RIVALS

AVA’s POV.

I swayed my hips to the loud music that blared through my ears, a red cup in one hand, and my phone in the other. Completely oblivious of the world surrounding my small frame, I continued on moving my body in my tight red, spaghetti strap dress. My best friend, Fiona was swishing beside me in a fluid motion. I could faintly hear the rest of my girls from behind me, obviously talking to the one I shall not mention. I took a large swig of my cup, allowing the liquid burn my throat, letting the cup fall empty. I tapped my best friend on the shoulder, “I’m going to get another drink,” I said as loud as I could over the raging music and my loud peers. She waved her hands and continued dancing with a guy, I knew as Jason. I ventured throughout the open house until I found the kitchen. I clutched my small hands onto my cup whilst filling it to the brim of beer from the keg.

“Slow down” I heard someone say from behind me, “Haven’t you had enough already?”

I turned to face Alex, with that plastic signature smirk of his, “I think I’m fine” I managed to let out.

“You think?” He said, teasingly.

I rolled my eyes, “Did you follow me or something? Weren’t you just trying to get a way with all ten of my girls, news flash, Alex? But you’re lucky to get one girl in your bed, let alone ten at the same time”

He chuckled, “That’s funny, since one was just sucking me off, whilst I was fingering the other chick”

My jaw dropped open, my girls knew not to go anywhere near the infamous jerk of the star quarterback, Alex Bennet. My arch nemesis since I could remember, “They’re desperate anyway, much be more than what I thought if they went for trash like you” I sneered.

He laughed and threw his head back, “You’re the one that’s looking like it, are you trying to dress like a prostitute or is that your night job, when you’re off being a bratty cheerleader”

I scoffed, “And you catch a ball, congratulations, you can get into college now. We all know your academic skills couldn’t get you in,” I smirked.

Alex glared at me; if looks could kill I’d probably be six feet under. I wasn’t scared of his looks, thirteen years I’ve been given them, thirteen years and I’ve ignored them. I rolled my eyes; “You don’t scare me, Alex” I walked off towards the dance floor that was thumping with teenagers. I spotted my cheer team across the room, sitting on the lounge seating; the blonde ratio of my team was evident when I looked from afar. I sat down beside them, joining in on their conversations about the next prep rally, when Chance walked through the front door. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from him, his dark hair and his signature leather jacket, clung perfectly onto his broad shoulders. If anyone knew anything about Chance Crawler, it was that he was undeniably, questionably gorgeous. A boy I’ve had a crush on since my early high school days. I watched him walk towards his group of friends, bro-hugging each of them. My stomach churned when a girl sauntered over towards them. I tugged my eyes away, not wanting to see the inevitable happen.

“Why don’t you just talk to him?” One of my teammates- Keeley, said to me, grasping my forearm,

“He’s never noticed me before” I said, looking back over to see him leaning against the wall with the girl resting on his chest, kissing his lips.

“That’s impossible, you’re the most hottest and popular girl in school. He must have” She implied, I looked over at her with a sullen face.

“I don’t think that matters to him”

Keeley gave me a bright smile before lifting me off the couch, “If I have learned anything from you, is that use your beauty to your advantage. Get his attention, dance, kiss one of his friends, and make a scene”

I nodded, feeling a burst of confidence. I was Ava May, right? There was nothing I couldn’t do.

I took a swig of my cup, before moving towards the dance floor once more, feeling the rage of the teenagers I swung my body, like I knew everyone watched. I could practically feel the burns from the lingering gazes on my body, I walked towards the coffee table, climbing on top of it before moving once again. Lifting my hand in the air and rolling my hips. I could hear the hoots and hollers from beneath me as I caused a scene. I could faintly hear from all the shouting someone telling me to get down, but I paid no attention to it. I wanted one boys attention and I planned to get it.

“For fuck sake, Ava get down” I heard even louder.

I laughed as the alcohol got a hold of my system and everything became a whole less clearer than before. “Ava, I am not fucking kidding around here. Get down now” Losing my sense of direction, I stepped and missed the coffee table, preparing myself to fall straight on my sorry ass; I felt a strong pair of arms catch me, before I made an entire fool of myself.

“Could you not hear me Ava?” I heard someone say, preferably the one holding me and carrying me out towards the backyard, “Ava?”

I could only manage to mumble out a few incoherent words, before my tongue felt numb against my mouth.

“Have you been watching your drink?” I heard the stranger ask me.

I recalled back the events and realised when I was talking with my cheer team, I had left my drink on the coffee table, barely paying any attention to it. I shook my head ‘no’.

“You’ve been drugged, Ava. How can you be so stupid?” The anger in his voice was definite, but I could sense the hint of worry amongst it, “Who wouldn’t want to drug the most popular girl in school?” The stranger said.

I laughed and lolled my head to the side as he rested me on what I could presume, was grass. “Do you want to go home?” I was asked.

I shook my head once more, my parents didn’t know I was here, “My parents don’t-“ my tongue felt too heavy, I stopped mid sentence, hoping that the stranger could guess what the rest was.

I felt the ground drop from beneath me, only realising later that the stranger lifted me from the ground with ease. I came in contact with soft leather seats and snuggled into them.

