by Bridle, Dee
“Go home, Ava,” he demanded softly.
The call ended.
I looked at the screen in disbelief. Who did he think he was? He didn’t get to order me around. I purposefully stood up and put my phone in my pocket. I was going to get another tequila shot, just to defy him.
An hour later, I was completely drunk and waiting for Sophie who had gone upstairs with Antony. She was determined to do what she wanted to do and was not going to wait around for it any longer. I was sure she would come down no longer a virgin and then it only left me. Me, the one who was nowhere near the vicinity of losing it. I stumbled back out to the front and sat on the step. I needed to go home now, because who knew how long Sophie would be. I was past it. I went to dial a taxi.
“Hey, Ava, all good out here?” asked Tyler coming over and sitting down next to me with a drunken smile.
“All good,” I answered. “Just very drunk and I need to go home,” I slurred, as my phone beeped.
I looked down to see it was a message.
Zac: I thought I told you to go home.
I tried to focus on it, puzzled as to why he was demanding for me to go home. How did he even know I was still here?
“I’m so glad you came tonight,” said Tyler beside me.
I closed the message.
“It’s been a fun night.”
“I’ve had way too many shots,” he said into my ear.
I laughed at him, and said, “Me, too.”
I felt his arm go behind me and then his mouth near my ear. I focused on my screen again, annoyed with Zac’s demands. I typed a response back.
Ava: Being a bad girl feels good.
I pressed Send with determination. I wasn’t really being a bad girl, but as I looked up at Tyler next to me, I suddenly wondered if I should be.
Tyler cooed in my ear, “You look really gorgeous tonight.”
“I do?” I asked with a laugh.
“You do,” he whispered huskily. “Totally gorgeous.”
I smiled, letting the compliment wash over me and making me feel happy.
“Thanks, Tyler.”
It was just what I needed to hear. I needed to concentrate on Tyler and not the mixed-up emotional confusion of Zac in my head.
He inched even closer to me, his lips touching my cheek. I giggled softly as I turned my face slightly towards him. He was going to kiss me.
“Ava!”
I turned slowly at the sound of my name, in a daze, knowing my lips had been a breath away from Tyler’s. I saw Noah leaning out of a car window in front of the house, and I frowned in confusion.
“Let’s go, Ava!” he called out with a cheeky grin.
“What?” I mumbled, trying to comprehend how Noah was here.
I focused on the car to see the big blond guy in the back seat and an angry looking Zac in the driver’s seat.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I said under my breath.
“You know him?” asked Tyler at my ear.
“Yeah,” I said still in disbelief.
“She’s busy,” Tyler called out, pulling me against him and nuzzling my neck.
I couldn’t help but giggle at the tickling sensation and then gasped as I heard doors open and the rumbling engine stop. I pulled away from Tyler and watched the three of them head towards us. They looked menacing and I felt a sudden flutter of excitement.
“Hands off unless you want them removed,” said the big blond guy.
Tyler removed his arm from around me.
“What the fuck, man?”
“Time for you to go inside,” warned Noah.
Tyler half laughed.
“So you think you can just go round scaring everyone because you’re big underground fighters?”
I looked to Zac, a question in my eyes. They were underground fighters? He gave me nothing back but anger before he turned to Tyler with his fists clenched.
“You want to test that theory fuck head?” growled Noah.
“I think it’s up to Ava if I go inside or not,” said Tyler standing up on the step and putting his hand out to me.
I didn’t take it, but stood up anyway, looking to Zac. I didn’t care if he was an underground fighter or a circus instructor, I would always choose him.
“Run along,” said Noah with a snicker.
“Ava?” asked Tyler.
I turned to him, and quietly said, “I’m okay. Go inside.”
Tyler looked annoyed as he put his hands up in front of him.
“Whatever.”
The door opened, letting out music and laughter and then slammed shut. I turned to Zac.
“What are you doing here?” I asked sitting back down on the step before my legs collapsed.
The blond guy chuckled, and said, “She’s plastered.”
Zac glared down at me.
“Let’s go,” he demanded as Noah and the blond guy headed back to the car.
I tried to comprehend his anger and his demands and looked at him in confusion.
“What are you doing here?” I asked again. “You don’t even like me,” I whispered.
“Let’s go, Ava,” he said turning away towards the car.
A rebellious urge made me lift my chin, and I spouted the word, “No!”
I heard a growl and then he was in front of me again, but this time picking me up and hoisting me over his shoulder.
I squealed and hit his back, hollering, “Put me down!”
He was silent as he dumped me in the back seat of the car next to the blond guy and slammed the door closed. I looked to the guy next to me and pushed my hair back off my face.
“Hi,” I said.
“Hey,” he said dragging on a joint. “I’m Will.”
Zac got in and started the engine, heavy music filling the car.
“Better put your belt on, he drives fast when he’s angry,” said Will into my ear.
I did what he said and then Zac threw it into first gear and sped off down the street. I held on and felt a little wild at the music and the speed we were going. I turned to Will and focused on him.
“You have a mohawk now,” I shouted looking at his short hair in wonder.
