Chapter 9

*2 days later*

Stella's POV

"Hey," Weston, Nolan, PIXIE and Mila say as we go into the trailer.

I roll my eyes with a smirk, "Why am I not surprised you're here?" I chuckle.

"I don't know," they all say in unison and stand up to hug me.

I hug all of them carefully, cause I'm still bruised.

"Spiders out?" Mila smirks.

"Don't mention it," I say with a wrinkled face.

They all chuckle. "How are you all here? Here's 6 people sleeping in this trailer right now anyways," I say. El and his family are staying in our room, me and Max on the pullout sofa and dad on a mattress.

"We need to talk," Nolan says, looking at me and Max.

"About what?" he asks as he helps me to sit down onto his lap.

"Can't you do this anywhere else?" dad chuckles. I mean... Rich.

"No," they all say in unison, making dad sigh and us chuckle.

"Okay, what's up?" I ask.

"School. Tomorrow," Pixie says, making me snuggle myself closer to Max.

"I've read all these books about high school and I've seen a few movies, but.. How does this thing work?" I ask.

"Yeah, well.. We have to explain all of it to you probably," Nolan says. I sigh and rest my head onto Max's shoulder. He starts fondling my hair and kissing it sometimes.

*Time pass, 1h*

"Absolutely not," I say.

"Stella," Rich sighs.

"No. I'm gonna be myself, with the Hawk jacket, and if people have a problem with who I am, then it's their fault, not mine," I say.

They all sigh, "The leader of the Eagles goes to Fallfield High, Stelle," Max says as I'm still on his lap.

"So what, I can protect myself," I say.

"How?" El asks, coming into the room and sitting next to Sam, cause he just put Noah down for a nap.

"How do you think?" I ask him and his eyes widen.

"No way," he says. I roll my eyes.

"No way, what?" Pixie asks.

"No way she's gonna take a knife to school," he says.

"What?" Mila and Pixie and Max ask in unison.

"I like that girl," Weston smirks, making me roll my eyes with a smirk.

"Not a knife. It can be a sharp ruler or a compass with the sharp needle thingy or something," I say.

"Just don't wear the jacket," Rich tells me.

"Not gonna happen," I mumble.

"You know what.. You can punch. Just do that," El says.

"You can punch?" Nolan asks with a smile.

"I don't know, can I try on you?" I smirk and they laugh at me. Max takes my hands into his, holding them just in case.

"Punching doesn't help. He's the leader of a gang," Max says.

I take an onion ring out of the bag what I have. Bobby's bag.

"I don't know, maybe the leaders doesn't have to be that bad either," I smirk and eat the onion ring.

"He is not me," Max smirks.

"How would you know, have you talked to him?" I ask.

"Yes," he says.

I roll my eyes, "Yeah right," I say.

"I have. We have street races once a year," he says.

"Where do you get the cars?" I ask.

"Take some old thing and Rich tries to fix it," Pixie smirks at him.

"I'm better than you, don't start with that," he says.

I look at El and he's looking at me sadly. Everyone is quiet now for some reason as we're staring into each other’s souls, knowing exactly what the other one is thinking.

Suddenly he gets up and goes out of the trailer. I sigh and get up as well.

"What's wrong?" Max asks.

I ignore him and run after El, though I know that he wouldn't go anywhere.

I see him leaning into a car, arms crossed on his chest, looking up into the sky. I can also see a few tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Hey," I say quietly. He ignores me. I sigh and walk next to him.

I lean onto his side. He sighs and looks at me. He puts his arm around me and I rest my head against him.

"It's not your fault," I say.

"It is," he says.

"No it's not," I whine and look at him now.

He sighs, looking down at me, "Stella it was my job to fix this car," he says.

I feel tears on my face now too, "You were 14," I say, "And you tested it. The breaks DID work," I say, "Right?"

He sighs again. He turns around and lifts me to sit on the car.

"I'm 15," I say as I'm as tall as him now as I'm sitting on it.

"You're always 5 for me," he says, "Plus you're short," he says and I hit his chest, making him chuckle sadly.

He takes a deep breath, "I didn't test the car Stella," he says.

My eyes widen, "What, but.." I say.

