Justin quickly pulled his head back to the table and smiled awkwardly at Alex.      "Is something wrong?" She asked, about to turn around and see what Justin was looking at. He quickly grabbed her hand and got up out of his chair.

      "No, everything's just fine. Let's dance." Before she could answer he pulled her onto the floor, farther away from the guys at the other table. He made sure her back was to them. He slowly pulled her as close as he thought best and then started to sway to the melody of the string quartet. Alex was rigid in his arms but she slowly relaxed and started to move along with him.      After dancing for a few minutes, Justin led Alex back to the table. They sat there in silence for a few minutes and then Alex excused herself to go to the bathroom. Justin watched her walk away and when he turned back one of the guys was sitting at the table.

      "Well, well, well...I didn't know you had it in you." Seth spoke, his voice sending chills down Justin's spine.      "What are you talking about?" He asked, doing nothing to hide his distaste for the man.

      "Alex...everyone knows how rich she is. But I must say, good luck man. I tried to get with her once, let me tell you, she's a tight ass in more than one way." He smirked and Justin wanted to gag.      "I don't know what the hell you're talking about. I'm out with Alex because we're friends."

      "Sure, whatever you say man. But I didn't come to talk about that. I just wanted to warn you that you're pissing a lot of people off, and if you want to keep your social status you better wise up." He gave Justin a smug look and it was all Justin could do to not wipe it off his face.      "Get out of here."

      "We're not finished yet Justin, and if you do get any...I want details." He smiled slimily and walked away. Justin shuddered but quickly composed himself as he saw Alex approach.      "Hey. Are you ready to go? Suddenly I don't feel so good." He stood up and grabbed her coat for her.

      "Yeah, sure. Are you OK?" She asked as he helped her slip into her jacket.      "Yeah, I'm fine. Let's just go home." He smiled at her and she took his arm as they walked out the door.

 Justin led Alex to the parking lot and they had almost reached his truck when the group of guys came over to them. Justin felt Alex's grip tighten on his arm and he hurried to get her to the truck.      "Where do you think you're going?" Seth stood in their way, blocking their escape to the door.

      "We just want to go home man. I don't want to start anything." Justin pleaded, knowing he was out numbered, and that he didn't want to fight.      "Yeah, well I think we have a little unfinished business." His face wasn't that close to theirs, but it didn't take a strong wind to know that he had been drinking. His eyes were glassy and he swaggered when he walked.

      "Seth man, you're drunk. You don't want to do this." He had long since let go of Alex's arm and placed himself in front of her.      "Yeah, maybe not. But I wouldn't mind doing that." He pointed toward Alex and started walking forward. "Come one baby. You know you want some of this." He pointed to his chest and tried to push past Justin.

      "Leave her alone Seth." He placed his hand out and stopped the young man's advance. "Alex, get in the truck." She quickly followed his orders and he relaxed when he heard the click of the door lock. 

      Justin staggered backwards and fell onto the ground. He had been caught off guard by the blow, and now he was in a vulnerable position. Seth walked quickly in his direction and he closed his eyes and boot made contact with flesh. The boy continued to kick Justin a few more times before he stopped. He sneered down at the guy on the ground and then stepped hard onto his left hand. The sound of cracking bones could be heard in the silent parking lot. Seth spit at Justin and then took off with his friends in the direction of his car.      Alex waited a few seconds to make sure they were gone before she flew out of the truck and to Justin's side.

      "Oh my God." She whispered as she saw the beaten state of this boy. Justin's breathing was labored and his hand throbbed. "Come on Justin, let's get you home." Alex lifted his right arm and helped him up as best she could. She led Justin carefully to the truck and placed him in the passenger's side. His hand was bleeding pretty badly, and there was nothing near to put on it, so she grabbed her jacket and gently placed it on his hand. After making sure he was as comfortable as he could be, she started the truck and raced home.  

       "How are you doing?" She finally asked, the silence getting to be too much.       "I'll....I'll live." His voice was breathy and forced. Alex didn't ask anything else, knowing that it must have been painful for him to speak.

 Ten minutes later they pulled into Alex's driveway. She turned off the truck and sat for a second, calming her nerves. Justin shifted and then stopped, a sharp pain ripping through his stomach.        "Don't move, I'll go get your sister to help me get you inside." Justin nodded and she jumped out of the truck, running quickly into the house. A few minutes later she and Jess came running back out, and Justin had to smile at the sight. Alex in her high heels, trying her best not to trip, and Jess looking as if she had just been aroused from sleep. His door opened and both girls helped him slide out of the truck. They slowly made their way into the house and then to the living room. Alex and Jess set Justin down on the couch and Jess ran to get towels and ice.

       "Let me see your hand." Justin's eyes looked up at her and he was about to protest, but the look on her face stopped him. Slowly he lifted his hand and Alex started to remove the jacket. "This might hurt." She warned. He flinched a bit when the cloth was moved from the cut but it wasn't as bad as he had imagined.       "I found some stuff in your bathroom that might help." Jess announced as she came back in the room. She dumped her find on the couch next to Justin, and Alex took the wet washcloth and started to clean his cut. Justin winced as she poured a little peroxide in the cut and he watched it foam.

       "How does that feel?" Alex asked, checking the cleanliness of the wound.       "Um...better, I think." He tried to move his fingers but found that the pain was too strong. "I think I broke something." He chuckled, but stopped when he met Alex's worried eyes.

