MORE THAN THAT
Chapter Fourteen

Jack arrived at school with Tommy and Christina the next morning. He wasn't in the mood to be in school at all. Most of all, he really did not want to see Rose, either. Unfortunately, he sat in front of her in homeroom and history.

"There goes those two lovebirds, making out!" Tommy said as they saw Fabrizio and Hannah making out in front of Fabrizio's locker.

"Maybe I should have kept my locker on the second floor, instead of moving it down here!" Jack said.

"See, Jack? I told you. Second floor is a great place to have your locker. Especially since most of our classes are on the second floor," Christina commented.

"Yeah, and more importantly, we get to share our locker with each other." Tommy took Christina's hand in his.

The three of them walked up to Fabrizio and Hannah, who weren't paying attention to anything.

"You guys have some decency and take your tongues out of each other’s mouths!" Tommy yelled to them. Fabrizio and Hannah broke apart from their kiss. Hannah's face was red.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah! Like you and Chris don't sneak off into the library to get some alone time!" Fabrizio said.

"See, Fabri, the difference is they make out in private!" Jack said. Fabrizio rolled his eyes at him.

"I’ve got to go to my locker now. Wanna come, Hannah?" Christina said to her friend.

"All right. I think us girls should get away from these boys," Hannah said. All three boys rolled their eyes. They walked off, laughing with each other, as the boys looked on.

"Anyway, Friday night Hannah's parents are going to Florida for their anniversary or some shit like that. They won't be back until Monday night! So we all can hang there," Fabrizio told Tommy and Jack. "She would have a party, but she just prefers us. Doesn't want anything crazy going on."

"Like you two don't get crazy enough with each other, just by yourselves," Tommy joked.

"Oh, please! You act like you and Chris are the innocent couple!" Fabrizio shot back.

"At least you guys have somebody," Jack said, opening his locker. His friends could hear the sadness in his voice.

"You'll have somebody soon enough, buddy!" Tommy patted Jack's back.

"Chicks dig you!" Fabrizio said.

"Really? Who?" Jack asked.

"Nicole Bessett, Liz Hutchinson, Pamela Parker, Vivian James, and Katherine Baker," Tommy answered for him.

"All those girls are hot for you! We see them looking at you with lust in their eyes!" Fabrizio said. Tommy nodded his head in agreement.

"I don't know, guys. I'm not sure if they're my type," Jack said.

"But a snobby girl who gets beaten up by her boyfriend is?" Tommy asked. Jack sighed.

"Because you can always get with a girl like that!" Fabrizio said sarcastically.

Just then, they saw Cal and Rose walking along with their high class crowd in their direction. They were all laughing at some cruel jokes Cal was making, or something really cheesy. Rose just smirked at his comments.

"The stupid laugh at the supreme asshole's corniness!" Tommy said out loud as they passed by. Jack and Fabrizio snickered at the comment.

Cal turned around and walked over to them. Jack gave a big gulp and Fabrizio stared blankly. Tommy had his arms crossed and smiled as Cal stood face to face with him. Tommy wasn't intimidated one bit.

"What did you say?" Cal asked. It was obvious that he was angry. He looked at Tommy with hatred in his eyes.

"I called you a supreme asshole! Why? Am I suppose to be scared of you or something?" Tommy asked. Tommy started to pretend to be frightened. "Oh, I'm shaking in my boots. The snobby rich kid is gonna threaten me!" he said, holding his hands up.

Cal gave a small laugh. "You think you're funny, don't you?"

"Whoever said anything about being funny? It is true when I called you an asshole."

"I think you may wanna take that back."

"Why? You're gonna beat me up like you beat your girlfriend up?" Tommy asked, stepping closer to Cal.

"Shut up, Tommy!" Rose yelled to him, rolling her eyes as she stood right behind Cal.

"What? I'm telling the truth, aren't I? Your boyfriend's a fucking psycho!" Tommy yelled back. Rose looked at Jack, who was staring at her, then looked back at Tommy.

"You don't know what you're talking about!" Rose yelled.

"Right, and those bruises would be from where, exactly? Throwing yourself into the wall? I won't be surprised if the next time I see you you’re six feet underground."

Rose tightened her fists, and her face grew red with fury. She lifted her hand up, about to slap Tommy, but was stopped by Christina, who was holding her wrist.

