Ten: Secrets Unfold

Austin made his way in through the school gates of GreenField High, head ducked down and glancing about him looking for eyes that were on him, scanning for anyone who had potentially seen him with Tess.

Yes, he liked Tess a lot.. she was sweet and strong willed and he liked that about her. But being near her at school was one thing but actually talking and being nice to a human was utterly one of the most reputation ruining acts ever. And he had a reputation to up hold. As the captain of the Backnott team he was considered one of the most popular guys in the school, he had come all too use to trying uphold his reputation by joining the majority and hating the human race, even if deep down he didn't really.. Tess was just so great, even if he teased her every now and then, he would never intentionally hurt her.

Making his way to his group of five friends, out of them all he spotted Jace almost immediately. He was shifting about the group, head bobbing up and down as if looking for someone. Austin rolled his eyes as he made his way over to the group, Darrick was on his phone leant against the lockers minding his own business, more than likely ignoring Jace's shenanigans.

His friend Cole was listening to music while he spoke to Jace excitedly, they were two peas in a pod them, while Jace looked as if he were beaming as he spoke, hands moving around in the air before him, shifting from side to side, unable to keep himself contained.

Austin groaned as he heard Jace yell his name. His didn't look at first, putting in his code for his locker, opening it he packed his things away inside before actually closing the door alittle to see what jace wanted. He startled a little to see Jace and him had locked eyes, Jace's blueberry blue eyes were widen with excitement and it was as if a halo came about his head, not to mention he was so close Austin could feel his breath.

Having had rushed over from beside Cole he grabbed at Austin's arm, raising his hand up to eye level then grabs at the other to look into. His brows furrowed and he quickly tried to rummage in Austin's pockets, looking for something or someone

"Where is she?" Jace looked up with wide eyes and hopeful expression.

"What!? Get off me, you dickhead, I haven't got anything!" Austin sent a warning glare down toward Jace, not wanting anyone to know about Tess he pushed Jace's hands off of him then shrugged his shoulders, irritated. He knew this was bound to happen, Jace couldn't keep a secret even with a gun to his head.

He couldn't have people thinking he liked his new family member, couldn't have people even thinking he considered Tess family. Word had already gotten around about his father dating a human, how Brian had become an embarrassment to the Taylor name.. he could tell people were talking about him.. how they turned to look at him and whisper his name as he passed.

He gave a huff and ignored there gazes and turned to grab out some books form his locker, he had bio first then math. Slamming his locker he turned to see people quickly turning away to avoid his gaze as he glanced down the hall. Good.

He held his books beneath his arm as he looked to Jace again, eyes narrowed, trying to tell him to piss off seeing he was still waiting for him as if he could magically make Tess appear out of thin air.

Jace's expression fell and a frown came across his lips realising Austin hadn't brought Tess, he really wanted to introduce her to the rest of the boys. Austin didn't even seem to even want to mention Tess.. Sighing he gave up on Austin, he was a real jerk sometimes and went over to one of his best friends, Cole.

Cole was a fair few inches shorter than Jace, he was actually the shortest in the group, which no one really minded cause he made up with his personality. He's slim, a little muscular but not as much as Austin and Darrick, with an almost perfectly symmetrical face. His eyes were a mesmerising deep moss green, flecks of silvery light in the corners. He had a head of hair like a mane, golden curls frame his head like a halo down to his chin.

Cole was one of those guys that everyone just seemed to love, they're drawn to him. Jace could see it in the way they hang on his words and reciprocate his smile so quickly. They wanted to be close, he just had this kind aura about him everywhere craved. If he wanted to he could have more friends than hours in the day. Jace got jealous of that sometimes and wished Cole would hang around him more than he already did.

They'd been best friends since they were nine and years old, met when they accidentally ran into each other one day while playing a game of tag and just clicked sine then. They were known as the inseparable team, they did everything together, like two peas in a pod.

Cole was leant up against the lockers on his phone searching through his library of music with one earbud in and the other dangling by his side. Looking up when Jace came near again he tugged the other earbud out and pushed himself up off the lockers, looking over Jace then to his hand.. when he didn't see anything he raised his eyes to look over the heads of the group toward Austin.

"Where is sh~"

"He didn't bring her.." Jace murmured and pursed his lips, leaning against the lockers and crossing his arms over his chest, hanging his head in disappointment. He was a little bummed that he wouldn't see Tess now.. he'd been really looking forward to see her all morning and show her around, introduce her to some of his other friends and especially Cole. Cole was keen to meet her too.

"What! Why not? I thought you said he was gonna bring over so we could meet her?" Cole looked at Austin and glared a little. Grunting he turned his attention back to Jace and offered one of his ear buds for him, which Jace took happily, placing the bud into his ear to listen Coles collection of rock and punk music together.

