The Cafeteria

All the students in the cafeteria were mesmerized. They saw Jill step towards Linda, they saw Linda take a step back, and then they saw the little Beta known as Paul jump off a table and on to Jill's back. They couldn't believe it. Once again, Paul showed courage and bravery beyond comprehension. 

In fact, if they took a step back, they probably would have laughed at the sight of Paul and Jill. It reminded some of a guy trying to ride the back of a wild elephant. Paul hung on as best he could, until Jill got a hold of him.

Even Alice and George watched intently. Alice wasn't surprised in the least by Paul rushing and jumping on Jill. It only confirmed what she believed. Paul had the biggest set of balls in the world. 

She and George thought about stepping in, but it wasn't their fight. And even if they had decided to act, an event that would shake the whole cafeteria occurred. 

It would become known as the spit heard round the world. Nobody had seen anything like that ever before. It was something so surreal, that many asked the person next to them if what they thought they saw was actually what they saw. And it was. 

Not only had Paul risked life and limb to protect his girlfriend, he had come up with the most inspired action in the face of certain danger. This would be talked about for years.

The teachers had arrived and told Paul and Jill to come with them to the principal’s office. Linda tried to move towards Paul, but one of the teachers told her to stay put. She was to stay in the cafeteria. 

Linda started crying. Once again, she failed to show courage in the face of danger, only to have Paul come to the rescue. Now, he would probably get suspended for protecting her. She wanted to leave and go home and lay in her bed and cry. 

If there was one consolation, all the students, Alphas, with the exception of Alice and George, and tweeners, came up to Linda and told her that they hoped Paul would be ok. 

But George had turned to Alice and wanted to discuss something with her. She asked him what. He mentioned the conversation with Paul a couple of weeks ago, in which he mentioned that he thought Jill would cause trouble and then make a move against her. George thought that Paul might have been right.

To him, Jill wasn't just mean, she was dangerous. It seemed that she wasn't happy unless she was inflicting physical pain on someone. She was out of control. Alice realized that also. Meeting George had brought her so much happiness. Now, with a crazy, out of control Alpha running around, it most likely would cause serious issues with that happiness. What would stop Jill from going after George? George was by no means a small Alpha, but Alice was still bigger and still growing. She had to start thinking about his safety.

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The principal

After the Bartons left his office, the principal had his secretary type up a memo informing all faculty and staff alike that a mandatory meeting was being called for 3:30 on. Attendance was not optional. He wanted copies delivered to the classroom asap.

He also called the school board and asked them if he could hire more staff, and gave some bullshit reasoning.  The board agreed with his request, and when his call was done, he dialed a staffing agency and made arrangements for employees to start the next day.

The principal, an Alpha, was a man in his 50’s. He had been at the job for the past twenty years. To him, many things had changed, and not for the better. Principals used to have the authority to expel problem students. He took his responsibility to protect all students, both Alphas and Betas, very seriously. 

But all that changed when Alphas started running the Department of Education. Everything was changed to accommodate the Alphas and no one else. Instead of being able to expel students, his hands were tied by the 10 check mark system, which allowed the students ten opportunities for extremely bad behavior before the student could be expelled. 

But once the student entered a new school, the mark system reset. He saw Jill Robbins’ history. Many schools, many complaints from her male classmates, some financial settlements. 

He felt bad for treated Paul Barton the way he did. Anyone with half a brain would know that Jill instigated the altercation. If anyone thought that a Beta would take it upon himself to attack an Alpha without provocation, they were crazy. But here he was, at the crossroads of his career. Continue and watch Alphas torment tweeners and Betas and not be able to do something, or retire and move to a coastal town and fish all day.

His staff meeting was starting in 5 minutes. As he was about to leave, his phone rang. He answered. It was the father of a student who complained that the boy who defended his daughter was suspended. The principal apologized for having to hang up, as he was on his way to a meeting. It must be the father of Paul Barton’s friend. He felt bad, but he needed to have that meeting. It would be a meeting to make it clear that the safety of all the students will be of Paramount concern at this school.

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Linda

As soon as Paul was led away to the principal’s office, and she wasn't allowed to say goodbye, she was in tears. He protected her, and for a reward, he would probably be suspended. She was mad.

