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I HAVE ON MY FAVOURITE black jeans. Some of the fabric has faded, so it looks black and grey, which suits me just fine. The white buttoned-down school shirt is compulsory. Cool crisp air flows over my skin leaving goosebumps behind. I reach the thick trees behind my house, and then walk to the old fig to meet up with the girls before getting on the school bus. This huge old fig tree has become a haven for me and my friends. It’s our place to meet up.
‘Hey,’ a rough voice calls from behind.
I turn to find one of the boys from this morning. His dark hair is messy on top, and it looks like he brushed it with his fingers. His arms bulge out of the white buttoned-down Avalon high his school shirt. It actually looks a size too small for him. He has his hand out for me to shake, so I put mine into his.
‘Hi,’ I say as I shake.
He is still holding my hand in a firm grip. His eyes squint with an inner glow of mischief.
‘I’m Dash,’ he says.
I bark with laughter. I’ve never heard anyone named that before. Dash sounds like a name given to someone who is really fast, and well, he just doesn’t look the part.
‘Um ... Ava,’ I tell him after I stop laughing. My insides are shaking with nerves. His firm grip releases me.
‘So, um ...’ Dash clears his throat. ‘What’s the story with this town?’
I look at him and purse my lips. What can I say about Butler without sounding like a small-town girl who will never be anything else? I start walking towards the bus stop.
‘Not much really. It’s just an everyone knows everyone kinda place.’ Well, that was kind of awkward.
He rolls his eyes. ‘Yeah, I got that vibe when we moved in.’
‘So ... Dash, um ... what’s your first class today?’
Why did I just ask? And why can I talk to him, but I can’t with Dakota?
He shrugs one shoulder. ‘English.’
‘Who’s your teacher?’ I bite the inside of my cheek.
He frowns. ‘Jones,’ He deadpans. My mouth hangs open. Wow, he is cute and has brains.
‘Cool, my, um—’ I stop talking because Parker and Sienna are staring at us. And it looks like they are freaking out. Well, I would if I saw my best friend walk out of the woods with a cute guy. I would freak out too.
‘The bus will be here soon,’ I say.
‘Hi,’ I wave to Parker and Sienna. Both girls blush. ‘Um ... this is Dash.’ I wave my hand between them. ‘Dash, this is Parker and Sienna. They have the same ... English class as you do this morning,’ I say and Sienna’s eyes widen. Then her eyes follow his body as if she is peeling his clothes from his skin so that she can have what is underneath.
I stare at her incredulously. She licks her lips before looking at me. I can’t believe she just did that— a total Jess move. That girl is a bad influence.
‘So, Sienna,’ I say as I drag her away by the arm. ‘Did you really just. Oh, my God. I can’t believe I saw that.’
‘What? He is hot— I call dibs,’ Sienna says.
I cross my arms and stare at her.
‘Did you really just call him that?’ She nods her head and looks around me to where Dash and Parker are standing. I look over and notice Dakota with more boys walking out of the woods.
‘Well, you better tell Jess before she calls it.’
‘I don’t have to worry about her. She has her sights set on that hottie that just walked out of the woods.’ I look up and find those god-forsaken dimples smiling at me. ‘Why didn’t you say how good looking he is and those dimples? Oh, my God, he is dreamy.’ Sienna seems mesmerised by Dakota too.
I throw my arms up in the air and walk back to the bus stop.
Dash and Dakota fist-bump and you can see the family resemblance between the two. Dakota walks over and stands next to me. Actually he stands a little too close. Our shoulders are almost touching; not exactly, as he is a lot taller than me. I don’t mind Dakota being this close. He smells like the outdoors and a spice of some sort; it’s bewitching. The air sizzles between us, making my hair stand on end. The same tingling feeling creeps up my arm and over my shoulder. He looks good in jeans and the Avalon High shirt. His leather belt hangs out from under the shirt. Today, his hair is a sexy mess on top. His eyes are a green and yellow colour.
My fingers itch with the need to touch him— feel him— so that I know he is real.
‘Good morning.’ His hot breath feels like it’s on my neck and I gulp down the saliva as my heart picks up a beat. ‘My angel.’
I close my eyes and count to ten before I speak. God, I hate that name.
He leans down to whisper in my ear; and my heart wants out of my chest. ‘Do you mind me being this close?’ Dakota asks.
My lips part. ‘No, not at all,’ I say breathily.
I swallow to calm myself down.
‘Oh, and good morning,’ I say before walking over to Parker because I notice Raybaby walking towards the bus stop.
I trip over a stupid stone; two pairs of hands are helping me up preventing me from kissing the dirt. One pair sends a hot current from his fingers to my arms, and the others have let go. I look up to see Dakota has me, and he is giving Dash, who must have been the other pair of hands, the evil eye.
‘Ah, thanks Dakota. You can let go now.’
He lets go, but his hands leave indents on my arms. He straightens up, and looks at the marks that are just starting to get some colour. His face pales.
‘Angel, I’m sorry. So sorry.’ He groans, closes his eyes, and then storms off.
I didn’t see where he went to because the bus has arrived.
I line up to get on.
Great, just great now the school is gonna question me on these red bumps and send social services around to talk with Sam. This isn’t the first time they have seen me in bruises, so hopefully they have forgotten. I sit down the back with Parker and Sienna as my arm throbs.
* * *
DAKOTA
I’m the first person to get in the canteen; I even beat the lunch bell. I grab an apple off the counter, leave fifty cents and walk outside. The sun shines through the clouds. I lean against a tree and just listen. The tick of the clock, sound of something being cooked and birds tweeting all cloud my head. I’m searching for the one voice that makes my body quiver, and I need to hear it. I search the crowd of people who are assembling into the area.
