Her World (TMC Fanfiction)

Chapter 8

Evelyn (continued)

"Yes, my name's Kaiden," he said, in his strange accent. "What do you want?" Evelyn was watching from across the hallway, ready to intervene or call for help if either group needed it. But it turned out that the newcomers were more than capable of handling themselves. Avery, who was one of the most stuck-up slobs in the school (and, unfortunately, one of the most popular and feared), stalked towards Kaiden and put her finger underneath his chin.

"Oh, so you're trying to play smart, aren't you?" she laughed, but it was the most horrible sound anyone could ever hear. Her sudden move grabbed the attention of the rest of Kaiden's friends, who jumped defensively to his side, glaring daggers at Avery and her crew. Alex looked as if she was trying not to leap over and gouge Avery's eyes out, but the red-headed girl and the tall, dark skinned guy were both holding her back. Kaiden's eyes flitted over to Alex's, and they both shared a look for a while before she relaxed slightly, the both of them having finished their eye-to-eye conversation.

"I'm not trying to be smart, and anyways, if you were the one trying, you would be able to tell that it was a mistake approaching us. We can fight, you know."

Avery scoffed, along with her friends. "Yeah right," she said, in between bouts of laughter, "you really think that I would believe someone like that pathetic girlfriend of yours would actually be able to defend herself?"

Kaiden's features darkened as Avery, with her finger still under his chin, insulted Alex, his girlfriend. Alex herself snarled at the older girl's comment, before striding over and hoisting the other girl off the ground with her hand at the back of Avery's collar. "You think I can't defend myself?" she hissed, receiving shocked squeals and whimpers from Avery and her gang. When she wasn't answered, Alex tried again. "Do you really think that I can't defend myself?"

Evelyn heard gasps from Alex's friends before Kaiden, who was now not trapped with Avery so close to him, walked forward to stand next to Alex. Their eyes met, having another silent conversation, before Alex released Avery, who was being a drama queen and complaining about her hair, clothes and her poor shoes, which apparently Alex had 'stepped on'. Avery, still not having learnt her lesson, looked at Kaiden with big pleading eyes and a pout so fake it made Evelyn (and Alex's group, she could see) want to puke. "Kaiden," she said, her eyes tearing up with fake tears, "surely you're a gentleman, right? You should really put your girlfriend," she spat the last word before realising she had to keep up her act, "in her place." Her fake cute-but-failing-puppy-look was clearly not working on him.

"Bear, could you, you know..." the tall dark-skinned boy, whose name was Declan, Evelyn learned, said, looking at the smaller boy who looked like Alex's brother. So, Evelyn knew Declan, Bear, Kaiden, and Alex, but she didn't know the names of the blondie and the red-headed girl, both who were clinging on to each other, his arms around her waist and her face slightly pale as she saw two of her friends standing up against some unknown stranger.

Bear, responding to Declan's earlier unfinished question, "no. Better not risk it. After all, new... um, surroundings."

Declan nodded at his boyfriend's answer before yelling over to Kaiden, "Come on, Kaid, put her in her place! You too, Alex." The others cheered.

Avery's face paled as both Kaiden and Alex strode towards her, looming above her as she was slumped against the wall where Alex had dropped her. "First of all, what's your name?" Kaiden asked Avery, and his tone told her that if she didn't answer, or if she lied, she would be sorry.

"Avery. My name's Avery," she replied, her voice slightly wavering.

"I know how to settle this," Alex said, a dangerous twinkle in her eyes. "Avery, are you good at sports? Running, in particular?" Alex glanced back at her friends, who seemed to catch onto whatever she was doing, and the blondie even gave her a thumbs-up.

"Of course, I'm good at loads of sports, especially running. In fact, since you asked so nicely, I'm one of the fastest runners in this school," she said, flipping her platinum-blond hair.

Alex grinned. "Great then. I, Alexandra Jennings, along with Kaiden James, Bear Ronnigan, Declan Stirling, Jordan Sparker and Delucia Cavelle," she pointed to each of her friends as she said their names, "challenge you, Avery, to a running race."