A/N: She still hates Aaron, or does she? We shall see...

Chapter 02: Your Games

"When are you just going to give in?"

His voice was starting to make her skin crawl, literally. She shot him an annoyed look, leaning her forehead against her fist. She had been trying to study, lost herself in the library in a far deep corner where no one could find her.

Like her brother, he must have Garwin radar. He sat himself in front of her, and pulled the book from under her grasp. She reached for it but he tipped back in his chair, his long legs making it nearly impossible for her to reach it from her seat.

"You're impossible," She muttered angrily.

"C'mon Alex, you know you want to go out with me…" He gave her a charming grin and she rolled her eyes.

"No, I really don't." She flicked her pencil at a rapid pace, annoyed.

"Not even a little bit?" He asked lazy placing himself on the table, placing her book in front of him, reading the title, or attempting too.

"No," She replied flatly.

"Just for a cup of coffee, tomorrow night?" He asked.

"No," She replied again not bothering to look up at him.

Aaron sighed and pushed her book back to her, leaving her alone. She glanced up watching his retreating figure. He had left her alone a little too easily. Sighing she shut herself off to the world and opened up her American Government book to finish her assignment.

She hadn't run in to Aaron until she was on her way to lunch, he caught her off guard by appearing, seemingly out of nowhere. She jumped out of her skin and held her hand to her chest.

"What the hell?" She asked.

"Can I walk you to lunch?" He asked her, his voice wasn't holding the same malice as usual, or that underlying arrogant tone he usually carried.

She glanced at him worriedly and figured they were going in the same direction, with a simple nod he gave her a small genuine smile. He was quiet at first, but soon sparked conversation with her.

"So, what are you doing after school tomorrow?" He asked her carefully.

"Swim practice," She pointed out to him, though she was sure he knew since he too was on the swim team.

"After swim practice?" She noted the hopefulness in his tone.

"Homework," She replied automatically.

"After homework?"

"I'm not going out with you, Aaron…"

He looked a bit disappointed, but he smiled, "I can understand that… I mean why would you want to, right?" He asked her.

Her brow furrowed, hazy blue eyes met a pair of bright blue ones as she stopped and shook her head, "You're right." She told him. "Why would I want to go out with you?" She pursed her lips together, hands on her hips. "You're an arrogant, pigheaded jerk, and my brother hates you."

"The feelings mutual," He grinned before he lifted his chin to the cafeteria.

"I don't understand you," She muttered before he pulled the door open and let her in.

Alexandra stormed away from the brunette and straight towards her brother and his friends. She didn't usually hang out with their crowd too much, but she tended to migrate to eat lunch with them.

They were, after all, her friends and the only normal people at Spenser, and that was saying a lot.

"Was he bothering you?" Pogue asked his eyes locked with Aaron who came in right after she had.

Alexandra followed his gaze and shook her head, "No, just leave it alone…" She muttered.

Pogue sighed and shuffled his food on his plate, he seemed a bit irritated, and she noticed the new girl was sitting with them, as well as the other new transfer student. The handsome dark haired boy stopped his conversation with Kate and gave her a charming grin.

"I'm Chase Collins," He introduced himself.

"Alexandra Garwin, Reid's sister…" She responded automatically.

"I didn't know you had a sister, Reid…" Chase smirked at the blonde who was sitting a person away from her.

"She's our dirty little secret," Reid smirked and winked at his sister.

She had managed to stay far away from Aaron and his friends for most of the day. At swim practice the girls practiced before the boys and were usually just getting finished up when the guys got in the pool.

She pulled herself up out of the pool and felt someone's hand on her bare bicep. She glanced up and met those same blue eyes she had earlier. She snatched her arm out of his grasp noticing her brother and Tyler walking towards them.

"What do you want?" She asked him harshly, but low as to not draw attention to them.

"Just being nice," He gave her a small smile.

"When are you 'just being nice'?" She snickered and grabbed a towel.

"I'm always nice," He stated.

She rolled her eyes and walked towards the locker room. She wasn't in the mood for his games. She didn't want to mess around with Aaron Abbot; he was the last guy she could ever see herself with.

The next few days had been filled with homework, practice and Chelsea's new love interest. She had kept herself away from Aaron and his lackeys. She had been ordered by Caleb and Reid to stay away from them, because there was something huge going on.

