Part XXV:

Marissa walked along the university halls heading towards class. She thought of Alex as she did. It brought a sweet smile on her face. Gripping her shoulder bag, she was now a few paces away from her class but she stopped. Someone grabbed her shoulder and pushed her against the wall. Marissa turned to her assailant with fear.

DJ.

"It's been a while baby…" DJ grinned as he tried to caress Marissa's cheek.

Marissa angrily swatted his hand away. DJ gripped her hands over her head in retaliation.

"LET GO OF ME!" Marissa yelled attracting the attention of the students that were along the hall.

They turned and decided to help. But their good intentions were replaced with fear when they saw a shining metal bat clinging in his back.

DJ turned to the students and threatened them with a glared making them back away. Seeing that the boy was distracted Marissa kicked his groin and hurriedly got out of his grasp. She ran away looking at DJ who was slowly standing up. She ended up bumping into a warm body in the process. She turned and looked up into a pair of blue, loving eyes staring back at her. A smile crept out of her pulling the person into a hug.

Alex.

"Honey. Our class room is that way." Alex smiled holding on to Marissa's cold hand while pointing their room using the other.

"I know… It's just…" Marissa struggled for the words because she was still in fear.

She got cut off when DJ starting screaming along the hall.

"COHEN! YOU'RE BACK!" He grinned slowly making his way towards Alex and Marissa.

Alex turned and her smile was quickly replaced with anger. She gritted her teeth and was about to walk towards the boy but Marissa stopped her.

"Don't. He has a bat. He'll hurt you again…" Marissa whispered worriedly, gripping her girlfriend's hand tightly.

"I'll be fine…" The blonde replied.

"But he can do it again…"

"He can try…"

"But he already did…"

"He did. When I wasn't looking… I'm looking now." Alex let go of Marissa's hand gently and walked towards her girlfriend's psychotic neighbor.

DJ and Alex stood at the center of the hall facing each other. DJ was grinning while Alex just looked straight into his eyes.

"How's the world in black?" DJ's hand slowly reached the bat on his back while Alex gripped the straps of her backpack.

"I think my eyesight is better in full color."

"Too bad… Because I am planning to make it permanent." DJ smirked pointing the bat towards Alex.

Alex stood straight unmoved with anger written all over her face.

"Any last words Cohen?"

Alex smirked in reply slowly taking her bag off.

"Stay away from me and my girl." Alex yelled turning her head towards DJ.

DJ swung the bat towards Alex but to his surprise Alex caught the bat, using the straps of her backpack as a net. She then hurriedly tangled the steel weapon making it hard for DJ to pull it back. Alex kicked him hard on the stomach causing him to let go of the bat. DJ grumbled in pain. He fell on his ass looking at his tummy trying to get over the pain his was feeling. He tried to gasp for air. As he turned around, he was face to face with the shiny end of the bat that once took the eyesight of Alex Cohen.

"This is my last warning. Stay away from me and Marissa." Alex said sternly.

DJ could only nod.

Alex turned around and rested the bat on her shoulders. Marissa came running to her and pulled her into a hug. Alex used her free hand to hug the girl back.

"I think we're late for class Ms. Cooper." She whispered softly.

"I think we are, but I don't really mind Ms. Cohen." Marissa replied resting her hand on Alex's neck then pulling the blonde into a loving kiss.

----

"Julie?" Caleb called out to his wife who was busy reading law books.

"Not now honey! I'm trying to write down all the charges I can sue to that damn kid!"

"Honey NO SWEARING!"

Julie just rolled her eyes.

"The only way this boy is going to pay his due is if he gets run over a bulldozer!"

Caleb walked towards Julie and watched her in disbelief.

"You can't be serious Julie…"

"Believe me I am. And I'd feel better if I was driving the DAMN THING!"

"JULIE!" Caleb shook his head.

"Sorry…" Julie grinned even though she was seriously giving that idea a thought.

----

Summer and Marissa were shopping at the mall that weekend. Alex and Jodie were with them. But since their girlfriends were not really shopping girls, they left them in the arcade making them promise not to cause any mischief.

"So… Did she ask you out to the dance yet?" Summer asked as she scanned the dresses on the shop they were in.

"Not yet… I don't think we would… Alex isn't really a dancer…"

"Right…"

"Look… I don't know Sum… I mean…" Marissa started to babble with her words.

"How about you ask her? I mean come on… How frigid can she be on the dance floor?"

"Sum… I have no idea…"

"You're definitely going… With or without your sex deprived girlfriend…"

"Just because we're not doing it doesn't mean I'm depriving her…"

"Right…"

"It was a mutual decision…"

"Right…"

"Sum…"

"Going now…" Summer stuck out her tongue and went towards the cashier.

----

Alex and Jodie sat on a bench near the arcade indulging themselves with some ice cream. They were waiting for Summer and Marissa to comeback. And according to Jodie's approximation, that would be in three hours max.

"So… Did you ask Marissa to the dance yet?" Jodie asked finishing up her ice cream.

"What dance?"

"The dance those two were organizing with their so called club."

"No… I've been out of school remember?"

"Yeah I remember… So are you going?"

"I don't know… I'll talk to her about it later."

"So what's this hiatus on the most interesting part of the relationship?"

"Huh?" Alex turned to Jodie confused.

"No sex while in school?"

"Oh."

"Oh? Why did you agree with that?"

"Because I love her and I can and will always be in love with her despite the fact that it's sexually frustrating knowing she's too hot for me to handle…" Alex said that all in one breathe making her friend laugh.

"I know you do. But I don't think that's a fair proof… I mean… It's amazing doing that in the morning…"

"Stop…" Alex closed her eyes trying not to get into perverted thoughts about her girlfriend.

"At lunch…"

"Jodie stop…"

"Dinner…" Jodie smirked knowing Alex was a little too frustrated.

"STOP!" Alex put her hands on Jodie's neck strangling her playfully.

The things you do for the people you love. Things just keep getting better. They all hoped it would.