       "I'm sor..." She started but his brought up his other hand and placed a finger on her lips.       "Shhh. Alex it's not your fault. They were drunk, and I'll be fine. It's just a flesh wound..." He watched as a smile twitched on her face. "Don't feel guilty about this please." Tears started to well in her eyes but Justin wiped them away before they could fall.

       "I just can't stop thinking about the fact that they were upset because you were with me."  Justin sighed.       "They were just jealous that I was with the prettiest girl in the school, and all they had, were their beer bottles and each other. You had nothing to do with this Alex, don't ever think that." She sniffled and nodded.

       "How's your stomach?" She asked, eager to change the subject.       "It hurts to breath, but I think I'll be alright."

       "You should go to the hospital." Jess spoke up for the first time since entering the room. Justin and Alex looked up at her but Justin shook his head 'no.'       "I'll be alright. I'll go to the doctors tomorrow, but right now I just want to sleep." He announced. “Jess, will you please just take me home." She nodded and started to move but then stopped.

       "That might be a problem. You're truck is a standard. You know I can't drive that thing."        "Justin, stay here. I have plenty of extra rooms, and I'd feel better knowing that you're OK." She felt terrible for what had happened, and she wanted to make sure he was ok. She glanced over at Jess and then spoke to her. "You are more than welcome to stay too, if you want."

 Jess had seen the happiness in Justin's eyes when Alex had offered for him to stay, and she also saw the pleading he was doing now. She knew that he little brother had started falling for this girl, and that he wanted time to wear down her shell...and if Jess was there, that couldn't be done.       "Actually...I was going to go over Ben's house, if that's all right with you Justin." She knew what his answer was before he said a word. The look on his face said it all.

       "No...That’s fine." He answered, relieved that she wasn't staying.       "I'll just call Ben, so he can come pick me up."

       "Hey, Jess...Could you have Ben grab me some clothes?" Jess looked down and saw the slight blood stains on Justin's shirt and nodded.        Alex glanced at Justin and then led Jess into the kitchen and grabbed her phone. She was about to leave when Jess gently grabbed Alex's arm and stopped her.

       "Alex, he's right, you can't blame yourself for what happened. Justin's a good guy Al, and he doesn't hold a grudge, don't worry about what he thinks of you. I've lived with my brother for 18 years now...I know when he likes someone, and believe me girl, he'd jump off a bridge for you right now. Relax Alex, and be a teenager for once, OK?" She offered a friendly smile and Alex nodded meekly.       "OK." Jess went back to her phone call and Alex went back into the living room. She smiled a little when she saw Justin, fast asleep on the couch, his body curled into the most comfortable position he could find. She went over to him and gently shook him. "Justin...Justin wake up." She watched as his eyelashes fluttered slowly open and he smiled at the sight of her.

       "Mmm?"       "Do you want to go upstairs and get cleaned up? You can take a shower; Ben should be here with your clothes soon." He nodded and she helped him off the couch and over to the stairs.

       It took them a while to slowly forge their way upstairs, but after many minutes of struggle, they had made it. Lucky for them the bathroom was right at the top of the stairs.        "Here...I'll start the shower and get you some towels, just hold on a sec." Justin gingerly sat down on the toilet and watched as Alex frantically moved about the room. He smiled to himself, forgetting about the pain as his eyes danced over her slight frame. She was beautiful. There was no denying it, and to be honest, he didn't want to. He had never seen her in anything but jeans and button down shirts, and to see her in that black skirt that hugged every curve was enough to make him appreciate the female species just a little more.

       He knew she was getting flustered at his intense gaze, but he didn't care. He couldn't take his eyes off of her, and he wouldn't mind if the whole world knew. A little later, Alex started the shower to let the water warm up and she grabbed some towels from the cabinet under the sink.       "Here you go. I'll have Jess bring your clothes when they get here." She then quickly skirted out of the room and let out her breath when the door was closed. She placed her hand over her heart and was amazed that the walls weren’t vibrating with each pulse, it was racing fast enough. Alex took a few deep breaths and then headed back down stairs to say good bye to Jess.

  Alex searched everywhere and was baffled when she couldn’t find Jess anywhere, and just as she was about to call out, she spotted a pile of clothes set on the chair near the door. A note was set on top that simply said “Justin’s clothes” and that was it. Alex picked them up and carefully carried them upstairs. The shower had stopped and she knocked lightly, afraid that she would scare him.          “Uh…Justin? I have your clothes.” She heard a muffled come in, and she carefully opened the door, enveloping herself in a cloud of steam.

          “Thanks Jess - Oh, hey Alex.” Justin smiled and noticed that Alex was staring wide eyed at him, her mouth slightly agape. He strode over to her as best he could and tapped her jaw lightly.          “Careful, you might catch flies that way.” He smiled a million dollar smile and gently took the pile of clothes from her arms. Alex seemed to shake herself from her daze at his last comment and she swallowed hard.

          “I…I ah…You…I’m…” She stuttered, obviously flustered because Justin was standing there in noting more than a white towel wrapped loosely around his waist.           “Alex…I need to get dressed, and although I wouldn’t mind having an audience, I don’t think we’re quite ready for that step in our relationship yet.” He chuckled slightly when she raced from the room, her cheeks a bright red. 

 Alex made her way into her room, silently berating herself for being so stupid. He was Justin for God’s sake. He was the captain of the basketball team, and could have any girl he wanted…and he was in her bathroom, in a towel. She hit herself in the head one more time before locking her door and getting changed.