"I swear I thought he was gonna bring her.. he said so when we went shopping." Jace glances back over to Austin, seeing he was busy talking to Darrick. "don't worry though, we're gonna go have lunch with her later. So you can come meet her then" Jace and Cole smiled to each other and Cole nodded, his golden wild locks bouncing about his tanned head.

"Sounds good! I'm so excited, I hope she likes me. What if she doesn't like me, Jace? Holy shit.. what if she thinks I'm a jerk?" Coles eyes widened, looking down to his phone he turned down the volume to the headphone so he could listen to Jace for advice. For a human to hate him would suck, really suck.. humans weren't very liked in his small group of friends and actually not much throughout the school. Him and Jace were the only guys in the group that liked humans, so for one to hate him would down right suck. Austin pretended to hate them which was annoying and no one really knew with Darricks.. Lenny on the other hand..

Resting his hand on Coles shoulder, Jace shakes his arm a little "she'll love you! Don't worry, seriously, your great! me and her are best friends! I can imagine she'll like you too!. " He smiles largely, beaming with joy knowing Cole was going to get to meet Tess.

"I thought i was your best friend!" Cole laughed and Jace rolled his eyes in response, pushing his friends shoulder playfully, only to receive one back.

"You know you are, silly" Jace smiles and held his earbud against his ear so that it wouldn't fall out

"If you two keep flirting someone's gonna have to call the janitor cause I'm gonna puke!" A pitchy males voice shouted as he approached and everyone looked to see a head of white hair coming their way. Lenny approached the group with a grin so wide it hurt to look at, some other students parted as he strolled past only to shove Jace hard into the lockers with an annoying laugh to follow.

Lenny had a slight resemblance to a rat. His lips were pale and thin and his nose slender and pointy. What he didn't have in personality he did have in by having a great body by his daily work outs in the gym and training on the Backnott team alongside Austin.

He was freakishly strong and muscly. He had a prominent jaw that curved sharply and the strength of his neck showed in the twining cords of muscle that shaped his entire body; strong arms, bold thighs and calves, a firm chest and abdomen. He was stronger than Austin but much shorter.

"We weren't flirting, Lenny" Jace glares back at the taller boy as he was 'playfully' shoved hard against the lockers again, making him grunt then glare some more toward Lenny. He didnt react, did nothing back to the bully he was meant to be friends with, knowing he was only going to be shoved or hit again if he did.

"Shut up, idiot. If you wanna bone Cole, I'm sure he wouldn't mind! Would ya bud?!" Lenny had that dark look in his eyes, he'd done things you couldn't imagine. He was a mad man, he didn't care and thought life should be lived on the edge. He got want he want, and he didn't care if his or others lives were on the line to get that. He wrapped his long arm around Coles shoulders and gave him a shake, bouncing his brows in his direction

"Piss off, Lenny. I'm not in the mood for you today" Cole hissed lowly and shrugged his shoulders to get the others arm off then pushed at the giants side to get Lenny off before crossing his arms, annoyed. He looked at Jace once with a slight apologetic look, he knew Lenny liked to tease him.. he hated to see it happen but couldn't do anything to stop it. Lenny was ruthless. He gave a tight smile to have before turning to go to another group of friends, he didn't like Lenny much.. not at all actually.. neither did many of the guys either.

"Can't you just leave them alone, Lenny. So what if they're gay?" Austin piped up and laughed along side Lenny as Jace's face burned a deep beet red with anger.

"I hate you, the both of you. Your a bunch of... dicks!" Jace crosses his arms and stomped his foot, turning quickly he made his way after Cole, fuming at the laughter that trailed behind him.

"So gay" Lenny snickered under his breath and Austin shakes his head with slight amusement. Austin didn't mind Lenny, he was use to him now.. didn't mean he liked the things he didz

Sighing he smiled as he looked to Darrick who only now looked up from his phone from all the laughter. Darrick was wearing a big black hoodie and matching jeans, who knows how he was wearing them in this heat. Accompanied with a pair of black vans and socks that disappeared by his ankles. He didn't have a hat on so his angry red scar was noticeable in the corner of his forehead. Austin knew it happened when he was younger, but didn't know how..

"What do you reckon, Dar?" Lenny spoke first to the large boy, a sly smile coming across his thin pink lips and a dark amusement behind his eyes.

"I don't care, good on them if they are. Atleast they have each other, unlike your lonely ass" Darrick smirked while Austin burst into laughter. Lenny's lips twisted to the side, angry as he glares towards Darrick

"Speak for yourself, me and Josie were on the other night. She might be dumb as all bat shit but holy fuck can she move!" Lenny bites his lip and hums deeply, making a more animal like growl "damn she's flexible"

"Your sick" Darrick grunted and pushed himself to his feet, resting a hand against his face he rubbed at his cheeks and eyes. Lenny was a disgusting guy.. a rat of a person. Darrick never really understood why he started to hang around Austin.. never understood why Austin let him stick around either.

