by Abigail Cole
Quickly writing out a text to Aves and hitting send before I can chicken out, I stuff my phone into my back pocket. I have a free period after lunch that I should use to work on my finals, but I wouldn’t be able to concentrate anyway. My phone pings with an immediate response, no doubt from Avery telling me to come over whenever I can. Exhaling deeply, I stand from my desk and sling my gym bag’s strap onto my shoulder before heading towards the gymnasium’s changing room. Just one game of lacrosse and then I can free myself of this guilt, and probably get my heart broken in the process.
By the time I’ve changed and emerged onto the field, the rest of my team are already stretching out on the grass, impatiently waiting for me to arrive. Picking up a helmet and field stick from the side bench, I jog over to join them. Today is our monthly boys vs girls game, so the rules we play by are slightly altered to suit us all. For this reason, we all have to wear protective headgear and mouth guards which is supposed to keep the girls safer, but so far the only injuries sustained have been from the opposite team. Using my foot to kick up my field stick and catching it in my hand, I hear the jeers and heckles from the boy’s team arriving behind me.
After stretching and donning their protective gear too, we touch sticks in respect and our game begins. A player I’ve come to know as Landon winks at me before scampering away to defend his goal. I scoff, hating that he always tries to make our games sexual and move towards the edge of the pitch. Jenny stands in the centre to face off with a guy who is 6-ft tall like her, both scuffling for the ball once our coach blows his whistle.
Unfortunately, the guys manage to get it first and my team begin to run towards our goal to defend it. The player launches the ball which our goalie manages to save with her shin and Angelica scoops it up. Spinning, she throws the ball to me and I run across the pitch as fast as my legs will take me. Multiple players from the opposite team try to block my way, swinging their field sticks as if they are swatting flies. I slam the ball forward through a small gap between their heads and the ball hits the back of the net. After that initial good play, it all goes downhill from there. By the end of the second half, I sink to my knees in defeat as we end on 8-9. Pulling the helmet off, my hair feels greasy enough to fry onion rings in it from the sweat pours down my face. Lifting my head, I see my team are heading back towards the changing room so I jump to my feet and follow.
After a rushed shower, I move back into the locker room to dress in olive green cargo pants and a black vest, flicking my wet hair up into a messy bun. Unable to resist, I check my phone just in case but there’s still no new notifications. Declining to grab lunch with the rest of the team, I stuff my gym kit into the bag and zip it closed forcefully. My heart is beating out of time in anticipation of making it to Avery’s as I leave the building and stride across the car park to my BMW. The drive to Avery’s only takes 15 minutes but, in that time, my hands begin to sweat again while grasping the steering wheel and I try to prepare what I’m going to say to her in my mind.
Driving down the ramp for Ave’s underground garage, I jump out of the door and push the button for the elevator. Stepping in, I pick at my nails nervously until the doors open with a ping, revealing Avery standing in the corridor waiting for me. Dressed in grey sweatpants and one of my sweatshirts, she looks just as gorgeous in slouchy clothes as she does all dressed up to party. Drawing me into a hug, she leads me upstairs to her room without saying a word.
Her room is twice the size of mine at our apartment. A queen size four-poster bed with a pink tulle canopy sits central against the right wall. Fairy lights line each of the posts to match the ones surrounding her TV mounted on the opposite wall. A powdered blue vanity towards the back matches the two bedside tables, down to the floral round handles. Her walk-in wardrobe is to die for and the balcony offers a view over the acres of land the Hughes own. Some may think Avery lucked out by the Hughes adopting her, but she damn well deserves it after the hell she’s been through. Sitting crossed legged on her bed, I sit to face her as my anxiety skyrockets.
“So, what’s so important it couldn’t wait until tomorrow?” She asks. Her small smile soon disappears at the look of despair on my face and her eyes begin to fill with worry. Taking a deep breath, my pre-rehearsed speech swiftly vanishes from my mind so I fumble to find the right words to say.
“I’m been keeping something from you, and I feel awful about it.” I glance away but her hands link with mine.
