OK, I tried to proof-read this one as best I could, but like I said, I'm at work so my access to anything is limited. I don't even have access to a word processer. I'm basically doing this on notepad. (Is frustrated) DX

Anyway, thanks for the Tsunami of reviews. And here I wa afraid I was forgotten. I've been a little depressed lately, but you guys cheered me right up. Thanks.

Here's another chapter for my loyal reviewers. :)

Chapter 15 - Game On

Al sighed as he finished off his bottle of chocolate milk while talking to his friends. "So, I'm pretty sure I got my message across, looked like she was going to cry, but that's her own fault."

"Why would she even say those things. I mean, if she liked you, wouldn't it make sence to not talk shit about you behind your back." Breda folded his arms. "It's weird."

"Stupid is what it is." Al corrected him.

Another boy from the team, Kain, piped up. "Clause doesn't know how to deal well with people and she likes to play games. She's really immature." He bashed her irritatating nature.

"That's true...and she likes to lie a lot." Al glared across the room at the rest of the cheerleading team, Winry was in their midst. It was like the diamond in the rough situation. There were a few other nicer girls on the team, but Winry managed to out-shine them all. She had the nicest hair, the finest curves and the largest bust; she was like something from a fantasy. She was perfect, too perfect. Al pondered for a moment.

"What's wrong?" Breda questioned him.

"Huh? Nothing, just thinking..." Before he could expand on his initial thought, the bell rang, telling therm that socializing was over, and class was going to ensue. "Math...what do you have?"

"Bio." Breda answered with a grimmace.

Al perked up a little. "Hey, you're in Winry's Bio calss...could you ask her what Clause's deal is?" Al figured that if anyone was going to know, it would be her.

"Sure dude...later." That being said, the red headed boy got up and left.

Al cracked his kuckels stood up form his seat. "This should be intresting."

Al sat back in his chair as the teacher began explaining the significance of matricies. He slumped his head off to the side and glanced out the window of the top floor of their school. There was a flock of starlings passing by as he stared off in a daze. 'I wish I was anywhere else but here' He thought to himself. The rumors that Clause spread about the two of them really got to him and he just felt like going home and sleeping.

The buzzer at the front of the classroom sounded and the principal 's voice resonated over the speaker. 'Mr. Garumann, is Alphonse Hohenheim there with you?'

The older teacher caught eye contact with Al who looked a little surpried. "Yes he is."

'Could you send him down to the office. Have him bring his things.' Mr. Lang's voice sounded a little stern as he spoke.

Al closed his book and wondered what he would be called down for; from the sounds of it, it looked like he was in trouble. 'That was quick.' He thought as he packed up his things. He was amazed that his request to be somewhere else was answered exceptionally quickly. As he left the room, he thought about all the reasons he would be in trouble. His mind kept flashing back to Clause telling some lie about them doing something naughty in a calssroom, or something along that line.

He rounded the corner to the office and saw Caluse standing next to a couple of people in uniform. Al's heart immedatly sank. Clause looked like she'd been put through the ringer; a bloodied lip, a torn shirt and even a missing shoe. He was then quite concerned for all of a second. He thought that maybe someone DID beat her up, but he knew that they wouldn't be calling him down for no good reason, she was blaming this one on him. He could just feel it. Al held back his rage, if he showed agression, he knew it wouldn't help his case. "What's going on?" He asked as if he didn't know.

"You tell us son?" The tall dark skinned police officer towered over him.

He looked at Clause and then back to officer. "I wish I knew." He hoped again that his wish would be answered as quickly as it was last time; this time, with a more desireable outcome.

"This young lady here tells us that you were pretty rough with her; went so far as to throw her down a flight of stairs. Care to explain yourself before we get in contact with your parents?"

Swing and miss for that wish granting. "I didn't. Why would I? If I did that, I would get expelled and then booted from the basketball team. It doesn't make sence. She's liying." He refrenced to her.

Caluse cringed as Al motioned his arm in her direction. "You pulled me from the lunch room because you were mad that I told people we were going out...so you..." She started crying again.

"Several people saw you take her into the stairwell and a few more saw only you emerge from the stairs shortly there after. From the sounds of it, her story pans out, your's doesn't. You're coming with us, and we'll be getting in contact with your parents too." He truend his attention back to Clause.

The principal, who was standing in the door of his office behind Clause chimed in. "You'll be fortunate if she doesn't press charges. But as of right now, you're suspended till further notice." He rested a sympathetic hand on her shoulder.

The police officer took firm hold of Alphonse's arm and led him out of the building and into the back of the police car that was situated in the main parking lot; they sat him on the edge of the seat and applied a zip tie around his two hands.

