{ T - S I X } : D T R.

The just risen sun shone softly over the grassy expanse of Bubble Academy's field and football pitch. White fluffy cloud drifted across the clear blue sky and a cool morning breeze rippled through white tees and brown shorts.

Three wide human circles occupied the center of the football pitch as the sports instructor; Mr Barnes expertly moved around the students ensuring each circle was carrying on with their activities.

Circuit training was in full swing and Grey Anderson had on his detective spectacles closely observing to prove Jian Shepherd was a crook after overhearing his conversation with Diezel Kinney.

His jaw clenched when Jazz laughed at something Jian had said. They were in the middle circuit while Grey was stuck in the circuit to the left with Allen and Aubrey.

Jazz and Jian happily engaged in the jumping jack spree with the rest of their circuit members.

Allen nudged the distracted boy by his side, "It's high knees, Grey. What are you doing?"

Thinking about how Jazz and I had almost kissed and then she stepped back and now she's all over Jian Shepherd. Grey wanted to vent but he knew better.

"Piss off."

Allen laughed as his gaze travelled to the center circuit, "I heard about your little date and the whole mystery valentine thingy."

"Chloe and her leaking mouth." Grey shook his head in feigned disapproval.

"I heard that." Chloe called back from beside Aubrey, making faces at Grey.

"The date doesn't matter now that she's all over Jian Shepherd. I wonder what he's saying that is so funny." Grey grimaced.

Allen was particularly finding Grey amusing this fine morning, "Give her a break."

"I mean correct me if I am wrong but it's not like y'all have DTR or anything." Aubrey piped in, overhearing their not so subtle conversation about her cousin.

"DTR?" Allen raised a brow.

"What's DTR?" Grey asked, equally in the dark about the acronym.

"Are you guys like serious right now?"

"Define. The. Relationship." Chloe helped them out, intentionally saying the words one at a time for emphasis.

"Seriously, It's 1994 Grey Anderson, update your vocabulary." Aubrey rolled her eyes, her forehead glimmering with perspiration.

"Enough high knees and chitchat! Gimme some push ups, come on boys!" Mr Barnes shouted, entering the middle of Grey, Chloe, Allen and Aubrey's circuit.

"NO WAY!" Aubrey backed out immediately.

The boys in their circuit were already going down drawing the attention of the two other circuits, who gathered around to watch boys flex their masculinity.

Jazz found herself staring at just one boy.

Allen slapped Grey's arm, "Come on man, she's watching."

"Push till you lose?" Grey taunted.

"I could beat you with one arm."

"Room for one more challenger?" Jian asked, stepping towards Grey and Allen.

They shrugged and got down to it.

Grey Anderson, Allen Pierce and Jian Shepherd stole all the shine of the other circuit members and soon the crowd was keeping the scores as the boys went up and down.

"17!" The crowd echoed.

"Stop showing off!" Aubrey shouted, admiring her boyfriend.

"Love you more, Aubs."

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Sports day equalled free day and as the hours rolled by into afternoon Jazz Brown found herself in the Brown House having lunch and working on a master plan to save every art senior's grade in history.

The Brown House was only half filled.

She sat by the usual table that was closer to the vending machines flagged to the right by Jian and Grey sitting across from her. Clad in a ruffled shirt and a black and white checkers gown that stopped mid thigh which she paired with white jadon doc martens, she went over the play in her head.

Textbooks and jotters as well as lunch trays containing sandwiches and juice boxes littered the table. Having made little progress with their planning, the trio dived into a random discussion.

"Jazz," Jian started, "Wanna hear a secret?"

Jazz nodded chewing her food slowly behind closed lips and admiring his hair.

"There are three TV series about to be lunched this year and internal rumors has it that they might break Law & Order's record and one is a sitcom."

"No way!" Jazz beamed.

Grey looked between them letting his self control overpower his jealousy. After all he won the push up battle this morning and with the way Jazz looked at him, he knew he'd won her as well. He ate his lunch in silence and anger at the fact he had to be sharing this table and Jazz with Jian Shepherd.

"One is called Friends, the second; Heartbreak High and the third; ER. You'd say I told you." Jian continued.

"How do you know this?"

"Got an inside tip. My dad's got friends in Hollywood which means I'll be spending the summer before I go to college behind the scenes watching the final productions. And of course special invitation to the series premieres." He gloated innocently.

"Starting to think your Dad's got friends everywhere."

Jian grinned, "So is there anything you guys think our play is missing?"

"I think not. Easy part is out of the way now it's saddling up the cast." Jazz concurred, "Grey?"

