The Scrimmage

"What's going on here?"

I was walking to first period when Aleistor finally caught up to me.

"My dearest raven, you have finally appeared before my longing eyes!" I ignored him and quickened my pace a little. At this rate I was going to be late for Mr. Spear's class.

"I heard that you were sitting in the cafeteria yesterday, I was filled with despair to know that I was not at your side! Tell me, my beautiful creature will you be at the same location today?"

"It's not very becoming of you to call a girl a creature." I scoffed. Aleistor looped his elbow with mine and pulled me closer to his side.

"Ah, my sincerest apologies! I mean creature not as in beast but as a definition of your otherworldly beauty." I cast a curious glance at him only to find that he was beaming down at me already. He was annoying me already and there was a pretty good chance that I was going to be late to Mr. Spear's class so I decided to mess with him.

"You don't think Victoria is prettier than me?" He stiffened for a second and faltered when my fast moving legs left without him; had he not been holding on my arm he probably would have fallen flat on his face. What a shame.

"Victoria is but a flower while you are the most beautiful of roses." He replied, a certain amount of strain in his voice.

"That didn't really answer my question. She could easily be the most beautiful azalea." Aleistor actually laughed at that, the opposite of what I was hoping to achieve.

"I see that you're well versed in botany, my beautiful rose. Calling her a poisonous flower that so eloquently describes her being, is not something I was expecting from you but I must say that I am pleasantly surprised." He began laughing again.

Disappointed that my mocking had accidentally pleased him, I ignored his comment completely.

"I'm going to be late for class if you don't start walking faster." I then gritted my teeth in annoyance as I realized I was still letting him hold my arm. However, since trying to get him to let go of me would cause even more fuss, in which case I would definitely be late- I swallowed down my displeasure.

"Oi! My apologies! The bell is soon to ring, isn't it?" He quickened his pace, and we began speed walking down the hall.

Surprisingly, the late bell rung barely a second after Aleistor opened the door for me and I rushed inside. He would surely be late, but it's not as if I forced him to walk me to my class.

Mr. Spears glared at me, but didn't look nearly as disgusted as he did yesterday when someone was late. Speaking of which, even he had made it to class before me. But seeing as he only just slapped a notebook onto his desk, he wasn't very much earlier. I took Mr. Spears silence as invitation to sit down and made my way to an empty seat off to the side of the classroom.

We went through the boring process of saying the pledge of allegiance and listening to the morning announcements.

"I see that everyone is on time today." Mr. Spears began, sending a disapproving look towards the blonde that was late yesterday.

"Today you'll be working on a practice test covering material you should already be familiar with. This does count for a test grade so please treat it as such." He picked a stack of neatly stapled packets and handed them to the person sitting in the far left side of the classroom. The person took a packet for themselves then passed it backwards.

"That means no talking whatsoever, no partner work, and no comparing answers. There are 75 questions. Some contain written response questions and prompts to create a graph while others are multiple choice. Once everyone has their tests there will be no talking permitted, so please ask your questions now, and mind you- if it is something I've already answered you'll be receiving a zero on this test."

Tests first thing in the morning? I groaned internally. Another loud groan echoed in the classroom. I was momentarily startled wondering if I had accidentally groaned out loud when I realized the sound had actually come from the troublesome blonde.

"Mr. Trancy! Do you wish to begin this semester with a failing grade?" The blonde ran a hand through his hair and slumped forward, resting his elbow on his desk.

"What? All I did was groan. You didn't say we could get a zero from complaining. Do we even have enough time to actually finish this? I mean 75 questions in 40 minutes? It's like you want us to fail." Mr. Spears scowled and pushed his glasses up on his nose.

He opened his mouth to speak, most likely to suspend the kid, when the classroom door suddenly opened. A woman that I recognized as the school counselor walked in. She walked quickly over to Mr. Spears desk and began talking to him in a hushed voice.

After a minute or so of that, Mr. Spears nodded stiffly and immediately walked out into the hallway.

The counselor, Ms. Paula, walked behind Mr. Spears desk and addressed us.

