Nero (Made Men 1)

“That’s who I was telling you about, Sebastian.” Cassandra pointed toward Elle.

Elle saw a guy walk forward who looked almost identical to Cassandra. The only reason they didn’t was because they were of opposite sex.

“So, you’re the little bitch who disrespected my sister?”

Elle tried to pass him. She knew exactly where this was going.

“Oh, no, you don’t. We’re going to take a little walk.” Sebastian hooked his arm in hers and headed back down the back hallway.

“Get off me.” Elle tried not to move with Sebastian and then began fighting him.

Another guy hooked her other arm and both of them started pulling her down the hallway.

Elle desperately tried to fight them, kicking and screaming. Tears started to fill her eyes and a powerful feeling came over her that what was about to happen to her would change her forever.

Elle was now being pulled through the back school door. She saw the girls following behind her through her tears while she heard their laughter over her screams…

Elle shook her head. It doesn’t matter anymore. She had already cried too many nights because of that day, and the memory was too bad to bring up. I don’t want to ruin a good day.

Elle was having a good day, too. Nero had picked her up again, another house down of course, and Amo had brought Chloe safe and sound to English this morning. Now she was going to have a great lunch, no matter what anyone decided to throw at her.

When the bell rang, Elle got up smiling.

Chloe smiled at her. “Someone’s happy.”

Elle laughed. “Yeah, you don’t look too unhappy yourself.” She had told Chloe last night why she had been upset yesterday. Chloe actually stood up for Nero, agreeing with what he told her in the car. Needless to say, Chloe enjoyed having three big shields to stand in front of her.

Elle stopped in the doorway, looking at the guys leaning against the lockers. “Yeah, I guess they aren’t so bad.”

Chloe stopped beside her. “You’re right.” Chloe paused. “Well, besides the beast.”

They both started giggling, unable to hold it in.

Nero walked toward Elle, smiling. “What are you all laughing about?”

They both looked at each other. “Nothing.”

“Yeah, right, nothing. Clearly they were talking about us,” Amo said, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

Elle smirked. “Nope, just you.” Elle started laughing again at the look on his face, making Chloe laugh with her.

Nero took Elle’s hand, laughing as well. “Come on, girls; leave him alone.”

Elle let Nero push her and Chloe along, still laughing at Amo’s face. She saw Vincent pat him on the back before she turned away. She knew Amo just wasn’t used to girls talking to him that way. Apparently he doesn’t talk with girls when he could be doing something else with them. Elle figured that was why bugging him made it that much better.

As they walked into the cafeteria, stopping to talk in a circle, Elle had déjà vu all over again.

“What do you want to eat?” Nero asked, looking at her.

Elle was about to turn around and look at the line, but Vincent’s voice stopped her.

“The question was, what do you want, not the opposite of what they are fucking eating.”

Elle looked at Chloe, smiling. “Tacos?” She couldn’t believe a day would come where she could actually pick what she wanted to eat at school.

Chloe smiled back. “Tacos.”

“Jesus Christ, probably never had tacos, either.” Amo stomped forward, going to the line.

Amo was right, but Elle wasn’t about to tell them that.

They went through the line, this time not cutting—besides Leo. Technically, he cut to join them, though. Elle figured Nero had told them not to cut by how unhappy Amo and Vincent looked.

After they went through the line, Elle headed to their table but saw that it was already occupied. What? We have always sat here.

“Come on, Elle; we’ve moved.” Nero pushed her forward, keeping her going until the only empty table she saw was the one in the back corner, deep in robot territory.

“You two sit here.” Nero pointed to the two seats that faced the rest of the cafeteria.

Elle and Chloe sat down while the boys took their seats. Elle couldn’t see the rest of the cafeteria because their bodies blocked her view. She felt awkward.

“Why did we move? This isn’t our table.”

Nero picked up his taco and took a bite. “Now it is.”

“We have sat at that table since freshman year.” Elle needed to be close to the door so she could escape if need be.

“No one cares, sweetheart.” Vincent picked up his taco and took a bite.

Elle stared at the boys, chowing down on their tacos. Why would they move us? Elle looked behind her. It’s just walls. Elle looked in front of her. They’re blocking my view. Elle leaned up to see over Vincent’s head and saw that the whole football team was sitting at the surrounding tables.

Realization hit Elle that only a tank or a sniper could reach her from now on. Elle quickly kissed Nero’s cheek, finding it incredibly sweet he would do something like that for her. When he smiled at her, Elle’s heart started to ache. She was really starting to care for Nero and wondered if she was going to regret that someday.

Elle decided to finally start eating. After a few bites, she turned to Chloe. “Can we still go shopping tonight, or is your car not fixed yet?”

“Lana told me it should be done after school, so we are going,” Chloe said happily. “The towing company was supposed to pick it up this morning. If it can’t be fixed in time, then she’s going to get me a loaner.”

Thank God!

“Good. Do you want to sleep over tonight?”

“Yep, we need to catch up on some movies.”

Elle heard Nero mumble under his breath, “Oh, Lord.” She then kicked him under the table.

“I have to know. Do girls really have pillow fights at slumber parties?” Vincent flashed his smile.

Elle rolled her eyes. Typical.

“Yeah, I wondered that, too.” Leo said.