CHAPTER 4

To Rose's disappointment, she hardly saw Drake at all that following week. It wasn't like she didn't have many classes with him, he was in almost every single one in fact, however whenever they had a class together he would be sitting right on the opposite side of the classroom, and he would fix her with a death glare whenever she looked his way. She hadn't told anyone about that History lesson, or talked again about Drake. It was clear all her new found friends were terrified of him, and hated him with a passion. The second probably because of the first. So Rose just drifted by, getting through the days, daydreaming her way through the week. Before she knew it, she was sitting at dinner on Thursday, with only one more day to go before her first weekend at Coates. As usual she was sitting with Brianna, Taylor, Lucie, Becca and Meagan. And, as usual, they were talking about clothes, boys and celebrities.

"OK, would you rather…Brad Pitt or Tom Cruise?" Becca asked, giggling. Meagan, who the question was aimed at, thought for a while.

"It's gotta be Brad Pitt, hasn't it. Tom Cruise is tiny – I'd never be able to wear heels!" The other girls nodded in agreement. "Besides, his nose is weird!" Everyone fell about laughing and Rose rolled her eyes. This was not her topic of choice. None of the topics the girls chose were, but they were the only friends she had here. She zoned out, bored.

"Look, Drake's gazing at his new girlfriend again, how cute…" Diana cooed from the table in the corner of the dining room, which was universally known as 'theirs'. Drake's eyes snapped away from the new girl as he fixed Diana with a death glare.

"She is not my girlfriend." He snarled. "And I wasn't gazing!" He added. Diana rolled her eyes.

"When are you gonna admit it, Drake, you so fancy her!" Diana said, bored. She found the whole idea of Drake actually liking someone hilarious, but the fact that he was in denial about it was just annoying.

"I DON'T fancy her; she is the most annoying girl I've ever met. She's in practically every single one of my classes, like some kinda stalker, and she's always looking at me like saying, 'see I told you you wouldn't beat me up!' Eurgh, she drives me MAD." Diana just chuckled to herself. "WHAT?" Drake demanded. Diana just raised an eyebrow.

"Well…why haven't you beaten her up then?" Drake reddened slightly.

"Well…err…she's a girl." He muttered. Diana laughed loudly.

"That's never stopped you in the past!" Drake just glared down at his dinner, stabbing it violently with his fork.

"Come on Drake, admit it. She's been the topic of conversation all week; you've never been this obsessed with anyone. Even someone you hate." Drake glared up at her, and then looked at his fork, and then at her again. She'd look pretty with the piece of cutlery wedged into her eyeball…

"Don't even think about it." Caine said from his seat next to Diana, without even looking up from his food. Drake rolled his eyes. He wasn't allowed to lay a finger on Diana because of her overprotective dangerous boyfriend. But one day, Caine wouldn't be there to protect her anymore. And then she was screwed. Drake hated Diana, hated her more than anyone in the world. Well…except maybe Rose. Rose Azalea. An image suddenly flashed into his head of him protecting her like Caine protected Diana. Holding her tightly…

"Aargh!" He growled getting up and leaving his half-full plate behind as he marched out of the canteen. Rose had just left, on her own; if he walked fast he could still catch her before she reached her dorm. He quickened his pace, clenching his fists and his jaw hard, adrenaline pumping through him. When Drake got this angry, someone got hurt. And this time, that someone was going to be Rose. No one messed with Drake's head and got away with it!

Rose walked down one of the many empty corridors of Coates Academy, thinking to herself. She had wolfed down her dinner and left the table while the others had barely started. That would give her some time. Some time to think, alone. Suddenly she felt something hit her like a freight train and knock her into one of the alcoves of the castle-like school. As she landed hard on her back, she looked up at her attacker. But her view was blocked by a dark shadow, getting bigger and bigger and BAM a fist hit her in the face. Hard. She felt the warm blood gushing out of her nose and dribbling down her face and neck. The fist made contact again and again and a sob escaped her body as the pain got worse and worse. There was nothing she could do to stop it. She was in shock, rigid with fear. Immobilised with pain.

Suddenly it all stopped. She opened one eye slightly and looked up at the face of the attacker. Now she could see him. Could make out his scruffy blonde hair, his storm cloud grey eyes. He looked down at her, one arm still raised behind his head, his fist clenched and ready. She had never seen a person look so angry; his expression was of complete and utter hatred. She knew then that she was going to die.

Drake looked down at the bloody girl, and noticed how beautiful she was, even covered in blood and looking as scared as a deer looking up at a wolf. Drake did not intend on doing what he did next, he didn't know why he did, all he knew was that one minute his arm was raised to punch her again, the next he was grabbing her by her shirt and kissing her with as much force as he could muster. And that it felt good. Very good. All the built up anger and adrenaline that he had hoped to eliminate by beating her up, vanished as soon as he pressed his lips to hers. Eventually he pulled away and he saw her smile lopsidedly up at him.

"Well…that wasn't exactly how I pictured our first kiss…" She murmured. He smiled, despite himself. What was the world coming too, if girls started making Drake Merwin smile? She reached her hand up and wiped at his face, the movement making her wince with pain. "You had a little…" She signalled to her bloody face and he nodded, still just staring at her, speechless. "Well, if you'll excuse me, I'll be off to the nurse…" She said and, her face screwed up in pain, she pulled herself up and limped off. Drake raised and eyebrow at the girl he had lost his kissing virginity to.