Songs for the Chapter:

BAD- Michael Jackson

Smooth Criminal- Michael Jackson

King of the Mountain- KISS

{M A U R A}

I came down the spiral staircase with my head held high, and my pride even higher.

We were assigned uniforms, but I only ever wore the blazer. The rest of the outfit didn't go well with my fishnet stockings, Louboutins and tight Pink Floyd t-shirt. I knew I looked too good to eat, because well... I was.

My parents didn't even look up from their newspapers as I waltzed into the room with a Prada bag on one arm and my backpack on the other.

"Off to seize the day?" my dad asked, sipping his coffee.

"Oh yes," I replied with a smothered grin.

"Try not to break too many hearts," my mother said sarcastically. She was a nice woman, but her mousy brown hair and plain eyes never caught the attention of anyone when she was my age.

I jolted at the sound of a car horn, coming from our driveway.

My dad folded his newspaper with a mechanical smile.

"Oh. Your new friend is here to pick you up."

"What?" I scoffed in disgust.

My dad just looked at me, and my mom pretended to read again.

"We are not friends, there's no chance in hell I'd ever be friends with Jersey Man-whore trash! Make him go away. Besides, I always drive to school with Macy anyway."

"She called," my dad said frankly. "She has an obligation this morning, and says that you should go on ahead without her."

"On the first day of school?" I huffed. "Riding with the Teenage Dream. Perfect."

"Be nice," Mom said sternly. "He's our neighbor, so we must be civil. And calling people 'trash' is not lady like. I expect more from you, now."

The 'I'm a responsible mother' act was getting annoying. She was practically dripping with amusement, I could see it behind her eyes.

"Whatever," I growled under my breath and went stiffly to the front door. "I swear, If he says the word bought again in that stupid Jersey accent, I'm going to off myself."

"No dear," my dad said and turned the page of his newspaper.

I shut the door behind me. Waiting in the driveway was a shiny red sports car, purring as blue exhaust billowed out from underneath it. The Teenage Dream leaned against it, still wearing that stupid leather jacket and the goofy grin.

It dropped a little when he looked at me- replaced by a gaping expression of awe.

"My... God... Freckles, you are a breath of fresh air."

I rolled my eyes with extreme exaggeration and crossed my arms over my chest.

"Jeffrey-"

"Jon."

"Right. Jon, the flirting has to stop. You have to understand, I'm just... really not into your kind."

Both of his eyebrows raised in skepticism. "Is this your way of telling me that you don't date white people? Wow, I really thought better of you, Freckles."

"No! Why would you... how could you just... what the hell!" I snapped as I scurried down the stairs toward the car.

"Relax, I was kidding. Let's hit it, or we'll be late to school."

I stood there with burning cheeks as he laughed like a little kid, opening up the passenger's door for me. "Come on, let's go. You're one hell of a girl, you know."

"I'm not a girl, I'm a woman. And please stop flirting with me, thanks."

"Fine," he scoffed and steps aside. "Your chariot awaits, my lady."

I could see that it was no use trying to talk some sense into him, no way it would penetrate his mind through that shock of poodle hair. So I reluctantly approached the car and got in, irritated when he shut the door behind me.

He hurried around to the driver's side and got in. I locked my eyes on the window and decided I wouldn't talk to him the whole way.

He fiddled with the radio. "Any music preferences?"

"Hmm... how about anything but your band?"

He laughed out loud. My irritation grew.

We got to school and the place was teeming with unfamiliar faces. I felt nervous for about a half a second, but as soon as Jon pulled into someone else's parking space right as they were trying to get in, I felt alright.

It didn't matter who was there, I would always impress.

I got out of the car, and it was almost like my life was happening in slow motion. That familiar feeling you get when you know someone was just talking about you filled me, only a thousand times over.

"Wow," Jon said as we walked side by side toward the school. "It's like a movie or somethin'. I get you're really hot, but why does everyone always stare at you?"

I laughed pridefully. "You see, Jeffrey-"

"Jon."

"I'm the richest person here. It's just how it goes down here. Money is power. Also, I happen to be the most irresistable virgin around, but I don't know if that has much to do with it."

He looked at me in disbelief. "You're a virgin? You gotta be lyin'."

"No, I'm not. And if I was, it'd be none of your business anyway, since-"

"Maura, Maura! Alert, man-ho alert!"

