Chapter Four: A Rebel with a Cause

Okay so thank you my wonderful reviewers so here we go chapter four. Slight recap: Riley and Maya had an unfortunate encounter with school Bad Boy Harley Keiner, Cory's school bully, and he came into the cafeteria to get even with Riley but her best friend Maya steps in and now it's a fight to the finish. Be sure to follow and comment and let me know what you hope to see in future chapters, I may just do it!

"You'll have to go through me first Keiner, before I ever let you lay a hand on Riley."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah," I say, a cold edge taking over my voice. "It is."

He comes barreling at me, full force like a bull seeing a man waving a red flag. Smirking I push Riley back towards the lunch table and easily sidestep Keiner who whips back around, fist raised as he wrenches it down on me. I jump out from under his hand, landing on my side and kick him in the back of the leg.

His leg bucks and he falls forward but recovers quickly. All eyes in the cafeteria are on me, including Cory and Shawn. Better me than Riley I suppose, she'd loose it. Harley's lackey watch us, shouting encouragement to their, friend? Boss? Whatever.

He kicks me in the side and I go skidding across the tile floor, yelping. Using the lunch tray holders I push myself back on my feet. I'm outmatched in both strength and size, but I'm faster and smarter. He uses the most obvious approach instead of a calculating one but that's Riley department, I'm not tactician. Harley comes at me, eyes slanted in anger and I hatch a plan.

"Fight! Fight! Fight!" the roaring of the other children is almost deafening but I get to work. I slam my foot into his stomach and he bends over, holding his stomach, wheezing for air. That must have knocked the wind out of him. I grab one of the bright red lunch trays from the table beside me and can't help but remember things I'd rather forget.

"I wish I never had you, you're a waste of space!" Mom yells at me.

Laying on the ground she continues to yell horrible, horrible things at me. She kicks me in the stomach over and over without feeling anything, I can see her resentment through her eyes. She hate me and I don't know why, I've never done anything to make her hate me.

"Your worthless!"

Please stop, she yanks her foot forward and hits me in the ribs. I howl out in pain and a wicked smile creeps along her painted pink lips. She enjoys this, she always has. Instead of stopping she kicks harder, trying to make me cry out again, every time I do the kicks keep getting harder.

"It's no wonder your father left us, he didn't want a fucked up daughter like you!"

I caught her foot and shove her back on to my bed and ran out into her bedroom, tossing clothing out from the drawers. When I finally found her black pistol I turn off off lock and aim it just as she rounds the corner. Her eyes widen from anger to fear and she begins to reason with me. Blood drips from my bloodied lip and my ribs are on fire but I kept the gun trained on her.

"Maya honey, there's no need to do anything you might regret."

"I wont regret this, mom. You deserve it, you know you do."

"You won't do it, your too much of a coward," she growls out, glaring down at me.

"I will," I pull the trigger.

A clean hole in the wall appears right beside her head and she looks scared.

"Do you know what will happen if you do that, you can say goodbye to your little friendship with Riley Matthews, wanna know why? You'll be sent to foster care because the Matthews are not going to take in a trouble making nine year old when they have their own daughter of the same and their new baby Auggie. Don't you get it Maya, you've got no place in this world without me. They don't want you and neither do I but at least here your not away from your best friend."

I'd do anything for Riley, even if Mr. Matthews and Mrs. Matthews hate me, Mrs. Matthews and her family have always been so kind but why would my mom lie about that. They wouldn't want me and I can't say that I blame them, all I am is damaged.

I put down the gun.

Harley looks up and me, then to the tray in my hands, and lets out a laugh like I'm too girly to actually hit him with it.

"You won't do it, you're to much of a coward," he says the same thing my mother said to me only four years ago and the anger is bubbling up fast and I'm not sure I can contain it. I hold so much anger and resentment maybe it'll be good to take it out on him, teach him to be nicer to other people.

I smile down at him. "That's where you're wrong."

Using all my strength, which is amplified by my pent-up aggression, I bring the tray down full force. "ARGH!"

CRACK! The tray snaps into chunks not littered across the ground and Keiner falls into them and I step back, breathing heavily just as Mr. Feeny, the principal comes running in. He looks from all the students watching, to Keiner, and then to me, eyes narrowing. He presses in intercom button and call for the nurse to the cafeteria while Mr. Feeny makes a beeline towards me.

He plants himself in front of me and crosses his arms over his chest and looks indifferent. "What happened?"

"After first hour Riley bumped into him, and apologized but he said he'd get even. He came into the cafeteria in search of her so I took her place so he couldn't hurt her and if you want me to apologize for protecting my best friend you're looking at the wrong girl because I won't. I did what I felt was right."

