**Author's Note: This story was originally written to be kinda light, but I'm having trouble with it. So I might change the direction for the later chapters. Please, please review; where are all the flamers at. Everybody wards off flamers, but I haven't gotten one bad review, (well this story only has one), but I'm not saying you should flame me, but I'm rambling; anyway, please review. Thank you, and enjoy. (Or not J.)** Oh, & a big thank you to VtE for reviewing!
Chapter 8
They gaped in dread, but quickly shut their mouths. It was Finn and he looked annoyed. "What is with you kids tonight? Come on, everyone out."
The three walked out. What they didn't see was Ryder hiding around the corner. "I knew it." He whispered to himself.
As the three walked toward the dance, Ryder reached out from his hiding spot and grabbed Jake, who was behind the other two. He put his hand over Jake's mouth and dragged her backward into the janitor's closet. Once he had the door closed behind him, he let her go, and flipped the light switch. She spun around, her eyes narrowed to slits when she saw him.
"What the hell are you doing?"
He kissed her before she could react. He slipped his arms around her back and grasped her neck, so she couldn't pull away. So while he kissed her, she squirmed and squealed. Just as he slipped his tongue into her mouth, she pushed him away.
He smiled wickedly, "so you are actually a girl, because your lips are too soft to be a man."
Her nostrils flared as he spoke. Suddenly she squeezed her eyes shut, and touched her forehead. She opened her eyes slowly and spoke, "I think I'm going to be sick." Jake roughly pushed him out of the way and ran out. She had pushed him with such force that he fell backward.
Inside the bathroom Scout and Will are washing their hands.
"Jake?"
She ignored Will and ran into the first stall, where she threw up into the toilet. Ryder burst in to the sounds of Jake gagging. He hadn't thought she was serious. He started to walk toward her, when Scout stepped in front of him.
"Ryder, what are you doing here?" Scout demanded.
"None of your business, Calhoun."
"Jake is my friend so it is my business."
Jake moaned, "oh god," as she began to throw up again.
Will glared at Ryder and bolted from the room in search of Hamilton.
Ham was at a table talking to Tess and Maria when Will ran up, looking upset.
"Uh, Ham, can you come with me for a minute?"
Ham wrinkled his brow, wondering what was up. "Um, sure. I'll be back."
Tess and Maria smiled sweetly as Ham rushed after Will. As the two disappeared into the hall, Maria turned to Tess. "Never boring, right?" Tess shook her head.
As they walked into the bathroom, Scout and Ryder were glaring at each other. Will pushed Ryder to the side, to let Ham get to Jake. She sat back against the wall with vomit dripping down her chin. Will reached over and used his handkerchief to wipe her chin and cheeks. Ham smiled at him gratefully. Ham bent down and helped her to her feet.
"I'm going to take you back to your room." He helped support her by holding onto her waist. As he stepped out of the stall he turned to Will. "Can you let Tess and Maria know we're sorry?"
"Sure," Will left, pulling Scout with him.
Ham glared at Ryder and started toward the door. Ryder pulled it open for them. Jake glared at Ryder as he watched her walk out.
Ham carefully led her out side and half way across the green, before he bent over and picked her up. Ryder stood on the terrace and watched as Ham carried Jake to the dorms. He turned back toward the dance to watch Lena converse with Max and then disappear out the door. A minute later he watched her run across the green after the couple. Ryder turned back to see Max's friends get up to leave.
"Where are you guys going?" Max asked.
"Jake got sick, so we were going to leave since we no longer have dates." Maria explained.
"But I haven't had a dance yet."
They turned to see the brit smiling at the girls. Tess smiled, " well, I guess we can stay for a little while."
Ryder held out his hand, Tess took it, and let Ryder whisk her away.
Maria and Max turned to watch the two make their way to the center of the floor. "Is it okay if I say I don't like him?" Maria asked.
"Please do." Max replied.
"I don't like him."
Ham laid Jake on the bed gently; she had fallen asleep during the walk over. He removed her jacket and bow tie. He searched her drawers and pulled out a t-shirt. He took her shirt off and slipped the shirt on. He then got to work removing her shoes, socks, and pants. He was placing a blanket on her when there was a soft knock on the door. He got up and opened it to reveal Lena.
"Hi," he whispered.
"Hi, is Jake okay?" She also whispered.
"I don't know," Ham closed the door behind Lena. "Cause it's not like I can just take her to the nurse."
"Yeah, right."
"So what are you doing here?" Hamilton asked looking up at her.
Lena smiled slightly. "I just wanted to make sure she's alright, I should go."
Ham nodded his head and watched her leave.
