Hello everyone,

Here is another chapter you. Thank you the reviews I appreciate them all.

Enjoy.

Chapter Seven:

Randy enters the school just in time for the announcement that there is an assembly right now. He is confused, however, proceeds to the gym. He tries to look for AJ and John to inform him on this sudden assembly, but they are nowhere to be found. Jack sees him and waves him over. Randy reluctantly goes over because he might know the whereabouts of his friends. After everyone is settled, the principal, Mr. Michaels heads to the front.

"Hello students, first of all, will Randy and Jack please head outside into the hall. Ms. Silver will direct you to your place." Mr. Michaels announces. Ms. Silver waves her hand for both Randy and Jack to follow her. "Thank you. Now during the assembly, on the first day, we went over the school rules. These rules are for the protection of teachers, students, they school and yourself. With very detail and legitimate evidence, a couple of students have broken those rules." Everyone is in shock whispering on what and who it could be. "Before we let you know on what, who, and when, let us go over the rules again." The gym atmosphere is full of groans as the slideshow plays.

In the hall:

"Ms. Silver, what is going on?" Randy questions as he gets impatient on not getting any answers.

"You will find out soon." Ms. Silver informs him not comfortable in repeating the situation.

"Jack, can you tell me?" He asks looking at him.

"Sorry man." He shrugs not wanting to relieve it either.

As they turn the corner, Randy sees John on crutches with AJ all nervous. She didn't want this to happen in front of the whole school.

"John! AJ!" Randy calls out running to them.

"Randy!" AJ runs to him to give him a hug for comfort.

"John?" He looks at him while he pats his best friend's back. He is officially puzzled on what happened when he was gone.

"Randy, our teammates attack me. After you dropped us, we start to head inside. During that, our Main QB stopped us and starting beating us, well only me. There was four that attacked me while two held AJ back." He explains his reasons for crutches.

"Okay." He only says just being speechless that it happened. "Are you okay? Of course not, you are on crutches." He sighs at himself for not being there for them when they needed him.

"You can't leave us again." AJ holds on to him tighter.

He takes her face to meet his. "I am not going anywhere. I will make all my appointments after school from now on." He rubs her cheek. As he does he notices she make-up on her thumb. AJ covered her bruise with the help of Ms. Silver not knowing herself how to. When he looks back at her, he notices the bruise on her cheek. "You told me that they didn't attack her." He examines her cheek getting angry. Whoever did this is in big trouble with him.

"They didn't. AJ stand up for herself. She kicked the main QB in the jewels." John chuckles, even though he didn't actually see it.

"That is my best friend such a fighter." He smiles being proud of her. They have both showed her some physical defensive tactics that she can use when they are not around.

"Well that didn't take too lightly with his best friend. He backhanded her as a lesson to respect them. After that they just left a bit scared if I recall correctly. I think they knew that AJ getting hurt was seriously bad." John explains.

"That is right. They are in big trouble with me when I see them." They can see the same facial expression that they have seen when he yelled AJ, which is not good.

"Randy, don't hurt anyone. That is not the answers, please just leave it alone." AJ puts on a sad face.

Randy sighs not wanting to anymore pain on his best friend. "Fine, I will not hurt anyone. It is just one more piece of the puzzle unsolved. How did Jack become a part of this whole scenario?" He inquires looking over at Jack.

"John couldn't stand on his own weight." AJ starts out of Randy's embrace. "I needed to get help and I couldn't leave him, so I called out. Thankfully, Jack saw me and helped us to the nurses' office." AJ smiles hugging Jack.

"Thank you for that Jack." He says uneasy with how AJ hugs him. "You two aren't dating are you?" He inquires with a smile happy that she has some beside them to get comfort.

"Maybe." They both chuckle. "We don't know yet." Jack responds being AJ close as she blushes.

"Well congrats or soon-to-be congrats, you've landed a great girl." He smiles to see his best friend happy. "Next topic, what did the nurse treat?" Randy turns around to look back at John for the answer.

