburger with curly fries inside the bun and a chocolate milkshake with whipped cream on the bottom. You always get that Alex." he said as if it were the simplest thing in the world. Maybe it was.

Alex smiled back at Justin. He knew her. He would never let her down. He would never treat her like she wasn't important. He would totally make the perfect boyfriend. That is if he wasn't her brother but she really didn't plan on letting that stand in her way.

Gigi was angry. Why had she run away from that dork? He definitely couldn't have been as intimidating as he had seemed at the moment he had threatened her. It had only taken a few minutes for her anger to build back up and it reached dizzying heights as she thought about Alex Russo and her brother. Obviously her initial plan wasn't working. If it were working Alex would have been avoiding her Justin like the plague but they both seemed normal. She needed to come up with something else. He had told her that it might not work but she hadn't thought about that until now.

She seethed as she ducked into the girls' locker room. Taking a seat on one of the benches she thought about her current situation. How was it that Alex Russo always seemed to get the better of her? Even when she thought she was winning somehow Alex always pulled ahead. She always had someone helping her too. It was so unfair. The sound of a shower running in the background seemed to magnify in her brain swirling around with all her negative emotions.

She might have blacked out because one moment she had been in the locker room and the next she was back in the hallway. Her clothes were slightly damp but she felt much better like all her anger had been released and she was ready to face the world again. She stood casually at her locker as that Harpo girl walked over to her locker with another cheerleader following her.

"Jamie, did you hear? Somebody attacked Mary in the locker room showers. She slipped and sprained her ankle!" Harper said dramatically.

"Really? Now who are we going to get to be the top of the pyramid? Did she see who did it?" Jamie asked

"Apparently she had soap in her eyes so she couldn't see. I'm going to try and get Alex to top the pyramid because she is the lightest yell squad member after Mary. But you know it's Alex so I can't guarantee anything." said Harper.

Jamie grabbed onto Harper's sleeve pleadingly. "Please Harper you have to make her do it. We have all been working on this routine so hard, well excluding Alex. It doesn't seem right for her to always be doing nothing. She could at least pull through for us this once." As Jamie yanked on Harper's sleeve something spilled out of the girl's pocket.

They both reached down picking up the beads that had spilled out of Harper's pocket. They were glass with swirling patterns like marbles. Jamie looked at them admiringly. "What are these for? There so pretty."

The bell rang and Harper became distracted. "Oh well I was going to make a dress with them but if you like them you can have them. I have plenty more. I gotta go to class but I'll talk to Alex. I'm sure she'll do it." she said before running off to class.

Jamie stood admiring her new beads thinking of making a neckalace or a bracelet as Gigi sidled up next to her. She was startled when Gigi's hand came down on her shoulder and almost threw the beads back on the floor. She turned to find the mean girl staring at her with dull eyes.

"Those are interesting. I think I would like to have them." Gigi said looking down at beads in the nervous girl's hand.

Jamie saw the way Gigi treated people that didn't go along with whatever she said and she had no intention becoming one of them. She handed Gigi what she wanted. "Then you should have them." Jamie said then turned around running off to class.

Gigi smiled. Everything had just fallen into place somehow. Maybe this time Alex Russo wouldn't be so lucky. Maybe this time Gigi would come out ahead.

How was it that now that he had decided that he needed to try and distance himself from his sister it seemed like they were spending more time together then ever? He had to admit it was partly his fault. There were times they were just thrown together and he had to grin and bear it. Then there were other times when he could have avoided her but he hadn't. Like today. He could have not stuck his nose into Alex and Gigi's business. He could have not skipped school and gone to lunch with Alex. He could have not let his guard slip so much that he hadn't noticed he had his arm around Alex in the restaurant until a old lady walked up to them beaming and going on about what a cute couple they made. What could he say? 'Oh this girl? The one I have my arm wrapped around like she is my girlfriend. No, this is my sister.' The woman probably would have had a heart attack. Alex hadn't said anything either. He hadn't looked at her feeling particularly guilty but he could imagine the disgust on her face. The sad fact was Justin just didn't have much self control when it came to Alex.

Even on the bus ride to the basketball game when Alex had shoved Zeke out of the seat next to him and took his place he had done nothing. How hard was it to tell her he didn't want to sit with her or that he needed to talk to Zeke? Obviously harder than he thought. It was torture. She had spent the whole bus ride lying up against him sleeping. Come to think of it she had done that yesterday too. What was he her personal cushion?

When they finally reached the rival school the team did warm ups and the cheer squad practiced. The gym slowly filled with parents and students. His parent's and Max were absent. Max had a headache that morning and had stayed home from school so mom and dad were probably using that as an excuse not to come. Last game had been kind of embarrassing with the whole positive Alex fiasco. That was probably the real reason neither of them were here.

The game started. Justin spent most of his time on the bench despite the four three pointers in a row he had made last game. The coach didn't seem to think they counted for much seeing as how they had ended up losing anyway. His eyes drifted over to the cheerleaders on the sidelines and he smiled at what he saw. Everyone was happy and perky bopping around in synchronized steps, that is, except for Alex. She was right in the middle of it about three steps behind everyone else and the look on her face said 'Please God strike me down now!' Two girls moved in one on either side of Alex grabbing her and lifting her up in the air. A flash of blonde caught Justin's eye just as the girls lost balance pitching Alex forward into the air.

Justin sprung up in his seat. "Gilesjay Timesday!" he yelled out and began hoping across the room on one leg. He had just reached Alex and was wrapping his arms around her form frozen in mid air when his foot slid on something and every thing came crashing down. Alex fell safely into his arms and he breathed a sigh of relief. She could have cracked her skull open. She had been falling head first into the polished wood floor. He looked up surveying the crowd around them. All the other cheerleaders were slowly getting up rubbing their abused body parts. He expected to see a certain blonde psycho among them but she wasn't there. Moving to get up he felt something stabbing into his palm. Under his hand was a small round glass bead and as he looked around he saw them scattered all over the floor. One thing was certain. This had definitely been no accident.

Author's Note: Yay another chapter finished! It really shouldn't have taken me so long to write it but I'm a procrastinator. I kept on telling myself I didn't know what to write but when I finally sat down in front of the computer it flowed out. I know what is ultimately going to happen but sometimes I get stuck on the details. So next chapter should have Justin's trip to the Psychiatrist! Thanks for reading and have a great day!