Chapter Three: Lying Games

Loras's Point of View

There is a Welcome Back dance this Friday night after the football game. Renly is now too old to attend the cut off is twenty. I am not sure if he would be comfortable with me attending the dance without him. But I really want to go.

On Wednesday, I find a note taped to my locker with a carnation attached to it. I scan the hallway looking for anyone suspicious. What is this?

You're so cute it drives me crazy. I can't stop thinking about you. Please accept this invitation to the dance. Meet me at half-time during the football game Friday. I will be waiting behind the concession area.

There is no salutation on the note, or any indication of a sender anywhere on it. The secret admirer cliché is getting really tedious. That was how Robb won Meera over. Maybe it's him. Maybe he finally realized he is in love with me. I stare at the note again. It's not his handwriting.

Quentyn Martell scowls at me when I walk past him. I stick my tongue out. He punches me in the stomach, and elbows me in the chin, then shoves me into a passing freshman and walks away laughing with his friends.

This is getting really annoy. If he has a problem with me he should just tell me. I am tired of being his punching bag. I put the flower in my locker for safe keeping and chase Quentyn down the hall. I spin him around to face me.

"What is your problem with me? Did I do something to offend you?"

Quentyn is of a height with me. He has dark, mysterious eyes that make his otherwise plain face more attractive. He sends his friends away so it's just us in the hallway with onlookers looking at us as they try to decide whether they should stay to watch or go to class to avoid detention.

"You have a lot guts standing up to me, I'm impressed," says Quentyn, grabbing my chin and looking at the bruise he gave me. I grit my teeth to keep from showing that I feel any pain from that jab he gave me.

"I'm not scared of you," I lie.

"You have pretty eyes," Quentyn says.

"Don't even try to flatter me. I'm still mad at you."

"I wasn't flattering you, Princess. I was being observant. I'd hate to blacken one of your pretty eyes."

I swatted his hand away from my face. Now I am really mad. He hits me and then has the nerve to tell me my eyes are pretty. Who does this creep think he is?

"You smell like peaches," says Quentyn casually.

"I don't understand you."

He opens his mouth to say something, but I am saved by the bell and I am late for class. I take off in the direction of my class and leave him standing there to face whatever consequences await him.

What did he mean I have pretty eyes? Why would he say that after nearly busted my chin? He is so confusing.

"What's with you today?" asks Meera at lunch.

I avoid her question and that is when I notice that someone in our group is missing and it only takes me eight seconds to figure it out. Maybe he is just late.

"Sansa, where's Robb?"

"He is sick. He was up all night vomiting and couldn't lift his head this morning."

"What about Torrhen, won't he catch it?"

"He's staying with Jeyne for the next couple of days until Robb is better and the germs are out of the house," says Arya.

"I hope he feels better soon."

That really sucks that he's ill. I wondered why I never saw him this morning or why I had to ride into school with Gendry or why there was no spiced tea with honey in my locker. After I figure out why my best friend is missing I spot Quentyn Martell chatting with his friends and my foul mood returns.

"Why are you stabbing your biscuit?" Meera asks.

"I hate that boy."

"What boy?" Arya asks.

"Is Quentyn still bothering you?" Gendry asks after swallowing his last bite of his third drumstick. It's fried chicken day at school. Robb loves chicken. I think the girls should take him some, but if he is sick he probably would not feel like eating. That's a giggle, Robb always feels like eating.

"He told me I smell like peaches," I say leaving out the bullying part, but Gendry gives me a questioning glance. Arya leans over and sniffs at me. I raise an eyebrow at her.

"You do smell like peaches," Arya says.

That's the last time I use Margaery's shampoo.

"Yes, but that's not the point. He shouldn't say stuff like that. I mean it's bad enough he thinks I have pretty eyes. I am so offended I can't eat. He ruined fried chicken day for me."

"Why would you be offended? It sounds like he was complimenting you," Meera says.

I roll my eyes. If that was a compliment it's unwelcome. I will show him what he can do with his compliments. I stab at my chicken with my fork until it's off the bone.

"Calm down, Loras," says Margaery.

I notice Quentyn staring at me from his table. When I spot him he shakes his head and begins talking to one of his friends as if he did nothing wrong. That stupid jerk thinks he can get away with bruising my jaw by giving me a compliment he has another thing coming.

