The Outlaws

fourteen.

Picture: Caitlin Stasey as my other option for Alexis Dalcour

ALEXIS

I slam my locker shut, ready to head for Math, first period.

"I need to talk to you."

I whirl around and I gasp in shock and fear when I see Jeremy.

Damn it.

I told myself I wasn't going to react like this when I saw him. I saw it coming, obviously, because I can't avoid him forever when we go to the same school. I was just hoping this wasn't going to happen first thing in the morning.

I try to steady my breathing when I say, "I have to get to class."

For a moment, I have think again about whether I'm even talking to Jeremy or if I got the wrong person. It's hard to recognise him when he has a puffed up black eye, more bruises on his face and a huge bandage on his nose. The damage done to him is so awful that he looks like a completely different person. But then again, who else recently got beaten up this badly?

"Math doesn't start for another five minutes," he counters. Without giving me time to come up with another excuse, he continues immediately. "Lex, about Saturday night, I... I've never done that before, I swear to God. I don't know what came over me, and I'm so sorry. I never meant for it to happen."

"I actually believe you," I tell him, and it's not a lie. "Jer, you're a really nice guy and I don't think you'd do that to anyone when you're sober."

He is, after all, standing about a meter away from me.

"I wouldn't," he agrees. "I hate that I got drunk and I hate that it ruined our relationship. And I got what I deserve, but I really don't want what we have to be over. So... I'm hoping you'd give me a second chance to prove myself to you."

"The thing is, I'm friends with the Outlaws and you insulted them. You told me to stop mixing with them, and that shows that you have no respect for me, my decisions and my own friends," I reason. "I don't particularly like your friends either, but I know they mean something to you so I don't say anything."

"I know I was out of line when I said all those things to you, so again, I'm sorry," he apologises.

I nod. "But what you did after that was the last straw. And 'I was drunk' isn't an excuse."

"I did what I did when I was drunk, so it wouldn't happen again," he exclaims.

"How can you be so sure of that?" I press. "What if we're alone together, you get drunk again, you force me to do things I don't want to do, and what if I'm not so lucky then? I wouldn't be able to live like that!"

"Lex, I swear it'll never happen again," he pleads.

"I'm sorry, Jer..." I shake my head. "But I can't trust you on that."

I give him a small, sympathetic, 'I'm really sorry' smile and walk away from him, even though I'll be seeing him in first period.

"Hey," someone calls.

I turn to face Lindsey, who's pushing herself off the lockers.

"Hi," I smile. "What's up?"

"I was here, just in case," she informs me, nodding her head towards my locker.

"Thanks, but I don't think he'll do anything here," I tell her as we walk towards our classes. "I'm not even sure it'll happen again, but I don't want to risk anything by being alone with him."

"I know what you mean," she agrees. "Anyway, Chris asked all of us to keep an eye on you so..."

"He did?"