Ace of Spades

Chapter 2: He's Ace Merrill…

By: Stargazer-Lillies

Rating: T

Author's Note: I realize this may have some slight anachronisms in it but I'll try my hardest

I looked behind me. No, I was the only Mary Ann Quinlan in the room. Shit. Why did he know my name?

"Why are you here?" Eyeball said aggressively.

"Yeah." Ace said in the same smooth soft voice. "Didn't you hear? There's a fire." I looked at him strangely.

"You—"I began.

"Beat it." Ace growled. I wasn't scared of him. I'd seen him beat up kids all the time, yet I had this stupid idea that he couldn't hurt me.

"Look" I began, angry now. "I'm not a genius, ok? But, I spent all night studying last night, and I think I might have actually gotten a good mark, ok? And I don't want to have to take the test over again, because if I do, it will all disappear out of my head. It's a one time thing, you see?"

"Boo hoo" Eyeball snarled, replacing Cecil's name with his. He quickly got up and started out of the room. "I just remembered. Cecil owes me. He sat on my car." He pounded his fists together and began to leave, but not before yanking on my shirt and breathing heavily into my face.

"Be smart broad, and don't interfere with Cobra business." He grunted and ran out of the room. Ace sat there on the desk staring at a test.

"Trust me; you wouldn't have gotten a good mark on this." He said.

"And how would you know about Shakespeare?" I laughed. "You're too busy pulling fire alarms and punching kids for their milk money to come to class." He glared at me.

"Whoa. Who do you think you are?" He said sneering in my direction.

"Nobody. I'm nobody."

"Well I guess it doesn't matter what you say anyway."

"Even if it's the truth?" I asked grimacing.

"Oh, I know it's the truth. But I'm Ace Merrill." He held my face. "And you're just a nobody who prints on her Shakespeare test." He let go and sauntered out of the class. I grabbed my test hurriedly and stared at the printed words before me. Shit! I quickly replaced Jack Springfield's name with mine. Hey, if you can't stop them, why not get in on the benefits?

That day, in Science, while I was thinking about how much of an asshole Ace Merrill was, I poured two very reactive chemicals together and blew up the sink. Mr. Quaker gave me after school detention for one month. I wasn't too upset; I mean what else did I have to do? (AN: My character's starting to sound like Alison from the Breakfast Club) I mean, usually I'd go home, put on a Billie Holiday record and brood about life, but hanging out with the Cobras and Ace Merrill (who's fault it was for getting detention) sounded just peachy-keen.

I sat down at the front of the detention room and thought long and hard about absolutely nothing. Ace Merrill sat down right in front of me, glancing at me for a short period, a bitter grin on his face. Eyeball sat behind carving explicit things into the desk with his pocket knife, while various other cobras leaned, coolly against their desks. Ace was writing furiously. Now, you're allowed to do homework in detention, but Ace doing homework? God, I didn't know he could write until a couple minutes before this. He finished scribbling, folded the paper, stretched his arms out, and nonchalantly dropped the note onto my desk. I was writing out math problems at the time and the note lay on my next question. A note? Was it intended for me? I looked behind. Eyeball was currently carving something about his brother and Gordie Lachance and didn't appear to have noticed. I carefully unfolded it and read it slowly. The handwriting was messy but legible.

You think I can't hurt you?

You think I can't get to you?

You live across the street from me.

I'm not blind.

Huh. You're the only one. I thought.

Meet me in the alley behind the school after detention.

Why? Whatever you're thinking… Maybe I will, Maybe I won't.

I was confused. Ace Merrill wanted him to meet him in an alleyway because, A) He wanted to beat me up privately. B) He wants tips on how to be invisible or C) He had an aneurysm in his brain. Hmm. None of them are that likely.

The teacher stood up suddenly and spoke to the students in detention.

"I'm leaving class, for a couple minutes. I know who's in here… if anyone leaves, you'll get double your detention time" He said sternly as he walked out of the class. Suddenly all the Cobras gathered around each other. Ace and the rest trampled out of the class. I shook my head. Ace's poked through the doorway. He looked at me, and motioned for me to follow. I sighed and leaned my head back. I really didn't need two months detention.

I stood up and scurried out of the class. Why was I doing this? He was Ace Merrill. The punk kid who lived across the street.

To Be Continued…