“I feel disgusted in myself, I should have left you there” I heard a voice from in front of me. I felt the world move around me, I was in a car, “This changes nothing, Ava. Nothing. I’m just a decent guy, no matter what you think”

After what seemed like a two second drive, I was carried out of the vehicle and shifted towards a house, “Can you walk?” I heard.

My legs felt like jelly and I knew if I were to try and walk I would collapse, I shook my head and mumbled a no before I was placed on the strangers back. I rested my head on the crook of the mans neck. Closing my eyes as a huge wave of exhaustion hit me. I felt warmth hit my body; I lifted my head lightly and opened my blue eyes to notice I was inside a house.

“Where am I?” I mumbled, drool swishing in my mouth.

“At my house, don’t worry” Was my reply.

I closed my eyes again, “Are you going to hurt me?”

I felt the body shake with laughter, “No, Ava of course not. I told you, you might not know me to be, but I am a decent guy”

I nodded my head and went back to being silent.

I felt my body drop onto a warm bed, I smiled and cuddled into the sheets that covered my small, petite body, “Please can you take off my shoes” I mumbled out, barely recognisable.

I heard a short ‘yes’ before; I felt my doc martins being slipped off and then my socks. After a couple of moments I felt the bed dip from beside me, “Do you need to throw up?”

I shook my head and turned to face the person, my mind too hazy to tell who my hero was, “Do you?” my speech becoming clearer.

“I didn’t drink” I nodded slowly, my muscles ache with every movement, “Why were you up there?” I scrunched my eyebrows not understanding what he was talking about, "The coffee table, I mean. It was stupid of you to be up there"

I sighed, “I wanted someone’s attention”

“You had everyone’s attention”

I shook my head, “Not his”

"Who's?"

"It doesn't matter, I bet he doesn't even know who I am. He was probably too busy kissing that red head chick, against the wall"

I felt the man shift, "Who are you talking about, Ava?"

"Just this guy, he goes to my school. Gosh I've liked him since I can remember, but he has never even looked at me, and I'm too nervous to go up to him"

"Even though, you are Ava May?"

"Despite me being Ava May" I said with a sigh.

"Maybe, he's not into cheerleaders?"

I rolled my eyes, "I thought every guy was into cheerleaders"

I looked around me, noticing posters hanging on the walls and a football trophy beside me, I tapped it with my finger nail and tilted my head, I looked back at the stranger, "You play football?"

"A little too much, I admit"

I nodded, "Thats cool who do you play for-" before I could finish my sentence, I felt bile rise up from my stomach and resting in my throat, I covered my mouth with my palm and rushed off to what I could presume was the ensuite of the room.

I emptied the contents of my stomach and rested my head on the brim of the toilet, groaning and sniffing the snot up from my nose, I felt a strong pair of hands pull my brown hair back away from my tanned face, "You went too hard in tonight, Ava"

I nodded, not arguing, "It was to celebrate the start of senior year, how could I not?"

The man chuckled, "You're not that bad of a person, May when you're not being a bratty annoying teenager"

I ignored the strangers comment and continued to empty out my stomach. The man never letting go of my hair despite how disgusting I must have seemed. After what felt like hours of throwing everything up but my childhood memories, the stranger handed me a pink toothbrush and some tooth paste, my arm being too limp to keep the strength of brushing my own teeth. He soon took over, his face still too hazy even in the bright light of the bathroom.

"Spit" He said.

"What?" I said with foam all over my mouth.

"Ava, spit" He directed my head to face the sink, and I spat out the foam.

He rinsed my mouth out with water and carefully rubbed the left over toothpaste from my lips, "Can you take off my makeup?" I groaned out, thinking about my skin the next day if I left it on.

"I'm not to sure-"

I shook my head, "Do you have make-up wipes?"

"My sister might" He left without another word, before returning a couple of minutes later with a pink patterned small container, "They're face cleaners, I thought that was pretty close"

He hoisted me up from the ground and onto the sink, before coming between my legs and wiping my face with the cold wet pad, "Thank you" I said once he had finished, I didn't receive a reply. I felt my body being picked up and placed back on the bed.

"Hey" I whispered into the darkness.

"Hey" The man replied back.

I smiled, "About what you said before, that I had everyones attention"

"Yea?" Was all he replied with.

“Did I have yours?”

I heard him chuckle, “As I said, Ava. You had everyone’s attention”

I leaned into the man and slowly pressed my lips to his, he returned the kiss with hunger, pressing our lips closer together. I pulled away only for him to carry on kissing down my neck and chest, I moaned and pulled at his hair as his lips slowly went lower. He came back up and shook his head, “This is wrong”

I nodded, not agreeing but too tired to argue, “I don’t know who you are”

It remained silent for a while before he laughed, “I think that’s a good thing”

“Do you go to my school?”

He nodded, “You know me better than you think”

My mind too hazy to clasp what he was saying, I simply shrugged and turned to face the other way.

“Goodnight, Ava”

“Goodnight, my knight in shining armour” I mumbled out tiredly.

I felt my eyelids draw close, only after a warm arm hung over my waist. Figuring I would sort this mess out in the morning, I relaxed and fell into a deep sleep.

The shame could wait until tomorrow.