"Hi, everyone! Good morning! Mr. Spears had to run out to take care of something, so I'll be babysitting you all until he gets back! Do you guys know what you're supposed to be doing?" The majority of the class agreed that we did and Paula sat down at the desk.

The test packet, at a pause while Paula talked, finally reached me. I took one and handed the rest to the person behind me.

Flipping through the pages, I began to understand the blonde's discontent. There was practically no way all of this work was going to get done in the remaining time before the bell rung.

I was on question twenty-two when I heard the screeching of a chair being pushed out. I raised my head. The blonde had gotten up and was walking down the aisle next to mine.

He got to the chair right next to me, where a shy looking girl was sitting.

"Excuse me." The girl looked up, startled into a bright red face.

"Do you mind trading seats with me?" The girl looked confused but seeing as he was standing over her in an odd way and was already known as the trouble-maker in class she gathered her things quickly, nodding like a bobble head the entire time. Within 30 seconds she was reseated in his seat. Paula noticed the whole thing but said nothing, probably deciding it wasn't too much of a bother for her to need to intervene.

The blonde slumped into his new seat and his cologne, which smelled faintly like Aleistors, filled my nostrils unpleasantly. I glanced over at him from the corner of my eye but decided to ignore him.

"So… what question are you on?" He asked suddenly.

At my silence, he leaned across his desk to get a look at my paper, making me extremely uncomfortable.

"Wow… how are you already almost halfway finished?! Can you help me? I don't remember learning any of this stuff and I'm sure if I fail this Spears is going to fail me for every single thing this year. He already hates me." I sighed, realizing that he wasn't going to leave me alone unless I said something, and put my pencil down turning to look at him.

I was startled for a second as he was much closer to me than I had expected since he was still looking at my test and we immediately met eyes. I hastily adjusted myself so that there was an acceptable distance between us.

"Why don't you ask someone else to help you? I'm not interested in tutoring." He smiled brightly at me, catching me off guard.

"Just kidding. I couldn't give a rat's ass about this class. I'm sure even if I did do this test Spears would fail me anyways so I'm not wasting my time." I raised an eyebrow at him, and raised my chin in apprehension.

"So you came all the way over here to tell me that?" I asked, snidely. He looked almost abashed at that.

"Well… No. I just wanted an excuse to talk to you." I rolled my eyes at him and decided to get back to my work.

"I'm not introducing you to Claude. I'm not giving him any note or letter or any other gift, and I am definitely not giving you his phone number."

"What?" The blonde asked, perplexed.

"You're the one who was talking about how hot Claude is and how big his dick is, right?" The blonde blew out a low breath and I sighed in annoyance when I realized I had hit the nail on the head.

"Yeah, that was me. I'm sorry about that, it was totally inappropriate." I was hardly listening to him now, pouring as much concentration as I could into finishing the test.

"Nothing wrong with what you said. You're not the first and you definitely won't be the last." I mumbled.

"But," His placed his hand on top of my arm. "Claude isn't the reason I came over here. I just wanted to talk to you." I turned to glare at him only to find that once again he was too close.

"Why?" I snapped. The blonde shrugged.

"To apologize. Which I've done already and then to introduce myself. I'm Alois Trancy." He smiled again and his lip piercing shined in the light.

"Okay."

"Aren't you going to tell me your name?" Annoyance flared up inside me.

"Why should I? Don't act as if you don't already know it. Anyways, I'm not interested in whatever it is you're trying to do and you're distracting me."

"Oh. Right, okay, you still have half a test to finish. I'll leave you to it then."

...

"Ciel! Ciel!" Alois burst out once he spotted his blue haired friend sitting in their usual table in the cafeteria.

"What is it Alois?" Ciel asked tiredly, as he and Elizabeth took their seats at the already crowded table.

"I talked to Aria today! Looks like I'm going to win our little bet!" Elizabeth had begun to scowl as she fished her lunch out of her purse.

"I still can't believe you both decided to do something so vulgar. Not to mention offensive. Women aren't something to be won." Alois, irritated that Elizabeth was once again raining on his parade with her whole "better than thou" attitude snapped at her.

