"Alison!" called someone and a hand moved in front of her eyes. Alison blinked several times and looked at her left to see Ayda watching her curiously. Ayda chuckled. "I'm sure you didn't hear a word." she said. "You were so drowned in your thoughts."

"I'm sorry." said Alison. "Did you say something?"

"I asked if you like to sit with us at lunch." said Ayda with an eager face.

"Ummm" Alison hesitated and looked at Jess who had not looked at her once and was putting her book in her bag. "If I'm not invading anything, then yes, I would love to."

Ayda followed Alison's eyes and rolled her eyes at Jess. "Ignore her." she said to Alison. "She is like this toward everyone."

"I'm not." snapped Jess while glaring at Ayda. "I just don't trust new people."

"Okay, give me your schedule." chirped Ayda while standing up and walking with Alison and Jess out of the class. "Oh it's great you have most of your classes with me and Jess. I would ..."

Ayda's speaking was cut off by a melodic yet loud voice. "Hello, newcomer."

Jess rolled her eyes and looked away while Alison and Ayda looked forward.

There had stood a beautiful girl with icy blond hair with a bunch of girls standing behind. Unlike the other girls around her, her face wasn't caked with make-up and she had only light make-up. She was a natural beauty with silver eyes, flawless skin, and lips that had been painted red seductively. Her white dress although a bit short and with a low neck was giving her an angelic appearance. Her high heels clicked on the marble floor as she walked in front of Alison with a friendly and sweet smile on her face and offered her hand. "I'm Susan Jones." she said sweetly.

"Glad to meet you." said Alison with a tight-lipped smile and shook her hand. This Susan might look like an angel, but Alison had learned to not trust the outside shell. She could see wickedness shining mischievously in Susan's silver eyes.

"It must have been hard for you to change school at this time of year." she said with fake kindness. "But don't be worried. I accept you in my group with open arms. I even have a good place for you in the cheerleading squad. We can find a handsome boyfriend for you as well." she winked as she offered while batting her eyelashes.

Alison frowned a bit. Susan even hadn't called the girls behind her, her firends. Now Alison knew. Although looking like an angel, she was this school barbie and the girls behind her were her minions.

Alison took a step back. "Thank you very much." she said politely still keeping her smile. "But I'm not intrested."

Susan's smile dropped instantly and she narrowed her eyes at Alison. "You are denying my offer?" she asked dangerously. "I'm so generously taking you under my protection and this is your answer?"

"I'm capable of taking care of myself just fine. And I'm happy where I am." answered Alison coldly and looked at the girls behind her. "I would like to be considered as a friend, not a minion who should follow order with blind eyes."

"You will regret this." hissed Susan venomously, showing the demon hiding under the mask of an angel.

"Back off, Jones." growled Jess and stepped forward and surprised Alison by defending her. "Get over the fact that she is rejecting you."

Susan took a step back and watched the three of them for a second. A nasty smirk graced her red lips. "Soon you will understand that you should have chosen me other than these two weirdos." she laughed as she turned around and walked away with the girls following her like lost puppies.

"Well she was a thing." sighed Alison and turned to her new friends. Ayda was watching her with admire in her eyes and Jess had a smile on her face. "What?" asked Alison confused.

Jess walked forward and held her hand out. "I think we can get along well, Al." she said as her smile grew wider. "Jessica Becker."

Alison smiled and shook her hand. "So I passed the test?" she asked playfully as she shook Jess's hand.

Jess shrugged. "Understand me." she said. "I hate bitches."

Suddenly Ayda threw herself at Alison and hugged her tight. "You are a friend now, Alie." she said and then looked at Alison with her big green eyes.

Jess then put her arms around their shoulders and pulled them towards their next class. "Come on, girls." she said. "We have a class to go to. Although it's boring as hell."

At lunch, the three girls sat behind a table in the corner of the cafeteria. Alison had briefly explained to them why she had changed schools and thankfully they had not asked any question and she was glad. She had learned that Ayda was a bubbly happy talking girl and Jess was the quiet one. It was an odd mixture but they were friends for years now.

