2.1 - Popular from a distance cont...

Dean had one more opportunity lend itself to talking to the new girl later that same day when she was walking alone from her locker and heading outside for lunch. He knew the basketball guys were already in the gymnasium so jogged up behind her and fell into step beside her. She casually glanced up, probably thinking it was one of her friends, and he grinned down at her, sweeping his hair back from his eyes.

"Hey again."

She stopped walking and looked around with a strange frown on her face. "Hello?"

"Do you have a minute?"

"For what?" Her frown deepened and she avoided his gaze.

His jaw clenched a little in annoyance, she wasn't reacting like most girls, most girls would be bouncing on their toes to accept five minutes with him, in fact there were already about six girls watching them right now trying to evaluate what was going on and why was he talking to the new girl. Was that her problem?

"Are you embarrassed to be seen with me?" He asked in reply.

She looked up at him a little wide-eyed at that and then her eyes scanned the area as she pouted. "I just don't want anyone to get the wrong idea."

"Wrong idea about what?" He stuck his hands in his jacket pockets and leaned his weight back on one leg.

"Whatever this is..." She turned and started walking again. "I have to go..."

"To the gymnasium?" He asked as he once again stepped into line with her.

"Yeah..." She glanced up at him with a real curious expression.

"Why do you always have to do what your brother wants?" He asked sounding a little more annoyed than he intended, but he was annoyed and she clearly heard it as she stopped walking again and leveled a little glare at him, her green eyes looking fierce.

"What do you want?" She demanded.

He stopped and faced her, looking away over her head for a moment as he sucked his teeth before dropping his gaze to hers. "Do you have a problem with making friends?"

"No." She spat with a hard tone.

"Perhaps you aren't allowed to make friends with boys, is that it?"

"Seriously, you want to be my friend...why?"

"Why do you ask it like that?" He frowned down at her. "You make it sound like I'm public enemy number one..."

She shuffled on her feet looking uncomfortable with that and looked away with a small pout. "Sorry, I don't mean it like that...it's more..." She tucked her hair behind one ear, her mouth twisting. "...I mean, you're like...you, Dean Mathers...look around every girl is watching you, I don't need the hassle."

"Who cares about them and their petty little minds?" He grumbled.

"Me...the one trying to make new friends..." She bit back sacastically.

He chuckled a little vexed laugh, licking his tongue over his teeth. "Well, touche."

"So can i go...?" She turned and walked off not waiting for an answer.

He folded his arms and glared at her back for a moment. "Fuck..." He muttered, that didn't go well. He definitely needed to find some way of getting her away from those damn basketball freaks.

He turned and walked off in a different direction, ducking through between buildings and out to the fields. He raced around the edge of the fields to where a couple of bench seats were situated in a small area that was popular for people to sit and wait for the jocks to leave the gymnasium.

He sat down and stretched his legs out, crossing his ankles just as Aria appeared at the intersection of pathways leading down the slight incline to the gym. He watched her with a smug smirk on his face as she startled to see him in front of her. She paused in her steps, turning to look behind then looking back at him with a curious frown before letting out a huff and walking towards him with her head down like she was planning to walk straight past him.

Which she fully intended to do.

She felt his gaze boring into her as she walked, and as she came adjacent to him she could see out of the corner of her eye that he pulled his legs in and leaned forward, his elbows on his knees, his gaze still firmly fixed upon her and he clucked his tongue.

"Really?" He asked bitterly.

She stopped just past him and let out a very audible sigh as she raked her fingers through her hair, picking it all up into a ponytail then dropping it all over one shoulder as she turned to face him. "Look, I'm impressed you beat me here, but are you seriously stalking me right now?"

"Stalking you?" He chuckled incredulously. Was this girl serious? "How do you know I wasn't heading in this direction the whole time...maybe I just wanted to walk with you, but you clearly didn't so I went my way and you went yours...but I can show you the short cut if you like..." He tilted his head as he sat up, giving her a sexy little grin.

She smiled, amused, dropping her gaze and shuffling her feet for a second before looking back up at him with her bottom lip rolling under her tongue. Dean was mesmerized, that little action was clearly natural but was sultry as hell as her eyes lifted back up from under her long lashes.

"Yeah, okay...not like I could prove any different..." She replied with amusement.

"Hmm..." He snorted. "Exactly, I'm just waiting for my friends...we usually hang out over through there..." He pointed to the throughfare he disappeared into earlier that day.

She looked over and he could see she was realising that where she had been drawing that morning was that way. As if on cue a good-looking blond guy popped out of the throughfare and looked around, spotted Dean and seemed to go to call out but saw her and stopped.

"Seems your friend has arrived..." Aria said quietly, ducking her head shyly as Mark had started grinning, leaning against the wall and watching.

Dean grumbled something under his breath and stood up, stepping close to her. "Okay, I have to go now...but when you see me around you can say hi, don't be so shy." She had lifted her head to look up at him as he stepped closer and he bopped her with his forefinger right on the tip of her nose with a devilsh grin before turning and walking away.

She gaped at him.

Did he just boop me?

She turned away towards the gym feeling like she should have responded...she looked back with a frown and saw him and his friend bumping fists before turning into the narrow throughfare. The friend's gaze lifted as he turned and hit her with a strange little smirk. She turned away quickly, avoiding eye contact and tossed her hair defiantly before stalking off to the gym.

Mark chuckled as Dean walked behind him and into the throughfare. He pivoted around and followed. "Well, well, twice in one day...are you going steady?"

"Shut the fuck up..." Dean growled, leaning against the wall and taking his cigarettes out and lighting one up.

"I did call it you know..."

"Hmm..." Dean snorted as he inhaled and exhaled a cloud of smoke from his cigarette. "She's incredibly shy...seems my reputation proceeds me..."

Mark laughed. "Aww...poor you. Is she not interested in dating the bad boy?"

Dean gave Mark a lethal glare from under his fringe of black hair, his eyes icy death. Mark chuckled, looking away and lighting his own cigarette.

"Talking of such..." Dean said.

"What, being a bad boy?" Mark grinned mercilessly.

Dean rolled his eyes. "Fuck's sake...what's happening with that Todd dick and his crew?"

"Doesn't seem like they have quit..."

"Alright, looks like we pay him a visit then...where do they generally hang out after school?"

"Jerry Pond, or at the back of the Cemetery...off York St."

"Okay..." Dean looked up as two other guys walked up. "Perfect timing, I need eyes on Todd Bradshaw when he leaves today and need to know if he's going to Jerry's pond or the old softball diamond..."

Hamish glanced at Tony with an eyebrow raised. "He must be talking to you..."

Dean chuckled. "Way to shift the work..."

Tony huffed. "Yeah...all good."

"So he didn't quit hassling Willow then?" Hamish asked with a concerned tone.

Dean's eyes sparkled with a deadly intent. "No."