“There’s nothing you can say to upset me Meg,” she smiles sweetly. I know deep down nothing can come between the bond we share. We’ve been like long-lost sisters from the day we met, but I’m still nervous about this.
“I’ve been texting with Wyatt almost since he arrived.” I blurt out, hoping saying it quickly will lessen the blow. “The day after you got your tattoo, he messaged me through Facebook and we exchanged numbers.” I can feel the heat spreading across my cheeks at the admission, but I push myself to continue. “We were texting every day, even when I was here. He’s actually really sweet and sensitive. A beautiful bouquet of roses was sent to the sorority house for me and he managed to sneak into college to slip a poem into my locker. Just yesterday morning he said he wanted us to have a future together but then he ignored me all day at the creek, so I called him out last night and he’s been ghosting me since.” I breathe heavily, glad to be rid of the secret but anxious about Avery’s furrowed brow. The silence stretches between us so I fiddle with the strap of my vest.
“Um…Meg?” she finally says, seeming confused. “Wyatt’s phone got a little water damaged on Saturday, he’s still waiting for the replacement to arrive.” I stare into her eyes that are a shade brighter than my own, not understanding what she is insinuating.
“Well maybe he used one of the other’s phones after his broke.” I grasp for a reason to help this all make sense. I know what I feel is real, he’s just shy around his friends. Right?
“Did the number he used change?” Damn it. She’s right, that wouldn’t work. My chest starts to heave as a tightness grips me from the inside. Avery pulls me into her side, mimicking deep breaths for me to copy. “Let me see the profile,” she asks, reaching for my phone.
Opening my Facebook app, she scrolls through my friends until stopping at Wyatt Hughes. Watching her investigate, I begin to see the signs I’d so blindly missed. For starters, none of the other guys in his gang are friended and he only has a handful of photos. Even if he isn’t one for selfies, I’m sure a stud like Wyatt would be exceedingly popular on his campus which would lead to many photo tags. Deciding I have all of the evidence I need; I snatch my phone back as a single tear leaks for my eye.
“But the kiss at the club…” I rasp out. Granted I can barely remember it, but the fact that kiss wasn’t completely lost to the void of my alcohol induced black-out speaks for itself. Now I’m running through our encounters in person, I can see Wyatt could never have been the one messaging me. I’d convinced myself he was playing uninterested due to Avery always being around. “So, what do I do now?” I ask in a quiet voice, feeling equally stupid and disheartened.
“You still have this person’s number. I think we should call them out, arrange to meet so we can fuck them up.” I smile despite myself, knowing Avery would always have my back. Leaning my head against her shoulder, I breathe in her honey and vanilla scent that her mom always used to have. I miss Catherine, she had always treated me like her own daughter too whenever I visited.
“I want to find out who it is.” I agree, not speaking the fact I’m emotionally attached to a person I don’t know and wouldn’t want to bring them harm. All this person has done is made me feel adored so I can’t seem to make myself hate him or her, just remain slightly bitter. Lifting my phone from the bed beside my legs, I open our conversation to type out a message with shaky thumbs.
Hey Wyatt, I wanted to apologise for moaning at you last night. I understand we can’t talk in person due to Avery. But I want to see you tonight. Meet with me at the botanic
al gardens on Piedmont Avenue at 6pm? I’ll wait for you in the Eclipse Fountain.
Pressing send, I flop back onto the bed with a sigh. Wyatt is hot as sin, with his brown quiff and emerald eyes, especially when he doesn’t shave and stubble lines his jaw. Why couldn’t the words I’ve been receiving match up to him? “But maybe it could be him if- “
“Meg, it’s not him.” She interrupts me. “I don’t even think Wyatt knows what a poem is,” she laughs but I can’t join in. For once I thought I might have been falling for the full package. Jokes on me, I guess. My phone pings so I shoot upright, narrowly missing Avery’s nose with a headbutt. ‘OK.’ Is all it says…
“We should ask one of the guys to come with us,” Avery declares, a serious look in her gaze. I gasp in shock, already shaking my head but she continues. “What if this is some crazy stalker?”
