Hey, Babe

"Hey, babe."

I look up from my combination-operating fingers to see a grinning, hunky athlete leaning against the locker beside mine.

I promptly fling open my locker door and smirk as it smacks him right in the face.

"Ow! What the hell, Lexie?" he exclaims, doubling over as he grabs his head in his hands.

My smirk just widens more as I get my books out. "Don't be such a drama queen, Joel. It doesn't hurt that much."

He just glares back at me.

"Or maybe it does, but at least I won't jab it afterwards," I retort while looking for my Calc book. Where the heck is it?

"I did not jab your forehead. It was a slight poke, and it was an accident!" he hisses. Then his tone turns knowing. "And I guess you don't want your Calc book back, either."

I whirl around. "What – how did you… Joel, stop stealing my things!"

"I didn't steal anythin', I found it on the floor," he defends himself. "You're the one who loses things."

Oh, right. My bag last Friday. "Good thing you found it then. Now give it back." I stretch my palm out.

The look on his face says he is not going to, and he raises the book above his head.

"Joel, give it back."

"What was that? You're sorry for smackin' me in the face with a metal door and accusin' me of bein' a stealin' thief?"

"Stealing thief is redundant."

"Emphasis, babe, emphasis."

That makes me jump and latch onto his arm. Damn him for being tall. "Give it back, you… you…"

"Handsome devil?"

A reluctant laugh has barely passed through my lips when I hear the whispers.

"Look at her, it's only been a week and she's already getting so handsy…"

"Oh, I knew that chick had more fire in her than I thought, I wonder how she'd be like in…"

"She is such an attention-seeker, flirting so early in the morning with the guy she cheated on Bishop with. He is, like, so right to dump her."

Talk about an icy bucket being dumped on you.

I ease myself back properly on floor and step away from Joel, carefully not looking at any other people, especially behind me, where the hissing is the loudest.

"Joel. What's with the pity face?" It is obvious that he has also noticed the people whispering about us as he stares at me and behind me alternately with an odd expression on his face.

"Oh this isn't a pity face, Lex," he replies, a grin forming on his handsome face. This time, he is concentrated on the people behind my back.

"Then what is it? And could you please stop staring at those stupid people? You're giving them the satisfaction of knowing they might be getting to you. And me."

This time, his eyes meet mine. "They are, though. Just a bit."

I guess my eyes are darkening.

"Yes, they are. Turn around. Maybe you'll see somethin' to make them the usual beautiful ones again."

Rolling my eyes at his last statement while seriously doubting it, I turn around anyway, and find that Joel doesn't let me down.

A terrified-looking kid is being held up at the collar against the wall by a certain athlete who looks ready to beat the living crap out of him. At the same time, two girls are being stared down by another athlete and his girlfriend. They are all surrounded by a very large number of students, including, I notice, the minions of the devil.

Gravity, I am sure, is working very hard on my opened jaw right now.

"What – what the hell is going on here?" I manage to sputter out through my shock.

"What do you think?" comes Joel's wry reply from beside me as he leans oh-so-casually against the lockers.

Everybody's heads turn to me in unison. It would've been cool if a kid wasn't being choked to death at that moment.

"Let him go," I tell Bishop. Then tell Adrien and Dove the same.

"Did you not hear what these two ignorant gremlins said?" Dove demands, once again with her very imaginative insults.

"Sure, I did. I don't care, they're ignorant, remember? They don't know anything. Better, I mean," I half-lie about caring. The girls look ready to cry. I don't even blame them.

They back off, but somebody is still up against the wall, choking. "Put him down, he's five seconds away from dying," I order Bishop, deliberately adding the last part to scare the kid. My little payback.

He frowns, and his grip actually tightens. "But he was talking about you like he wanted to – "

"Babe," I cut him off.

That makes him drop the kid, who slides straight down and slumps against the wall, coughing for air.

Bishop advances toward me with his stalking strides, and the crowd actually parts for him. Moses in the Red Sea, much?

