Freshmen Dorms

Evelyn shifted uncomfortably, wishing the boys would og back to their conversation. "Well," she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, "it's not all my fault. I'm trying but...." She glanced over her shoulder and glared at Jake. "SOME people don't help keep it that way. The whole fake-relationship thing just screwed it all up."

Ashlee knew Evelyn probably wasn't going to like what she said next but she said it anyway, "No offense Evelyn, but it looks like you would just let it happen when you got caught in a compromising situation with Jacob."

Evelyn blinked, freezing up for a moment. "What're you talking about?" she asked, even though she knew perfectly well.

Seth shot Jake a studying glance. "She has a point. I've lost track of the weird-ass situations we find you two in. What was that horizontal tango on your bed we walked in on last Saturday, Jake?"

Evelyn closed her eyes, dropping her head in her hands. "Oh God, you're misinterpreting it!" she said irritably.

Ashlee's eyes widened at that, horizontal tango, "Umm what the hell were you guys doing?!"

"Nothing! Evelyn was bugging me and, so I started hitting her and then she tripped me and I fell and to balance myself I grabbed her but we fell on my bed." Jake said, it was obviously nothing he didn't get why everyone was twisting shit like this.

Seth snickered because he could see that happening.

Luke was silent a moment and then he reached out and grabbed Jake's shoulder roughly, spinning him around and narrowing his eyes down at the Spaniard. As Luke was probably the only person tall enough to do this, it was quite a feat and very noticeable.

"You were doing what to her?" he asked, voice dangerously calm.

Evelyn's head shot up at his tone and she swung around in her seat. Oh shit.

Jake was not expecting this one bit, for the most part from what he had seen from Luke he seemed like the no aggressive type, he actually expected James to react like this but then of course Luke was close to her as well.

"Dude! Not like beating the shit of her, but like giving her noogies and crap! I would never hit her, no matter how much she pisses me off. I have a temper dude but I'm not a woman beater." Jake said defensively to Luke.

This is not happening, Evelyn thought, bewildered. She hadn't really seen this side of Luke before, except when he needed to lend Lila a hand.

Luke raised a golden-brown eyebrow down at Jake, not letting go of his shoulder. "I never said you were. Funny you should instantly assume that," he said icily.

"Hey!" Evelyn intervened, kneeling up on her seat so she could get between the two boys. She leaned over the back of her seat and grabbed Luke's arm, trying to tug it off Jake's shoulder. "Hey, Luke, you have it all wrong. Let him go, please."

Luke ignored her.

Seth groaned. "She's right, blondie. Jake's an idiot but he'd never do anything even remotely like that."

Ashlee rose now snorting, "Uh huh sure it sure as hell doesn't excuse the time when you almost bashed her head into a god damn wall!" Ashlee blurted.

Evelyn instantly recoiled the moment Ashlee said this. Her eyes landed on Ashlee in horror and a cold feeling seeped through her stomach. Oh God, why did I let that slip?!

Luke's eyes had darkened and he shot Jake another dangerous look, wondering exactly what the consequences would be of socking this guy. Just once.

Seth was gawping at Ashlee. "What the fuck?! You don't get it at all! That wasn't what happened!"

Jake felt like he was ready to shrink into the wall, he didn't know how to explain this. It didn't matter though because they would think he was a liar! That behind closed doors he actually beat girls when he never did.

"No, no you guys have it wrong.. I would never." Jake stuttered, he never thought that this ugly moment would resurface again.

James had decided to come to the lounge after all, he had been bored in their dorm and he honestly spent too much time in there, and he figured he try and be civil with everyone and fix things with Evelyn.

Although when he came he wasn't expecting to walk into hostility, he wasn't sure exactly what he had missed though but he knew what he heard, that Jake had almost hit Evelyn.

James' fists shook as they were clenched down by his side, he stormed into the lounge grabbing Jake by his shirt collar and slamming him into the wall, "What the fuck is the matter with you!? Hitting a god damn girl?!" James' yelled, his blue eyes darkening, he was ready to kill Jake. It didn't matter if Evelyn was over him, there was no way this guy could say he had any feelings for her if he nearly hit her!

What was Evelyn doing hanging around this creep!?

"Listen you don't get it... I never hit her." Jake could see the rage in James' eyes, and he didn't blame him or Luke. If it had been James that nearly hit Evelyn, he would have been furious as well.

"Don't get what?! Get that you nearly hit a fucking girl! It doesn't matter! All it takes is once! Ev may be a bitch, but damn it I never laid one hand on her!" James shouted at Jake slamming him into the wall.