Austin was a little amused but the idea of Lenny and Josie in bed made him shiver. To think Lenny was most likely that desperate he had to turn to Josie of all the girls.. she was an idiot. Sex was about one of the only thing she knew how to do other than flirt "hope you used protection, who knows where that girls been"

"Or who she's been in"

The three turn their heads to see Stefanie striding up to them, a chorus of small groans came from the three boys and Austin rolled his eyes as he looked to Darrick who just looked away, running his hand over his face more not wanting any part in Austin and Stefanie drama.. Lenny just snickered and leant against the lockers with that dark amused look in his eyes again as he looked at Stefanie then Austin

Every smile that lit up her features was the wrong sort, nothing about her was right. It's like she ran on others sorrows instead of any form of genuine affection. Perhaps she had a tough up bringing , or a personality disorder the doctors couldn't fix. Either way she had as much empathy as a fly.

She was horrible. Austin had dated her a while back, she had use to tell him what to wear, how to act and who to be friends with. He hated her and broke it off but she didn't seem to get the memo.. but being 'friends' with her meant Atleast that he was popular. She teased any other girls, incredibly mean to humans and flirts with all of the boys. She was just one of them girls that you wanted to push into a metal locker and throw away the key. She had long blonde hair that she'd dyed to death. She had a body anyone would die for, long with curves in all the right places.

"Hey Stef~" Austin smiled down at the girl, she was bouncing on her toes excitedly as she looked at him.

"Hey Austy. So~ I may or may not have heard from a little birdie that~" she started as her hand snakes up his arm to rest on his shoulder, goosebumps pricked at his neck and he wanted to pull away but didn't.. knowing she'd just get angry and he didn't want that right now. Wasn't in the mood.

Oh god, Austin thought, knowing exactly what she was going to say next.

"that you have pests living with you now. Two actually, and one of them started school today?.." Stefanie brows furrowed a little and she bit at the corner of her glossy lip, looking up to him with her thick lashes fluttering in his direction. Her painted brows began to rise in question when he didn't reply right away, they raised so high up her forehead he could of sworn they could crawl off into her hair line.

Austin could see both Lenny and Darrick were staring at him out the corner of his eye, for two different reasons. Clearing his throat he looked down to Stefanie and shrugged

"yeah, the disgusting things moved in the other day." He shuddered and he could feel Lenny staring at him, wanting to ask questions now he knew . He'd purposely avoided telling Lenny and Stefanie, knowing the two would want to come over just to tease little Tess. Of course Stefanie would find out.. he was hoping Lenny of all people wouldn't!

Darrick grunted before he left the group, Austin glancing at him as he walked away to his special classes.. he'd talk to him later.

"So what is it's name?" Lenny slipped into the conversation, leaning in closer with slight wide eyes, intrigued by the thought of Austin having humans living with him. How fun.

"Yeah does the runt have a name, I might have to pay it a visit" Stefanie leant into Austin, making him shift a little uncomfortably. Jaw clenching he looked to the two, they looked hungry, ready to claw out his tongue if he didn't spill the answers

"I don't know, why would I ask the rat what her name is?" Austin snorted and rolled his eyes as if it was absurd to even of thought he knew Tess's name... really he was just trying to protect Tess deep down. He didn't want them to go around bullying her on her first day.

The lie worked cause the two laughed and nodded, making his stomach knot.

"So its a girl?" The question startled him at first and he turned to Stefanie to see she was giving him a wary look.

He hesitated at first before nodding quickly. He knew he would regret telling them and instead of sticking around to be bombarded with questions he began trying to slip out form beneath his exs grip, pulling away he takes a step back from he two "yeah, it's a girl. If I find out her name, you'll be the first to know! I'm off to class now, see you guys later!" Smiling awkwardly as they watched him, both with confused looks he gave a short wave before turning and quickly rushing down the hall to escape from the two monsters he called friends.. well atleast one was his friend even if he were a horrible one at it. Stefanie was a monster to humans and giants alike, no matter the size. He really hated her but couldn't seem to get away.

Frowning a little to himself he hoped Tess would be okay, that Stefanie wouldn't try to hunt her down and pick on her..

"Idiot" he murmured to himself, clutching his books tighter he marched along, hating himself for pretending to despise of Tess, calling her a pest and disgusting was hard since she wasn't those things at all. She was kind, funny... biting his lip he hung his head knowing he had to keep up the charade.. wandering into his class he headed straight to the back row, sliding himself into a chair he pulled out his books and began trying to read over his notes from last semester, but couldn't seem to focus on the work.. he couldn't get Tess off his mind.

~XXX~

So I updated! Yayaya I just dumped a bunch of characters on you omg and be prepared cause there may be more. Sorry. But I thought we needed to be introduced to some of the boys. Also chapter ten! Yay! This story has come so far! Thank you all for sticking around and loving my story, even if it was a little iffy at the beginning.