I looked over in time to see Macy fighting through the throngs of people to get to me. Her face was a picture of worry and irritation, dirtected at the Teenage Dream. He looked pretty confused as Macy came and grabbed onto my arm to pull me away.

"Macy, relax."

"Can't you see you're talking to a complete Teenage Dream? Hurry, let's go before you catch a disease. Do you have a fever or something?"

"Damn, what's with you broads?" he scoffed.

"Don't worry, we'll be rid of him soon enough," I assured Macy.

"What? Why are we even dealing with him in the first place?"

I peered at him. "He's the Bongiovi's nephew. He just moved in next to me, and daddy's making me be nice to him. Don't worry, I'll get him aquainted with some of the other Teenage Dreams, and then he'll be our of our hair."

"You know I'm standing right here," he said, somehow unbothered. "I figured 'Teenage Dream' was a compliment at first, but you two are sayin' it like a curse word."

"Shh! Look!" Macy slapped my arm and pointed.

And the slo-mo continued. A group was approaching the school- that's the only way I could describe them. They crossed the street as one, dressed in mostly black. A few of them smoked cigarettes, others just looked scary.

They were headed by none other than Jax. He was stony faced as his hair blew in the wind and his fists clenched.

They screamed authority. Everyone became silent as they passed by on their way to the doors. I caught the eye of the only female accompanying them- she gave me a very dirty look and kept on walking.

Jon gasped audibly. "Who the hell are they?"

I tried my hardest to gain eye contact with Jax, but it was like he was going out of his way to avoid looking at me. That irritated me more than all the conversation I'd been forced through with the Teenage Dream put together.

"You're friends with them?" I asked Macy quietly.

"Oh yeah," she replied nervously, clearing her throat. "Yeah, they're pretty alright with me."

I turned to her. "Then you gotta help me get Jax," I whispered quickly.

"What?" Jon said. For whatever reason, he was still beside us.

"Why don't you scurry off?" Macy said. "Your new friends are over there, gawking at the freshman girls."

"You mean that guy who was leading those creeps? No way you wanna associate with that. He looks pretty creepy." Jon completely ignored Macy.

"Yeah, I can help you," Macy said, frowning at Jon. "But you're sure this is it? You want Jax to be your first boyfriend? I mean, everyone knows that you don't date, so why him?"

"It'll be the biggest challenge I've ever taken on," I replied giddily. "But if I know myself, I can do it. I bet you it won't even be hard."

Macy squealed with excitement. "Oh, I can't wait! You guys will be the hottest couple in the whole midwest, if not the entire country!"

She hooked her arm through mine. "You have Chemistry first period? We should go."

"I, for one, think this is completely idiotic. You don't need a plan to get a good guy to like you. Or at least you shouldn't."

Jon looked at me expectantly, jogging to catch up with us. Macy rolled her eyes.

"Save it," I tossed over my shoulder. "I know what I'm doing."

Walking down the halls, I got the exact same reactions. Macy liked to pretend they were for her too. She was beautiful, but she lacked the attraction of a virgin and the aura of a seductress.

Somehow, Jon (though he was a junior and Macy and I were both sophomores) was also in first period Chemistry. I cringed as he followed Macy and I into the room with nothing but a few pencils and a notebook. I cringed even more when I saw the girls in the corner of the room swoon for him.

For whatever reason, he didn't notice.

I nearly froze in my spot when I saw Jax and that other girl from before, isolated in a corner of the room. He pensively scratched the surface of his desk with a ruler, never bothering to look up.

"Come on," I whispered to Macy. I chose the desk diagonally behind him, and Macy sat on my right. Jax's female friend turned to sneer at us as Jon sat on my left, sighing.

"This is gonna be excruciating," he said, staring at the back of Jax's head.

"Tell me about it." I glared at him.

The bell rang and the teacher began attendance. I could practically hear Hot For Teacher blaring in the background as she paced before the class, wearing her tight knit sweater- though it was still 80 degrees out.

"Well, we're gonna go ahead and assign lab partners, it'll be a great way to get to know each other. Don't you think guys? We're gonna have a fun time, you know... makin' mixtures and concoctions! Alright, now lets get going."

I completely blocked her out and began gazing at Jax, at the way his hair fell down in such perfect curls... and how smooth his caramel complexion was- so oddly similar to my own.

"Maura Vanderbilt?"

"Hmm?" I asked dreamily.

The teacher blinked at me. "You're gonna be lab partners with Jon.... Bon... well, that's a mouthful if I ever saw one."