“That’s right,” grinned Will leaning over to me. “You like?”
“Don’t even breathe on her, Will,” growled Zac, his eyes on the road.
Will pulled back from me with a grin and dragged on his joint again, filling the car with a sickly sweet smell.
Noah turned the music down slightly and asked, “So what were you and the Tyler man talking about?”
I leaned back in the seat and suddenly giggled.
“He told me how gorgeous I looked tonight.”
The car accelerated around a corner and I was thrown against the door, hitting my head on the window.
“Ow,” I wailed.
“Well, he sounds amazing,” mocked Will.
“It was nice to get a compliment,” I said, rubbing my head. “I don’t get many.”
“Sounds like you’re hanging around the wrong type of guys,” chuckled Will offering me his joint.
Noah laughed and I saw Zac shake his head, but I was too drunk to understand.
I looked at the joint in Will’s fingers and shook my head. I definitely had too much tequila, and if we went around one more corner on two wheels, I was going to throw up. I squeezed the leather seats and knew it would be a shame to mess up such a nice car. I focused on Zac in front and how he changed the gears with precision, the engine sounding like a rocket.
We were in front of my house in no time, and I tried to find the door handle in the dark. Will leaned over me and opened the door for me with a wink. I giggled and climbed out of the car on shaky legs.
“Bye, beautiful Ava,” grinned Will as he closed the door.
I giggled, “Bye,” as the car engine rumbled and then noisily drove off down the street.
I felt my pocket for my key, hoping I hadn’t lost it, and then I accidently dropped my phone on the grass. A hand that didn
’t belong to me picked it up for me, and I gasped to see Zac was with me. Expecting him to still be in the car that was now probably at Noah’s, I stumbled back and lost my footing.
I landed on my butt in the grass and groaned with an “Ow.”
Zac
“You okay?” I asked crouching down to her, wondering if her father was home and if he was a light sleeper.
“My butt hurts,” she mumbled, pushing her hair off her face in annoyance.
I hid a smile, thinking how adorable she looked, defenseless but mad.
“If you weren’t so pissed, I’d offer to rub it better,” I mumbled.
“What?” she said.
“Nothing,” I said.
“You were driving,” she said next, not looking up at me.
“I was,” I agreed.
She looked puzzled, like she was trying to understand the situation..
“Why did you come and get me?”
I looked down at the grass between us and tried to brush off the situation.
“Just wanted you home safe.”
She suddenly hiccupped and then groaned, “I think I’m going to be sick.”
“You’ll feel better if you do,” I said.
She groaned again, and said, “I hate throwing up.”
A neighbor’s dog started to bark across the road.
“Let’s get you inside first,” I said, leaning over and lifting her in my arms. “Anyone else home?”
She let out a soft sigh as I cradled her into me and she rested her head on my shoulder.
“No, just me.”
“How the fuck were you going to get inside by yourself?” I asked quietly in disbelief.
I wanted her to be safe, not coming home to an empty house at four in the morning. I used her key and unlocked the door, stepping inside the house and kicking the door shut.
“I was going to go home with Tyler and screw him seven different ways,” she mumbled, her eyelids drooping.
I stopped at the foot of the staircase and looked down at the beautiful sarcastic girl in my arms.
“Only seven?”
“Mmm hmm,” she said, her eyes closing. “At least he wants me.”
I took a deep breath, wanting to tell her that I wanted her more than anyone else and I’d screw her so many different ways she would lose the ability to count, but she was drunk and almost asleep. Besides, I was meant to be keeping my distance, which wasn’t working out so well.
I headed up the stairs and found her room, looking around and taking it all in. She moved slightly in my arms and then nuzzled up to my neck.
“You smell nice,” she moaned against my skin.
My self-control was being tested, and I swallowed hard as I headed over to the bed and gently put her down. She nestled into the pillow with a soft moan, and I had to count to ten to get some order to my body with all blood going down south. God, I wanted her. I imagined her moaning my name as I pleasured her and had to turn away.
I needed to go home and have a cold shower and leave her alone. I shouldn’t have gone to the party to pick her up, but I hated the thought of her being drunk around high school boys. I had the insane urge to protect her, and it was driving me slightly mad. I took one last look at her and then turned away, knowing I had to stay away. High school boys had nothing on me, and I was the one she needed protecting from.
I left the house making sure the front door was locked behind me and I headed home.
“You’re back already? Things didn’t go well then?” asked Noah as I stepped inside.
“Did you at least fucking kiss her?” asked Will sitting on the couch, his feet up on the coffee table.
“Will,” warned Noah, knowing I was frustrated and that it wouldn’t take much more for me to knock Will out.
“Jesus, Zac man, please tell me you didn’t let those luscious lips go to waste!” teased Will.
“Shut the fuck up,” I growled.
“Oh, man,” groaned Will, not taking the hint. “You want her, so just have her. What’s the big deal?”
“She’s going to be wondering why you picked her up to just drop her at home, Zac man,” said Noah calmly.
I ran my hands through my hair.
“Yeah, well I shouldn’t have fucking done that.”