She had been told briefly it had to do with the new guy, Chase. She hadn't really talked to her brother about it, but was letting them handle it. Though, the tone Reid had with her last night freaked her out a little bit.

She and Chelsea were now on their way in to town to go dress shopping. They were attending the Fall Fest and were plenty excited for the first big dance at Spenser for the year.

"What color dress do you think I should wear?" Chelsea questioned glancing down at her manicured nails.

"I don't know, pink?" Alex lifted a shoulder as she suggested the color.

"Pink?" Chelsea stared over at her best friend who was paying attention to the road in front of her rather than crashing in to a tree.

"What's wrong with pink?"

"Everything," Chelsea mused. "Pink totally flushes me out!"

Alex rolled her eyes and smirked, "Relax, Chels… we'll find something… that's the whole point of the ride…"

Chelsea rolled her eyes and slumped in her seat; she glanced over at Alexandra and felt the urge to ask her the question that had been plaguing her mind since yesterday. She watched her best friend pull her car in to gear, icy blue eyes almost the same color as her brother's were set on the road.

"What's going with you and Aaron?" She asked with a grin.

After a short pause, Alex turned her head and impossible look on her face, "What are you talking about?"

"Someone heard Kira bitching about you and Aaron." Chelsea's eyebrow rose in question. Alex shook her head.

"Nothing,"

"C'mon someone said they saw him in the library with you the other day,"

"Yeah, he was bothering me…" She pulled the car in to a parking spot as Chelsea hurriedly pulled herself out of the car.

"And they saw him walk you to lunch,"

"Bothering me, again…"

"Maybe he's trying to tell you something…" Chelsea grinned.

"Yeah, that I need to get a new bug repellent…"

Chelsea snickered at her response, she hooked her arm with her best friend's and dragged her in to the first dress shop she laid eyes on. She was still rambling on about Aaron, and then she went on about Derek, the new guy she was obsessed with.

At least for this week, Alexandra smirked to herself looking through a rack of dresses.

She was searching around minding her own business when a familiar voice grabbed her attention, "So you're going to Fall Fest with Aaron?" She slinked closer to the voice.

"Was it ever a question?"

She knew that voice, despised that voice. Her teeth clenched together tightly at the thought. She felt a pang of jealousy run through her veins. She shook her head, hoping to make that feeling go away.

"I saw him talking to Reid's little sister the other day,"

"Please," The red head scoffed and Alexandra felt her eyes roll instinctively. "He's only doing that to tick off Reid and his friends,"

A snicker left her lips and she immediately regretted it when the two girls turned around, soar expressions on their faces. Alex watched as a smirk slipped across Kira Snider's face.

"Jealous?"

"Hardly," Alex groaned, ignoring that tug of the green monster. "I'd rather rot in hell…"

Kira walked up to her, a piece of blue fabric clenched in her grasp, "I see the way you look at him,"

"Like I want to gag?"

The girl with her snickered, Alexandra recognized her as the captain of the girls Field Hockey team, Georgina Hendricks. They were two of the most annoying, superficial girls that you could ever come across.

"Is there a problem?" Chelsea came over to her, letting her hand fall on Alex's shoulder.

"No, just chatting it up with Aaron's latest groupies…"

She watched as Kira scoffed, "I'm his girlfriend,"

Alex tried to hide the confused expression on her face. Fighting off that damn nagging feeling that was in the pit of her stomach. She didn't like it. Not at all.

"Really?" Chelsea laughed.

Georgina pursed her lips and Kira's mouth dropped, "Yeah!"

"Then why has he been asking my best friend out all week?"

Kira was speechless; both girls glanced at each other, wondering how that was possible. Alex lifted her shoulder; she took the dress from Chelsea, and slid it back on the rack.

"C'mon Chels lets get out of here…" She glanced at Kira and Georgina, "This place reeks of skank…"

Chelsea not bothering to hold in her laughter followed her out of the shop. She clasped a hand down on her friends shoulder and Alex forced a smile at her.

"She was just saying that to get under your skin you know," Chelsea stated.

"Like I care?" Alexandra glanced at her best friend. "I'm not interested in Aaron Abbot… not now… not ever…"

Chelsea looked at her and shook her head, she didn't believe her. Alexandra could see it on her face. She hated that. She hated when her best friend could see right through her.

What the hell was going on with her? She thought as they shifted through another rack of clothes in the next store. Why had she felt a pang of jealousy? Especially when Kira said that she was Aaron's girlfriend. She shouldn't have. She didn't like Aaron.