"Shut the fuck up, Elizabeth." She gasped in outrage and shut her mouth, setting the last of her lunch on the table angrily.

"Alois that was uncalled for." Finny chastised, sending a disapproving glare his way.

"You can shut the fuck up too, Finny." Alois snapped, sending an equally as disapproving glare to Finny. Mey-rin who had been listening, spoke her confusion.

"What bet are you talking about?" Ciel opened his mouth most likely to tell her that it was nothing but him and Alois ended up speaking at the same time.

"Nothing-"

"Whoever fucks Aria Tamburlaine first!"

That got everyone's attention.

"What?!" Soma sputtered at the same time as Finny, both of them looking between Ciel and Alois with wide eyes. Ciel sighed in annoyance and looked down, picking the crust off of his peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Bard, who was in the middle of wolfing down a hamburger, had begun to choke violently and Mey-rin worriedly slapped him on the back. Agni raised his eyebrows in surprise but said nothing. Thompson, Canterbury and Timber looked to Hannah to see how they should respond but seeing as Hannah was calmly sipping her tea she seemed to either not care or was pretending to not have heard so the three of them did the same.

"I seem to be winning. Though it's more of a race then a bet." Alois said with a smug smirk on his face.

"Ciel would agree to do such a thing?" Soma asked sounding both extremely confused and on the verge of tears. The rest of the group looked just as confused. Alois often tried to drag Ciel into his antics but Ciel had usually declined.

"Yup!" Alois grinned cheerfully. "He seems to have quite the crush. Too bad he won't be getting her."

Ciel remained silent, nearly finished with de-crusting his sandwich. Bard's surprise seemed to have worn off and he started barking with laughter. Everyone looked at him in shock.

"Alois did you just say you had a chance!?" He stopped as another wave of convulsions shook through his frame at the statement. "You're the one she heard talking about her brother's cock size! I'm pretty sure you're in the negatives with brownie points!" Bard laughed again. Alois flicked him off.

"But she actually remembered me from that! I'm sure she's heard people talking about her brothers all the time, but she remembered me specifically." Finny looked disgusted.

"I'm with Bard. Definitely in the negatives. I'd actually be surprised if she went with you instead of Ciel, Alois." Alois sucked his teeth in anger.

"Didn't I tell you to shut the fuck up Finny?" Finny glared at him furiously.

"Are you guys crazy?!" Mey-rin squealed, her own shock finally showing.

"You guys aren't good enough to even get her to talk to either of you! Besides haven't you heard the rumors that she's never dated anyone because of her brothers?! They, like, won't let her date anyone! So, she's probably a virgin! Which means double strike out! She would probably only agree to have sex with like a model… or wait maybe that's it! Why her brothers are so protective over her! Maybe they're all in love with each other and have threesomes every night~ oh my god they probably worship her body and-" Her nose started bleeding profusely. Bard rolled his eyes, and he pulled her along with him to the bathroom, Mey-rin babbling non-stop the entire time about her erotic fantasies.

Now it was Soma's turn to lose it.

"Ciel!" He was actually crying now. "Please tell me it isn't true. How could you bet a woman's body like that? A woman must fall in love with a man to be able to give herself. Would you really play with a heart so cruelly?" Ciel finally looked up from his sandwich tired of all the theatrics around him. He had known that they would react this way to hearing about the bet. He would have much rather preferred to have kept it quiet. But Alois just had to show off and prove that he was better. In hindsight, Ciel should have never agreed to this bet. He knew that since it was a bad idea it would end just as that; badly. But he got a bad taste in his mouth at the thought of Alois having something that he could not. He was superior in every way to Alois. He couldn't allow his pride to be trampled over so easily. That was the cause of the bad taste in his mouth. Right?

Suddenly angry, and wanting to be any place but at this overdramatic table he swiftly stood from his seat. Throwing his now crustless sandwich in the trash. He had suddenly lost his appetite.