My heart sank. I guessed I wouldn't be mixing up any love potions with Jax any time soon.

"Bon Jovi. It's two seperate words, if you will," I mocked out of anger, and everyone in the room chorused with quiet snickers.

Jon only looked at me.

"Michael Jackson?"

The room was dead quiet at once. Jax hardly even lifted his head.

"Uh... you'll be partners with Vicki there."

The girl sitting beside Jax turned, smacking on a wad of gum. Her red lips curled upward to form a smile that came off as more of a grimace than anything else.

"You hear that, babe? Looks like we'll be cooking meth together."

He didn't smile, but he did kiss her.

My stomach dropped like a stone in a river as she glanced at me over her shoulder, and then went back to nonchalantly smacking her gum.

"You've got your work cut out for you," Macy whispered.

I wondered why Jon didn't say 'I told you so'.

{...}

Lunch time came around, and that's when I decided I was tired of the Teenage Dream. He was in every single class of mine but art- he later confessed that he could hardly manage writing.

Everyone worth looking at eats lunch in the courtyard, where the sunshine is bright and the girls are still wearing their summer short-shorts. Jon followed me like I knew he would as I started across to the other Teenage Dreams.

"Aren't you gonna get something to eat?"

"This slop? Hell no. I usually just go to the Bay after school."

"Hmm, sounds good. But I think I'll die if it's two o'clock before I eat anything. What are we doing?"

I approached the group of boys with a stony face, hoping that they would understand that I was in no mood for games. Josh (the leader of the Teenage Dreams) stood up and shook his bush of scruffy black hair.

"Miss Vanderbilt... you're lookin' like a picture today."

I chuckled and Jon scoffed. "A picture of what?"

Josh's dark eyes flitted to Jon. "Somethin' hot, I dunno. Who's he, Vanderbilt?"

I placed my hand on Josh's arm and he grinned, revealing those perfect teeth of his. His friends (identical to him apart from hair and eye color) rustled with excitement.

"This is Jon. He's from New Jersey, and he's gonna be your new friend. He's got a band called Bon Jovi, which also happens to be his last name."

Josh looked at Jon with a smile, which Jon did not return. "Aw, that's pretty sick man. I guess you're new to the city, but we'll take care of ya."

Jon was no longer paying attention. He tugged my arm and pointed to the center of the courtyard, swallowing nervously.

"Look."

Jax was standing in the center of the courtyard, surrounded by his group of friends from earlier. We were among the last to go silent- the reality of his superiority was still staggering. He didn't even need to get everyone's attention. He simply started talking, and people listened.

"Who here is the strongest, toughest person? I wanna see your face."

Silence followed. I caught a few hushed whispers, but for the most part, everyone was far too frightened to speak. Let's say the assimilation of the newer students wasn't going so well.

"Come on, I know you heard me! Who is it?"

Out from the Jock's corner came one ogre of a guy- I had no clue his name, but everyone knew who he was. He was the star of the wrestling team- 6'4 and more than a little built. He waddled right up to Jax and glared down at him.

"You want something?" his voice rumbled.

"Yeah," Jax grinned.

He clocked the wrestling star right in the jaw. I swear I felt the earth shake when he fell to the ground, moaning in pain and clutching his face.

My jaw dropped.

"I think you all get the message! I'm the strongest here now, and that means you all have gotta follow my rules! I'm top dog, so you'd better recognize!"

His friends nodded and murmured their agreement, scanning the crowd with harsh eyes for emphasis.

I'm sure everyone else was terrified. Me? I was more than a little turned on.

It only got worse when he spun on his heel and started toward me. I stood my ground and held by head up, more than a little irritated when Jon inched a little closer to me protectively.

Jax stopped about two feet from me. He didn't hesitate to give me a once-over, and then finally spoke.

"You're the reason I'm here, Little Red?"

I almost felt like thanking him for finally acknowledging my existence, but instead I kept my cool. As hard as that was.

"Yeah. And?"

He looked at me for a just a little while longer, saying nothing. Then he turned again, and walked out of the courtyard with his entourage in tow.

"You guys make a great couple," Jon muttered scarcastically.

"And you all will make friends!" I said, chipper for no reason. "Have fun!"

I turned and left Jon with the rest of his kind. Macy stared at me excitedly. She mirrored my enthusiasm, as always.

{A/N}

My apologies for the late update, I've got some stuff going on in my life.

Thank you to everyone for reading. Hope you enjoy! Vote and comment :)