Currently, Ayda was telling her animatedly one of their memories from summer. Alison was laughing and Jess was eating with a smile on her face.

"Sometimes I wonder how Matt put up with you, Ayda." said Jess while shaking her head.

Ayda pouted and folded her arms. "He loves me so much." she said.

"Who's Matt?" asked Alison as she put a fork full of salad in her mouth.

"This idiot's boyfriend." answered Jess while pointing to Ayda with her fork. She had sat in front of them.

"He is in school?" asked Alison.

Ayda's eyes lit up and she forgot her anger. "No!" she exclaimed. "He is 20. But we met when he was in school as well."

"You were lucky that you were not here that year, Al." commented Jess smugly. "They were a disgusting lovey-dovey couple."

"You are so mean," groaned Ayda and threw a straw at Jess who laughed alongside Alison.

Suddenly the doors of the cafeteria opened and walked in a group of tall muscular boys with a bunch of girls clinging from them. Every eye turned to them. Alison's laughter died as she saw Xander, Damien, and Hunter between the boys. Xander's arm was around Susan's waist. He walked towards a table in the middle like he owned the whole place and sat down with Susan on his lap who was seductively brushing her finger on his chest. They were a great couple. Completely matching. Alison could give them the credit.

Damien's eyes searched the cafeteria. His face was grim and he was completely ignoring the girl who was trying desperately to capture his attention. His eyes found Alison and she could have sworn she saw relief washed over his emotionless features. He nodded briefly for her that she answered. He then walked to their table and sat down next to his brother but he didn't let the girl sit on his lap which she wasn't very glad by.

Hunter saw her too and his eyes lit up a bit. His eyes were full of guilt. Alison smiled at him reassuringly which he returned. He nodded as well as he walked to a different table and sat with a group of boys who welcomed him warmly, certainly his friends.

All the time, Ayda and Jess were busy glaring at Susan, so they didn't see the small exchange between Alison and her stepbrothers.

Jess turned to her food again. "Well, I was starting to get worried where are the mightly lords and their nasty girlfriends." grumbled Jess.

"They are the King's brothers." whispered Ayda. "They are practically run the school. Although their father owns the school. Hunter the youngest one is the most tolerable. He is on the football team and a junior. The twins are another story, especially Xander. Damien is mysterious and quiet but he is not any less dangerous. Only god knows how many fights they had gone through. Don't go on their bad side, Alie. They can snap your neck in a second."

"Well, I will do my best." said Alison while she was going to throw up as she saw Susan sucking Xander's face.

"Ewww, gross." whispered Ayda beside her.

The doors of the cafeteria opened again and this time, Alison's heart skipped a bit at the sight of the black-haired handsome boy she had encountered that morning. West and his brown-haired friend walked into the cafeteria. All the eyes turned to them again. West's eyes searched the people there quickly just like Damien. Alison didn't miss the death glares that were exchanged between him and Damien and Xander the moment they locked eyes. But he shrugged them off as his eyes once again scanned the crowd and his eyes glued to Alison the moment he found her and he smirked when he caught her staring.

Alison dropped her head and heat rose to her cheeks and she bit her bottom lip. "And here comes mighty Alexander West and his friend Simon Mansfield," whispered Ayda again and Alison looked at her interested. "They are ranked at the same level as the Kings in having a bad reputation. Mansfield is the brutal force, while West is the mind. Although he is strong as hell. He beat a poor boy to death last year just because he had answered back to him. And don't let the poor title fool you. The boy West beat to mush was a muscular tall boy himself. Although he is hot as hell."

Alison gulped thanking god that he didn't decide to beat her up this morning when she had answered him back.

"Come on, Ayda. Hot?" whined Jess. "you were just saying how much he is dangerous."

"It doesn't change the fact that he is hot." shrugged Ayda nonchalantly and began to eat again.

Alison shivered. She had enough share of handsome dangerous men around her. She didn't want to add another one to the collection. But as she continued her lunch she could still feel his heated stare fixed on her.