"I have two bruise ribs, a black eye with a cut open eyebrow, and a busted lip." John discloses.

"Damn, so this assembly is about who did it?" He tries to put the pieces all together.

"I don't know what this is about." John is also puzzled. "Ms. Silver just was told to me us meet here. No one saw them beat me up, so I don't know why he wants an assembly." John responds.

"Umm… I shouldn't say this, but Mr. Michaels got some legitimate evidence of the attack from a student. He is going to public announce that if the attackers don't reveal themselves he will show the video." Ms. Silver discloses to them.

"Who is the student?" They all ask.

"I don't know. I just got this news from the secretary." She shrugs now in the same boat as them.

"Well, when we find out we are going to invite said person to a 'Thank you' party. Jack you are also invited." Randy declares.

"Thanks Randy."

Inside the gym, the slideshow is finished. "Since you are all refreshed on the rules, I want to bring out the victims in this situation." He announces with the lights back on. John with AJ by his side joins Mr. Michaels at the front. Everyone is gasping and whispering on John's appearance. "John and AJ were at the end line of an attack by six of your fellow students in front of the school." The whispers start again on who it could be. "Of course, John got more of the hits as AJ was held by two of the six guys. Yes the students were male. For standing up for herself, AJ got backhanded in the cheek." AJ just sneak behind John feeling very uncomfortable. After a few call outs when they left, another student came to help. Please come out now." Jack joins them as he hugs AJ. "This is Jack, a sophomore at this school. He helped John to get treated by the nurse. After checking him over, John has two bruise ribs, a cut eyebrow with a black eye, and a busted lip. Now these actions have consequences. The consequences are given by the role they play in the attack. Before I tell you who they are, I want them to reveal themselves. It will lessen their consequence if they do." He looks around to see if anyone stands up. "Maybe this will convince you to reveal yourself. A student who saw the attack live recorded the whole thing on their phone. The video was showed to me. The student is willing to show this video again to all of you. So to clarify, if you don't show yourself, we will expose you to the whole school." Mr. Michaels warns. No one stands up. "You have five seconds to stand up before we show it." Again no one stands up. "Randy, please come in and see the video." Randy joins them as John is given a seat to sit down. "The video please and thank you."

The phone is hooked up with no one yet knows who gave it. The video plays what actually happened. Randy's blood boils as he looks over to the football players involved. They are all shock and frightened by Randy's expression. After the video ends, everyone looks at the six football players.

"How do you know that video is not pre-made?" Kourtney defends her boyfriend. AJ just roll her eyes along with Jack.

"And how do you know it isn't?" Mr. Michaels challenges. Kourtney is speechless. "You can't so sit down." He orders as she does. "The assembly is dismissed. Everyone may go except for you four and the six football players involved." He announces to everyone.

"I'm not leaving him." Kourtney refuses not seeing this being fair to them.

"You are and you will or you will be in detention after school for a month. That means no cheerleading or parties." He warns. She just huffs as she walks with her arms crossed.

"Mr. Michaels, I'm sorry, but do we get to know the student who recorded the video?" Randy questions.

"The student chose to be a secret until wanted to. Please respect the student's decision and privacy." They nod in approval.

"All of you." He looks at the Main QB as he nods as well. "Now you six apologize to John and AJ sincerely."

The Main QB starts, so the rest can follow. "We are sorry for attacking you two on school grounds." Mr. Michaels clears his throat not accepting the apology. "I mean at all." He pretends to smile. "We are sorry for the injuries that we caused." He nudges his best friend. "I'm sorry for backhanded you AJ it was uncalled for."

"Thank you gentlemen, now let us award you your consequences." The six football players follow their principal.

"Now what do we do." Randy turns to them.

"We got to class, best friend." AJ laughs.

"We don't get a break for his injuries." Randy is shock just using that as an excuse.

"No Randy, come on we are going to class." She pushes him out.

