Finally? Yeah yeah, quit griping and get to reading. Notes at the end...

Chapter Twelve: What I've Done part II

Gabriel sat on the table in the cafeteria. He wanted to sit higher just in case things got ugly again. He was surprised that it didn't; even with the two police officers standing at the doorway outside. He felt the presence of his little sister at his right side. He put an arm around her and let her sit there; doing the best he could to comfort her. He watched as Alyson was not far away. She had opened a window and was halfway out of it. She was on her second or third cigarette; Gabe had lost count and didn't care at this time. He watched Shane; who was between his sister and him and Alyson. Shane had grabbed two chairs and used them to do push-ups.

Gabe glanced over to the other side of the cafeteria. He watched the red haired girl with her phone in her hands. She was texting (a guess) as the sound of clicking that took over the silence. He then looked over to his ex-best friend. She sat on a table and just looked down at her hands. Her nose had swelled up and she was starting to get dark circles under her eyes. He rubbed his sister's shoulder as she shuddered. He returned his attention to her.

"You okay kid?" He looked up and Shane was looking at her. Gabe smiled.

Ronnie nodded. She felt that if she spoke, she might have thrown up.

"I can't believe you clocked your brother." He whispered to her, causing Gabe to smile some more. "I know that you Mason kids are tough, but I guess your brother's a little slow and it's taking him some time to register it."

The two heard a small tinkle of laughter from the girl. Gabe could only shake his head.

"It was almost as funny as the pie incident." Shane looked at Gabe confused. Ronnie started to shake with laughter. Alyson had looked over, putting out her finished smoke. She smiled and walked over to the three of them.

"Pie incident?" She asked. "I don't think I've heard this one."

"Yes let's have the clown entertain the masses." Came Juliette's voice from across the room. There was so much hatred and venom in her tone that everyone looked in her direction.

"Now I'm a clown to you?" Gabe commented, in total disbelief. "You know, up until this year you would have been cheering me on. You used to love hearing the stories that I used to tell." He felt Alyson's head on his shoulder. He wrapped his other arm around Alyson's waist, pulling her closer.

Juliette cheeks flushed a red color. She was reminded how close that they were. She used to sit where Alyson was sitting. She snorted at the faint memory.

"Yeah, well I guess I grew up."

"Yeah, into a hate-filled bitch." Alyson commented.

"What was that?"

Alyson pulled her head off of her boyfriend's shoulder. "You heard me; Princess Hollywood. I said you turned into a hate-filled bitch. Or did being the town whore make you deaf and dumb?"

This caused Shane to cover his mouth to hide a grin. Gabe felt his little sister shake with laughter. The smile on Alyson's face grew bigger. Gabe placed a hand on her shoulder; trying to keep her out of trouble.

"Now I'm the town whore?" Juliette asked, her voice rising in anger. "Who gives you the right to judge me?"

"I warned you last year Hogart." Shane spoke up. "I warned you that when you started dating Evan that you would be dating half of the football team."

"Half of the football team?" Ronnie looked up. "I don't understand."

Shane turned to her and answered. "When Juliette started dating Evan Ridgley; whom was the captain of the team last year, I warned her that dating him would be trouble."

"You never warned me."

"I'm calling bullshit on that one." Shane grinned. "It was outside of Chemistry last November. It was the last Friday before December. I remember."

Gabe nodded. "I remember you talking about that. I asked you when you sat down what Shane wanted. You said something about him giving you a warning about some football player."

"It didn't mean that I became the town bicycle."

"Bicycle?"

"I'll tell you at home later Ronnie."

Shane continued. "I'm a jock; I knew what was going on at those parties. If you weren't having loud and annoying sex with Evan; it was one of the other starters." He scoffed at her. "I just can't believe that you let Evan tape some of them. Of course, it could have been all of the booze that you consumed."

Juliette's face grew a deep red color as Shane talked. Gabe looked at her in anger and surprise. Alyson had a look on her face that Gabe couldn't read; it was a look of surprise and pity. Ronnie was shocked and Elizabeth had a look of disgust on her face.

"Well at least I didn't sleep with an entire team to be popular. Money and putting people in their place is the way to be a leader in any school." Elizabeth said in a superior voice.

"That may be, but my sister ended up putting you in your place. What about that?"

Elizabeth ignored Gabe's comment and continued to text on her phone.

"Lead by fear."

Ronnie looked at Shane. "What do you mean?"

Shane sighed. "You make people respect you by means of fear and intimidation." He shook his head. "The last two years I followed that mantra and it got me labeled as a bully. Forget that I made All Area in wrestling the last two years; I had a reputation of an asshole."

Gabe nodded. Shane looked over and lightly punched him on the shoulder.

"What? You said it, not me."

Shane cleared his voice. "Ronnie; if it wasn't for Alyson, Gabe and you, I would have been down that path again this year. You three; among others, showed me what I was doing. I've been working for the better part of this year to better myself."

