Storm Warning - TLOM Prequel

Chapter Two - The Star Linebacker

The end of the day couldn't come fast enough for Lark. Ella and Dawn were in her afternoon classes, and kept trying to talk to her; they'd decided she was worth their time after all.

She had been interrogated, asked who she was crushing on, what kind of makeup she wore and if she liked to party (the answer was no, but Lark just gave a non-committal answer).

Liza, the quietest of the girls, came and spoke to Lark as she escaped to her locker that afternoon, after the final bell had gone. "Hey." Liza smiled at Lark as they unlocked their lockers (they were three away from each other, which Lark wasn't sure how she'd not noticed).

"Hiya." Lark forced a smile back.

"You ok?" The cheerleader asked. "The other girls can be quite full on."

Lark nodded. "I'm just... not a very sociable person." She shrugged and loaded her books into her bag.

"I can tell." She smiled and shrugged. "It's ok, I wasn't either. I live next door to Dawn, so I mixed with her friends after a while."

Lark nodded, unsure of why Liza was telling her this. "Um..."

Liza grinned at her and Lark felt the confusion building up. "I just wanted to warn you about Ella." She admitted, glancing around to check the dark haired girl was around. "She's Brett's ex girlfriend, but she has eyes for your brother."

"Wait, what?" Lark's head snapped up, her protective instinct over Alex kicking in. "She's after Alex?"

Liza nodded, and scanned the emptying hallway, checking that her gossip wouldn't be heard by anyone involved. "To be fair, your brother is hot as hell, but Ella wants to be his girlfriend. Brett was an ass with her, and Alex would be a relief."

"Why was he an ass?" Lark asked, curious. If she allowed herself to be honest, Lark would have admitted that Brett was very attractive, but personalities had always come first for Lark.

Liza scowled down at the floor and tapped the tip of her sneaker on the ground repeatedly, almost as a nervous tick. "He kinda... changed her. She didn't go out as much any more, less partying, more sex with Brett." Lark felt her eyes pop out at the word 'sex', and Liza noticed, smiling sheepishly. "Don't worry about it, the girls on our table range from fourteen and innocent to Ella, sixteen going on twenty one. And I don't mean twenty one in age." Liza raised an eyebrow to imply the many men Ella had been with and Lark swallowed.

"So what does she want with my brother?" Lark said in a hushed voice. "Why Alex?"

Liza sighed and Lark knew something more interesting was about to come. "Your brother is hot and athletic and an up and coming athlete. She wants to cross him off her list."

"Her... list?" Lark gulped, starting to worry about what her brother was getting into with these older kids. He was still only fifteen, but he was tall for his age, and Lark had no doubt other girls fawned over him.

Liza sighed, evidently becoming bored. "Look, just leave it at that, Ok? Just keep clear of Brett and watch out for your brother." With her words of caution, Liza left, leaving Lark with a feeling of dread in her stomach.

"Why so worried, little bird?" A deep, familiar voice appeared behind her, scaring her out of her wits. "You've got a worried face on."

Lark tried to calm her racing heart and panicked mind as she turned to face Brett Anderson, who was smiling down at her, leaning against the lockers casually, as if he had nowhere else to be.

"How are you doing?" He asked, folding his arms over his wide chest.

"I'm fine." Lark answered quietly, subtly putting a little more distance between them. It didn't do any good. Brett simply leaned down towards her, and put his hand against his ear to indicate he hadn't heard. "I'm fine!" She repeated loudly, her heart hammering against her chest.

The tall boy looked surprised for a second, before his eyes softened. "It's ok, Lark, I'm not that scary am I?"

Lark shrugged and tried to calm her struggling heartbeat. "I don't know you, Brett." She looked up at him and saw that his face was much closer than she'd first thought.

"I'd like to know you, little bird." He smiled and reached out to take her hand. Lark was about to ask him what he thought he was doing, when he pulled a pen out and started to write on her hand. "My address. I'm having a bit of a party tonight at my place; I'd like you to come." Brett grinned down at her and dropped her a wink. "See you there!"

Lark was left watching, bemused, as the star linebacker swaggered away, jeans hanging low on his hips. She looked down at the back of her hand. A party? Not normally the music nerd's thing, but maybe... maybe Brett wasn't too bad? He seemed kinda nice, if a little bit obnoxious. He also made Lark feel a little... giddy? Nervous? Neither word felt quite right, but Lark couldn't place exactly what the feeling was.

To hell with it, she thought to herself.

Where was the harm in one party?