My Little Rebel

Forced Confession

Lexi's P.O.V.

3 years ago (Lexi 13, Max 14)

Tate, Corey, Isaac and Marco all sit around me, talking about what they've been doing all day. They're all goofing around with one another, giving each other a hard time with small, innocent insults. This is why I like hanging out with guys, because they never hold anything back, and they can be crude and casual about everything.

Tate's arm is draped around me, like it usually is. For some reason, Tate has always done this. It all started in first grade, when he asked me to be his girlfriend. I had told him yes at the time, but our relationship only lasted a total of two days. He never told me why he didn't want to be my boyfriend anymore, only that he didn't. I didn't really care, seeing as I was only seven. Ever since then, though, he's always draped it around me. In the past, when I've asked him why he does it, he just playfully says that he has to keep other guys from hitting on his "girlfriend". At first, when he started doing it, it was kind of weird. Now though, it's almost like it belongs there because I've become so accustomed to it. Honestly, at this point, it would be weird if his arm DIDN'T go straight for my shoulders as soon as I sat down beside him.

I look over at Tate as he starts to tease Marco about him tripping in the sand today at the beach, and carefully study all of his features. His sandy blonde hair hangs in loose ringlets right in front of his blue eyes, and his cheeks are sunburned today, making the few freckles that he has scattered on his nose more prominent than usual. There's a small black stud earring in his right earlobe, something that became a permanent fixture last year, when Marco talked him into a piercing at the pier one day. Tate's teeth are perfectly white and straight, with a small gap in between the front top ones. Just like always though, his laughter and smile are completely contagious.

Tate catches me staring at him from the corner of his eye, and I see a small blush creep across his cheeks, "Everything cool, Lex? Do I have something on my face?" he asks, before reaching up and wiping at his face.

"No, no, sorry." I say, as a blush suddenly creeps across my cheeks as well, "I was just, um...I was just."

"Oh, crap!" Marco says, before he starts laughing, "You were totally checking him out!"

I bolt up from the picnic table we're all sitting at, making Tate and his arm fall to the bench from the sudden loss of stability, "I WAS NOT!" I scream out at Marco.

"You totally were, Lex!" Marco says as he continues to laugh, "You were staring at him like Max stares at..."

Marco lets out a small ooff sound when Corey suddenly elbows him in the ribs. I squint my eyes at Corey, but he casually looks away from me. I look over at Isaac, but he's looking anywhere BUT me. Slowly, I turn to look at Tate, but the second I look at him, I wish I wouldn't have. Tate is leaning over with his elbows casually relaxed on his knees, with a stupid, goofy, knowing grin on his face.

"Were you checking me out, Lex?" Tate chuckles out.

"NO!" I yell out at him defensively, "That's disgusting, Tate!"

"Oh, come on babe! It's nothing to be ashamed about! I mean, I was your first boyfriend and all! You're allowed to check out the goods!" he teases, as he motions his hands in front of his body, like he's showing himself off.

I look over at Marco with squinted, threatening eyes, "I hate you."

"No you don't, Lex." Marco says to me, before a small smirk plays on his lips as well, "In fact, you're more than welcome to check me out too, if you want." he says in a condescending tone, before giving me a flirty wink.

I let out a frustrated huff as I slyly make my way over to the ketchup bottle sitting on the picnic table, "I wasn't checking him out, I promise."

"Oh, yeah? Then what were you doing, Lex?" Tate asks, with that stupid grin still plastered on his face.

I pop the lid off of the ketchup bottle, "You were right, you did have something on your face." I say to him, before quickly squeezing the ketchup in his face, covering that stupid grin that was there only seconds before.

Marco, Isaac and Corey erupt into laughter, grabbing their stomachs as they fall off of the benches onto the ground. Tate looks irritated for a few seconds, as he pulls some paper towels off of the table, before slowly wiping the ketchup off of his face. Then, once he's cleaned up, a threatening and mischievous grin pulls across his lips. He looks over at me and slowly stands up, making my stomach suddenly tighten into knots. I know that grin, and although I'm not afraid of that grin, because it usually just means he's about to pull a prank, there's also something else hidden behind his eyes right now that is foreign to me. Tate almost looks like a predator eyeing his prey. Not in a way that he's going to kill me or harm me, but in the way that I've suddenly caught his attention, that he has tunnel vision on me now.