But I suddenly remember the note in my locker and my attention shifts. The mystery behind the secret admirer temporarily drives Quentyn from my mind.

"Oh get this, I found a carnation taped to my locker this morning. It came with this note," I hand the note to Meera. As she reads it Margaery and Sansa look over her shoulder. When he is done she hands it to Gendry and Arya to read because their curiosity was getting the better of them.

"It seems someone has a crush on you," Sansa teases.

"I have a fiancé," I say pointing to my ring. Speaking of Renly, I wonder what he's doing right now. I wonder if he is thinking of me. The idea makes me smile. I really want to text him. I take out my mobile phone. The temptation to text my lover is overwhelming.

Me: I was thinking about you. What are you doing? I love you. XX

I do not get a response right away and it bothers me. While I wait I chime in on the conversation brewing at my table.

"Maybe this person doesn't know about your fiancé," Meera says.

"Maybe its Quentyn," suggests Arya.

I am very surprised she would be interested in this topic at all.

"Why would you say that?"

"Because he said you have pretty eyes."

"That doesn't mean anything, Robb thinks Loras has pretty eyes it doesn't mean he has a crush on him," Meera says.

"Robb thinks I have pretty eyes?" I ask feeling a little elated.

I get a text and forget about Robb liking my eyes, which is still very strange.

Renly: Sorry, I was fixing soup for Robb. Mr. Stark asked me to take care of Robb because he's sick. I'm glad you're thinking about me. I love you too. XXX

Me: Tell Robb I hope he feels better. I can't wait to see you. XX

Renly: I will. I have to run. Have fun at school, my flower.

I contemplate telling him about this mystery flower giver, but maybe I should wait until I get home.

"Quentyn Martell does not have a crush on me. That's so ridiculous. Why would he beat me up if he liked me? That doesn't make any sense."

"Actually, Loras, boys often tease girls when they like them," Gendry says.

"I'm not a girl."

The lunch bell rang and our conversation ended. My next class is with Meera, she talks all the way to class about how great Robb is. It's a nice change from the Quentyn has a crush on me theory, which I still think is the stupidest thing I have ever heard.

"He likes it when I call him Wolfy," Meera says. She stops walking. Wait, what did she say? Robb likes to be called what now? I have the fattest smile on my face when I turn to stare at her. She is blushing three shades of red. "I shouldn't have said that."

"Robb likes to be called Wolfy?"

"You can't say anything, then he'll know I told you and he'll be so mad at me."

"Oh he's never going to hear the end of it."

"Loras, you can't tease him."

"I won't," I say with my fingers crossed behind my back.

Oh this is gold. When Robb comes back to school he is in for some serious mocking. I grin all the way to class. The information about Robb's pet name is too good to keep secret. I text Gendry and we both vow to tease him until it's no longer funny after he feels better.

After class, I stop at a water fountain to get a drink when someone smacks my butt. Water splashes my face. I hear laughter over my shoulder, but I ignore it.

"Hurry up, will you?" says a familiar voice.

"I'm thirsty," I say, taking longer on purpose. My head gets slammed into the metal of the fountain and I get water in my eyes and my hair. When I raise my head it's slammed into the corner of the water fountain and blood falls into the drain.

I have a nose bleed. I tilt my head back as I try to find a bathroom, but I am followed through the door. At least he has the decency to let me plug my nose and wash my face before he accosts me.

"Why were you staring at me at lunch?" Quentyn asks.

"I wasn't. You were staring at me."

"Are you always this conceited, princess?"

"Stop calling me that!"

"Don't get your panties in a twist."

I try to leave, but he blocks me. I take a deep breath. If I fight him I could get into trouble and not be able to attend the dance. If I walk away he will only keep bothering me. What would Robb do? Robb would hit him. What would Renly do? He would outwit him. That does not seem too hard; his brain is the size of a peach pit. I am not as witty as Renly, so that rules that out. I am on my own here.

Before I have time to think about a course of action I am on the floor. I am done holding back. I run at Quentyn and throw all my weight into a punch. He slides in a puddle of blood that is still pouring out my nose. He regains his balance and comes at me. I slip in water and fall on the floor. He tackles me when I try to stand and we wrestle on the floor of the bathroom taking punches from each other. I punch him in the jaw and he steps on my chest.