She never really stopped crying. And when she found out that indeed he was suspended for 4 days, she broke down again. She had trouble concentrating on school, and seemed lost on the bus without Paul by her side.

As the bus dropped her off, she became hysterical. She opened the front door and ran into the kitchen to see her parents.

Victor and Stephanie had grown used to Paul coming in with Linda. But she was alone, and she was upset. Their first reaction was that he broke her heart. But when she calmed down enough to tell them what happened, her father made a beeline for the phone. He was going to call the principal. 

He got a hold of the principal and wanted to know why the boy who defended his daughter was being suspended. The principal said he was sorry, but he had to get to a meeting.

Victor slammed the phone down. He was starting to dislike the Alphas, and with a passion. They were turning into bullies, and didn't care who they hurt. They thought they were superior, but fuck them, he thought.

Stephanie asked Linda if she wanted to go for a ride. Linda really didn't feel like it, but her mother insisted, saying getting out of the house would do her good. Reluctantly, Linda agreed, so she and her mom got in the van. 

Next thing Linda knew was they were at Paul's house. Linda ran out of the van before it stopped, and knocked on the door. Debbie answered and was looking right at the midsection of Linda, but she stepped out and gave the tall girl a hug. 

Linda asked if Paul was home, and Debbie said he was outback with his dad. Linda was off to the yard. Debbie gave Stephanie a hug and the ladies went inside. 

The conversation started awkwardly, before Stephanie asked to see Paul. Debbie led her out the back door, and after Linda finished kissing him, Stephanie went up to him and gave him the tightest hug she could and started crying and thanking him for protecting Linda. 

Thanks to both Linda and Debbie crying, Paul's eyes started to tear up, and said didn't think of anything else but protecting Linda. And he would do it again and again. 

Linda came up and gave him another hug and a kiss, and the three adults decided to suddenly go back inside to the kitchen.

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Paul

The Bartons walked out of the school building mad. Their son did nothing wrong, but here he was, suspended. Greg was cursing under his breath. Goddamn Alphas, fuckers think they rule the place, was all he could say.

Into the car they went. As they were driving off, Greg told his son that he was very proud of him for doing the right thing. Not many people would have had the balls to do what he did. 

Paul wasn't in the mood to talk, but told his father that it was nothing. He loved Linda, and what he did just came naturally. He couldn't explain it, it just was.

Once they got home, Greg asked his son if he would give him a hand in the yard. He thought that if Paul was busy, it would take his mind off the events of the day.

But it was clear Paul's heart wasn't into doing work. He was more idle than active, couldn't wait for Linda to get home so he could call her. 

It seemed that time was dragging until he heard large footsteps, and he automatically knew who it was. He ran towards the gate and into the open arms of Linda, who picked him up and hugged him tightly. She was the only sight he wanted to see. 

After she put him down, they started walking towards the wall so Linda could sit, only to be interrupted by Stephanie. After the hugs and tears, the adults went inside, and left the two of them alone.

Linda asked him how he was doing. Paul told her he was doing well. He said to her that he told the principal off, which resulted in the extra day of suspension. 

He asked her what exactly happened, and Linda recounted everything, from start to finish. She was crying again by the end. She apologized over and over again for not being able to stand up for herself.

Paul looked at her and told her as gently as he could that she had no reason to apologise. She didn't do anything wrong. And that he loved her with all his heart.

But now he feared for her more than anyone. Jill had made it perfectly clear that Linda was now a target. He was going to have to come up with a plan to deal with her, and quickly.

She bent down and kissed him, and kissed him hard and long. Paul was lost in her embrace, and felt her warmth against his body. He couldn't imagine not feeling that for the rest of his life.

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Jill

Once the Robbins were in their Alpha sized limo, Jill's father asked her if it was too much to ask that she stay out of trouble? 

He had lost count of how many schools she attended, only to leave under a cloud. He just wanted her to have fun like a normal teenager. 

Instead, multiple schools and settlements later, here they were. This was her second suspension in the last month. Her father had a feeling that this school would be no different than the last school. 

He loved his daughter. But he wished he had been more forceful with the Eton Academy. But he put money and the school’s reputation over the well being of his daughter, and is now paying for it.