It Was Only A Bet

It Was Only A Bet - Chapter 1

“You made an 87?” Eddie Rivers asked, waving her test grade around at his 16 year old daughter Melissa.

Melissa Rivers looked up at her father with tears welling up at the corners of her eyes, “Well father,” she explained. “It was the highest grade in my class, and I studied-“

“I don’t care about you being the highest grade!! I don’t tolerate B’s in this house!” he yelled back at her, cutting her off.

“I’m really sorry father. I really tried, but it just wasn’t enough.” She said quietly, biting her lip and looking at the floor.

“You’re damn right it wasn’t enough! Go upstairs and wait for me in your room.” he demanded.

“Yes father.”

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“Urrrrgh!” Melissa groaned as her alarm clock beeped. She reached over to turn on her alarm clock, but instantly regretted it.                        

Pain shot throughout her mid-section and around her shoulders and neck. She held back a ‘hiss’ coming from her mouth and slowly made her way out her bed and into the bathroom.

She examined her body from last night’s beating her father gave her. She sighed as she looked at her face and arms. There was bruises and cuts from her father’s belt buckle, that he always used to beat her.

She went to the shower, turning it on hot and waited for it to heat up. Slowly she climbed in the shower and began to wash her hair with her favorite strawberry shampoo, pulling out her tangles gently with her fingers, just like her mom used to.

Then she took the soap from the holder, but it fell to the bottom of the tub. Cursing silently, she reached down to the bottom to pick it, but the shower head hit her head, making her fall back and slip.

“Shit! God dammit!” she yelled.

She stood back up silently, her bottom and lower back throbbing, and finished her shower.

Walking silently to her closet with a towel wrapped around she picked out her black ‘Lamar’ hoodie that she would always wear after a beating and laid it on the bed next to her white camisole that she wear under. She then pulled out some white denim skinny jeans.

She put on her clothes and went over to her dresser where her big mirror was and combed her hair and put it up in a lazy bun, and put on her glasses.

She then made her bed and grabbed her backpack thrown aside by her door, and made her way to school.

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Walking up the steps of the school, she immediately made her way to the gym, to meet her best friend Drew Warner.

Drew was the football running back, a dancer, and the star basketball player. It was even more cliché that he had the most beautiful girlfriend in the whole world who was, the head cheerleader, Briana Robins.

But she was a bitch. She didn’t know that Melissa and Drew were best friends, but c’mon; who would think that the star football player would be best friends with the biggest nerd? So Drew didn’t tell anyone that he and Melissa were best friends.

“Lissy!” Drew yelled, waving at her from the other side of the gym.

She instantly beamed at him, as he ran over to give her a tight hug, “You’re wearing the jacket again. Did he hit you again?” he asked her pulling away and looking into her eyes.

“Yeah, I made an 87  ...” she explained, trailing off.

He sighed at her and shrugged, “I wish I could do something Lisa. If I could, you know I would.”

She nodded slightly and pointed to the gym floor, “We go through this conversation every time Drew! Can we just dance it off?” she asked him, and he smiled showing off a row of straight teeth,

“Yea, let’s do it.”

The both ran to the middle of the gym and Drew went off to the side to put on the music. Melissa breathed in and out to calm her nerves. Then the music started.

“5… 5,6,7,8 and!” Drew yelled and they both popped into action.

Adrenaline flowed through her veins, and she smiled at the familiar feeling. The beat flowed through her body, as her arms and legs moved in sync to Drew and the music.

She closed her eyes, and pictured herself on stage, performing in front of the judges from Julliard. The cameras flashing, the whole crowd only looking at her as she’s moving her body to the hip-hop beat. As she was dancing, she looked out into the crowed and saw a huge sign saying ‘YOU CAN DO IT MEL! I BELIEVE IN U!’ She squinted a little and figured out it was her mom, and another smile formed on her face.

The verse was slowly coming to an end as her and Drew was doing the final moves. The adrenaline was gone, and the music stopped. Melissa looked over at Drew and they smiled at each other, both of their chests heaving up and down, after their little ‘workout’.

“If you keep dancing like that, you’re gonna get into Julliard Lis,” he told her, then beckoned her over to where she first saw Drew, “I got breakfast for you.”

“Thanks. If it weren’t for you, I would starve.” She said breathlessly.

He laughed at her, as they sat down on the mat and he handed her the sandwich.

Melissa took a bite in the sandwich and moaned, “Did your mom make these?”

He nodded, “Yea, it’s like she picked up on our schedule.”

They both finished their sandwiches, and the bell rang overhead signaling that the students could come into the school.

Drew and Melissa cleaned up their mess and made their way to the door, where they would part ways. Melissa looked up at her best friend, and he smiled down at her.

“Good luck Melissa.” He said to her. 

Drew leaned in and gave her a kiss on her forehead, and she smiled up at him.

“You’re gonna need It.” he said, adding on. And stepped out the door.

“Thanks Drew.”