Ayda began to talk once again. Alison doubted that she would ever stay silent. She laughed and ate her lunch but all the long, she could feel West's eyes on her but she didn't give him the satisfaction of acknowledging him.

"Alison!" whispered Ayda and Alison looked up at her. "Stay unaffected, but why West is staring continuously at you since he has come here?"

Alison slowly looked at the middle of the room and her eyes met his dark gray ones and for a second she felt lost. She then averted her gaze and cleared her throat.

"Okay. Spill, Al." said Jess knowingly.

Alison winced a bit. "Well, I might have unknowingly saw him and his friend this morning choking a boy and I might have unknowingly talked back to him."

"What??" asked Jess shocked. "Good job at going to his death list."

"But I don't think the way he is looking at her holds any threat." said Ayda confused. "If any, he is looking at her intrigued and with admire."

Alison looked back at him again and blushed under his watchful stare until his friend got his attention and he looked away.

Suddenly her phone rang and she saw Ed's name flashing on the screen. Her face lighted up. "Sorry, guys. I should take this one." she said as she stood and walked toward a balcony that was accessible through glass doors. One whole wall of the cafeteria was made of glass and the space behind it was a balcony.

****

"Alex!" Simon's voice brought Alex out of his staring challenge. He simply couldn't take his eyes off of the angel sitting a few tables away from him. The sight of her laughter could lift his soul and its sound was the most beautiful sound in his ears. She had blushed adorably the two times she had locked eyes with him and he was glad that he was the one to bring that cute rosy color to her cheeks.

"What?" he snapped at Simon who laughed at him and shook his head. "Boy, she had caught your eyes, doesn't she? You are already whipped."

"Shut up, Simon." growled Alex and looked back at the girl only to see her staring at her phone happily. She stood and then left for the balcony. Alex frowned. "Who the hell is the one she is talking to?" he whispered.

"Maybe her boyfriend." shrugged Simon. "She is hot as hell. I doubt she is single."

"Shut the fuck up, Simon, before I shut it for you." grunted Alex when the truth of Simon's words hit him and he clenched his fists angrily. She was single, she should have been. He would make sure of it.

*****

Damien was getting irritated slowly. He was in a bad mood from this morning when Xander had thrown Alison out of the car. He had shouted at him and had asked him to stop alongside Hunter but the hot head Xander had ignored them and had threatened them to follow him. Although he was not afraid of Xander he was his twin and he knew what an idiot he would become if he disobeyed him. He really wanted to punch Xander badly. He was a fucking bastard. The girl beside Damien who was throwing herself at him constantly was getting on his nerves. He didn't know how Xander was tolerating that bitch named Susan.

Suddenly his phone beeped and he took it out of his pocket. His brows furrowed when he saw a message from Hunter. He looked up and saw him looking back at him with an angry face. Hunter gestured at Damien to open the message. Damien opened the message and from the corner of his eyes, he saw Xander watching his phone as well. Susan had momentarily left his lap.

Why the fuck West is staring at Alie the whole time?

Damien's head shot up and he felt Xander did the same and sure enough, they saw West staring at Alison like she was a jewel, and to make matters worse they saw Alison look up at him and then drop her head blushing.

"What the fuck." whispered Xander, not believing his eyes.

Alison then stood and went to the balcony to talk on her phone. Damien was about to stand up and beat the hell out of West for staring at Alison like that, but he felt Xander grabbing his arm. "Don't!" growled Xander lowly, hardly controlling his anger. "We will warn the girl. If West finds out you care for her, he would hurt her by getting close to her just to hurt you."

Damien sat down again. As much as he hated Xander's approach but he was right. West was the son and heir of one of the biggest gangs of the city who was in constant trouble with their mafia. If he knew that Alison was part of their family he would use everything to hurt them through her or make her against them, although Xander was doing the job himself by behaving like a dick in front of her.

Damien growled in frustration and stood up. He couldn't take that anymore. He left the cafeteria and headed for the front doors of the school. He needed badly to release his anger and he knew a good place to do so. The warehouse dungeons.