"Ciel! Tell me that it is not true! Please!" Soma cried. Ciel glanced behind him to where the blubbering buffoon sat but accidentally made eye contact with Elizabeth who had been staring at him.

"Have you talked to her yet?" She asked, her voice calculated, trying hard to not let any emotion show in that one question.

Ciel clenched his teeth together and walked away. As he was storming out of the cafeteria he collided with another body knocking them both off balance and Ciel toppled down on top of them.

...

"So have you heard those rumors? I'm sure you have. That was a stupid question. But people are saying that you're going out with Aleistor Chambers!" Freckles was rambling once again. Our art teacher was out yet again and since it was basically free period Freckles had spent the majority of her time working on late homework but evidently she had finished and moved to sit across from me. Here I was thinking that today would be a nice, quiet day.

"Yes." I answer vaguely. My mind focused on the drawing in front of me, I remembered to bring charcoal pencils today so I was more than happy to get some actual art done.

"Yes!? Yes, what? Yes, you two are dating?! Then are the rumors that you haven't ever dated anyone just rumors?" Irritated by the very idea that I could be dating Aleistor, I press harder on the pencil than I intended to and as a result the drawing, a bare tree branch, is ruined. I sigh in frustration.

"Yes, I have heard the rumors. No, we are not dating. No, the rumors that I haven't dated anyone are not just rumors." I tear out the paper from my sketchbook and crumple it starting over again on a new page. Freckles launches into a frenzy and begins talking far louder than I would have liked. Everyone was still surprised that I was talking to her and to be honest I was just as surprised. Maybe it was because she was so relentless and talked whether I responded or not.

"What!? Out of all the rumors that was the most far-fetched… well maybe not the most, but I would never have guessed that one was true! Why haven't you? Does that mean you haven't ever kissed anyone? Or… you know? Well, I guess you don't necessarily have to be in a relationship with someone to do those things. Not that I'm suggesting you sleep around! You don't seem like that kind of person. But I mean if you do, I'm not judging you!" I look up from my drawing and give her a look, she stops talking immediately but after a few moments of silence she changes subjects.

"So isn't Aleistor on the cross country team? With Sebastian? Is that how you know him? You didn't say he was one of your brother's friends, though." I let out a scoff in an attempt to not burst into laughter.

"That's hilarious. Suggesting Sebastian and Aleistor are friends... I know Aleistor because he's in love with me and convinced that I'm the one with the crush. He hates my brothers." I begin drawing the outline of the tree again.

"What are you drawing?" I hand the crumpled piece of paper to her and shade the underside of the branch on the new drawing.

"This is good. What's wrong with it?" I check the clock, the bell will ring in any minute. I close my sketchbook and tuck it safely in my bag.

"I made a mistake."

The bell rung and I rose from my seat, surprising myself when I waited for Freckles who was totally unprepared to pack up her things.

When we walked out of the classroom to my extreme disappointment the man of the hour was waiting. I rolled my eyes at him and stepped out of the doorway so Freckles could see him and hopefully distract him.

"Oh my gosh! You're him aren't you!? Aleistor Chambers?! Aria you could have at least told me you were going to introduce him to me!" Aleistor looked taken aback by my company, which was to be expected because I'd never let anyone hang around me before.

"Ah- yes. I am." He held her hand, bringing it up to his face to plant a soft kiss on the back of it. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance….?" An awkward silence ensued as Freckles was too flustered to use her brain and realize that he was waiting for a response.

"Freckles." I answered for her.

"Freckles." Aleistor repeated, letting go of her hand.

"My beautiful rose," Aleistor began, looking over Freckles' head at me. "I hope you'll allow me to accompany you to lunch this afternoon."

I roll my eyes at him. "Even if I said no, you'd still come with us anyways."

"So...is it alright if I take that as a yes, then?" I begin walking towards the cafeteria, wondering if Freckles is too dazed to follow along.

"No."

"You're always playing so hard to get," Aleistor chimes, taking quick steps to catch up to me. "If only you'd just admit to yourself that you're interested in me we wouldn't waste so much time bickering." He quickly reaches out and takes a hold of my hand. No wonder so many rumors about us dating are going around.