“I might not know their real face or name, but I know their emotions. They wouldn’t hurt me.” I’m sure of it. I just want some answers. Looking over to my best friend, I can see by her crossed arms and arched eyebrow that she isn’t going to be swayed on this. “Fine. But only one. So which of them do you trust the most?” I huff. Her eyes rolls roll back and forth across the ceiling and taps a finger on her lips as she contemplates her answer.
Dax
“We need your help.” I jumped halfway out of my damn skin at the two girls that have fabricated onto my bed while I took a quick shower. Closing the bathroom door behind me, I stand uncomfortably as the pair gawk at my naked torso and the tiny towel that’s barely secured around my waist. My deeply tanned skin and tight abs have always attracted females, so this isn’t the first time I’ve found some waiting on my bed, but I hadn’t expected these two to seek me out.
Crossing the room, I grab a yellow t-shit and pair of jeans from the chest of drawers. After pulling them on, I use the towel to dry my afro and lean against the drawers. Now that I feel composed enough to engage, I look at the pair properly. Meg’s brown hair is falling out of a haphazard bun, curling around the edges of her face. Her legs are tucked beneath her in green cargos and her deep cleavage is on show above a strappy vest. Avery is in the same plum coloured sweatshirt and grey sweatpants she was wearing when I left the study earlier. For some reason, I couldn’t focus on my studies today, so I had gone outside to play some ball. Although Wyatt and Huxley’s sulky faces along with Garrett and Axel butting heads for Avery’s attention could have had something to do with it, not that she paid them any notice.
“What do you want help with?” I ask, keeping a bored expression on my face. Avery may be smoking hot, but I’m not going to lose my head over her like the rest of my brethren seem to have.
“Firstly, we need you to promise to keep this to yourself,” Avery says. I shake my head instantly, a few water droplets shaking free of my drying afro. When our group was formed, we agreed we don’t keep secrets and I won’t forget our pact because of some bright blue eyes. Huffing, Avery sags forward to rest her elbows onto her crossed legs. “Okay fine. But this is a sensitive matter so can I at least ask that you treat it as one?”
“Are you sure he’s the right one for this?” Meg leans over to whisper-shout into Avery’s ear, assessing me with her pale blue eyes.
“I believe so. Besides, the others are all too busy trying to sleep with me.” Avery replies in a normal volume, her eyes fixed on me the entire time to gauge my reaction. I don’t give her one, but I am intrigued to find out how invested the others have been in pursuing Avery. Since the club bathroom on Friday, I’ve tried to keep my distance but that hasn’t stopped her from calling to me through my dreams. The girl is an enigma, pulling me in like a moth to her flame but I need to resist. Wyatt is like family to me, he’s needs at least one of us to remain impartial to her charm.
“Just spit it out already or leave. I’d rather get back to my finals than be a part of your secret little club.” My voice is laced with impatience but Avery smirks at me.
“Are you sure? We have jackets.” She winks and I can’t stop the tilt of my lips. “We think Meg is being catfished by someone who is posing as Wyatt.” My brow furrows and I glance over to see Meg’s cheeks pinken as she hides her face behind Avery’s shoulder.
“So, what do you need me for? It seems you already know it isn’t him. Wyatt isn’t one for messaging us, let alone someone he barely knows.” A strangled noise leaves Meg as she buries her face into Avery’s shoulder.
“We called him or her out, and this person is meeting us tonight. I suggested that you come with us, just in case.” I open my mouth to shout how stupidly naïve it was to agree to a meeting a stranger but manage to stop myself. At least they had thought to take backup and surely picked me to escort them for a reason.
“Fine. But if Wyatt asks, I’m not lying to him. I already covered for your disappearing act last time, I won’t do it again.” Meg lifts her head, a panicked look crossing her features.
“But you don’t need to tell him the details, right?” she pleads. I raise my eyebrow at her clear embarrassment, the pieces beginning to link together in my mind.
“Did you fall for Wyatt?” I have to ask, unable to hide my grin. Her look of devastation is all I need so I drop it, not waiting to exploit her misery. Even if it is hilarious Meg hasn’t noticed the way Wyatt looks at Avery when he thinks no one is watching. The internal struggle he’s experiencing with lusting over his adopted sister is obvious to anyone who pays attention.