He outweighs me, but I am able to hold my own for a while until he gets up and starts kicking me. That's when the fight is broken up. A couple boys came in to use the restroom and pulled him off me. I guess the blood scared them.

"Are you alright?" asks one of the older boys.

"My arm—everything hurts," I say standing up. My body feels like it weighs a thousand pounds. I lean into the upperclassman and he takes me to the nurse, while Quentyn is taken directly to Mr. Stark. The nurse gives me cold water to drink and finds a way to stop my nose bleed. She patches me up the best she can and sends me to see Mr. Stark.

"What's going on, Loras?"

"Quentyn's a jerk."

"He says you tried to grab his—he said you touched him inappropriately. Is that true?"

"No it's not true! He is lying. I would never touch him there, not in a million years. I wouldn't touch him there if he was the last living thing on earth."

I crossed my arms across my chest and felt the blood rush to my head. I was growing angrier by the second. I shifted in my seat and stared at the clock on the wall to take my mind off finding Quentyn and finishing what we started in the bathroom.

"Is there something going on with you two?"

"Yes, he's a jerk, and he won't leave me alone."

"I meant romantically."

"No. I just said no didn't I?"

"Calm down, Loras. I am only trying to figure out what's going on. There is no need to get hostile."

"A boy just jumped me when I was getting a drink of water and you expect me to be calm."

"I'm going to send you home for the rest of the day. You will have detention tomorrow. Is Renly available to pick you up?"

"I don't know. The last time I talked to him he was taking care of Robb."

"Oh yes, Cat's out of town visiting her brother, and I needed someone to look after him while he's sick. I will just call my house then."

I count the dots on the ceiling while Ned talks to Renly on the telephone. When they finish talking he walks me down to my locker to get my backpack and then escorts me back to his office to wait for Renly.

Renly seems less than thrilled to see me, where as I am so excited to see him I nearly grope him before we get out of the office. Fighting with Quentyn has made me really antsy. I grab Renly as soon as we are in the parking lot, but he refuses me.

I learn why when he opens the passenger door for me. Robb is in the back seat drained of color and looking really groggy. He slurs out what I make out to be a greeting. Renly puts a blanket over him. I notice Robb is clutching a teddy bear.

"I bought him that bear. We were at the drug store getting his medicine and he wouldn't turn loose of it, so I bought it for him. He's really a pain in the ass when he's loopy on cough syrup and painkillers," says Renly.

I laugh in spite of everything. Robb introduces me to his little bear friend. He calls it Loras 2. Renly says he had nothing to do with naming it, but Robb told him it looked like me. I guess I can understand. I had fluffy brown fur and brown eyes. He shrugs and starts the car. I buckle my seat belt and listen to Robb snoring in the back seat.

"Where'd you get the flower?"

"I found it taped to my locker. I have a secret admirer," I say.

Almost without thinking about it we both turn around and look at Robb who is sound asleep with the little bear near his head. I look at Renly.

"Are you mad?"

"No. I am just thinking. If it's not Robb playing a trick on you then I have some competition and I'm not sure I like that."

"I'm not going to meet up with him," I say.

"Oh yes you are. I am dying to know who it is. You have to meet with him."

"Are you seriously telling me to do this?"

"Hell yeah! You're not the least bit curious? I just spent the last six hours taking care of a sick, very drugged out seventeen-year-old, and you're getting love notes. This has been the highest point of my day; you are not taking that away from me. You're going."

"Fine, I'll meet him. But let me tell you, my day wasn't that great either. In case you forgot, I was in a fight."

"You sure got your ass kicked."

"It wasn't a fair fight. I don't want to talk about it. Oh but get this, Meera told me Robb's pet name."

I glance over my shoulder to make sure Robb is still sleeping. Renly seems eager to hear it. I lean over and whisper just to be safe. Renly bursts out laughing.

"You've got to be kidding," Renly says.

"Nope. So are we going to tease him or what?"

"Is the sky blue? Of course we're going to tease him, but when he feels better."

"Of course, I'm no monster."

Hey guys, it feels like it's been a while since I updated. Wow, can you believe 2012 is almost over. I would have written this chapter sooner but I was distracted by watching River Phoenix movies and having a Merlin marathon at the end of October to write any chapters. Hope you enjoy.