Jake winced, his head pounding from James slamming him into the damn wall. Jake grit his teeth at James and shoved him away, "God damn it! I'm sick of this! Listen I would never fucking hit her okay?! I never meant to hit her! She came to my freaking dorm and was yelling at me, and we were both arguing and shit got heated! I AM FUCKING BI POLAR! I have a real bad control over my temper and I had a episode when she came over and I punched the wall! The wall! I punched the wall so I wouldn't hit her because she was making me so damn mad! But I would never hit her, or any girl no matter how much I hated them!"

Evelyn had taken one look at James and had had to resist an urge to run right there. This was never meant to blow up in all their faces so badly.

"You're bipolar?" she heard Luke say softly, but not in his usual sympathetic tone. He still sounded deathly calm. Evelyn had sunk down in her seat, head in her hands and arms braced on the back of the couch. Now she looked up to see Luke walk over and stand next to James. "So what, your meds were expired or what?"

"Okay, whoa," Seth intervened, sounding aggravated. He stepped between Jake and the other two boys, facing them as he held his hands up. "Let's get one thing down, folks. Jake wouldn't touch a girl - I'm not talking about copping a feel, I mean, he'd never hurt one! Fuck the meds, he isn't that low."

James glared murderously at Jake. To him it didn't matter if he was sick, he almost hit Evelyn and that was enough to hate him.

But at the same time it was something wrong about Jake, that he really couldn't control himself. James didn't think he could trust Evelyn to be alone around Jake, which obviously it seemed like it happened a lot since they live on the same floor!

James took a deep breath to calm himself, "I hear you lay as little as a finger on her I will personally kill you myself." James threatned Jake, he looked down at Evelyn, then shoved past Jake.

He couldn't be there without wanting to beat his face in.

Luke was thinking along the same lines. He ignored Seth completely and fixed his dark eyes on Jake. "If your meds aren't working, you shouldn't be around people when you're obviously not in control," he said coldly.

Evelyn had the funny feeling she knew where this was going, but she couldn't seem to bring herself to speak.

"Stay the fuck away from Evelyn," Luke said in a final sort of voice.

Evelyn felt like her stomach had just dropped and she could have sworn she felt the blood drain from her face. She found her voice. "Lucas -"

"Hey, you know what, that's fine," Seth snapped, flaring up now. "He doesn't need to be around you or Red or any of you overdramatic people. You don't have to worry about him laying a hand on her. He won't be anywhere near her. Fuck you all."

He turned and grabbed Jake's arm, tugging him out of the lounge. "Let's go, man."

Jake didn't know what to say or do, he was kind of just frozen there. He felt Seth tugging at him to make him leave but he wanted to stay with Evelyn.

"I, I'm ..." Jake was at an even bigger loss of words, so he kind of let himself get pulled away.

Ashlee had turned away momentarily, and while her head was turned Jake mouthed, "I'm sorry." To Evelyn.

As Seth and Jake exited to the lobby, he kind of stopped in his tracks again. Not really sure where they were going or what to do from this point.

Ashlee looked at Evelyn she felt horrible about how all of this played out, but she had no idea Jake was the way he was.

To her Jake was unfamiliar and it was scary to know Evelyn was around someone who could lose control of themselves like that.

Ashlee swallowed a lump in her throat, "Ev...are you okay?" She asked carefully not sure how her friend would react.

"Yeah," Evelyn said, still in shock over what had just gone down. The consequences of it hadn't yet sunk in. The fact that now there was absolutely no chance of telling Luke and Ashlee what was really going on hit her then.

She had a funny feeling seeing Jake wasn't going to be as easy as they'd assumed - and this was proved a second later.

Evelyn turned around in her seat and scrambled up, instinctively heading toward the door when Luke caught her wrist. He didn't look angry, exactly, just decided.

"Don't," he told her firmly, yet in his usual courteous way. Evelyn blinked and attempted to pull free.

"You just totally overreacted. Just like James!" she informed him, not really believing they were serious. Luke didn't let go, glancing over at Ashlee.

"Ash, do us a favor and stay with her?" he asked pleasantly. He looked back down at Evelyn and said gently, "I'm sorry, I don't know what game that prick is playing with you, but unless you want James body-guarding you, you'll listen to us and stay the hell away from Jake. I'm not sure you know this, the kid went to juvie for assault and battery. Does that ring a bell, Ev?"

"Yes," Evelyn sand furiously. "He told me." Was Luke high? She knew Jake had gone to juvie. He'd told her himself, damn it!

"Then," Luke said, loosening his hold, "You'll listen to us on this one. He might not mean it, but he admitted it himself, he can lose control.We're only looking out for you."