"Well that works for you." Elizabeth stated. "That just means that I'm better than you."

"Just remember Prissy Pants; it's lonely at the top when you step on everyone to get there." Shane commented darkly.

Elizabeth continued to ignore them. Shane merely shrugged his shoulders. He looked up and noticed that there were two people missing.

"Hey where's the Princess?"

Gabe noticed there was no weight next to him. "Where's Alyson?"

The three got up and looked to where the two were shooting daggers at each other by the lunch line. The three moved over to them and got in the middle.

"What's going on?" Gabe asked.

"Not sure." Alyson commented. "I saw Hollywood getting up and moving this way. I figured that I'd stop her. That's when you three got here."

"It's none of your damn business what I do." Juliette snarled. "Go back to your loser boyfriend and leave me alone."

"Did you call my boyfriend a loser?"Alyson growled. "I'm sure that what you have to tell yourself because I took advantage of the situation."

"What?" Gabe asked.

"Haven't you noticed that since you and I started talking that she's gotten more and more vicious?" Alyson turned to her boyfriend. "Haven't you ever listened to the conversations in Art class that she's having with the girls in class?"

"Apparently not." Gabe commented. "Now you're spreading rumors about me Juliette?"

"What happened to Jules?" Juliette asked in a pained voice.

Gabe scoffed. "You lost that name when you started a fight with my sister." He sighed as he continued. "So what? You can't have me as the 'faithful little puppy' anymore and you trying to start shit?"

"That's not it." Juliette said.

"Then what is it Juliette?" Gabe asked, frustrated. "I've done all of the work in trying to be friends. I find out that you've been tormenting not only my only sister, but her friends and your baby brother. I get that there's something wrong, but for whatever reason you keep going down this dark path." He looked her dead in the eyes. "I can't help if you can't tell me"

Juliette looked at her former friend; tears running down her cheeks. "I want you."

"Well you can't have me!" Gabe shouted. "I'm not property Juliette! I am a human being, well mostly. I asked you at Christmas this past year for us to start dating. You thought it would be in 'our best interests' not to take that step. You made that choice and stuck with it by dating Evan and half of the football team."

Juliette turned and slapped Gabe in the face for his comment. Gabe didn't retaliate or even comment. He looked at Juliette with fury in his eyes. He merely turned and found his seat back at the table. Ronnie took off after him.

Alyson turned and took a step or two before turning back to Juliette. "You had your chance Hollywood." She sighed and looked at her with pity. "He told me what your words and actions did to him. You broke his heart and he spent the better part of last semester and summer trying to put it back together."

"So you came in and tried to replace me?" Juliette asked quietly.

Alyson shallowly laughed. "No, I was a friend to him first. We just started dating after we talked and realized we have feelings for each other. I'm not trying to replace you in his heart; I'm trying to become an added part of it." Alyson walked over to her boyfriend.

Shane sighed. "I warned you."

Juliette didn't look at him. She knew that he was right.

"Well, some people are hard headed; I should know." He sighed. "Maybe you should make some time to talk to someone about what's going on. Maybe they can help and maybe in time he'll forgive you and maybe he'll let you back in. Maybe the rest of your victims will forgive you in time too."

Juliette stood and let the words sink in. She could feel the presence of someone next to her. She looked and noticed Elizabeth.

"I told you that they would pull this. They would turn it on you."

Juliette looked at the younger girl. Elizabeth stood there smiling at her. Juliette smiled back at her. No one expected to see Juliette make a fist and punch Elizabeth in the nose; the sound of cartilage breaking from muscle and bone.

"Stay away from me you vile bitch. Next time you talk to me, I'll make sure that what Ronnie did to you is a distant nightmare." She walked away and walked out the cafeteria door. The police tried to stop her, but she merely shrugged them off and continued down the hallway.

The door opened after a moment, but it wasn't part of the school staff. Shane looked up in anger as he noticed the uniformed woman at the door. He shot her the darkest of looks. The other three looked on in surprise.

"We're being shipped off to military?" Ronnie squeaked out. "I didn't think you were serious about fighting in school Gabe, but now…"

Her brother looked at her. "I was kidding."

"No" Shane growled. "She's here for me. It's my absentee mother."

So with the holidays done and my lazy ass finally updating; the kids' point of view is completed. Sorry for the cliffhanger.

Did you get the chance to read Pretty in Pink? If you haven't give it a read and leave a review if you would like.

I really want to thank ALL of the readers for this story; as well as the rest of my works. You are the people that I'm writing for. I've been following the numbers and for some reason, y'all keep on coming back. That is a real vote of confidence to any writer. Thank you.

Special thanks to those that have been waiting for a new chapter. It took six weeks, but it's here.

I'm really hoping to stick to a once a month chapter. February isn't too far off. Let's see how well I do.

Feel free to PM/Review. Next chapter will pick up where we leave off here.

Thanks again! M.