The basketball players and the cheerleaders were all on the court together, warming up and stretching out. Demi usually helped Trey stretch out because he helped her but they had kind of been ignoring each other since this morning at the lockers. But that didn't stop Trey from plopping down in front of her when she was sitting in her splits and taking her front leg and placing it on his thigh to help her stretch out more.
"Can you stop being weird towards me?" Demi looked up from the ground and shifted herself for more balance.
"What do you mean?" Demi questioned and Trey cocked his head as if she were being stupid...because she was.
"I'm just annoyed, but not at you. Sorry," Demi apologized with a small shrug. It did bother her but what could she do? It was stupid to let comments from other people affect the one of a kind friendship that she had with Trey.
"Pull your back leg up," Demi grabbed the back of her foot and pulled it up towards the back of her head. Sometimes it hurt and sometimes it didn't. Today it didn't.
"Good girl. Now give me a kiss," Demi giggled and leaned forward to peck his lips.
"OTP," Naya whispered towards the two of them as she sat down to fix her hair. Demi almost reached over to push her but she thought better of it considering the position that she was in.
"Where's Sean?" Trey asked, ignoring Naya's comment. He didn't let that kind of stuff get to him, because at the end of the day, he knew the facts. He would never get with Demi. And it wasn't because she was ugly or unattractive because she wasn't. In fact, she was one of the prettiest girls in the school with her curvy yet toned body and her baby doll face, but he just couldn't see himself being in a relationship with her. She was his best friend and that was it.
"Talking to the new girl," Naya scoffed and rolled her eyes towards the ceiling. Demi glanced across the gym and saw Sean smiling at a girl with dark olive toned skin, short black curly hair, and piercing brown eyes that were so dark, they were almost black.
"I haven't seen her today," Demi furrowed her eyebrows and switched legs as Trey turned around and checked out the new girl. She was clearly not from the United States. She was short like Demi, but she was skinnier. She was wearing a cropped top with a pair of leather shorts and he could see her belly button ring. Demi had one too but hers was a real diamond.
"She just showed up and she's already taking my place," Demi always had the urge to punch Naya in the face. How could she sit there and complain about how Sean was replacing her when she never could assert the fact that she was his and his only? If she never put her foot down about his whorish ways then there would always be someone there to replace her.
"GIRLS. GATHER AROUND. WE NEED TO TALK." Her coach was so annoying. Demi knew that she meant well but she was just...too much.
"Okay so seniors on varsity, this is your last year cheering with us and not only are the scouts from colleges coming for the boys, there will also be scouts coming for all of you so don't slack off," Coach Reese demanded as Demi tried to fix her obnoxious white bow in her hair.
"Also, we have a new girl joining us who is more than qualified with her skills to join the team and the competitive team for the season this year. Her name is Jhene Aiko and she'll be watching tonight to learn the cheers and then joining us for Thursday's game," Demi could practically sense Naya rolling her eyes next to her, but she didn't have a problem. Jhene seemed cool enough and it wasn't her fault that Sean was a man whore.
"Hey guys," Jhene gave the group a three finger wave and she was met with similar responses.
"Okay, go finish warming up then get dressed and be out of the locker room by six," Coach Reese demanded. The rest of the girls scurried away but Jhene walked up to Naya and Demi with a friendly smile.
"You guys are the co captain and the captain, right? Naya and Demi?" Even her voice was beautiful. It was clear that Naya wasn't gonna speak so Demi did instead.
"Well I'm the co captain, Demi. And Naya is the captain," Demi corrected her with an equally friendly smile.
"Sweet. I was captain at my old school," Jhene stated, and she wasn't even bragging.
"Well you won't be captain here," Demi nudged Naya in her ribs but Naya simply shrugged. It was senior year. There was no way that anyone was taking her place.
"You're Sean's girlfriend? He was just talking about you. He sang your praises," Jhene said as Naya perked up in surprise. Usually when Naya and Sean talked about each other to other people it wasn't really good stuff.
"Oh well we have to finish getting ready. You can come join us if you want, to like see what we do and stuff," Demi suggested but Jhene looked over at the court, and Demi saw her eyes land on Trey.
"I think I'll stay out here but good luck tonight," Jhene smiled and waved before heading back onto the court and Naya raised an eyebrow as she saw Demi watch her run up to Trey and immediately start a conversation with him.
"Dems, let's go," Naya nudged her elbow and Demi nodded as she followed her to the locker room, not looking back at Jhene and Trey.
"If Chris and Sean don't start acting like they've been playing basketball since they could walk I am literally going to-"
"Shut up Demi," Naya hissed, placing one of her pom pons on her hip. She rolled her eyes at her best friend and turned back towards the court since they always had to be watching the game.
"No, they're literally playing like-"
"And once again, shut up Demi. They've practically already won. Once Trey stops being a pussy and gets back on the court, he'll score the winning shot and then we can go home," Naya explained since that was practically what happened at every basketball game.
"Oh and stop insulting my man," she demanded as Demi giggled and turned towards the court as well. Coach called a time out and he put Trey on the court and took one of the newbies on varsity out. The crowd went crazy because they knew that Trey was about to win it for them so Naya started another cheer.
There were only thirty seconds left in the fourth quarter and Chris had the ball. They made it to their side of the court and he passed it to Sean who then passed it to Trey. Trey played around with it for a little bit and then when he noticed the time ticking down, he made a three point shot and everyone cheered as they heard the swoosh and the buzzer went off. Demi screamed and ran off to the court, practically tackling Trey to the ground as she wrapped her arms and legs around him.