He stops only when he is right in front of me, and I can almost see where his eyes are hazel and where they're green. I have to tilt my head up, he has to look down, but it doesn't matter.

"I told you not to call me that." His soft growl sends shivers down my back.

Is there anything this man did that didn't affect me?

"I know."

His breath is hot as it caresses my face. "What do I have to do to make you stop calling me that?"

"I don't know."

His perfect lips widen to a smug smile. "I do."

Then he leans towards me even more. My breath hitches in anticipation, and my heart's going a mile a minute and the whole world has faded away...

And then he stops, his lips mere millimeters from mine.

"Will you please never call me that again?"

My face breaks into a blinding grin even as I slide my arms around his neck and pull him down for some much-needed loving.

When we do finally surface for air, Joel, Dove, and Adrien have banded together, laughing at the stupefied expressions on the nosy peoples' faces while cracking jokes about Bishop and my inability to keep our hands off each other.

I start laughing when I see the minions' faces. I never thought people could get that shocked.

"All right, enough of this," Bishop finally says loudly to the gaping people as he slides an arm around my waist. "You've all seen the show, you all know I'll kill you if you say anything about Lexie. Anything at all."

I elbow him lightly, but inside, I want to melt against him. "Let's just go."

He kisses the top of my head, turns us around, and shuts my locker door. "Oh wait," he says, then he extends his palm out and my Calc book just plops there. Joel, that traitor.

Then Bishop picks up my bag from the floor, puts my book in it, and slings it on his shoulder.

He nudges me forward and I almost stumble, but promptly walk forward anyway. "Babe, you don't have to do that. You've made your point to them," I say through my surprise. He had never done that bag-carrying thing before. Never did anything publicly typical-boyfriend material, either.

"But I haven't made my point to you," he replies simply. "You're still calling me babe. And your eyes are kind of… darkening. But I guess that's still better than contacts, right?"

I smile at his utter dislike of my wearing contact lenses, but ignore the talk about my eyes. I've found out why my eyes keep darkening when concerned with Bishop. Maybe his dense brain will, too. Someday. "Bishop. Carrying my bag isn't going to change that."

"Then how does opening car doors and paying for your lunch sound?" His tone is cheeky, but we both know he is serious.

"Lunch sounds good," I say slowly, "but car doors… no, I'm fine with the normal doors. Like that one." I point to the classroom's door in front of us.

He laughs and lets my waist go, then opens the door. "Of course. I'll see you at lunch, okay?"

"'Kay, babe."

Even without looking, I know his expression has fallen, so I turn around and crook my finger at him. He leans forward, and impulsively, I kiss his cheek. "It's my way of opening car doors and paying your lunch."

Then I turn around jauntily and enter my classroom. He'll get it. He'll understand it's now the term of endearment a typical couple uses, not the groupie treatment. And he'll know why my eyes darken whenever I see him.

It's corny as hell, so not fitting of the ice queen, but there it is, anyway.

It's love.

---

A/N: The epilogue is up! Bishop and Lexie are now on the path of becoming a typical, cliche couple, just like they always wanted.

So, is Joel deserving of the next story?

summers-end: Thanks for being very supportive of the groveling! LolXP

PaintSunshine: Here you go!=D

madison blake, AlphaBeatKayGee: Thank you very much:)

eatyourheartout.: Lol, drama's right. so is hitting more. haha:P and i totally love your penname, btw.

HeyyyitsPickle: Seriously, that just goes straight to my heart. (and my ego, but they're mostly the same thing. lolXP) Thanks a lot!

Casfar: Yes. Guys and their plans. When will they ever get it right, eh?XD

funnechick: Yes, Bishop does love her. If he didn't, I don't think they could end up together... (now that's ending on a sad note. haha:P)

j, clique: i love you. hahahaha

Thanks to everybody who read, reviewed, put it on alert/favorites, and stuck with this short piece!=)

- che