Monday, Cafeteria, 7:44 A.M...

"So, you're all in then?" Alexa asked her boyfriend.

"Yup. We've got a name now and everything. If that doesn't make it official, I don't know what will." Price joked.

Right now, Alexa and Shane were the only ones at the table. Bliss had come to school a lot earlier than usual, so they seized the opportunity to spend some one on one time with another. At least for a little bit. They were sitting close to each other, with Shane putting his arm around her. Ya know, typical boyfriend girlfriend stuff. Price looked at his girl and thought of something that had been on his mind for a while.

"Hey, princess?"

"Hmm?" Bliss responded.

"I know it's kinda weird bringing this up now, but... Dude, I still haven't taken you out on a date yet."

That statement caught Little Miss Bliss off guard.

"I mean... we sort of went on a date when we out with Dean and Becky to Central Park that one time."

"Yeah, but I'm talking like, just me and you. No friends around or anything. Plus, that night ended with Dean almost getting stabbed to death, and all of us stuck in a police precinct, being interviewed by a detective. I'm not the most romantic guy in the world, but I know for sure that's not at the top of any girl's list of fantasies." He pointed out.

Alexa laughed.

"You've got a point. But, you don't have to beat yourself up about us not going on a date. It's not that big of a deal to me. Everything you've done for me these past few months more than makes up for some night at a restaurant or something like that. And not for nothing, we kinda skipped the whole dating first thing the second I... ya know... grabbed your Little Shane. Sorry about that, by the way. I was a little forceful."

"Alexa, trust me... I wasn't complaining then, and I'm sure as hell not complaining now. You can be as forceful as you want."

Bliss giggled and playfully smacked his arm.

"You're such a pervert."

"How the hell am I the pervert? Woman, you sexually ambushed me out of nowhere. One minute, I'm freshening up in the shower, and the next, I'm nutting in your hand. That wasn't my fault. If anyone's a pervert here, it's your little ass."

She gasped and put her hand over her mouth, acting like she was offended.

"Why, I'd never. Me? Little Alexa? How dare you, sir."

Shane didn't let up, however.

"Play the Little Alexa card all you want. Doesn't change the fact that you friggin ravished without even giving me a heads up first."

"Whatever. I'm still not taking full responsibility. Who told you to walk around all wet with just a towel on? I couldn't control myself. Any girl would've had the same reaction."

"Dude! Paige saw me jerking off! Like, full on masturbating, and even she didn't act on whatever sexual thoughts she might've had running through her mind. And she's the biggest pervert I've ever met in my life! So, what's your argument now?"

Price was now exactly where she wanted him.

"...You're still a pervert." She said, knowing that it would tick him off.

The blonde haired boy threw his hands up in the air.

"Damn dude. I just can't win with you, can I?"

Alexa smiled sweetly at him and playfully tapped him on the nose with her finger.

"Nope! And the sooner you realize that, the sooner you'll stop trying."

All Shane could do was facepalm and shake his head.

"Hey ya lovebirds! What's up?"

They recognized that voice immediately. Shane and Alexa turned around to face Price's new bandmates. They were both happy to see them, but Alexa was a little bummed about her one on one time with her boyfriend had ended so abruptly. She kept that inside, however.

"Morning, Ruby. Morning, Liv. We're not doing much. My girlfriend's over here trying to get under my skin." Shane told them.

"I'm not trying to do anything, lover boy." Alexa sassily said.

The ever so mischievous Liv showed interest in this.

"Really? Give a girl some pointers, Lexi."

Price looked at Alexa with almost pleading eyes.

"Dude, please don't give her any ideas. I'm gonna be spending a lot of time with her, and I'd rather not want to pull my hair out every 5 minutes."

The head cheerleader chuckled. (Try saying that fast 5 times.)

"Alright, I'll spare you... for now."

"That's all I can ask for at this point."

"It's fine, I'll come up with other ways to mess with ya. I always do." Liv proclaimed.

"As someone who's been friends with her since like 2nd Grade, she really does. I'll try to help you out, but there's only so much I can do." Ruby chimed in.

"That's right, babe. Liv always finds a way. You deserve it anyway for trying to feed us to death on Saturday."

Ruby grabbed her stomach and grimaced.

"Ugh, don't remind me. I felt like my gut was gonna explode. I'm surprised we made it outta there alive."

Shane got all defensive.