"I told you that you'd win," she whispered into his ear so that he could hear her. He smiled up at her and leaned in to place a kiss on her lips. She cupped his face but kept her mouth closed as they kissed, but Chris pulled them apart.
"Don't I get some love?" He questioned. Demi hopped off of Trey and began to do the shmoney dance with Chris because she always had fun goofing off with him. But they just ended up laughing and she leaned up to peck his cheek because she was proud of him too.
"Good job boys," they all turned around and saw Jhene there with a wide smile on her face, slowly clapping as she headed towards them.
"Thanks. You coming to the after party?" Trey asked and Jhene shrugged.
"Only if you're there," Demi nodded, impressed at her smooth lines. This girl was like...perfect.
"But I didn't realize that I was in the midst of the golden couple at this school," Jhene responded, looking between Trey and Demi who immediately fell against each other in heaps of laughter.
"Golden couple? He's my best friend," Demi said through her laughter and Trey nodded in agreement. Chris was just taking sips of his Gatorade because it really wasn't any of his business.
"Seriously? Wow you two are extremely close. But Trey I guess I'll see you at the party?" Jhene moved in closer and Demi took a step closer to Chris.
"Save me a dance," Jhene batted one eyelid down before heading off and Demi snapped her fingers three times.
"If you don't hit that, I will," Demi joked as Trey shook his head.
"You coming to the after party? I was gonna go home and change first and then head out," they began to walk towards the locker rooms and Demi shook her head.
"I have way too much homework and I'm not really in the mood tonight. But you should go and celebrate. You just won your first game of the season. It's only uphill from here," Demi suggested.
"Please, Demi. We always hit up the parties together."
"Just go with Jhene. You don't need me there," Demi urged but Trey wasn't having it. She was his wing woman, his partner in crime, his best friend. Social events weren't that fun when she wasn't around.
"I listen to your Beyonce CD every morning. I even learned the full single ladies dance with you and Chris because you said you needed two backup dancers. Please Demi. Just this one thing. For me?" They stopped in front of the locker rooms and Demi rolled her eyes but still nodded her head yes. Trey smiled down at her, his real smile, before pecking her forehead and heading into the men's locker room.
"How was the game sweetie?" Dianna asked her as soon as she entered the house. Did she feel like going to a party tonight? No. But Trey just needed her so badly so of course she had agreed to go.
"We won," Demi said before jogging up the stairs to her room. She wanted to do her homework and go to sleep but it looked like she would have to do it during home room again.
Demi pushed open the door to her room and threw her bags down, about to take off her uniform skirt until she noticed Patrick sitting on her bed.
"Oh," her eyes shifted over to the door and she wondered how successful she would be with a getaway if she sprinted. She was stronger and faster than him when he was drunk but sober...that was a different story.
"How was the game?" She swallowed in disgust as his eyes raped her body and she began to shake over the fear of what was to come. He wasn't supposed to be home that early.
"Fine," she gulped down again and took a small step back towards her door. Maybe she could run fast enough to make it downstairs so her mother could see her.
"Hmmm," he hummed, because he didn't care about how good the game was. He only cared about one thing.
Demi looked over at the door one more time before bolting for it but Patrick anticipated her move. He slammed her door and locked it before throwing her over his shoulder and pushing her down onto the bed. She squirmed and kicked and cried and begged but he didn't listen. He never listened. It didn't matter that she was his daughter and it was just wrong on so many levels for him to abuse her like that. None of that mattered to him. Only one thing mattered, and he got it.
It had taken Trey a little over half an hour to get dressed so he expected Demi to be ready to leave as well. But she didn't barge into his house and declare that she was ready to leave like she normally did so he went over to her house to get her. Their houses weren't separated by a gate or anything so it was easy for them to go back and forth. They were nice sized houses with five bedrooms and four bathrooms and two levels.
"Oh uh, hey Mrs. Lovato," Trey greeted. Dianna smiled at him and let him come in.
"Demi is still upstairs," Trey nodded and jogged up the stairs, instantly turning down the hall to get to Demi's room. He heard the shower going in her bathroom and walked in, gasping as he saw her just on the shower floor, clawing at her skin causing it to turn an unhealthy shade of red.
"Shit," he hissed, opening the shower door. He grabbed her purple towel, cutting the water off and wrapping her up in it before lifting her off of the floor and carrying her into the main part of her bedroom. She was trembling really badly so he grabbed a pair of sweats and a hoodie for her, along with a pair of his boxers that he had over here. He dressed her and when he was done he kept his arms around her.
"I tried to get away," she sobbed, curling into his chest as he rocked her back and forth.
"I screamed. I screamed so loud. She heard me. I know she did," Demi whimpered. Trey was tired of this. He couldn't deal with seeing his best friend like this anymore.
"Let's go to the police, let's-"
"Without Patrick, me, my mom, and my sister will be out on the streets. I can take it. I'm going off to college in the fall I can make it. I'll be fine," but she wouldn't be fine. Trey knew that she would not be fine.
"I'm sorry but you're gonna have to go to the party without me," Demi said but Trey shook his head.
"I'm gonna stay with you. You wanna take a drive? Just to get away?" Trey suggested and Demi nodded. Dianna didn't say anything when she left and Demi didn't expect her to. Trey opened the door to the new Escalade his dad bought for him and helped her inside. The sun had already set so Trey turned the heat on and drove to one of their favorite look out spots in the hills. He left his car on for a little while to heat it up and grabbed their blankets out of the trunk. They both climbed into the backseat, Demi practically on top of him as they cuddled together for warmth.
"Thank you," Demi cooed as Trey just rubbed the small of her back.
"I got you Dems," and they both knew that that was his special way of saying I love you.
you can stay right here. you can lay right here, cause everything is okay right here.