Before Evelyn could argue, he changed tracks and said, "Besides, I thought you disliked him."

Evelyn opened her mouth, couldn't think of a single thing to say, and shut it. She looked away from Luke and a moment later, he had walked out after James, no doubt to go and have a good bitch-fest about Jake.

***

Seth dragged Jake out the front of the dorm building and only then realized he was still holding his pool cue. He leaned it against the wall and turned to Jake, saying angrily, "Fuck them, dude. Don't listen to them."

Ashlee didn't really have anything to say but she just nodded. She never saw Luke this upset before it was very rare.

But Luke made a point, Evelyn shouldn't hang out with someone like that.

***

Jake leaned against the building. He just realized any chance of a relationship being told to Seth or the guys now was out of the question.

Now Luke and James thought he was a psycho, Ashlee did too. Not to mention Seth agreeing with Luke that Jake wouldn't go anywhere near Evelyn, which meant that everyone would be on their guard to make sure these two didn't see each other.

"Yeah, yeah I know Seth. It hardly bothers me anymore."Jake said flatly.

It was true it didn't bother him when people found out he was bipolar and chose to shun him. Fuck those people, he had enough friends who stuck by him.

Boo hoo Luke and James weren't his friends he wasn't going to lose sleep over it.

Jake's only concern was how Evelyn was, and if she was gonna even want to continue this?

***

James was so livid, he was trying so hard to calm himself down but all he wanted to do was grab Jake as he walked out with Seth, and beat the living crap out of Jake.

He knew that fighting him sure as hell wasn't going to fix anything, but it sure as hell would make James feel better.

James decided he didn't need to think this anymore, he burst through the doors outside where he saw Jake and Seth loitering right outside of the dorms.

Jake heard the doors swing open and he straightened himself seeing James' enraged expression he knew there was gonna be a fight.

James stormed to him and swung at him. Jake countered grabbing James' arm and twisting it and shoving him to the ground.

James groaned, as he knelt down to the ground, he kicked Jake's legs out from beaneth him.

Jake fell releasing James from his grip, but rolled out of the way as James lunged after him, James grunted landing on his stomach.

Jake pushed himself off the ground and glared at James, "God damn it Darko!"

James got up again and charged after Jake again, Jacob was really getting sick of having to fight James.

"Dude fuck you! No way I'm letting you get away with nearly hitting her!" James said through clenched teeth as he collided into Jake's chest.

Jake grunted but dug his heels into the ground, to keep from tipping back, Jake gripped onto James' shoulders, pushing him back like he would with a tackling dummy. Jake hooked his leg around James' ankle and knocked him back down on the ground.

"Shit!" James cursed. He got up off the ground, wincing. If there was on reason he hated fighting Jake was that this guy seemed to know James' every move.

James got up again going after Jake, he was determined to get one good hit in.

As James charged though, Jake noticed this he stood there waiting for James to barrel into him like a raging bull, which James wondered why he was just standing there and as the space closed between them, Jake leapt into the air doing some sort of flip that you would only see excuted in those sci fi action movies.

James skid to a stop and Jake landed swiftly on his feet. James noticed he finally had the advantage of the way Jake landed his back was facing James.

James took this opportunity and punched Jacob with every ounce of anger and rage he felt right in his fucking skull.

James' fist impacted with Jake's head and he fell to the ground with a thud, his head pounding, Jacob could see stars.

James had really clocked him, Jake held his head in his hands and moaned. Jake felt really light headed, James had literally hit him hard enough to where he nearly passed out.

"What the fuck, dude?" Seth exclaimed, diving between them now that there was even the slightest chance one of them would back off. He shoved James back and dropped down beside Jake, grabbing his shoulder. "Shit, shit, shit, don't tell me you got concussed again, bro!"

He turned Jake a little on his side, not wanting to put pressure on his head. Jake?"

***

Luke had stormed up the stairs. Evelyn unfroze and only nodded at Ashlee. She turned and went back ot grab her bag and binder. She picked up her water bottle and emptied it, feeling strangely hollow even as she swallowed the water. She left the bottle there and headed back toward the lobby. "I'm...gonna go upstairs," she muttered, not really wanting to have people gawking at her anymore.

Ashlee decided that she should leave, enough had been done for one day.

***


James shook out his fist, he glared down at Jake.

Jacob blinked several times, trying to catch his breath for a moment. He closed his eyes only for a moment and then opened them, narrowing them into dark slits.

"You're lucky, you're real fucking lucky. I barely touched you. But if I did you'd be the one on the ground." Jake's voice laced with rage, his own fists shaking as he glared up at James.

James didn't say much else except he turned and walked back into the dorm to go to his suite.