"Now wait a minute. You two kept asking me to make more food, over and over again. It got to the point that my dad yelled at me for using all the damn pancake mix when he finally woke up. You just kept on eating. I tried getting you to stop, but you didn't."

"Okay, okay... but in our defense, IT WAS SOOOOO GOOOOOOD!" Liv exclaimed sincerely.

"I second that. We apologize for ever doubting you." Riott told him.

This praise caused Shane to cockily laugh.

"Well, when ya put it like that... I guess I really can't blame you."

Bliss rolled her eyes.

"Don't let it get to your head there, Price."

"I'm not letting anything get to my head, princess. You know better than anyone how great my cooking is. You fucking love it. Don't deny it."

The interaction between the couple made Liv giggle and Ruby smirk.

"Whoa there. Are we still talkin' about food, or something else?" Morgan quipped.

That remark made Shane blush a bit.

"Yeah... let's not go down that route."

"Ha! Just found out one way to mess with you. Sexual innuendos, check. Anyway, we came over here cause we needed to talk to you about more band stuff. I'll let Ruby explain."

"Alright, so. If you haven't noticed, we're missing a piece of the puzzle here. We've got a frontman, we've got a drummer, and we've got a bassist. We need a person to play guitar to essentially complete the band."

"That sounds easy enough. There's gotta be someone who can play guitar in this school. We do have a music department after all."

"Yeah, we do... but there's only one guy there that plays guitar." Ruby clarified.

"Wait, what? Why?" Shane asked surprised.

"Apparently he's so good, he made everyone else quit. Like, he discouraged everyone from playing, cause they realized they'd never be as good as him... at least that's what he says." Liv said.

"Damn, that's kinda sad. Who is this guy?"

"He's a Junior named Elias Samson. He's got long black hair and wears a scarf all the time for some reason." Ruby informed.

"Okay, so this Elias kid is really good. I'm assuming we're gonna try and get him to join us." Shane said.

"You're almost correct... except the we part. We need you to do it." Liv said to him.

"Why just me?"

"Because you're the best at interacting with people out of all us. I admittedly can come off a little aggressive at times, and as you already know, Liv can be a handful."

"Hey, what can I say? Some people just can't handle me." She boasted.

"That's an understatement." Alexa jabbed.

Liv stuck her tongue out at Bliss mockingly.

"Okay then. No problem. Where can I find him, cause I don't have any classes with him, and I've never seen him at lunch." Price inquired.

"Best bet is to head down to the music room. He's usually there after school." Riott answered.

"But, heads up... He's kind of a dick." Liv revealed.

"Eh, I'm kind of a dick sometimes too. That's not a big deal."

Alexa spoke up.

"Yeah but you're only a dick in like a funny smartass type of way. Elias thinks he's some kind of musical god."

"So he's a little overconfident. I deal with Seth Rollins and Cody Rhodes on a daily basis, remember? Again, no biggy." Shane repeated.

"Okay, well don't say we didn't warn you. But, it's better you talk to him anyway. Rue Rue might punch him in the face if he pisses her off." Morgan said.

Shane laughed.

"Got you. Ladies, I shall do my best to recruit this man. For the Squad!"

Price stuck out his fist, and the two girls did the same.

"Now, if you all will excuse me, I need to go put my things into my locker and get ready for the school day. Ruby, Liv, see ya later. And Princess?"

He kissed Alexa on the cheek.

"See you in a little bit."

Shane then left, leaving the three girls alone with each other.

Liv giggled.

"That was so cute. Lexi, you're lucky. I kinda wish I would've gotten to him first."

Ruby hit her in the back of the head for that comment.

"Owwwww! Why do you always do that?!"

"Because you always say dumb shit."

Alexa laughed at the interaction between the best friends.

"No, it wasn't that dumb. I'd be jealous too if I missed out on him. Even if he is a massive cornball."


After School, 3:15 PM...

"Guerrero really kept all of us after the bell because she was mad. God, I hate that lady so much!" Alexa complained.

"I mean... you did call her an angry little gremlin in the middle of class. You're lucky she didn't give you detention, or worse." Shane rationalized.

"Ha, lucky. You forget how much influence I have in the stupid school. I may have stopped being a total bitch all the time, but I'm still rich."

Price laughed.

"Does that mean I'll never have to work a day in my life?" He asked jokingly.

"If you play your cards right, then yeah." She joked back.

"Shit, well in that case. Alexa, will you marry me?" He asked with the cheesiest smile of all time.

