Chapter 9

In Which Alliances Are Established Over Jammed Guns

Kitty and I walked into the Commons together. Jubes ran up to us excitedly.

"Sin City! Whaddaya think of that?" she asked Kitty cockily.

"How'd you get that?" I asked.

"Logan. He's such a pushover." Jubes explained.

"You've got that right. I can't even count the movies I've swindled into him renting for me over the past few years." I said with a grin. "I'll see you guys later, I have some ass to kick."

I walked over to John and Bobby, where they were sitting in their usual spot near the fireplace.

"You got my note?" John asked.

"I got a note." I replied, brandishing it.

"Nope, not mine." John said, studying it thoughtfully.

"Then I guess I'll go watch Sin City with Kitty and Jubes-"

"Sit down."

I sat down across from John and Bobby.

"We're waiting on Rogue." Bobby said, after I asked his why he wasn't dealing.

Rogue walked over.

"Speak of the devil." I teased. She sat down next to me and punched me in the shoulder playfully with a leather-clad hand.

Bobby began to deal the cards. They cards were cold, and I realized, duh, of course they were. Bobby's skin was colder than mine, considering his gift. I wondered what John's skin felt like, compared to mine… was it hotter…? I shook myself out of my daydream, and I could feel a blush staining my cheeks.

"You okay?" Rogue asked me, looking amused.

"Huh?"

"You're bright red. You look like a tomato." Bobby said ruefully. (Tone: This is a school.)

I gave him the finger. "I'm fine."

We started to play. As I mentioned before, Bobby and Rogue are easy to play with. But John was different. His face had hardened, and he looked like he wasn't having any fun.

"John?" I said, nudging him in the knee. "You look like you're passing a stone."

"This is my poker face."

"Okay…" Bobby said dubiously, amusement gracing his angelic features. Bobby has always reminded me of some kind of boy band reject. He has big blue eyes, spiky blonde hair and natural good looks.

John is the complete opposite.

John reminds me of John Bender, from one of my favorite movies, The Breakfast Club. He's got dark brown hair, grey/blue eyes, and he usually has a cocky sneer on his face, "the trademark Allerdyce", he calls it. He's handsome, but not in the traditional sense. He's one of those guys the parents in some Lifetime movie warn their daughter about. Like in A Walk To Remember. It's the fact that you can't get near him that makes you want him, and it's something that always bothered me, ever since the day I met him.

He's closed off, too, a trait he shares with me and does not realize.

I know my reason for being detached from people sometimes, but his is unknown to me. He never talks about his family-

"Anna." Rogue interrupted, waving a hand in my face. "Your turn."

"What number are we on?" I asked, embarrassed that I hadn't been paying attention.

"7." John answered.

I glanced through my cards, and pulled out two sevens and laid them on the pile.

"Two sevens." I announced.

"BS!" Bobby said triumphantly.

I grinned.

"Knock yourself out, Popsicle!" I said.

Bobby's expression of happiness turned into one of depression after he picked up the cards.

"I hate this game." he whined.

"Quit whinin', Iceballs." John grinned, throwing down some eights.

"It's Iceman." Bobby corrected angrily.

"Bobby, chill out. It was just a joke." Rogue said, smiling.

"Isn't anyone on my side?" Bobby complained.

"As of this very moment, no." I said, smiling.

"I am, Bobby." Rogue said.

"You don't count." John pointed out. "You're his girlfriend."

John won the game a few hands later, and Bobby and Rogue headed up to Rogue's room.

"Early day tomorrow." I reminded them as they walked out of the Commons. "Don't stay up too late."

I walked over to the couch and sat down. Sin City was only halfway over, and it was my favorite part: when Benicio Del Toro doesn't realize his gun is jammed, and still doesn't realize, even as it's jammed into his forehead.

Kitty looked sicker than a dog.

"You're the one who wanted to see this movie." I reminded her.

"Well, I regret it."

"You are a blood lightweight." I teased as she stood up shakily.

"I'm going to the room. Don't tell me how it ends. I'll try it again some other time." she instructed sternly, despite her green complexion.

"Alright, Kitty Cat. G'night." I called as she disappeared through the wall.

"I can't take this." Jubes moaned. "I'm going with Kitty."

"You guys are weak!" I called gleefully.

Rogue and I were the only girls in the entire school who could stomach this kind of a film.

John flopped down next to me on the couch.

"This is the best part." he commented, his eyes lighting up as Benicio's gun lodged itself into his forehead.

"I like the part where Mickey Rourke turns Elijah Wood into wolf bait."

"Yeah, well, I like the part with Rosario Dawson." he countered.

"You would, wouldn't you?"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Her whole outfit could fit in my pocket." I pointed out.

"So?"

"And she's, like, Queen of the ."

"So?"

"You're a guy, John. It's simple as that." I said, hugging a pillow to my chest.

"Whatever."

"That was good, John. You should go on tour."

"Maybe I will."

"You do that." I said, laughing.

Why hadn't I noticed that John wasn't a bad person sooner? I was smiling, and that was something I never do, I realized.

I noticed John had draped his arm across the back of the couch, and it reminded me of that stupid scene in Grease.

"So… we're good? No more fighting?" John asked me tentatively.

"Yes sir." I answered absentmindedly, watching Clive Owen get sucked into a tar pit.

We were quiet for a few minutes. I looked around and realized it was only John and I. I looked at the clock and it read 11:58 P.M.

"Anna, can I ask you something?" John asked quietly.

"Yeah?" I responded, turning and looking at him.

"Yesterday, when I grabbed your wrist, you turned white and then you called me Frank."

I felt my stomach drop and I felt bile rising in my throat.

"No… I didn't." I protested. "I… I don't even know anyone named Frank."

"I'm not gonna push you about it. I just wanted to let you know. If you want to talk about it-"

"I don't." I whispered, standing up. "I'm going to sleep."

"'Night." John said halfheartedly.

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