Caught In The Middle

Something's off

The backward comments and jibes continued from the popular girls led mainly by Mila Monday morning. Quinn hadn’t realized before but had found out through talking with the girls on Friday night that Mila was actually Vice Captain of the Cheer Squad, the only good thing about that was she spent a lot of time over at Columbia for practice as did Vanessa. Apparently she didn’t even need to come to this special branch but did only because she had made her daddy enroll her here after her friends told her about it and its special rich status.

Quinn did her best to just ignore the comments, it didn’t seem like anything was going to escalate passed that stage as long as she didn’t react so she played it cool, she had taken to putting in earbuds to make out like she couldn’t even hear them.

After Friday night’s spectacle with Reese now the talk of the freshman girls she really didn’t need any trouble from the popular girls so had decided to sit in her car during her lunchbreak. She knew there had been a party on Saturday night while she was forced to be a plaything for Senator Smith’s p*****t gaze and she felt a little jealous that they all got to have fun and drink and dance and be with others their age and flirt and kiss and carry on while she was put to use to get a contract signed.

She shuddered as memories of Saturday night came back and she cringed behind the steering wheel of her car resting her forehead on it as tears welled up, triggered by the haunting creepy feeling the memory left on her skin. She tried to break through it, but her breathing just couldn’t get big enough, she knew she was starting to panic and gripped the steering wheel tight.

She startled as someone banged on the car window.

She instinctively looked up startled and met beautiful sky blue eyes with her red ravaged ones, tears streaking her face.

Cory’s face darkened from that roguish grin to a serious grim expression at seeing her crying and he demanded she open her door as he tried the handle to find it locked.

She didn’t want to face him but didn’t want to fight either, so she unlocked the car and let him open it. He crouched down outside beside her seat and placed a hand on her thigh, the other sweeping her hair back from her face as she had dropped her forehead back to the steering wheel.

“s**t, are you okay?” He asked, full of worry. “What’s wrong?”

Quinn sniffled and wiped her face with her hands, looking up with a deep breath and a fake smile. “Nothing, I’m fine…go away.”

“Are you f*****g kidding me?” Cory growled at her. “Stop this macho bullshit it doesn’t suit you and I’m f*****g sick of it!” He grabbed her chin and made her look at him. “Tell me what’s happened.” His tone changed to a caring soft murmur.

Quinn sniffed, startled by his outburst and brushed his hand away from her face, leaning over to the glove compartment and getting a tissue out. “It’s nothing really…that time of the month.”

Cory bit his tongue knowing she was lying to him. “Really…is that it?”

“Yeah, I’m fine…embarrassed you caught me in this state, but fine.” She looked at him and ventured a smile, it looked more like a grimace.

He laughed. “You adorable i***t. Come on, get out, I’ll walk you to your locker.”

“You really don’t have to…”

“I know that, but I want to.” His roguish smile beamed at her and she couldn’t help but give a small genuine smile back. His good nature was infectious and she was grateful for him appearing. He took her hand and gently coaxed her from the car then wrapped his arms around her in a huge comforting hug. He was quite broad shouldered and his arms fit around her completely encompassing her within his body making her feel safe.

“Oh god…” She groaned out a sob. His hug felt so good, he was so warm and he smelt awesome. She burrowed her face into his chest and sobbed. He cradled her, his head resting on hers, loving the feeling of her, she fit against him so perfectly.

“I don’t know what’s happened but at least take this comfort from me, just for a moment.” He breathed out, closing his eyes, his heart tearing to hear her crying again.

“I’m sorry…” Quinn’s meek voice came to him. He squeezed her tighter to his chest.

“Don’t ever be sorry…just tell me if I can help you.”

She shook her head.

He grit his teeth. “Okay…but I’m not happy about seeing you cry.”

She looked up, having gained her composure and pushed away from him. “Nah, don’t worry…truly it’s nothing just got a little overwhelmed by…ah…family stuff, you know?”

“Family stuff? Sure, I get it.” He lifted her chin and met her eyes. “If you ever want to talk, you know I’m over here waiting to get to know you better, I’m a good listener.” He gave her his charming smile and let her go.

