A collaboration fanfic written by myself and @NatStillLives. This chapter was written by me and is posted on Nat's fanfiction.net , along with the rest of this story. Don't hesitate to inform us about any spelling or grammar mistakes.
"Happy places, Will," I muttered, "happy pla-"
"Hey, you're that William guy, aren't you?" Sebastian had unknowingly interrupted my attempt to ignore him with my 'happy places' tactic. I let out an annoyed groan, I hadn't even known him for five minutes and I was already positive that I didn't like him. I turned to face him and I was almost disgusted by the sight. He wrapped one of his overprotective muscular arms around Grell and she swooned into his chest. It made me sick that she had chosen him.
I shook my head, brushing away my jealous thoughts. "Yeah, that's me," I answered with a forced smile. I faked the happiness for Grell's sake - if she was happy with him, I was happy for them. But if that was the case. why was I so jealous, and why did I envy Sebastian so much for being chosen by Grell?
"Ah, I thought so," Sebastian answered with a nod. "My Grell just won't shut up about you."
"She won't?" I asked. What on earth would make Grell think that it was a good idea to talk about me, her best male friend, to her own boyfriend?
Grell nodded in agreement. "Yeah. About what a great person you are, everything you do for her," Sebastian trailed on, and I began to get the suspicion that he wasn't as bad as I expected. I could get use to being praised like this. "How you asked her out to Homecoming."
I was wrong. His last statement was spoken with a cold tone, and it hit me like a stab in the back. He shot a quick glare at me, a silent warning to stay away from his girlfriend. The look itself could send chills up anyone's back, but with the gleam in his crimson eyes, it was beyond creepy.
Eric came up behind me and patted my back. "It was a misunderstanding, William had no idea you two were even dating at the time. None of us did." I sighed in relief, I was glad that I could rely on Eric to back me up.
Sebastian nodded solemnly and sighed. "Ah, I get it. Just a little mistake." He chuckled under his breath. "Come on, I got us some great seats."
Our little group followed Sebastian into the stands. We were up on the third row, near the section reserved for the pep band. Grell chose to sit on Sebastian's lap, he wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on her shoulder so he could peer out onto the field. Remi sat down next to Eric, leaning into him as she chatted away to him. I was confused as to why she returned to town from college, it was only Homecoming. All she was really going to do while she was into town was go to the dance with Eric and then leave the next morning.
Unluckily for me, I was sandwiched between the two couples. Ronnie looked up from the pep band area and waved to me, drumsticks in hand. He flashed me a supportive thumbs up, telling me that I could survive this football game wedged between two sets of lovers. His band director scolded him for not paying attention, which I found rather amusing. The band began to play our school's fight song as our football team ran onto the field, preparing for kickoff.
About five minutes into the first quarter, Grell squealed and nearly jumped out of her seat on top of Sebastian's thighs.She let out a little gasp before explaining her unexpected burst of surprise."I can't believe I almost forgot! The North High Cheerleaders are performing at halftime!" She turned to Eric, Remi and I, her ruby red lips in a pout. "Sorry, guys, I'll come join you after the half, okay?"
We all nodded in understanding, mumbling our okays."Alright. See you then, babe," Sebastian answered, reaching up to kiss her cheek. She giggled and blushed due to his sign of affection, proceeding to skip down the bleachers over to the school to change into her cheerleader's uniform.
Sebastian was all happy-go-lucky - that is, until Grell was out of his sight. When he turned to me, his inner South High Demon began to show. "You better stay away from my girlfriend, Spears," he growled, his red eyes squinted into the creepy glare again.
"W-What do you mean?" I asked. I was trying to sound tough and brave, but my question came out like a scared whimper. Great, now he probably suspected me to be the biggest wimp ever.
He rolled his eyes, scoffing. "You know what I mean. I can just see it, you've got a thing for Grell. Just face it, Spears, she's mine."
Ouch. I shook my head, this was the perfect time to pull the clueless act. "Dude, I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Listen up. I'll put it into terms your brain can understand," He snarled. "Grell is my girlfriend. I want you to back off, you're getting a bit too close to her for my taste. Got it?"