Or did she?

Hell she didn't even know anymore.

Though, she had been intrigued by his bipolar behavior. She wasn't really sure what the think of the whole thing, and that made her mad. She hated not knowing what was going on, more importantly when it involved her.

They stopped at several other stores and finally found the perfect dresses for the prestigious dance. After paying and heading back to her car they two girls decided to head to Nicky's for something to eat.

She knew her brother and Tyler would be there, she was sure of it. They always were, almost every day after swim practice they'd head to Nicky's. She figured they'd be tired of it after three years, but nothing ever changed.

Not in Ipswich anyway.

They arrived at Nicky's and ordered their food and drinks right away. Sitting at the bar she noticed her brother and Tyler at the pool table's though they weren't hustling. They were playing a game, just the two of them.

This surprised her, she admitted. She didn't like when things were out of whack. She left Chelsea at the table and walked over to the pool tables, and Tyler nudged her brother grabbing his attention.

"What are you doing?" Reid asked seeing her, he pulled her out of view and she narrowed her eyes at him.

"What are you talking about?" Alexandra asked confused. "I can't come see my brother?"

"No," He shook his head, those blue eyes scanning over the nearly empty bar at Nicky's.

"What is going on?" She brought her voice to a whisper following his gaze.

"You know the new guy Chase?" Tyler looked at her concerned.

"The cute guy,"

"He's not cute," Reid pushed his grip on her arm tightening.

"Whatever, what about him?"

"He's the fifth…."

"Fifth what?"

"The fifth… in the Covenant…" Tyler narrowed his eyes at her.

"What?" She asked loudly, grabbing attention.

"Would you keep your big mouth shut?" Reid put his hand over his sister's mouth. "Look," He sighed and removed his hand. "We're doing this for the better, ok… just keep your distance…"

"Why?"

"I don't want anything to happen to you,"

"What's going on? I mean if he's the fifth that's cool… but why do I have to keep my distance from my own family?"

"That's the point," Tyler stated glaring at her. "It's not cool,"

"You don't think he's 'good' do you?"

"Exactly," Reid remarked.

"I get it…" Alex lifted her hands up. "But just promise me…" She looked at them. "Promise me you'll be careful, no matter what happens?"

Tyler grinned and nodded, Reid smirked ruffling her hair and lifting his chin to the bar, "Go keep your fine ass friend company…"

Alex gave her brother a stern look and he lifted his hands in defense. She grinned and headed straight back over to Chelsea, trying to not worry about what could happen between her brothers and the new guy.

"What was that about?"

Alex glanced up to meet Chelsea's gaze, "Nothing, just brotherly sisterly crap…" She shrugged it off.

"Whatever," Chelsea laughed. "I've got to go to the bathroom, watch my stuff…'

Alex nodded her head, and dipped her fry in the ketchup that was on the plate in front of her. Stuffing the fattening food in to her mouth she savored the taste. She felt a presence beside her and was expecting to see her brother, Tyler or Chelsea, but was very shocked to see someone else.

"Aaron?" She lifted a brow in confusion. "What are you doing here?"

"Came to talk to you," He gave her a sly grin.

"Why?"

"Look, I know I come off as a jerk and all… but I just wanted to show you a different side of me… the real side…" He gave her a playful grin, those charming blue eyes staring her down.

"Different side?" Alex scoffed. "Please, Aaron… don't make me gag…"

He rolled his eyes, "Why do you have to act like your brother?"

"I'm not acting like Reid, I'm just telling you how I feel…"

"Oh really?" Aaron leaned against the bar, his arms crossed over his chest. "I don't think you are. I think you want to go out with me but you're afraid too."

"I'm not afraid of anything," She insisted.

"Really?"

"Yeah…"

"Prove it…"

Alexandra stared at him and shook her head in disbelief, "What is your deal?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You," She shoved her finger in to his chest roughly. "You are an ass one minute, and then the next minute you're sweet and wanting to show a 'different' side of you…" She pursed her lips together, "It's becoming quite annoying."

"I'm a man of many faces, Alex." He smirked.

She glanced over her shoulder and saw her brother about to come over and she lifted her hand as if to signal him to stop, "I'm sick of your stupid games, Aaron." She narrowed her eyes on him, "I don't have time for your immaturity…"

I really don't have much to say, but I do love it when you review. So I'll just simply say Read and Review! :)