The Bad Boy Kissed Me *ON HOLD*

Twilight

I'm totally having my Bella Swan moment from Stephanie Meyer's Twilight. You know, when she arrives at school with Edward and everyone's like, Oh, my God . . . Edward and Bell-a.

Gabe's arm tightens around my shoulders, and he smirks down at me. "That makeup does nothing for your pretty blush."

I'm not very good with makeup, but I tried to cover as much as I could. Surprisingly, Anna had come to help. She had some creams and tools for swelling and then she did my eyeliner, saying it would distract from the swelling on my nose. It's not too bad. I think all the effort Gabe put into icing me every fifteen minutes did wonders.

"Everyone's staring," I whisper.

"Good." He stops at the bottom of the steps that lead to the main entrance Seniors use at school and removes his arm only to cradle my face and lean down to kiss me full on the lips. It's not the intense, need to rip my clothes off kiss, but he still nips my lips and pushes his tongue in to deepen it.

Okay, maybe he does want to take my clothes off right here in front of everyone.

I mean, I guess . . .

He ends the kiss with a throaty groan and takes my hand. My dreamy grin draws more stares from our classmates. Some still cower because it seems Gabe doesn't like them gaping at me. So he throws them a mean glare, but it only makes me smile more.

"Gabe," someone drawls, and I look at the top of the stairs and see Mr. Juarez. He looks between us, raising a brow as his lips curve up. "It's about time you made a move, boy."

"I know you're not out here congratulating me," Gabe says, stopping. He glances at the other students with his menacing scowl before focusing on his uncle. "What's up?"

"I'm here to escort you to in-school suspension for manhandling Heather yesterday. It's that, or her parents press assault charges."

I gasp, squeezing closer to Gabe.

He scoffs, slipping an arm around my shoulders again. "Assault?"

Mr. Juarez sighs. "You can't grab someone like that, Gabe."

"She had her hands on me. I was defending myself." He laughs, rubbing my back and fixing the hood of the hoodie I'm wearing–his black hoodie, to be exact. I know everyone will recognize it as his because it has a small but recognizable silver cross stitched on the chest.

"You can argue that angle if you want," Mr. Juarez says, "but I reviewed the footage and all it shows is you smacking her hand before you grip her face. Why'd you do that?"

Gabe tenses and snaps, "You know why! Why don't you threaten her with assault charges against Colette."

"Because Colette never told me who was responsible for her attack and the lunchroom cameras malfunctioned." His eyes fall to me. "I understand your worry, sweetheart, but you shouldn't let anyone get away with what they did to you. It could even get Heather's family off his back."

"Don't make her feel guilty." He pulls me into him and tilts my face up. "You don't have to protect me. Just be careful today, okay? Keep that sass locked up until I'm with you."

I press my lips together, hating my stupid fear of no one having my back for the attack against me. Not one person helped. But Gabe could get in trouble, and he was only finding out who hurt me. We might've found out if I'd said something right away and Gabe wouldn't have gone to trick Heather into telling him.

"Can I still say what happened?" I look away from Gabe and to his uncle. "She admitted to everyone who was around us yesterday that she'd done it. He was finding out who hurt me because he knew no one would speak up for me."