"I know. I told them I did. I wanted to play computer games more than fix cars and I thought it would be fine, until," he gulps his tears down, but they still come out of his eyes. I have tears in my eyes now as well.

"I just took your parents away," he says.

I'm just staring into his eyes. I didn't blame him, but now I kinda do, "You should've tested the car," I cry.

"I know," he cries, obviously in a lot of pain.

"Why didn't you just tell dad?" I cry.

"He would've gotten so mad. You know that I hated fixing cars. You were the one who liked it, but you were so little. I couldn't tell him," he says.

"So they took that car and.." I sigh.

"The breaks didn't work," he says, "I killed our parents."

I jump off of the car and run back into the trailer. Why didn't he tell me? I mean I'm not mad or anything, but why did he keep this to himself?

"Everything okay?" Max asks worriedly and I see that they're all looking at me as I step into the trailer. Well.. I am crying so it's obvious why they're concerned.

I ignore them and lock myself into the bathroom. I sit on the ground and pull my knees up to my chest and cry. Just cry and think. Cry and think.

Soon, I hear knocking on the door, "Stella," I hear El's voice. He's obviously been crying as well.

"Give me a minute," I say and sniffle.

I hear him sighing and walking into the living room. I get up and look into the mirror.

How did we get here? Why didn't he tell me this? Fuck he must me in a lot of pain. How would anyone live, knowing that they are responsible for their parents' death? But he's not.. Well he is, but.. No he is not.

I throw some cold water onto my face and then dry it with a towel. I slowly walk into the living room and everyone looks at me as I stop on the door, looking at El.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I ask quietly.

He sighs while everyone is looking so confused, "You were 4," he says.

I furrow my eyebrows, "So what?... How can you even live? I would've killed myself," I say, tears streaming down my face once again.

"Ever wondered why I joined the army?" he asks.

I raise my eyebrows now, "What?" I ask in shock.

He sighs and stands up, "You probably hate me right now and I'm sor-," he says while walking to me, but I stop him by wrapping my arms around his neck.

He tenses up for a moment, but then relaxes and hugs me back tightly.

"Not hating you," I say quietly and sniffle, trying to hold my tears back, "You should've just tested the fucking car," I say.

"You should've annoyed me enough," he says, making me chuckle and pull away.

"I would've done it myself but I couldn't have reached the steering wheel," I smirk.

"Not sure you can right now," he says and I smash his chest, making him laugh and hug me again.

"Love you," I tell him quietly, cause I remember all the people in this room.

"Love you too, Liz," he says and kisses my cheek, placing me down.

I smile at the name and walk back to Max and sit next to him. They all seem to get it now.

I take the bag of onion rings from his lap and look inside, "Dude," I whine and he chuckles.

"Sorry," he says.

I roll my eyes and take the burger from his hands and take a bite, "Sorry," I mumble.

He kisses my temple and I rest my head onto his shoulder. I see Pixie whispering something to Weston and both of them smirking at the two of us.

"How can you even reach his ear?" I smirk at Pixie, annoying her. She does look annoyed, which makes me grin big.

"She said something about me, don't worry," Max says.

I chuckle, "Like what?" I smirk at the two of them.

"Like the dude is whipped," Nolan smirks and him, Weston, Pixie, Mila, and me laugh.

The others don't get it. I've been here for a week and I know all the slang terms.

"Whipped?" El asks, making us chuckle again.

"Who says that?" Max asks.

"You let her eat your food," Mila says.

I raise my eyebrows, "He always lets me eat his food, how is he whipped because of that?" I ask.

"Wait seriously?" Pixie asks.

"He killed me once for taking a fry," Weston says, making us laugh.

Someone knocks on the door. Dad gets up and goes there. I see Paisley and Miles. Max tenses up and so do I.

They say something to Rich and he lets them in. They come into the living room.

"That's a new sight," Miles mumbles and Paisley hits his arm.

"Hey," she smiles to us sadly.

"Hey," me and Max say with little smiles.

"I um.." Paisy says and takes some papers out of her bag and gives them to me.

I take them and look at them, "Where did you get those?" I ask.

