"And that ladies and gentlemen is why Ava Daniels is the valedictorian of your graduating class."
Mr.Gross complimented me as I sat back down from the board which had a calculus problem I had just completed in under a minute. The class howled at me as I covered my face in embarrassment.
My eyes fell on Alex who quickly looked away from me, was he staring? I blushed a bit from the thought.
The bell rung and I bolted out the door to go to my next hour, "Ava!" Alex's voice could be heard through the entire school, I stopped to wait,
"So you're valedictorian?" He asked surprised,
"Yeah." I replied clutching onto my phone.
"But you're a drug dealer?" He asked questionably with a confused look on his handsome lollipop lickable face.
"Stereotypes aren't nice Alex." I replied walking away fast, I was not about to be late for history.
"Wait I'll walk you." He caught up again and smiled down at me, I looked up at the 6'2 giant and smiled, I was barely 5'2, my smile faded.
"I can't believe it." He said breaking the silence.
"What?" I asked.
"I mean are you even human? You're pretty, you're a genius yet you're a drug dealer?" He asked trying to sort everything out.
I blushed at the 'genius' part. No guy has ever noticed that before, I had to get rid of him, I couldn't let him know his comment made me feel all jittery inside.
"This is my class." I was trying to avoid eye contact with him again.
"Here?" He asked and I nodded my head putting my hand on the nob and repeatedly shaking it but it wouldn't open.
"Um Ava?"
"What?" I kept looking at the ground still trying to open the door,
"This isn't a class, it's a janitors closet."
I literally ran off from him in embarrassment.
I must have looked so stupid, the bell rung and I quickly ran into my seat, banging my head over and over again on the table. Stupid, stupid, stupid!
-------
"Where are you going?" Ashley sat on the end of my bed pushing her glasses back.
"I have a date." I explained looking at myself in the mirror.
"You look really pretty." She said.
"Thanks, I'm not even trying, it's just Eric." I said and she gasped,
"Wait? You like Eric?" She fluttered her hands about in disbelief.
"No, I just kinda owe him one." I replied lacing up my combat boots.
"Oh god. Now I know how you make so much money." She paused a bit,
"You're a prostitute."
Her conclusion made me laugh.
"How'd you find out?" I asked in a serious tone.
"Wait? Are you really?"
What was even funnier is that she believed me.
"No idiot, I work hard for my money."
And I did, it was simple work but with every sell I made and every new client I got, I was closer to being caught up.
I don't fear being arrested, I just feared losing my scholarships and full ride tuition to Stanford because of a criminal record.
"Ava, there's a boy waiting for you down stairs." My aunt Rosie opened the door to my room then shut it.
My aunt Rosie took care of my mom and stayed over every weekend, she just loves how big our house is honestly.
I walked downstairs smiling, I was wearing a black v-neck, a brown trench coat, a black scarf, ripped jeans and my combat boots.
Eric smiled at me and nervously handed me a vase of daffodils.
"Aw thanks Eric. Hey Aunt Rosie can you put these in my room please?" She took them from my hand.
"Be home later." I said shutting the front door.
"Dope your mom let you borrow her Pontiac." I said opening the car door.
"Ava you look amazing." He finally said after a few minutes of driving.
"Aw thanks Eric, you look rather dashing yourself."
Eric was quiet throughout dinner. He took me to Olive Garden.
I preferred fast food but whatever floats his boat yanno? Then he took me to a movie where he held my hand throughout all of it, we watched a independent film from France. I didn't even fucking understand it not because of the language, but there was a lot of dancing and crying in it.
At the end we sat in his moms car right outside my house in pure silence. He didn't want to let go of my hand as if he needed to tell me something. I just waited for him to let go then I got to thinking, Eric acted as if we've never hung out alone before. In a way I was flattered but I didn't want to ruin the friendship we already have. Eric was sweet, quirky, and shy. Only recently has he started being a little bit more outgoing. He was everything a girl should look for but something in me didn't see him like that, he was just a friend and I wanted nothing more.
"Ava," he said looking down, I looked at him as his head shot up I examined his soft eyes, suddenly he leaned in and kissed me, hard.
I quickly pushed him off,
"Woah cowboy." I giggled, he smiled at me, "I'm sorry Ava." He finally said, "Don't worry about it, I had a nice evening thanks Eric." I was halfway out when I leaned back in to kiss him on the cheek. He drove off when I got inside. It was midnight and everyone was asleep.
I changed into my pj's and got a random call from Darren.
"Hey Ava, you in stock?" He sounded wasted.
"How much?"
"I'm, I'm gonna spend, like $200 fucking moneys! AVA 2-0-0- BUCKS BABY!"
"Well I'm not going anywhere so come pick some shit up but call me when you get here."
"Yeah, yeah! Hey Ava."
"What Darren?"
"I wanna fall asleep on your ass."
He began laughing.
"Listen fucker, if you're drunk don't even bother coming." I hung up.
No time to deal with bullshit.
BZZZZ BZZZZZZ
Darren texted me while I was asleep, really fucker 3AM?
The cold air hit my face as I went outside to meet them. All I saw was Darren and Alex, Darren was throwing up in my moms flower pot.
"Alex you better get him straightened out." I walked towards them, wiping my eyes on my arm.
"Did we wake you?" Alex asked and I yawned, I nodded stretching my arms,
"Yeah but money never sleeps." I crossed my arms to get warmer,
"So what do you need?" I leaned on a vomiting Darren patting his back harshly.
"Hold up." Alex easily dragged a passed out Darren into his car, I followed him helping him open the door to Darren's car, "Careful not the move him alot." I said as Alex put Darren in the back seat, he was passed out like a baby. A drunken baby.
"So I came out here for nothing?" I slammed the car's door.
"I'll buy a gram of weed off you." He took out a twenty and I took out a bag, we traded, "Thanks." He smiled.
"Night Alex." I said walking back towards my house, "Night Ava." He winked at me and tossed his cigarette into the street.