“You were worried for her, so you made sure she was safe,” said Noah. “There’s no harm in that.”
“You didn’t want Mr. Tyler Football to get his hands on her, that’s what it was,” said Will. “What the hell am I missing here? You never get this worked up over a girl.”
“He’s trying to stay away from her,” said Noah.
Will looked over in disbelief, and said, “And why the hell would you do something stupid like that?”
I shook my head but kept silent.
“You’re a conqueror, Zac man. There are a hundred girls around here to prove it. Why is this one any different?” asked Will.
“He actually likes this one,” said Noah quietly.
Ava
I awoke the next afternoon to my phone vibrating in my pocket, and I quickly scrambled for it. It was Sophie. My head literally exploded with pain and I gasped as I answered it.
“Hey,” I whispered.
“You sound like I feel,” she moaned. “How did you get home last night? I know it wasn’t with Tyler, because he was still with Sasha this morning.”
I looked around the room as I cringed at her voice, trying to remember who I was and what had happened last night. I remembered Zac coming to the party and his fast car. I looked down at my jeans and the Converse sneakers still on my feet. How had I ended up here?
“Are you alive?” asked Sophie.
“Yep,” I whispered.
“So how did you get home?”
I didn’t want to tell her about Zac, because I would have to explain why he had come and picked me up. I didn’t know the reason myself. I remember him telling me to go home and then coming to get me from the party. I had no idea how he found the address of the party or why all three of them threatened Tyler.
“How did you go with Antony?” I asked instead.
“I did it, Avs,” she said with a soft giggle. “I finally did it.”
“And…was it everything you expected?” I asked, lying back down on the bed and wincing from the pain in my head.
She paused, and then whispered, “Not…really. It was kind of quick, but I’m glad I’ve done it now.”
“I can’t believe it,” I whispered, closing my eyes and hoping it would help with the bone gnashing pain.
“I hope he calls me tonight,” she said hopefully. “I feel like going out again and having fun.”
If all the rumors were true, I knew Antony wouldn’t be calling her tonight, but I didn’t want to point that out to her.
“What did he say to you when you left?”
“Nothing, he was snoring away two minutes after we had done it. I left him sleeping.”
“Romantic,” I said sarcastically.
“It was nothing like we’re led to believe, Avs,” said Sophie, sounding a little disappointed. “It only hurt for a moment, but then the whole thing was like just for him. Anyways, I’m going back to bed. See you at school.”
I dropped my phone down on the bed somewhere and tried to lie as still as possible. I had so many unanswered questions from last night, but I just wanted to feel happy for a moment that he had come and picked me up last night. Whatever it meant.
* * *
By Monday afternoon, Sophie came to the realization that Antony had had his fun and wasn’t about to make any lasting commitments to her. She put on a brave face at school, but I knew she was a little crushed at the situation.
Biology was fun with Tyler making jokes and acting like Saturday night hadn’t even happened. I didn’t want to have to explain Zac to him, because I still didn’t understand the situation myself.
Meanwhile, at home, we had a Stepford Wife in the making with Sarah doing everything she could possibly do to f
orge a perfect relationship with my father. She was up at 5:00 a.m. every morning with her perfect makeup on, making coffee and breakfast for my father before he left for the day. I started to get lunch made for me, even though I preferred the cafeteria at school. Dinner was ready for us when he came home, and I knew she had begun to hide the takeaway containers from the restaurants.
My father looked happy and I felt angry. He was replacing my mother, but I knew I couldn’t talk to him about it. Over the years, we had an unwritten rule in the house whereby we were not allowed to talk about her.
I downloaded Rhino’s album and listened to it. It was undeniably death metal and very crazy, but I started to enjoy it. I listened to the angry growls and felt a little better with my own anger.
Sitting in my room and doing homework no longer held the appeal it used to. I wanted to go out and do something. I wanted to change myself a little and prove I wasn’t a boring good girl.
* * *
I tried to cheer Sophie up by taking her shopping on Thursday afternoon, and I ended up at the hairdressers again, this time coming out with black hair. My brown boring hair had gone and in its place was black hair that apparently made my blue eyes sparkle.
Sophie freaked out at the change in me, and I enjoyed the reaction. Good girls didn’t do things like this. I also made sure I bought some new alternative clothes and went home happy.
I eventually told Sophie a little about Zac, omitting the GHB situation. She listened to everything I had to say, but I knew she wasn’t keen on my interest with someone like him. She called him trouble.
It only made me like him more.
Chapter Four: Stay Away From Me
Ava
On Saturday night, I was disappointed that I had no party plans, and I tried to focus my energies on studying. At 11:00 p.m., I received a text message from an unknown number.
Party at my place. Tonight. Noah
I was up and excitedly getting ready within minutes. I walked the two blocks by myself, knowing that Sophie wouldn’t be too interested in going tonight in light of her comments earlier on in the week. I had put on my tight blue jeans, one of my new tight T-shirts and had straightened my black hair. I put on thick eyeliner, mascara, and lip gloss for the lips. I was ready to hopefully see Zac again.