"Aww man." He chuckles being pushed by her. John chuckles as well following his friends.

"John!" Jack calls out joining him.

"What's up Jack?" John stops for Jack to catch up.

"They are not dating are they?" After seeing their interaction he is doubt that they have anything romantically involved.

"No, they are just best friends since forever. Don't worry there are no romantic feelings there." He pats his shoulder.

In the evening:

Randy is at AJ's house to keep her company. Well, that is the excuse Randy made up. He doesn't want to leave her side anymore.

"Randy, are you hungry?" AJ's mother wonders cooking dinner.

"I'm okay Mrs. Lee I am going to eat at my house." He informs her.

Mrs. Lee looks at him looking at AJ. "Randy, she will be okay. She is a tough girl."

"I know but-"

"But you think that if you were they this wouldn't have happened." He nods. "They would have gotten both of you or find another way. You shouldn't bring yourself down like this." She advises.

"I just feel so guilty. I am her best friend and I let her down." He sulks.

"No more guilty and you didn't let me down. We are best friends and not my protector. The difference is that I can stand on my own two feet and protect myself. You are supposed to have fun, laugh, and support me as it is reciprocal. Now we need to move on like what did you say to Stacey?" She smiles making the atmosphere a bit lighter.

"Stacey, who is Stacey?" Her mom asks.

"Remember the tall girl with the long legs that is the one." AJ explains to her mother taking a cookie.

"AJ, no eating cookies before your dinner." She authorizes seeing her. "Anyways, I do remember. She is nice and cue. You have a crush on her, Randy?" This makes Randy a bit fluster.

"Maybe yes, but AJ says that she is dating a boy, an older boy." Randy changes the subject. He knows the dating rules for AJ.

"Randy!" He runs as AJ follows, but her mom calls her to come back.

"AJ, who is this guy you are dating?" She stops to crosses her arms.

"It is someone in my comic book club. He is a year older than me." She crosses her arm not believing Randy brought it up.

"Mrs. Lee, thank you for letting me stay I'm leaving." Randy calls out as he sneaks to the front door.

"Good go before you say something else." AJ is angry at her best friend.

Randy chuckles at her body language. "I will see you tomorrow AJ."

"Thank you Randy. You have a safe ride home." She calls out waving bye. "You know your daddy has to meet him first before you date." Her mother turns back her attention to her daughter.

"I know and we are not dating like Randy said. He just wanted out of the situation. He is coming over next Friday for dinner." She informs her.

"I know what he did. I have known him as long as you do, so I know his tricks as well. On the other hand, that doesn't mean you can keep secrets from us missy. It is good that you have another friend beside them. I can't wait to meet him." She continues to cook.

Randy gets to his house to have Stacey leave it. "Stacey, what are you doing here?"

"Ask your parents." She sighs watching him enter his home.

His parents are waiting for him on the couch as he enters. "Mom dad, what's wrong?"

"Your friend, Stacey, dropped this off for you." His mother hands him the phone used at the assembly.

Randy unlocks it to see a video, he presses play. It is the video of the attack. He looks up at his parents. "Go to her son say sorry." His father advises as Stacey told them what she did. Before Randy joined AJ, he called his parents about the situation that happened to John and AJ. Stacey coming over is the last piece of the puzzle.

"Thanks dad I will."

"But don't be out too long you both have school tomorrow." His mother warns.

"I won't be." He runs outside to see Stacey on the sidewalk. "Stacey!"

She looks at him as he smiles. This is the Stacey that he knows being kind and sweet. She runs to him as they share this first kiss. Randy carries her into his arms.

"I'm sorry Randy for being so cold." She rests her head on his shoulder finally being back to where they were.

"Me too." He brings her in again for a kiss. "Do you want to sit with me on the swing and watch the stars?"

"I would love to." She sits next to him all curdle up as they watch until his parents call him in. If they didn't he doesn't know how long they will be out there.

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