She got on her tippy toes and gave him a little peck on the lips.

"Slow down there, mister. Maybe in the future, but you're waaaaay too early."

"At least there's a possibility of it happening. And if not, dude, I've gotta say, the fact that I got to be your boyfriend is awesome."

Bliss smiled.

"In a weird way, that's kinda sweet."

"And in a weird way, I kinda love you. Now, I have a guitar player to go recruit. You wanna come with?"

"Nope. I'm gonna just go home." She said.

"Alright, princess. See ya."

"Bye. Oh, and..."

She curled her finger at him to tell him to bend down. He did, and she leaned over to whisper in his ear.

"Tomorrow night, my parents are gonna be out on a date. Maybe we can... get together and have some fun."

Shane's eyes went wide and he blushed. He didn't have to think twice about his answer.

"Yeah, yeah, sure, definitely. I'll come over."

Lexi chuckled.

"Later, Price."

She then walked away, smirk on her face and all.

"God, yes. Thank the Lord." He said aloud with his fists in the air.

As he did this, various other students were staring at him, confused by his erratic theatrics. (Ooh, that rhymes. Nobody steal that.) He soon was aware of all the eyes on him and instantly became embarrassed. An awkward wave and brisk walk later, and he was on his way to find Elias. Price headed down to the 1st floor where the music room was. Once he got there, he was surprised by the presence of someone he wasn't expecting. None other than the nervous wreck of a boy himself, Xavier Woods. Woods was standing outside the door with what looked to be a trombone. He had no idea that Shane was there, as he wasn't paying attention to his surroundings it seemed.

"Yo... Xavier?"

The nerdy boy jumped, nearly dropping his instrument in the process.

"Whoa man, easy. I didn't mean to scare you like that. What's up? I didn't know you did music." Price said, trying to calm him down.

"Oh... sorry, didn't see you there. Um, yeah. I've been playing the trombone for about 3 and a half years now. I help the music instructors with teaching beginners.

"That's really cool, X. You've got talent." Shane genuinely said.

That made Woods crack a smile.

"Thanks, man. So, uh, what are you doing here? Are you learning how to play an instrument?"

"Nah. Basically, to make a long story short, I'm in a band with Liv Morgan and Ruby Riott, and we need someone who can play guitar."

"You're in a band? Wow. Now that's cool. But, you said you're looking for a guitarist? The only one in the music program is..."

Shane cut him off.

"Elias Samson? Yeah, I know. He's who I came down here to see actually. So, where is the guy?"

"Oh he's not inside yet. He's... actually walking down the hall right now."

Low and behold, Shane turned to his left, and saw a kid walking down the hallway like Xavier said. He was wearing a black shirt, a scarf like Ruby had mentioned earlier, and almost worn out looking jeans. He just oozed smugness. However, Price wasn't affected at all by the vibe this dude was giving off. As soon as Elias came to the door, Shane was right there with a big smile on his face.

"Hey man, can I talk to you for a second? You're Elias Samson, right?"

Samson looked a little offended by that question, as if everyone in the school should've known who he was.

"Yeah, I am. Who are you, and what do you want?"

"Oh, I'm Shane Price. Look, I don't wanna bother you or anything, but word around school is, you're pretty awesome at playing guitar."

Elias scoffed.

"Duh. I'm Elias. There's a reason why no one else in the sea of morons we call the student body plays. Because they know that it's an impossible feat to even be half as good as I am. Now, get to the point."

"Sure. You see, I'm in a band, and we were looking for someone to be our guitarist. It's the last thing we need to be a complete outfit. And seeing as everyone says you're the best the school has to offer, we thought you'd be the perfect addition. So, whaddya say? You wanna be in our band, friend?"

The narcissistic guitar player looked Shane up and down for a minute, before laughing in his face like a jerk.

"Join your band?! Hell no! Listen here, kid. Elias is strictly a solo act. I don't need anyone else around me clouding my god given abilities and making me sound ridiculous. I've never even seen you before, but judging by the fact that you're over here talking to little geek boy Xavier, you must be just another reject trying to gain popularity or something like that. Well you're not gonna leech off of me to do so. Out of my way, poser."

Shane was taken aback by how big of a douche he really was.

"Alright, listen bro. All I did was ask you a question. You could've just said no, and I would've been okay with it. There's no need for name calling or anything like that."

Elias smirked.

