It's a Love Story

Ren got right back up and tried pinning the jock down again, this time with Rosie and Roman's help. They successfully pinned him down with the three of them combined.

School disaplin soon broke the fight up and all of them, including Aiden, was sitting in the office. Jon with a split lip and sore knuckles.

Ren panicked, tensing, as the principle told all of them that he'd be calling their parents up for a talk. Dear god, Ren's parents in public? They were bad enough at home...

"Ren, I'm sorry... I couldn't let them bully you or anyone else anymore." Jon said, knowing Rosie would be mad at him but was more concerned for Ren.

Ren shook her head, too panicked to tell him he had no reason to be sorry.

Jason held an icebag over his eye as his dad came charging in. "Jason William Henry," he bellowed, walking into the office.

"Heya, dad," he said, looking up at him as he took the ice bag off his black eye.

"Mr. Henry, this isn't Jason's fault..." Jon said, wanting to make things right.

"Jon's right, Dad. Those stupid jocks were picking on him and Ren."

"Let me guess: you said something to piss them off and they hit first," he said, crossing his arms. "Who is Ren?"

Jason nodded towards the quiet girl sitting next to Jon, the one nearly as white as a ghost, looking like a deer caught in the headlights. "I'm being serious, dad. She's a sweet girl, never hurt a fly. She doesn't deserve to be picked on."

Jon sighed, rubbing Ren's back. "It'll be okay." he told her softly, "I promise."

She shook her head. "Jon," she whispered, obviously scared. "My parents are coming..." He would be the only one who understood - she told him that they were always drunk and all they did was yell at her.

Rosie looked at Ren curiously as her, Jon, and Rome's dad and mom walked in. "Kids... Do I want to know," he asked, not looking happy. "All three of you?"

Jon sighed nodding. "I know." he whispered back.

"Daddy, it's not what it seems. Some guy hit Jason so Jon hit that guy. Then all the other Jocks joined in and that wasn't fair so I hit, or tried to tackle some other guy and then Ren joined in, got knocked down. I couldn't let that happen so I tackeled that guy with Rosie's help... The started it!" Roman explained.

The jock part made sense without even listening to the whole story. "Alright, alright. Calm down. We'll ta-"

"Where's the office," a woman's voice all but yelled as she and her husband walked in. More like stumbled.

Ren sank in her chair, trying to hide behind Jon more without making it look like it. Her parents had arrived.

"Dad, we have to get Ren out of here." Jon said, looking up at his dad as he mom just stared at the people comming in.

Mike looked at his son curiously, but nodded without asking questions. He recieved a three-day-out-of-school-suspension slip for all four of the students, for fighting whether they started it or not. "Alright, kids, let's go home. Grab your homework before you go," he told them, hearding them out, hiding Ren as best he could from the two stumbling into the office. They never noticed Ren as they were kindly told that the ones at the office had made a mistake in calling them up and made them go home.

Ren was tense the entire time, doing her best to stay out of her parents' sight. She'd succeeded, but didn't relax until she knew they'd left the campus.

Jon kept his arm around Ren, making sure she wasn't seen. He was still upset and would probably lock himself in the drawing room to paint. That jock douche bags had given him a split lip and a shiner for his show tonight. He's be pissed for days.

Mike waited patiently as they stopped at each of their lockers to get the things they needed before he walked outside with them into the car. "You don't mind if I take you home with us, do you, Ren," he asked her.

She shook her head. "No, not at all. Thank you," she told him as he nodded and closed the door.

Rose sighed. "Dad, what are we gonna do for three days? Can't we postpone the art show? We all look like crap..."

"If you hadn't fought back, you wouldn't look so bad," he told her, looking at her through the rear-view mirror. "Talk to your mother about it. Considering the art show has to do with Jon's career choice, I'll leave it up to her."

Lilli sighed and turned around in her seat to look at her kids and Ren. "Rose, sweetie, I'm sorry but everyone is comming out tonight. It would cost a lot more money for us to redo everything. We'd have to rent the loby another night and pay the caiterer more." she sighed.

"Mom, I can't describe my art with a swollen lip!" Jon protested, he agreed with Rosie.

"Then you shouldn't have gotten in a fight, huh?"

"But it wasn't our fault!" Roman joined into the argument.

"what happened to just walk away?" Lilli asked.

"I tried!" Jon protested.

"You tell us not to walk away from a fight when it's self defence. All this sounds overly contradictory!" Roman sighed, crossing her arms.

Mike sighed. "Your mother gave you her answer. No use fighting it," he told the kids. "And pouting isn't going to do anything but annoy us. We'll do the best we can to cover up bruises and make the swellings go down before the show tonight. Does everyone have their clothes picked out, washed, and ironed," he asked his kids.

"Hey, Ren, are you coming tonight?"

Ren nodded. "I think so, but I don't have a dress..."

"Oh, you can borrow one of mine! Or one of Rome's. Oh! How about we give you a makeover," she said excitedly. She loved giving makeovers. "Come on, Rome! Let's do it," she smiled at her little sister.

Ren blushed, not liking being the center of attention, but she didn't oppose the idea of being the subject of a makeover if she could go to the show with Jon tonight.

"I have the perfect dress for you." Rome smiled. She wasn't as much of a girly girl as her sister but she liked make up and what not. She was a girl after all.

Jon still brooded, looking out the window.

"Oh, which one are you thinking," Rose asked her, smiling excitedly.

Ren started getting into it, too, smiling a bit as she looked at Jon. She then noticed his mood right away and sat quietly with her hands in her lap.

Rosie noticed Jon wasn't getting into the conversation and poked him. "Hey, this involves you, too. Stop pouting and get over it. Just say you walked into a wall or something. Happens to lots of people every morning, or when they get in a rush."

"Rose, Leave your brother alone." Lilli said.

"Some of the drawings got ruined Rose. Like, destroyed." Jon mumbled, not looking at his sister.

Rose kept her mouth shut and sat back in her seat, staying silent until they got home.

Ren looked at Jon sadly, wishing there was something she could do to cheer him up. But she had no idea what it was.

Once home, Jon got out of the car and went straight to a place where he could be alone.

Roman, seeing how hurt Ren looked at Jon's mood went to her. "Don't worry about him. When I was younger I ripped up one of his drawings. I was a baby of course, but, he didn't talk to me for a week. He's pretty attached to his art. But he's more grown up now and he'll probably apologize to you later. He'll apologize to everyone. Huh, Rosie."

Rose nodded. "Yeah. He's just moody and pissy," she stuck her tongue out after their brother. "He'll get over it. He'll draw more drawings, better than the ones he lost. And he knows it," she yelled so he could hear her. "But whatever. He'll be fine," she smiled at Ren. "Now, let's get you all sex-ied up," she grinned wickedly.

"This is an art show, Rose," Mike reminded her for the fifth time that week.

"Okay, fancied up. What's the difference," she chuckled, taking Ren's arm. "Should we go all out, Rome? Haircut and the works?"

"Yeah." Rome smiled. "We could add some layers to your hair. Rosie's really good. And she's not just one of those women who claim they can cut hair. She really can." She said then gave her a hard look. "What do you say, Rose? Green? She's look great in green. And, Jon loves green." she added with a smirk.

Ren nodded, agreeing to the haircut, then panicked when she started talking about something green. "you're not gonna dye my hair green, right?"

Rose chuckled. "I dunno... It would match your eyes..." she said, teasing.

Ren panicked even more, looking after where Jon had disappeared to. She took everything literally. She wasn't used to being joked around with.