“Thanks…really…I needed that.” Quinn looked away into her car. “I should go before I’m late, Ellery locks the doors on late comers to her class.” She bent into her car and reached across the seat for her phone and bag and took her keys out of the ignition.

Cory shuffled backwards to let her close the car door. She glanced up at him. “Thank you, really.” She said again, not sure what else to say.

He beamed a truly handsome smile at her. “No problem, anytime, don’t just sit by yourself and be miserable, okay?” He reached out and stroked her cheek of a stray tear.

“Oh god…” She pulled her hoodie sleeves down over her hands and wiped her face dry, taking in a huge cleansing breath and releasing it. “Okay…thanks.”

Cory laughed. “It’s a good thing you don’t wear makeup to school…if you wipe your face like that! s**t, eighty percent of the girls here would never be able to do that.”

Quinn startled a little at that and pulled her hair forward around her neck, she would have to check the makeup that was hiding the bruising. “Ah…yeah, lucky me.” She gave a little amused chuckle.

“Hey now, that’s better, I even got a smile…are you really okay?” The concern in his voice almost made her cry again.

She scowled at him. “Stop with the concern already…going…bye.” She turned and walked off slinging her bag over her shoulder.

Cory huffed at her scowl. “Adorable…you’re like a bad-tempered bunny rabbit.”

He watched her walk away, scratching his chin in contemplation. What family stuff would make a girl react like that? He had seen his real mother have panic attacks before when he was younger and knew what it was…although Quinn had snapped out of it easily with his quick distraction.

Something about it made him feel uneasy.

Mila threw her coffee into the bin and kicked the bin.

“What the f**k was that? Are they secretly dating? Did that b***h manage to steal my man from me? Is that why he’s been so distant this semester?” She was screaming and pacing as the other girls around her looked on nervously. “And after all the effort I went to, to get him to finally sleep with me.”

Mila had seen Cory hugging Quinn, comforting her over something, stroking her cheek and making her cheer up and smile at him.

“Argh!” She growled out. “She’s going to pay, that b***h!”

Cory made his way up to the third floor of the admin building and walked up to the door labeled with a stick-on gold and black plaque that read ‘Executive.’

He knocked on the door and opened it without waiting for anyone to tell him he could enter. He knew what to expect and when he saw Flipper and Mac both sitting on the couches in the room with girls making out he didn’t even pay them any mind. They casually looked up at him as the girls panicked a little bit but relaxed when they saw it was just Curry.

Of course he had messaged Reese to talk, he wouldn’t dare come up here unannounced and he looked up past the couches to the desks and saw Reese sitting at one, wearing his blue-light glasses and looking at the screen.

Reese swiveled his chair around and took his glasses off, indicating for Cory to sit in the gaming chair next to his own. ‘f**k, he looks sexy with glasses.’ Cory’s intrusive thoughts spoke to him.

“I thought this room was for the executive to meet, not a gaming pad for gangsters?” Cory said sarcastically.

Reese smirked. “It is whatever I want it to be.”

“Ha! Figures.” Cory rolled his eyes and sat down with a heavy sigh.

“Wow, what’s eating you?” Reese commented, his left eyebrow lifting.

Cory glanced at the others in the room and back to Reese meaningfully. Reese’s eyes narrowed and his expression deadpanned.

“Everyone, get out.” He ordered in a firm deep tone.

With no argument the two guys instantly got up, grabbing their girls and their stuff and left quickly. Cory snorted, impressed. “Wish the boys on the team would be like that…”

“You have to whack it into them.” Reese chuckled. Cory knew Reese was a mixed martial arts fighter for his father’s underground fighting ring and was so far undefeated. “So what’s got you so riled up on a Monday morning that you had to seek me out to fix it?”

“Nothing like that, settle down.”

“Hmm…” Reese thrummed, amused. Cory never came here, never hung out with him on campus, so this was a real rare event happening.

“I just caught Quinn in her car crying and panting like she was terrified.”

“What the f**k?” Reese’s fists clenched tight and his eyes blazed with fire.

“Calm down…she said it was because of family matters, what do you know of the ‘family’ at Zortex?”