"What do you think you're doing?" Christina asked.

"Don't touch me!" Rose pulled away from her.

"Right, because that's Cal's job!" Christina said.

"Why don't you mind your own business?" Rose asked.

"Fine. But if I see you in a coffin, I know who did it." Christina shot a look at Cal.

"Oh, you people think you're smart. You're a bunch of shit!" Cal said to all of them.

"You're talking for yourself," Christina said.

"Right," Cal said. He leaned closer to Christina and whispered into her ear, "Spic!" and walked away with his arm over Rose's shoulder.

Christina was outraged and had to be held back by Tommy. "He's not worth it, Chris!" Tommy said.

As Cal passed by Jack, he ‘accidentally’ shoved Jack into his locker. Jack turned to look at Cal, whose back was facing him. Rose turned her head and quickly took a look at Jack as he looked on.

"I can't believe the nerve of that guy!" Hannah said.

"He's gonna get it one day," Fabrizio said. "At least you stood up to him, Tommy! Not many people would stand up to him like that."

"He's an asshole. I wasn't gonna lie to him," Tommy said as Christina stood in front of him, his arms wrapped around her waist.

"I hate him. I thought Rose was better than that. I guess not," Christina said.

Jack closed his locker and picked his book bag up off the floor. He really didn't have anything to say.

"Let's just forget about it. We'll all have fun at my house on Friday. You can all sleep over. Hayley won't mind. I'm sure she will be with her boyfriend," Hannah said about her older sister.

"I'm kind of hungry. Let's go to the cafeteria while they still serve breakfast," Christina said. They all nodded their heads in agreement. Rose and Cal stared at them as they walked by, only to be greeted by Christina, who gave them the finger.

*****

"Jack's in the cafeteria, right?" Christina asked Hannah as they checked themselves out in the bathroom mirror.

"Yeah. He said to meet him there," Hannah answered.

Just then, Rose stepped out of a bathroom stall and washed her hands. She looked into the mirror next to Hannah's and fixed her hair. The two girls stood in silence, putting on their lip gloss. Rose was uncomfortable with the silence and saw from the reflection of the mirror that Hannah was looking at her from the corner of her eye.

"If you have anything to say to me, say it now!" Rose said, turning to face Hannah. Her hands were on her hips and she tapped her foot. Hannah turned to face her as Christina stood by her side.

"I just think it's funny how you try to hide your bruises with makeup," Hannah said.

"What are you gonna do? Give me makeup tips?" Rose asked sarcastically.

"I think what she is really trying to say is that you're stupid!" Christina said. Hannah covered her mouth to not reveal that she was laughing.

"Excuse me?" Rose asked.

"Look, Rose, you're a smart girl. However, when it comes to Cal you're a big idiot! Guys in general!" Christina yelled at her.

"I don't know who you think you are, but you don't have the right to talk to me that way!" Rose yelled back at her.

"She's just telling you the truth, Rose. Don't get all bitchy!" Hannah stepped in.

"Shut up!" Rose yelled at Hannah.

"Don't tell her to shut up! Lucky I have her to stick up for me, unlike some best friends I used to have!" Christina said.

"Are you mad at me for not being your best friend anymore? Because that is so lame! That's so first grade!" Rose rolled her eyes at Christina.

"I'm not mad at you for that. I'm just mad that you sold yourself to the devil. I'm mad that you turn on me the first year of high school. That you didn't even bother to befriend Hannah when I introduced you to her. You turn on me to be with all those rich kids, because I don't have money like your family. It's a sad thing." Rose didn't know what to say. It had all been true. "Maybe that's why you won't give Jack a chance. He doesn't have money like your greedy, asshole, psychotic boyfriend. Come on, Hannah. Jack’s waiting for us," Christina said. Hannah followed Christina out of the bathroom.

Rose looked at herself in the mirror and started to feel disgusted with herself. Christina was right about everything. She never had even thought about the way Christina felt. Now she knew and it hurt to know. Rose truly did miss Christina as a friend. The only friend she had ever really had. She had messed things up and she wished she could get it back now. A tear slid down her cheek and she quickly wiped it away. She felt more tears to come so she ran into a bathroom stall. Here she cried for the rest of the period.

Chapter Fifteen
Stories