I gulped down the fear. I couldn't let him see how frightened I really was. Sebastian could be extremely intimidating when he wanted to. "Got it," I answered with a sigh. I stood from my seat on the bleachers, brushing off my pants and picking up the Walmart bag of spare clothes Remi had given me earlier. "I'm gonna go grab something to eat," I mumbled as I left for the concession stand. But in all honesty, I just need an excuse to get away from Sebastian.
I pulled out my wallet and purchased a bag of popcorn and a bottle of Dr. Pepper. On my reluctant way back to the bleachers, I bumped into someone. I silently thanked my luck for stalling me on my way to the stands, back to Sebastian. "Whoa, sorry, Will," The voice, which I instantly recognized, said.
"Ronnie?" I asked, dumbfounded, staring at my blonde drummer friend in shock. I listened to the band playing in the background and I became even more confused. "What're you doing here, shouldn't you be playing with the band?"
He shrugged and unwrapped a Snickers bar, munching into the chocolate coated candy. "I was hungry," he stated simply, taking another bite. "Besides, it's the end of the first quarter. I deserve a little break, and a treat." He gestured to his Snickers and ran a hand over his stomach. "I'm not a good drummer when I'm hungry."
"Very funny." I laughed sarcastically at his take on the catchy commercial. Ronnie decided to join me on my way back to the bleachers, taking our time as we walked. "So, what's your impression of Sebastian?"
Ronnie shook his head, his ginger-blonde hair swishing around. "He's trouble," He mumbled through a mouthful of candy. "I don't like him, he's a big jerk whenever Grell's not around. Something tells me that he might be using her."
"I know," I agreed. "He threatened me to stay away and back off. He thinks I'm hitting on her!"
"That's messed up!" Ronnie gasped, his jaw dropping. He quickly shut his mouth and sighed. "I don't trust him with our Grell."
"Neither do I. Personally, I think someone needs to keep an eye on him. That's why I'm staying for the dance."
-
After several touchdowns and a win for the North High Reapers, the football game was over and it was time for the Homecoming dance to start. I observed myself in the filthy school bathroom mirror. I had changed into the clothes Remi had brought for me to wear to the dance. She had chosen a three-piece suit - a black tie, a white dress shirt, a grey waistcoat, and a black blazer. Remi even bothered to pick out a pair of slacks and a pair of black Barmoral shoes. I sighed and shook my head. I looked more like a business man heading to a huge meeting rather than a Homecoming dance attendee.
I watched Ronnie's reflection come up behind me in the mirror and felt him place his hands on my shoulder. "Looks like Remi went all out, huh? I told her she should've gone into fashion instead on medicine, she'd do so much better at that."
I turned around so I didn't have to face him through the mirror, chuckled. I gave Ronnie the classic up-down. His outfit looked like a lazier version of mine - he lost the blazer and vest and rolled his sleeves up, the tie hanging loosely over it. His nice black slacks looked a bit odd with the combat boots, but it was definitely something only Ronnie would wear. I laughed and patted his back. "C'mon, we should get going."
Ronnie and I exited the restrooms and headed into the gym, which had been retrofitted to fit the Homecoming dance mood. A DJ's booth was set up in one of the corners, the speakers beside it blasting an electro-dance song. Both girls in extravagant dresses and guys in suits were on the dance floor, everyone dancing and laughing and having a good time in general.
I felt a tap on my shoulder and looked over to Ronnie, who had the biggest grin imaginable on his face. "Well, I'm going in. This dance needs its Knoxinator!" I laughed at the dumb little nickname. It was what Ronnie called himself whenever there he was at a party. Without another word, he practically dove into the crowd of teenagers dancing, mingling with his fellow party animals.
Sighing and not particularly wanting to join him out there, I shyed away from the dance floor and stood against the wall, watching as all the other students twirled and whirled around like the crazy hooligans they were. That's when I noticed her.
From the trademark Landers white hair and purple eyes, I could tell that it was Ashton's cousin, the girl who had a crush on me, according to Grell. She stood over by the punch bowl, chatting away with a fellow sophomore. She wore a strapless amethyst dress with a ruffled skirt than fell just above her knees, along with a pair of silver stilettos dotted with sparkling gems. Her gaze wandered over to me, and her already large violet eyes grew even wider. She handed her cup to her friend and walked through the crowd, over to me. I could almost feel her heart thumping with anxiety as she approached me. "H-Hi William," she stuttered. Her eyes poured into mine and I could tell by the look in them that she wasn't overconfident or outgoing like her uncle or cousin. It caught me by surprise, I presumed narcissism ran in the family.