“Before that…” Reese commented. “Did you find out anything from your father? On Friday she said her surname was Malley…so not Ferrante.”

“Yeah, I had a quick chat with Dad on Sunday. Unfortunately he didn’t want to say too much, only that he was pretty sure the head, Augusto Ferrante only has a son, Antonio, who is said to be stepping into the head seat soon…”

“Yeah, that’s what the word on the street is…he’s maybe four or five years older than us…” Reese was tapping the desk with his fingers and thinking when he was that age he would be stepping into his father’s shoes too. “A real sadistic prick from what I hear.”

“Says the asshole who beats his men into line.” Cory muttered.

Reese grinned viciously. “Maybe, but the problem with the Ferrante family is they’re still stuck in the glory days of shooting anyone that opposes then, chopping off fingers and k********g family members.”

“f**k…” Cory looked bleak. “Well, good thing Quinn isn’t a Ferrante than…still, we know she’s something to do with them.”

“Yeah…” Reese rubbed his cheek. “It doesn’t sit well with me…they’re rivals, although we have peace they do have a lot of legit businesses as well to cover and clean the money…hopefully it’s just a simple executive or director she’s related to.”

“Should I be hearing this?” Cory looked at Reese a little uncomfortably but Reese just chuckled. “Anyway, I hope you’re right cause whatever upset her made me want to punch someone.”

Reese gave Cory a little sideways glance. “Is that so?”

Cory heard the surly tone. “Don’t get all bossy on me.”

“I want to throttle your neck and tell you to back the hell off!” Reese growled under his breath as he grabbed for his vape and stood up. “…but we have a competition…”

“That’s right…and f**k when she smiled at me and thanked me for comforting her…man, I just about came!”

“Dirty f**k boy!” Reese spat as he opened a window then he inhaled on his vape and blew it out the open window as he leaned on the ledge.

Cory laughed. “Have you jacked off to her yet?”

Reese gave him a dark threatening look. “Don’t talk your locker room s**t with me! Get out!”

“Wait, sorry…” Cory laughed, holding his hands up in surrender before Reese tried to punch him. “Look, I came here to ask if maybe you should put a tail on her and make sure she is actually okay.”

Reese’s expression deadpanned again and he looked away out the window as he huffed on his vape again. Cory took the moment to appreciate the fine side profile of a truly beautiful man.

“Take a picture.” Reese muttered before turning to look at Cory, his expression dark and heated. Cory swallowed his cheeky comeback at that expression. “You think this thing with Quinn is serious enough to warrant a tail?”

“What’s serious enough? Her situation or my feelings?”

Reese grit his teeth causing his jaw muscles to spasm as that left eyebrow lifted and he tilted his head at Cory pensively.

“Yeah…I don’t know…” Cory confessed. “Something just feels off.”

“Hmm, alright then…it will be good to find out where she lives, if nothing else.”

Cory grinned. “I’ll take that as a freebie then, since it’s something you want to know too.”

“Nothing says I’ll pass the info on to you, f**k boy.”

“Says the dude that had a threesome with some random chicks at that party on Saturday.” Cory spat back, offended.

“Well, instead of j*********f to thoughts of Quinn like a teenager, I would rather take action and f**k my thoughts away properly.” Reese smirked as he wandered back over and grabbed his jacket and phone. “I’m off, so you need to leave.”

“Fine…” Cory huffed and stood up. “…and thanks, I knew you would understand.”

Reese stepped up behind him and inhaled into the back of his neck making him freeze and his skin to goose bump. “You smell good…new cologne?”

Cory placed his hand on the back of his neck as Reese stepped past him with a chuckle. “f**k, don’t do that! And yes…I bought that gold Jean Paul Gaultier.”

Reese flicked an intense gaze at him. “Don’t think this makes you winning this competition, just because she showed you her vulnerable side…she’s still wrapped up in a gangster family and you’re the Police Commissioner’s son.”

Cory shrugged as he walked to the door. “I obviously make her feel safe…you on the other hand are just the same as the d***s she’s forced to co-exist with that give her panic attacks…”

Reese’s expression changed instantly to violent seething. “f**k you, prick!”

Cory flipped him off and left quickly.