Jake awoke; she was in her room with sunlight streaming down into her face. She looked across the room to Max's alarm clock, which read 11:00. Max wasn't in his bed; actually it didn't look slept in.
"Hi."
She turned her head back toward the window to the voice. Sitting next to the bed was Ham, looking tired and cheerful. "Morning."
"Did you sleep alright?"
"Yeah." She moved her arms, but suddenly stopped. "Where's the suit? Did you?" She sat up. He was smiling at her. She jumped up and hugged him. "You're too good to me."
Max, Lena, Gwen, and Kyle are standing in the parking lot saying their good-byes to Maria and Tess. As they started to get in their car, a motorcycle with two riders rode toward them.
"Leaving so soon?" Ham asked as he pulled his helmet off.
"You have a bike?" Tess asked.
"Actually it's mine." Jake said, pulling off her glasses.
"Wow, I never would have guessed." Maria said in awe.
The two slid off the bike to give the two girls a hug each. Then they got on the bike and rode away. The girls gave Max and Kyle one finale farewell and also drove off.
Finn and Dean Fleming sat in the dean's office talking.
"Thirty kids reported getting sick last night." Finn said.
"Well, then it must have been food poisoning. Anything else?"
"I wanted to talk to you about one of the students."
"Sure, which one?"
"Jacob Pratt."
"Oh, Hamilton's friend, what about him?"
"Well, I know I shouldn't point fingers, but I think the kid is hiding something."
"All kids have their secrets, especially in this day and age."
"No, I think its something important."
"Such as?"
"I don't know, but your son might be involved."
"Hamilton, in what? You don't think it could be drugs do you?"
Finn blinked and wrinkled his brow. "Could be, but I doubt it. Except last night I caught the two of them in the boy's bathroom with a girl."
"Mmm, well I'll look into it. Thank you, Finn."
"Sure," Finn said as he turned and left. As he walked out of the building, Ryder stepped cautiously out of the shadows. A sly smile pulled at the corner of his mouth.
Max and Kyle are in Max's room talking, when Ryder bursts in.
"Where's Jake?" He exclaimed, half out of breath.
Max looked at him with suspicion. "Out with Ham, why do you care?"
"No time to explain now alien boy, when they come back tell Jake I need to talk to him." Ryder said in a condescending tone.
Max glared at him. "Sure."
"Good boy." Ryder said as he slipped out.
Ham and Jake arrived back to the room over an hour later.
"Hey, guys, what's up?" Jake asked dropped her backpack on her bed.
"Something peculiar actually." Max said.
"What?" Ham asked.
"Ryder stopped by looking for you." Kyle told them.
"Ryder? Why?" Jake asked.
"No idea." Max said.
"But he did sound freaked." Kyle added.
Jake and Ham left to find Ryder. They found him in his room, lying on his bed reading a book to music playing from a radio on the other side of the room.
"Wow, he knows how to read." Ham said. Jake smiled.
Ryder jumped up and turned around. "What the he…" He froze when he saw Jake.
"So what do you want?" Jake asked with venom in her voice.
Ryder leaned past her to look out into the hall, and closed the door. As he straightened up, he licked his lips. Jake's glare intensified. "So what do you want?" She asked.
"I over heard Finn talking about you to the dean."
"What did he say?" Ham asked.
"He's suspicious of you, Ham, and Lena. But especially you, Dean thought it was drugs." Ryder scoffed at his last remark.
"That's it, I can't take it anymore. I'm transferring." Jake ran out of the room. Ham glared at Ryder and ran after Jake.
"Jake! Jake!" But she was gone. He turned and ran back to her room. "Where's Jake?"
Max and Kyle looked confused. "Isn't he with you?" Kyle asked.
Ham was about to speak when he heard the familial roar of a motorcycle. He ran to the window just in time to see Jake ride off. He punched the windowpane angrily.
Jake rode around to the girl's school. She found Lena by the lake with Gwen.
"Hi."
"Hey." Gwen replied.
"What are you doing here?" Lena asked.
"Can I talk to you alone for awhile?"
"I'll see ya inside." Gwen said as she walked away.
"What's wrong?" Lena asked concerned.
"I need you to get me an application for transfer."
"It's getting really rough over there isn't it? It's not, because of me is it?"
"No, Finn, he-he's been talking about me to Dean Fleming."
"Ouch."
"Yeah, so I'm trying to get out, before I get kicked out."
"Well, I'll see what I can do."
Suddenly Gwen ran up. "Lena, Dean Fleming is looking for you."
Lena's jaw dropped, as Jake's eyes widened. "Jake, go. If this is about last night you shouldn't be here." Jake got on her bike and rode off.