"..." Al was at a loss for words, so he just sat quietly in the back seat. The two police officers sat solomly in the front seat. "I didn't do anything to her...at least not physical. I yelled at her, told her to stop spreading rumors and then I left her to cry in the stairs, I didn't hit her." Al defended himself.

"Save it for when we get you to HQ." The other police officer said with bite.

"I am here under false pretenses! So before you start yelling, hear me out!" Al whipped around and pointed a finger at his parents and accompaning police-like escort, he looked like a higher ranking officer, the constable if the sign on his desk was current.

Von and Trisha were shocked, no sooner had they entered the room that they were yelled at. "Alright...what's a 'false pretense'." Von asked. He spoke English very well, but there still were a few words that caught him off guard.

"He means he was wrongly accused." Trisha clairified as she took her seat on Al's right side; Von on the left.

"Alright Alphonse, let's hear your piece." The constable sat behind his desk and folded his hands as if to say 'this is going to be good.'

Al sighed and began. "On Saturday, I went to a party she had. When we got to school on Monday, she went around telling everyone that we hooked up at her place. We didn't." He put emphases on that part of his speech. "She also said that we were going out, planning on getting married and even that she was pregnant. None of those things are true. I got pissed off at her and took her aside at lunch because I didn't want to embarass her in front of a crowd. The stairs are dead at lunch, so I fugured there would be best. I basically told her to stop it. I left before she could say anything, I didn't hurt her. Maybe she threw herself down the stairs just so she could blame it on me. She's a huge liar, just ask around."

Al sat in the back seat of the SUV, his head down and staring out the window at the road passing by beneath them. Until Clause came to a decission as to what she was going to do, Al was free to go for the most part. He did however need to fill 50 hours of community service, which he was not looking forward to. "You guys believe me right?" He said quietly, still somewhat lost in thought.

Von spoke up. "I don't really see any reason that you would be liying...I just wish this wasn't happening. Was there something else you could have done to avoid all this?" Von shook his head in frustration.

"Went along with the lies, agreed to date her...or something like that." Al said with a grimmace.

"Well...any reason why not?" His father questioned.

"Because she's psychodic." Al refrenced the situation.

"Right-right. Lies and what not. Trish?" He looked at his wife staring blankly out the window.

"I don't know...it just seems a little too convienent..." She said despondantly.

"...come-on-Mom, why would I hit a girl? I don't like fighting anyway." He leaned froward, closer to the front seat. "You've got to believe me."

She flipped down the sun visor and looked in the mirror at her son. "You nearly knocked your brother out yesterday, just as he walked in the door. I need to see a little proof that you have things under control Al. But for now, you'll be grounded, no internet."

Al hung his head. "Sure..." He felt so helpless, he was starting to wish that he did knock Clause out.

Laying on his side in his bed, Al pondering how he was going to get out of this terrible situation. He tossed and turned back and forth, he just couldn't get comfortable. Peeking at the clock, it was only three, so that meant that Ed still wasn't home. As often as they argued, he still found it a good idea to ask for Ed's advice whenever anything went ill-favored. This was the perfect situation.

Just as he was about to doze off, his phone began to ring. The ring was undefined, so it was no one he knew that was important as far as he was concerned. Grabbing the phone he slid it open and held it to his ear. "It's not after 6, you're using my minutes." Aside from the normal 'Hi' or 'Hello', he greeted the person on the other line.

'Hey Al, how you doing?' Clause's voice sounded over the little speaker.

He felt a pang of rage shoot through his shoulders and right up the back of his neck. "You've got a lot of nerve calling me...unless you're calling me to call off this little game."

'Maybe.' She said in a sweetly sickening voice.

Al perked up a ltitle. "Really?"

'If you agree to go out with me that is. I know I had to go to an extreem to do this, but I guess if this is the only way, I'll take whatever I want, however I get it.' She exhaled into the speaker. 'If you agreed to go out with me, I'll tell everyone I was just looking for attention. You get off scott free, and you get a pretty girlfriend.'

A furrowed his brow. "...What's the catch?"

He heard her snicker. 'No catch really...but if you try to break up with me afterward, I'll just tell everyone you threatened me into dating you and that you made me lie. Then you'll be back at square one. I always get what I want, don't forget that...oh, and I'm calling from a pay phone, so don't bother marking down the number. I'll give you a few days to think about it.' That said, she hung up the phone in his ear.

Al slid his phone shut and huffed loudly. "What a bitch."

There you have it, her rash thought seems to come together in some strange madness that is her plan. Surprisingly enough, I have a way out for Al. XD I'm going to kill Clause. oO...kidding, read on to find out how it pans out.