The Broken Girl and The Golden Boy

You've Got Problems

Chapter 2: Justin

Damn! I will never understand girls. Especially not that girl.

Piper.

The bell rang two minutes ago, and she's still wandering the halls looking totally lost. I could barely hold back a laugh when her eyes got all wide at the idea of being late to class, but I didn't. Mostly because right after that, she started to cry.

Did I really want to help a girl who hated me for no good reason? I looked at the tears streaming down her face and made my decision. 

"Hey, Piper," I called.

"What do you want?" she sniffled, hiding her face, "Did you skip class just to mock me?"

"As tempting as that sounds," I replied, sarcastically, "I'm actually here to help you find your class."

"Why?" she asked, turning to face me with teary eyes.

"Because you need my help," I answered simply.

Her face flushed red with rage and she screeched, "I don't need anyone's help!"

"Suit yourself," I shrugged. Just as I started to leave, she mumbled, "Maybe just this once..."

"I'm sorry, what?" I said, hiding a grin.

"Maybe..." she winced as if the words caused her actual pain, "I could use some help... just this once... please."

"Okay," I smiled, "Do you know what class you have?"

"If I knew that do you think I'd be standing here talking to you, dumbass?!" she snapped.

"I didn't mean the room number," I sighed in exasperation, "I meant something like the teacher's name or the subject or something like that."

"Oh," she muttered, looking a bit guilty, "Well, um, I think I had Mr. Warren's English class."

"This way," I said, gesturing for her to follow me. I headed down the hallway and turned left, Piper trailed behind me the whole way. "We're here," I announced. Piper nodded slightly and stared down at her feet. She mumbled something under her breath that I didn't quite catch and walked past me into the classroom.

"You're welcome," I grumbled to the empty hallway. I headed down the hall to the music room and luckily, it was completely deserted. I picked up one of the school guitars - since being a musician was considered a disgrace in my family. As my dad put it: "A musician is just asking to sit on a street corner and starve. They're no better than common criminals." So instead I was going to be some lawyer or doctor - after I went to college on a football scholarship, of course.

I snorted in disgust as I strummed the first few chords. I think I'd lost my touch a bit over the summer. After I fiddled with the tuning pegs for a minute, I played the first few bars of Let Her Go and I sang along for a while. I started and restarted a couple of times until I got it just how I wanted it. After that, I just let myself go and got lost in the music.

Before long, the bell rang and I put the acoustic guitar back on its stand and went out through the side door so no one would spot me. I spent the next two periods listening to my new AP teachers drone on about AP standards. Nothing new there.

Finally, the lunch bell rang and I pretty much ran out of my AP English class. My friends Steven and Chris were already sitting at our lunch table by the time I got there. The lucky bastards had their free period right before lunch.

"What's up, Justin?" Chris called, propping his feet up on the plastic picnic table.

"Nothing much," I shrugged, plopping down on the bench across from him.

"Oh really?" my friend Liv asked as she claimed the spot next to Steven, "Because I heard that you were partnered up with Piper Breen for chemistry."

"Ouch," Chris shot me a sympathetic look.

"It's not that big of a deal."

Steven and Liv raised their brows in disbelief, but they didn't comment. Chris, on the other hand, has never been able to keep his opinions to himself.

"Are you serious, man? That chick is nuts!" he exclaimed, loud enough that everyone on the quad could hear him.

"Who's nuts?" Ian asked as he and his girlfriend, Lindsey, sat down next to me.

"Piper Breen," Liv supplied.

"She's not nuts," I defended her, "She's just kind of... afraid."

"Psycho-bitch is afraid?" Chris snickered, "Of what?"

"Of assholes like you," I spat back. I didn't know why I was getting so angry at him. She was just some girl and Chris... well, Chris had been my friend since second grade.

"What's the matter with you today?" Chris asked.

"I don't know," I sighed, dragging my hands over my face.

"I think I know," Liv sing-songed, "Justin's in loooove!"

"Shut-up, Liv," I rolled my eyes, "I'm not in love with Piper Breen. She's obnoxious, rude, and..." I paused noticing my friends' eyes widening. "She's standing right behind me, isn't she?"

"Yes, she is," Piper answered bitterly as I turned around. "I was going to come over and say thank you for helping me find my class, but I wouldn't want to ruin my rude, obnoxious reputation!" She stomped off before I could say a word. I cursed under my breath and stared at my friends. I was torn between wanting to apologize to Piper - because I really did feel bad - and staying where I was - because I hated to make Liv think she was right.

Finally, the nice guy in me won out and I got up to chase her. Liv smiled smugly, but I ignored her and raced across the quad after Piper.

"Piper!" I called when I got in the building. She was storming down the hall, and I could see her shoulders tense up when she heard my voice.

"Go away!"

"I just wanted to say I was sorry."

"Oh my god," she finally turned to look at me, "You think that makes it okay?"

I nodded uncertainly.

"You've got problems!" she shouted in my face, Then she stomped off again.

I said it once, and I'll say it again. I will never understand girls.

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Author's Note:

Yes, it's short. I'm trying people. I'm also sorry about the long wait, I slapped myself when I realized how long it had been. But the past is the past, and if you guys hate me there's nothing I can really do about it, now can I?

On a different note, what did you guys think of the characters? Who's funny, who's stupid, who's rude... etc. Who really has problems?

I'm shooting for a new chapter next weekend, but we'll see :) That's about it for me, folks... until my next update!

~ Elizabeth

p.s. Pic of Sadie Breen. She's a cutie, isn't she?