Grey shrugged, leaning his elbows on the table, "I think it would be better if we add a five dollar bogie you know for the white slavers. It would be a fine touch or we could be fancy and get two ounces of weed as side shipment. What do you think Jian?"

"Huh?" Jazz dropped her half eaten sandwich onto her tray, her eyes dancing between the two boys in confusion.

Grey's blue eyes locked with Jian's dark ones in an unfaltering gaze and taunting expression.

"Grey?"

Jian gulped and spoke up, "Jazz please excuse us, it would seem Grey Anderson has some thoughts he'd like to share with me personally."

Chairs scrapped back and the two boys stood up, walking to the edge of the Refectory few feet away from the vending machines.

Jazz sighed as she turned around in her seat to watch them.

"Grey please don't do anything crazy." Jazz muttered to herself.

Jian leaned against the window casually popping a gum into his mouth with one leg crossed against the other. He sure knew how to style. The sun light streaming in from the window made his black baggy jeans and cream sweatshirt glow.

"So what? You're dealing MJ?"

Jian's phiz puzzled, "Mary Jane? I don't sell shoes."

Grey's eyes darkened, "You know what I'm talking about, Shepherd, I heard your conversation with Kinney. You could get expelled, Bubble Academy was built by missionaries if you didn't know."

"So? Are you going to be the snitch mummy's boy? You're gonna be the snitch huh?" Jian taunted, pushing himself off the wall.

Grey shrugged the insult off with a slow exhale, "You really are a piece of shit you know that."

"I have a license."

"You're underage."

"I'm royalty thanks to Samuel Shepherd the second. Where's your own Daddy, Anderson?" Jian pestered, stepping up to Grey.

Jazz watched the exchange between the six foot devils with fidgeting legs.

"Don't talk about my Dad." Grey warned.

"I should talk about you then huh?" Jian titled his head to the side, poking Grey's chest with his index finger. "This has to do with Jazz, doesn't it? But you might want to think twice lover boy."

"Screw you, Shepherd." Grey cussed, shoving Jian by his shoulders.

"How do you think Jackie is going to feel when she finds out her forever crush is a SSRI addict? Yes I know a little about you. Did my research and I also know how you hold your issues up like show and tell in that pathetic therapy group little mummy's boy–"

"Stop."

"Or what? I must know, are the sessions and reform summer camps really helping?"

"I said stop!"

"Jian stop..." Jazz had abandoned her lunch in hope of intervening.

Jian visibly ignored her, "I can throw a few punches too you know. Maybe if you could too you would have stopped the cops from bundling your Dad away even if he got what he deserves for being a freaking paedo–"

Only when Grey crunched his fist into Jian Shepherd's face did he realized what he had done.

Jazz gasped in fright as her hands fell over her mouth in shock.

The whacking sound had drawn everyone's attention and gasps. The force of the punch had reeled Jian backward. Staggering he found his footing once more and reared his balled fists forward, he missed.

Jian had pushed some buttons with his purging tongue and Grey was bent on making him take responsibility for his actions.

His anger took over and the boys struggled with each other.

The Brown House had flown into an uproar, students huddling around the boys for entertainment.

Ducking as Jian swung his hand, Grey sent a blow into his guts, grabbing him by the shoulders and ramming his knee into Jian's abdomen. He toppled over but Grey wasn't going to let him get away with dissing his family.

"The two of you cut it out this instant!" Mrs Potter, the school's cook yelled.

His family was his weakness. The situation with his Dad made it hard for him to keep his emotions under check. Grey was a proactive kind of person who happened to be secretly dealing with anger issues and lack of emotional control.

"Grey, stop please!" Jazz held unto his shoulders pulling him away.

Luckily Allen bursted through the crowd in time and with the help of other students succeeded in separating the boys.

"What are you thinking?! You're the headmistress's son!" Jazz shouted shoving him, not caring they were in the middle of a scene.

He grabbed her hands fiercely with a grave look in his beautiful eyes, "Would be easier if I were not."

The hall fell silent the moment the most familiar sound of platform loafers also the most feared footsteps in Bubble Academy echoed on the wooden floor boards.

The crowd around the boys parted on cue all heads snapping towards the entrance.

"Both of you. My office."

"Grey." Jazz called out, touching his arm.

He shrugged her off and walked away without a word.

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A/N: phew, what a chapter, looks like head mistress's kid and the new kid are getting detention together, what a fate. And voila we just dug a little deeper into Grey's head. Please vote and see you on the next chapter. Love you.
TheShadyButterfly🦋.