She sighs, "Everyone knows that the new girl lives with Max, I mean, Maxwell," he smirks at the name and I giggle quietly, making Max hit my arm softly, "And they also know that Miles is his best friend, so the principal gave this to him to give you and he was afraid to come alone, so," Paisy says, making Weston, Pixie, and Mila chuckle quietly.

"I wasn't afraid to do anything," Miles says madly.

"Oh yeah? Then why am I here?" Paisy asks back.

"Fuck off," Miles tells her and goes out of the trailer, all of our eyes widened.

"Girl, why are you together with him?" Mila asks.

Paisy looks at her and her eyes widen, "Mila?" she asks.

Mila's eyes widen as well and then she looks pleading, "Paisy please don't tell anyone," she says.

Paisy chuckles in amazement, "How many of you have double lives?" she asks, making us laugh.

"Right? And they want for me to do it as well," I say.

"Why?" she chuckles, sitting down next to me.

"To keep her safe," Max says.

"Well," Paisy says and looks at my jacket, "I think no one wants to mess with her anymore," she says, seeing that it's the leaders'.

"Paisley promise not to tell anyone," Mila pleads.

"That the HBIC of Fallfield high is actually a badass?" she smirks, "Why should I not tell anyone?"

Mila sighs, "It's just an image so that the Eagles wouldn't take me down," she says, "And I'm.. You know," she says and looks embarrassed.

"No I don't," Paisy smirks.

Mila sighs, "Sorry, that I.. Bullied you," she says and my eyes widen and I start laughing.

"Wow. Now I start to get the meaning of double lives. Mila, you're a mean girl?" I smirk.

She smirks and rolls her eyes, "I'm the head cheerleader, Stella," she says.

"What?" Rich chuckles, "You? Everyone is more of a bitch than you," he says, making us laugh.

"You should hear her comebacks," Paisley smirks at Mila.

"Yours are bet rich girl," she says to Paisy.

She smirks, "I'm not mean back if you're not mean to me. And my parents are rich, which I actually like," she says and I chuckle quietly.

"Anyways," Paisy continues and looks at me, "I'm supposed to give you your tour tomorrow, so be there at 7:30," she says.

"Wait, what? What time does the school start?" I ask.

"8," they all say in unison and my eyes widen.

"Seriously?" I whine.

"Ours starts 7:30, be happy," Pixie says.

I sigh, "Okay, I'll try to be there," I say.

They all chuckle at me. "She's not even kidding, try to get her out of bed before 2PM," Max smirks.

I smile a little and Paisy kisses my cheek, "See ya. Mila Bombshell," she smirks at Mila and goes out before she can answer anything.

We all chuckle a little and I look at the papers and don't understand everything.

I look at Max and he smirks, taking them from me.

"Locker," he says, "Code," pointing on one paper and he gives it to me.

"Great spot btw," he says and I furrow my eyebrows, not understanding anything.

"Um.. Classes," he says and gives me one paper, "Teachers," he gives me another and then laughs at my face, "Timetable," he says and gives me another one.

He puts some papers next to him and then some more onto my lap. "Dad," he says and hands him the other ones.

I look at Max again and he kisses my temple, "What do you nit understand?" he asks.

I put all the papers back onto his lap, making everyone laugh.

"Didn't you go to school?" he chuckles.

"It was like 10 people in the same class and we didn't learn much, just got.. Never mind," I say.

He sighs and takes the timetable, "Subjects, teachers, classes. And," he says and flips it over, "Monday," he says and slides his fingers over the classes.

I sigh, "Great to know," I say.

He smirks, "Just ask Paisy or Tyler," he says.

I raise my eyebrows, "And where am I gonna find them?" I ask.

He shrugs his shoulders, "Ty is probably trying to find some guys to hook up, so somewhere in some Hallway, and Paisley is just.. With Miles usually but I'm not sure if there's something left between these two," he says.

"And how can I find the class if I sleep in?" I ask.

"You're not gonna sleep in," Rich says.

"Believe what you want," I say and he chuckles and looks back at the papers.

"Noah wakes up at 6:30, I can get him to wake you up," Sam smirks.

I groan and they laugh again. Max pulls me onto his lap and kisses my cheek before starting explaining the other papers to me.