"Oh, did I hurt your feelings? What are you gonna do about it, huh? Huh? Huh?"

With every "Huh", Elias shoved Shane. Now, Shane was known for his high tolerance of people and ability to keep a cool head. But this guy was just on another level when it came to being a Grade A fuckhead. His smile had faded away, and fists were starting to clench. Elias saw this, and his smugness only increased.

"You're gonna hit me, kid? I wouldn't do that if I were you. I am this school's number one musician. Meaning, I'm the main performer in whatever music related thing they do. You hurt me, and the administration won't be too lenient with your punishment."

All of a sudden, the sound of a female voice cut through the intense back and forth the boys were having.

"Mate, that means absolutely fuck all." She said.

Price and Elias both turned their attention to where she was, and tried to figure out exactly who she was. She was an athletic looking girl, about Shane's height, with half of her hair braided. Shane immediately recognized that she had an Australian accent. Another blonde as well, it seemed.

"Listen, Samson. I suggest you back off and quit runnin' your mouth."

"Oh God, not you again. Ripley, this doesn't concern you." Elias stated, annoyed.

"No, I think it does. Like I said, back off."

For a second, Elias looked like he was about to get up in her face. But, he second guessed himself. Instead he rolled his eyes and waved her off.

"Whatever. I'm going inside. Xavier, your idiotic students are waiting for you. Hurry up."

The egotistical musician then walked inside the music room.

"What an ass. You boys okay?" The girl asked.

"Th-Thanks Rhea." Xavier stammered.

She then went over to him and patted his afro while smiling.

"That's good. How about you over there?" Rhea asked Price.

Shane was in a way, enchanted by the site of the girl. Not in a romantic way, but by just how badass she looked. She was dressed from head to toe in black, had a nose piercing, as well as a lip ring, and just had this dominant aura around her. Basically, she seemed like a girl that you didn't wanna mess with. He couldn't help but stare.

"Hey. Hey! I said are you alright?"

Shane snapped out of his trance.

"Huh? Oh yeah, I'm alright. Jeez, you had him shook. I'm Shane, by the way. Your name's Rhea?"

"Yup. And I know who you are, mate. Everyone does. You're the new kid who basically saved the football team's season. Also, Xavier here told me some things about you."

"Really, dude? And what have you been saying? Nice things, I hope." He joked.

"Nothing but nice things, actually. He told me about the time you had him shoot the basketball during gym class and he made it. He says you're the reason why he ended up with my cousin."

"Your cousin?" Shane asked confused.

"Yeah. Emma's my cousin. I'm literally the only other Aussie in this school, unless you count from the cheerleaders. I moved here over the summer to live with Emma and her parents and start my high school career. And since Xavier's her BF, he's family."

"Well, that explains your relationship with X at least. What about Elias? Seems like he knows exactly who you are."

"Yeah, he's a fuckin insecure douchebag. When I first came here, I found the musical department and thought it was pretty cool. I've been playing guitar for a couple years, so I was gonna start getting involved. But, that's when I met Elias. He was so unbearable, mate, I swear. Such a prick. After a week, I left the program. The school tried to get me to come back, but I'm done with that crap."

"Oh, that sucks... Wait, you play guitar? Did you stop?"

"Well, no. I just withdrew from the program. I still mess around with it at home sometimes. I like annoying Emma with the noise from time to time."

"Yes! Dude, listen. You wanna join my band? We need a guitarist, and Elias was the only person we knew to ask. And since he's off the table, I'm not really sure where else to look."

"Sure, I'm in. Any chance I get to shred, I'm gonna take. Who else is in it?"

"Ruby Riott and Liv Morgan. You probably know Liv since she's on the cheer squad with Emma."

"Yeah, I know her. Little troublemaker she is. I've heard of the Ruby girl too, but I've never actually met her."

"Dude, you'll love her. She's a total badass just like you- oh shit."

That last part kinda slipped out before Shane could stop himself. He was a little embarrassed, and a slight blush started to form on his cheeks.

"Shit, my bad."

Rhea smirked.

"You think I'm a badass, huh? Can't say I blame ya. I'll see you later, mate. Meet me after school tomorrow."

"Okay. See ya, Rhea." Shane agreed.

Ripley then walked away, while Xavier and Shane looked on. Woods put his hand on his shoulder and patted it.

"She kinda scares me, but she's super cool."

All Price could do was nod in agreement.