He looks at me a moment, saying nothing before uncrossing his arms. "I won't make you apologize but I cannot let these actions slide, your off the hook today but tomorrow and everyday for the next two weeks you'll need to report to after school detention where I will personally be watching you and as for everyone else," he turns back to all the students watching. "Go about your business, there's nothing to see here."

The nurse arrived and with the help of some older boys managed to get Harley out of the cafeteria. A janitor came by to mop up the blood left by Harley, I must have hit him harder than I thought. I go and sit back down with Riley who's looking at me in shock. All the other students are pointing and whispering about me like I'm not even here.

Raising my voice loud I say: "Hey! If your going to talk about me, at least have the decency to do it when I'm not around to hear you."

Needless to say the chatter got really quiet after that. Cory did to but Shawn obviously didn't get the memo, though my back is to them I can still hear him talking about me.

"Cor, that was so crazy. I can't believe that girl stood up to Harley Keiner."

"I stood up to Harley," Cory steps in.

"Yeah but it's different cause she's a girl."

I snort, rolling my eyes. Just because I'm a girl shouldn't have on impact on who I can or cannot stand up to.

"Maya, where did you learn to fight like that and what did Mr. Feeny want, are you suspended?" the worry in her voice almost motherly. Like mother like daughter I suppose. The bell rings and we all push out of the cafeteria and that's when we find out we don't have the next class together. Riley's freaking out because she's going to be all alone and I shrug it off.

"Don't freak out and be calm that should keep you from squealing like a pig."

"Maya this is bad, really really bad. Who am I supposed to talk to when I get nervous?"

I shrug. "Make some friend, I know it's a crazy concept but—"

"We cannot make friends in the," she looks around like we're being watched. "P-A-S-T."

"Riles, I think they can still spell sweetie," I tap her back lightly.

"I don't even know where this science teacher's class is, what am I supposed to do?"

I look around and notice a nerdy look boy walking by.

"Hey!" I shout. He looks over at me and looks fearful like I'm going to hurt him. "Help Riley Mathers to her science class would ya?"

"Uh... um s-sure, come along we have the same class."

The boy leads Riley, who glares daggers at me, away and I look down at my own schedule to see that I've got Art 101 which is really ironic. As I head into the maze of hallways a voice halts me.

"That was pretty cool, what you did in the cafeteria I mean," he says, and I can practically feel the smile in his tone.

"Yeah, that was the plan. New Girl Fights with John Adams very own Bad Boy. That would make a great article in the school news paper."

I turn around to face none other then Shawn Hunter. Leaning back against the lockers I cross my arms over my chest and give a smile. "However, I don't think Riley would be very happy with me if I did."

"Riley? Isn't that the girl you came in with and who Harley was after?" he asks smoothly, stepping forward.

"Yeah, she's my best friend, I'd do anything for her but like people say opposites attract. Now I've should go before I'm late, because Riley with chew me out if I miss class."

"Which class do you have?"

"Art, Jackson."

"I have that too, how about I show you the way."

"Fine," I say following at his side.

He holds out a hand and I shake it. "The name's Shawn, Shawn—"

"Hunter, the John Adams very own player no need to fret, I know exactly who you are," I pull my hand back.

"I don't what you've heard but I'm not a bad guy."

He leads me up a flight of stairs and into an almost abandoned looking hallway. The paint on the walls were peeling off and the air was stale and filled with dust.

"Never said I heard anything bad Hunter, just that you're a flirt," I reply, brushing a strand of blonde hair out of my face.

"You're really pretty, you know that right?"

I give a light, loud laugh before composing myself. "Precisely my point."

"Are you implying I can't be just friends with a girl Blondie," he says, and I know he's kidding. "I'll have you know that I'm friends with Topanga Lawrence and I have tried anything with her."

"Yeah because you know your bes—" I cut myself off and keep walking forward.

"Because I know what?"

"You know your best friend likes her, dating the girl, or boy in my case, that your best friend likes is a violation of the Best Friend Code, and that a code I live by."

We reach the classroom just as the bell rings and we take a seat in the back of the classroom side by side. The teacher is an elderly woman with graying blond hair and big round glasses sitting low on the bridge of her nose. She began to talk about 3-D art and how it's better to add layers to your drawings and paintings.

"How about we make a bet," he whispers.

I raise an eyebrow and look over at him him. A smile is displayed on his face and a mischievous spark dances in his eyes.

"What kind of bet?"

"If I can treat you like a friend for a week, you'll go on a date with me."

I shake my head lightly laughing. "What's with this sudden interest in me Hunter, don't you have some fast, flashy girls you should be after. Or is it because none of them would dare stand up to Harley Keiner."

"That definitely has something to do with it, so what do you say?"

"I say, your got yourself a bet Hunter."