"Stop," I snap, wrestling my hand out of his grip. "You're giving Freckles the wrong idea." I look behind us and see that she's following behind us slowly and her expression is full of starstruck-dazed wonder.

"I just explained to her that we weren't dating." Apparently that hurt his feelings because instead of properly responding he made one of his twisting-your-words-around-to-my-liking jokes.

"You were talking about me then?" He asks smugly with a grin on his face. I groan and walk faster to the cafeteria.

"She heard rumors that we were dating and I wanted to clarify that we weren't." Aleistor grins even brighter and slings his arm around my shoulder pulling me closer to him.

"But we could be, if you just admitted your feelings for me. I would cherish you every single day and in every single way." He mumbles the last part directly into my ear and then nibbles on my earlobe.

"Get off of me!" I snap, putting a little too much strength into my push and sending him falling towards the lockers. With a huff I walk even faster to the cafeteria thinking that maybe I should just plead for Sebastian to take me out to eat.

I get to the cafeteria first and, continuing to walk quickly because I don't want those two to catch up with me, look over to Sebastian's table only to see that there was nobody there. Feeling like an idiot, I suddenly remember that he told me they were going to eat off campus today and invited me to join them, and I had declined because spending my entire lunch period with Victoria either glaring at me or pretending that I'm not there didn't sound ideal.

Suddenly, someone knocks into me with their full force and I lose balance, falling backward onto the dirty cafeteria floor. The person who knocked into me then falls on top of me, successfully pinning me to the ground. I lay there with my head to the floor, in too much shock to move but not in enough shock to ignore the whispers starting around the cafeteria. The person on top of me seems to not realize that they are still laying on top of me, and I wonder exactly how long I'm going to be pinned under them and whether or not I should try to get a nap in.

After what feels like an eternity of waiting a surprised voice shakes breaks the shock of the moment.

"Oh my gosh, Aria!" Freckles declares loudly no doubt getting the entire cafeterias attention. The person above me visibly turns red in the neck though I can't see who they are just yet. They scramble off of me, in a way that's shockingly elegant given the situation, and offers a hand towards me.

"I am so incredibly sorry." The mystery person says, and I find myself looking into their eyes as they help me to my feet. Blue, sapphire and blazing like a freshly cut stones. It's him. The mysterious boy with the weird air around him. And of course it is, because him stampeding into me like an angered bull is the buttercream icing to my bad day. Though, despite his level voice he seems to be incredibly nervous and equally embarrassed judging by the increasingly red hue of his face. Suddenly, his hand is rising up to my face and the air in my lungs disappears as he gently plucks something out of my hair in a stunningly affectionate gesture.

"What's going on here?" Aleistor demands, he must have just gotten here. For some reason I'm now locked in a staring contest with the boy in front of me, I can't help but feel like I'm being challenged by a wild animal and if I look away I'll be admitting defeat. Luckily, I don't have to because he breaks out of whatever trance that he was in and rushes out of the cafeteria mumbling apologies as he goes. My eyes trail after him as he leaves.

"Oh my gosh, Aria! Are you okay?" Freckles cries breaking out of her shock, rushing over to me and brushing the back of my head in an attempt to clean my hair.

"Are you okay, Aria? Who was that?" Aleistor asks in a surprisingly worried voice. I blink a few times to shake away the weird fogginess in my brain.

What the hell was that?

And... scene!

Things are picking up finally, huh?

Anyways I didn't get too much feedback followers or otherwise on the last chapter! If you're interested please let me know! I don't want to lose momentum for this story- I'm still excited every time I post a new chapter! On a similar note thank you so much to everyone who has shown their support for the story and continues to read. I've got a lot more in store for you all!

Also, expect one chapter next month, these last few months have been a bit hectic and the little time I do have I spend doing everything but writing and I'm getting a bit too close to where I actually am in the story.

Thanks for reading!

(Quick note: For those not sports inclined a scrimmage is basically when you play against another team for practice in an unranked match but it also means a confused struggle or fight)