"Hey," I replied casually with a small wave of my hand. "You're Ashlyn Landers, right?"
She smiled and held back a giggle. "Yeah, that'd be me." She sighed and wrung her hands nervously, looking down away from me. I'd seen this act many time before, girls often used it to get what they wanted from a boy. The helpless innocent girl act.
Of course, I didn't want to let her down or ruin her night, so I gave her what she was looking for. "Can I have this next dance? Surely you didn't come here dressed up so nice just to watch everyone else have a good time."
Her eyes darting back up to me and she suppressed a squeal, an ear-to-ear smile on her lips. "I'd love to! I-I mean, yes." She quickly rephrased as I led her onto the dancefloor.
The DJ had decided to play a slow song then, changing the mood completely. Couples met up and began swaying to the music, and those who didn't have one simply waited against the walls and took a break. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Ronnie trying to convince Amy Anderson to dance with him, and I instantly got the gut feeling that it wouldn't end well.
Moments later, Ronnie was doused in red, fruit punch. The sticky liquid dripped from strand of his ginger hair and seeped into his shirt as he stared at Amy in shock. The poor girl looked like she was going to cry. "I thought I told you to leave me alone, you jerk!" She shouted, throwing down her empty cup and storming out of the gym doors dramatically.
Ashlyn turned back to me, her face curious. "What on earth was that about?" she asked me, her voice a whisper.
I shrugged. "They have a history."
I continued to dance with Ashlyn, my hands around her tiny waist her hers dangling around my neck. She was quite a bit shorter than me, even with heels, so I could see over her head. Of course, the unsavory sight of Grell and Sebastian dancing wasn't exactly the view that I wanted. She had a lovesick smile on her lips, and he leaned in to kiss her lips. She leaned into his chest, the two continuing to dance. She looked happy.
I just wished she was happy with me.
-
After trying to help Ronnie find his wife beater tank from earlier that night, I danced some more with Ashlyn, and when the dance was over, I did the gentlemanly thing and led her to her car - or, Ashton's car. The warm October evening air had turned chilly, so I wrapped my blazer over her bare shoulders as we went outside.
As we arrived by Ashton's beloved white Cadillac, Ashlyn turned to me, smiling. Her lavender eyes shone in the moonlight as she stared up at me. "Thanks for tonight. It was great."
"It was," I agreed. Even though I would've rather spent my night with Grell, Ashlyn was a sweethearted girl, extremely kind and considerate. I still couldn't believe she was related to Ashton or Mr. Landers. "I'm glad you enjoyed it."
After a wonderful night, I couldn't just leave her hanging. I did what they did in all those cliche teen romance movies - I leaned in for the kiss.
That probably wasn't the best idea, considering that Ashton was coming up right behind us.
"Spears!" He shouted. I whipped around to see him. His face was red with rage, brining contrast to his completely white suit. He stormed up to me, clutching Ashlyn by her fragile shoulders and pulling her away from me. He glared at me with disgust. "What do you think you're doing with my little cousin?!" He snapped.
I backed away, throwing my hands up in defense. "Ashton, this isn't what it looks li-"
"Oh, don't pull that crap, Spears! It's exactly what it looks like!" He shouted, roughly forcing Ashlyn into the backseat of his car.
Ashlyn stared at him, confused. "Ashton, it's really alright, he was just-"
"Don't defend him, Ashlyn!" He barked, interrupting her attempt to protect me and the situation. "You and I are having a serious conversation on the way home." He glared at me before walking over to the driver's side, hopping in. Before he shut the door, he gave me the ever-cruel head-to-toe judgement. He scoffed and slammed the door without another word, speeding away as I watched him helplessly.
I stood there, waiting in shock for a moment. I hoped Remi didn't pay too much for the suit jacket, Ashlyn didn't have the chance to give it back to me before she was forced to leave.
I sighed and walked over to Grell's car, Ronnie joined me shortly after. He removed his wife beater, wiping his sweaty forehead with it. "Long night?" He asked.
"You have no idea." He answered.
"Same here.
-Oli