I gulp down the lump that's suddenly formed in my throat as I take a small step back, while watching him mimic my movements as he takes one step forward. I take another step backwards, just to make sure I'm not paranoid, and sure enough, he takes another step forward.

Yep, definitely hyper-focused on me like I'm his prey.

I can faintly hear Marco, Isaac and Corey chuckling in the background while making stupid comments, but I pay no attention to them. My eyes refuse to leave Tate's, while my mind races everywhere, trying to figure out a way for me to get out of this situation I've gotten myself into. Before I have the chance to make a run for it, to duck out of the way away from him, to shove him away, Tate swoops me up off of my feet and throws me over his shoulder. Tate starts walking through the skate park as I scream over his shoulder for him to put me down. No one intervenes though, as everyone at the skate park is used to mine and my friends' antics. We're always the ones pulling pranks, always the ones goofing around and being loud, always the ones making jokes.

I catch a glimpse of Max from the corner of my eye, and my breath hitches in my throat as I turn to stare at him, halting my screams at Tate. Max is standing rigid, eyes full of fury as he stares at the two of us. His hands are clenched by his sides and his nostrils flare as he breathes heavily, in and out. I stare for only a few seconds, before the town pool comes into my view. The second I see the crystal clear water, and realize that Tate is walking straight towards it, my screams for him to put me down continue.

"Aw, come on, Lex." Tate laughs out teasingly, "It won't be that bad!"

"Put me down, Tate! I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that!" I scream out at him pleadingly.

Tate starts chuckling, "Alright, I'll put you down on one condition." he says to me, with a mocking tone.

My ears perk up at that, because whatever the condition is, I'll do it. They just got the pool cleaned up for summer and haven't even opened yet, meaning that it's freezing cold.

"What is it? What do you want?!" I ask in an annoyed tone.

"You have to admit that you were checking me out, that's all." Tate says with a chuckle, his shoulders shrugging underneath my stomach a bit.

I roll my eyes at him, because of course that would be the condition, "Oh my gosh, Tate. I was not checking you out! So...gross!"

"Uh huh, I'm sure you weren't." he says sarcastically, before acting like he's about to throw me in.

I grab onto his shirt, or pants, or it might have even been his butt, I'm not sure. At this moment though, I don't even care.

"Don't you dare! I swear if you throw me in, you'll regret it!" I yell out.

Tate starts to laugh, "Well then, just admit that you were checking me out. There's no point in hiding it now, since you're feeling up my butt now too."

I roll my eyes. Guess that answers my question.

"Fine. FINE! Iwascheckingyouout." I say, the last part coming out quickly and quietly.

"What? I can't hear you!" Tate says, as he acts like he's going to throw me in the pool again.

"FINE! I WAS CHECKING YOU OUT!!! OKAY?! HAPPY NOW?!" I scream out at the top of my lungs, my patience quickly becoming thin.

Tate slowly releases me and lets me slide off of his shoulder, as he grabs my waist to steady me, before looking me in the eyes once I'm on the ground, "Very." he says, his eyes now sparkling as he stares down at me.

Tate holds me in place in front of him, his eyes roaming my face as a small, soft smile now appears across his lips, "Very happy." he whispers out, his breath fanning across my nose from the close proximity.

I look away from him and clear my throat, before slowly stepping away from him. As soon as I do, though, Tate's body forcefully slings sideways and goes crashing into the icy cold pool. It takes me a second to realize what has happened, to realize that he's been pushed into the pool, but when I do realize what's happened, I look over to find the culprit.

Standing there, is Max, and he didn't push him in as a prank. I can tell that it wasn't a prank by the rage that is radiating off of him right now.