“Give me all of the details.” I demand, pulling over a mauve armchair from the corner to plan strategies for every possible outcome.
∞∞∞
Leaving the BMW, Meg pulls the leather jacket she was wearing at the creek yesterday from the back seat and yanks it on, pulling the zip too quickly causing her hair to get stuck in it. She’s insisted on fixing her hair and make-up before we left, still holding onto the hope Wyatt is going to be waiting in the gardens. Unfortunately for her, he seemed rather engrossed in a PlayStation game when I popped my head into the living room to say I was taking the girls for a drive. Despite saying I wouldn’t lie, I couldn’t tell Wyatt the full truth yet. With his unpredictable moods lately, I didn’t know how he might react to someone flirting online with his name and photo.
After Avery has helped her friend out of the hairy situation, we walk into the gardens via a large rounded pair of gates. Even in the dimming sunlight, vibrant displays of carefully cultivated flowers surround us. Bees float from plant to plant, bathing in the nectar each potent scented flower provides. Scattered trees from palm to banana stretch towards the sky, bathing in the fading orange tinted light. The gardens are a refreshing oasis compared to the busy street life in central Atlanta.
We stroll through the winding pathways which all lead towards a central clearing in which the fountain has been placed. The tiered sculpture has lights circling each level with an opaque covering to give its name ‘The Eclipse Fountain’. Water shoots upwards through the centre, raining back down onto the coverings and cascading onto the layers beneath. Meg moves to perch on the fountain’s edge as we planned, while Avery and I hang back by the tree trunks.
Avery’s light touch skates up my arm, giving me goose bumps. “Thank you for doing this,” she breathes, leaning into my side and wrapping her fingers around my bicep. I gently retract my arm and step aside, needing to keep us distanced if I’m going to keep my loyalty to Wyatt. Anymore soft caresses like that and I won’t be able to stop myself from finishing the kiss we nearly shared a few days ago.
“Wyatt was tasked to keep you safe until his father returns, which means all of us will do the same.” I’m secretly glad she came to me for help on this. She must feel a level of trust between us and I dread to think what could have happened to her tonight if she didn’t. Meg’s phone pings with an incoming message, causing her to frown upon reading. Striding towards us, she hands her phone over to Avery.
“He saw you enter with me. He’s not going to show his face.” Meg says, staring at me like th
is is my fault. A rustling in the bushes to our right puts me on alert, pushing the girls behind my back and widening my stance ready for an attack. The space around us is almost pitch black now, with only the light emanating from the fountain and a phone torch Avery has put on. Pointing it towards the bushes, they shift aside as a bulky frame steps through the leaves.
“I don’t know what you’re up to,” Axel’s gruff voice begins, “but I found this one peering through the bush and trying to make a run for it.” He drops a scrawny lad with gangly long limbs onto the concrete path at his feet. Scrambling upright, Avery shines her torch on his face. Fading acne scars and mess of carrot coloured hair become visible in the light, his gangly height making him almost eye level with me.
“Mike?” Meg asks, pushing forward to see more clearly. I try to hold her back, not ready to let my guard down until I know of his intentions. You don’t have to have muscles to be a threat, a gun is obtainable by almost anyone. Meg tuts at me and slaps my hand away, striding to look straight up into his miserable looking face.
“I’m sorry Meg. I just couldn’t stop thinking about you since the party. I knew I couldn’t compare to guys like that.” He throws a sneer in my direction, as if it’s my fault he’s never worked out or heard of Proactiv.
“Does someone want to explain this to me?” Axel asks, ignoring the moment Meg and this Mike were clearly having.
“I’ll tell you after. Why the fuck are you here anyway?” I wonder curiously.
“I saw you three leave and decided to follow, I was bored.” He runs a hand over his shaved head and shrugs. “Besides, if I hadn’t, this weasel would have gotten away.” Avery turns her torch light so Axel can see the daggers both she and Meg are throwing at him. Meg refocuses on Gingersnap, leading him towards the light of the fountain.