He could care less what Jake had to say. Because from this day on Jacob was another enemy to him.

Jake clenches his jaw, all his muscles tensing he looked up at Seth, "I'm fine... I'm not concussed." He said steadily to Seth getting up off the ground.

Luke kicked open the unlocked suite door and strode inside, running his hands frustratedly through his hair. Half of him couldn't believe what had just gone down. How was the cautious, down-to-earth Evelyn so amazingly....stupid?

Luke blazed through to the kitchen, grabbing a can of Coke from the fridge and snapping the tab off viciously. He swigged down half the can as he stood there before walking slowly out to the living area again.

***

Seth picked up his pool cue again, sighing, and began to head inside. "I gotta return this. Larceny is just one of the few things I haven't been fined for, ya know?" he said, attempting to smile.

***

Evelyn had climbed the stairs quickly and was breathless by the time she reached the fifth floor. She glared at the out-of-order sign on the elevator doors as she passed them and then slammed into her suite, feeling a familiar burning behind her eyes to signify she was about two seconds from crying. And she hated crying.

She walked into her dorm room, unlocking it to find Nova sprawled out in a patch of sunlight. He wagged his tail and then cocked an ear as Evelyn stumbled facedown onto her bed, dropping her bag onto her desk chair and ditching her folder on the floor. She buried her face in her pillow and closed her eyes, blinking back hot tears. This wasn't going to help. At all, she reminded herself, wiping at her eyes.

Joel and Taylor were in the midst of doing some homework in the living room together (what with Joel being terrible at math and Taylor being a friggin' wiz) when Luke came barreling in. They both exchanged surprised glances when he stormed into the kitchen and came back out in a much calmer, albeit not necessarily in a calm mood. They both looked back up to Luke and stared at him, both of them wondering what the hell that was all for, but Joel being the one to say it out loud.

"Uh...welcome back. Mind explaining what that was about?" He asked curiously as he set down his book onto the floor, tucking his notebook into it before closing it up and pushing it aside.

Jake had smiled despite his frustration and followed Seth back inside, "Yeah, although I'm sure pool cue theft is a pretty minor offense as opposed to flooding the second floor."

***

James had stomped up seven flights of stairs and finally made it to their suite, he opened their door and slammed it behind him. He walked in and saw Luke standing in the kitchen with a soda in his hand.

James paced for a couple moments silently, still surprised he had energy after the fight and having to walk up seven flights of stairs.

"I beat up Jake." James finally said.

He hadn't realized in his rage induced path to get here and tell Luke that Taylor and Joel were there with confused expressions on their faces.

Luke shot Joel a weary glance. He jerked his thumb at James. "That's half the story...apparently, that Jake kid you met at the floor party? We just found out that he and Ev apparently had major fight or whatever a while ago and...." Luke gritted his teeth, "he almost punched her in the face apparently. He ended up hitting the wall instead and blew a hole through it. He also told us now that he's bipolar, has no control over his anger, yada yada. So basically Evelyn and, um, her roommate and Ashlee have been hanging around a guy with anger management issues AND bipolarity."

Luke paused, feeling his anger flare again. "Ev never told us. That guy had so many opportunities to hurt her or Alexis. She never friggin' told us. That's what really annoys me," he said to James now, not noting his slip-up.

***

"Basement, bitch," Seth shot back, tossing the cue lazily into the lounge and turning back. He started up the stairs and sighed.

"Details, all minor details. Neptune King of the Sea." Jake snorted, and as they came to the stairs he frowned. He was almost annoyed that the damn lift broke. Especially when he had no desire to walk up five flights of stairs.

***

"Of course she's stupid for not saying anything! Imagine if he had hit her! She wouldn't have told us a damn thing!" James snapped feeling his anger return again.

Seth cast Jake a worried glance as they climbed upwards. He didn't really know what to say though, so he opted with simply saying, "Can't wait for tomorrow night. Freakin' need it now."

"Wait? What?" Joel said, instantly getting up to his feet, feeling his chest swelling up with some anger of his own. To lash out and almost hurt Evelyn was one thing, but having Evelyn, Alexis, or anyone else in a situation that could replicate the incident with Evelyn was another. He might not have been with Alexis (or Evelyn for that matter) but he'd be damned if anyone even TRIED to lay a hand on her (or anyone else really). "You mean to tell me that this guy, Jake, or whoever the hell that punk is tried to...just about... I have half the goddamned mind to..." Joel drew in a sharp breath and bit at his lip, his brows furrowing. He wans't quite sure what to say, or even if he should do something at the moment what with James having already done some ground control, but what he was sure of was that he was mad as hell.