Don, or whatever his name is, apologises to Jess. She looks at her nails examining them closely with a bored expression on her face. I almost feel like a stalker.
There’s something about Avander that calls to me.
It’s the mass of white-blonde hair. It’s the sole reason I call her Angel. She’s delicate like a flower and subtle like the flow of a river. And she has me all twisted up inside. I can’t even think straight. I’m already getting on Dash and Jackson’s nerves.
I feel her presence in the eating area before I even see her white halo glow.
‘You should have heard Raybaby on the bus this morning,’ Avander’s sweet voice says. Jess turns to look at her.
‘Donovan, can you give us a minute.’ Jess gives him her fake smile. It is still plastered to her face while Don walks off. ‘What did the bitch say?’ Jess’s snide remark has me jumping out of my skin ready to defend my Angel.
‘Oh, the usual about how she and Dean did things last night up at Georgia’s cafe.’ Avander’s hands twist in her lap. Is she nervous telling Jess about this? I rub my chin as I listen in.
‘Ha-ha, I would like to know how when Lake had the car,’ Jess jeers.
‘Yeah, so, any luck with um ...’ Avander’s voice softens, but her heart beat has picked up.
‘The new guy who blew me off? Do you know his name? Not that I could care less. It’s just he could be useful in the future,’ Jess says.
I shut out all other sounds and hone in on this conversation. I tilt my body towards the glass, knowing Avander is on the other side. I wonder if she looks flushed by Jess’s question.
‘Ah ... I ... um.’ Her voice sounds like she is struggling to find the right words. Damn it, I need to see her face. I get up off the tree and start walking inside the canteen area.
‘Doesn’t matter. He’s walking over here now.’ Jess sounds hopeful.
Avander snaps out of her slouched position and sits up straight. Jess has pushed her chest out, and even undid a few buttons from the top of her shirt. Dash notices my line of sight and follows me towards the magnetic pull I’m feeling as I get closer to the beautiful Angel.
I pull out the seat next to Avander and slide into it. She looks as though she’s holding her breath. I can feel Jess watching my every move. I completely ignore her as Avander has all of my attention.
Dash slides into the seat next to Jess. I hear her flirt outrageously with Dash; she reaches across, touches his arm and laughs at something he said; as I’ve blocked them both out.
‘Do you wanna get out of here?’ I whisper in Avander’s ear.
She gasps and her heartbeat picks up.
‘I don’t skip school.’
‘Come on, I need to talk to you.’ I stare into her grey eyes. Grey has recently become my favourite colour.
Avander’s shoulder lifts as she sighs.
‘Okay,’ she says low enough for my hearing, even though she has no idea how far I can hear. I get up out of the seat and walk outside. I walk to a tree and lean on it with folded arms. Avander stands a few feet away with one arm across her body as she bites down on her lip.
‘Avander, I didn’t ...’ I start.
‘Don’t call me that! I hate it.’ She makes known.
I scratch the new growth my cheek. ‘What do you want me to call you?’
‘Ava, like, everyone else,’ she murmurs.
‘Okay ... Ava.’ I sigh and I like the way her name rolls off my tongue. ‘I didn’t mean to hurt you this morning. But I feel like I should protect you or something. Does that seem weird to you?’ I scratch my head.
‘Ah—yeah, it does. I don’t need protecting. I’m capable of doing that myself.’ Ava turns to walk away. I reach out, because I don’t want to lose sight of her, in this concrete prison called high school. A warm current runs through my skin and up my arm as I pull her to a stop. Ava looks down at my hand. Can she feel it too? I release her arm.
‘I don’t want to let this go.’ I gesture between us.
Ava stares at my hand where I have the red marks on my knuckles. She holds her breath again. After almost losing my temper this morning with Dash, I took it out on a tree. I was lucky enough to walk away as the winner.
A deep pink blush spreads across her face when she notices me watching her.
Ava turns towards the concrete building. ‘There is nothing happening here. Now if you will excuse me, I have a class I need to get to.’
My mouth shuts tight as I watch on as Ava runs towards the photography building that is situated in the east of the school grounds.
* * *
AVA
I need to forget Dakota and the little talk we just had. Can’t he see that I’m capable of looking after myself; as I’ve done it for so long.
Media is the only class that I receive an A’s in. I log into the computer, pull up the images I uploaded last week and pick out the best three to hand in for my assignment. The first two are pictures of the girls, and the third one is of the football team training. I enhance the team photo image to make it look lighter. I check the printer to see if it has enough paper. Ms Tate, our teacher, walks in. She always has her auburn hair in a bun, with loose tendrils hanging down the side of her face.
‘Ava, good to see you so early. We still have ten minutes before class actually starts.’ She wears minimal make-up to cover the freckles.
‘I had to get this done.’ I show her the photo I just printed.
Her brown eyes light up and a small smile spreads across her face.
‘Did ... you take this photo?’ she asks, holding out the one of the football team. The sun is setting in the background.
‘Yeah, it’s for the assignment about people in society.’
‘Can I use this for something else?’ she asks.
‘Um ... But what about my work? I won’t get a good mark.’
‘Good mark ... Ava, do you realise how talented you are?’
I shake my head as I watch her walk around to the desk in the corner of the room.
‘What other ones did you take?’ she asks.
I go and grab the others from the printer and hand them to her.
‘These ones are just of us girls goofing around.’ In the photo my best friends are all laughing; some are leaning to the side away from the others, and some have their arms around each other. In the other one, I held the camera above me and got a selfie of us all.
‘These are brilliant Ava.’
Brilliant? It took me twenty clicks until one was good enough.
‘Oh ... thanks, I guess.’ I frown.
Ms Tate is about to say something else when other students start walking into the room.