“Hey.” a deep voice said behind me, causing me to jump in shock, dropping all my books in the process “Sorry.” he chuckled as he bent down to pick up my books, I quickly bent down as well and started to pick them up, our hands brushed against each others, I quickly pulled away, ignoring the tingling feeling it gave me. “I didn’t mean to scare you.” he chuckled as he tucked his hands in his pockets as he leaned on the locker beside mine, people were beginning to stare. I tucked a strand of hair behind my face, and bit my lip, it was a habit when I became nervous. “Why do you always do that?” he chuckled and I looked at him
“Do what?” I whispered
“Bite your lip.” he chuckled “It’s cute.” he chuckled and I looked down
“It’s because I get nervous.” I muttered and he smirked
“Do I make you nervous?” he said cockily. Okay, people were definitely staring now.
“People are staring.” I whispered as I shut the door to my locker, he chuckled
“So let them, we’re just talking.” he shrugged, I looked at him, he was staring at me intently.
“Why are you talking to me?”
“Because… we’re friends?” Was he being serious? He thought we were friends?! We’re complete opposites! He’s popular and I’m… not popular. Which explained the stares from everyone that sneaked a glance at us, they looked at me like I’d grown a second head or something. I could practically picture the question that went on in their heads: What would a guy like Chase Harper be doing speaking to a girl like Ava Williams?
“We’re not friends.” I whispered, he looked at me intently before smiling at me softly
“Of course we are.” he chuckled
“No, we aren’t, and I’d appreciate it if you didn’t speak to me unless it’s about the project.”
“Ava, I—“
“I’ll see you later.”
*****
“He thought we were friends!” I said incredulously “I mean, the nerve of that guy!”
“Why? I don’t see a problem.” My mom smirked at me “It seems as if he really is trying to be your friend.”
“Oh, please mom.” I snickered “Ava and Chase don’t go in the same sentence.” Just then, my phone rang, my mom looked at me in surprise and I glanced at the phone in shock. Wrong number, maybe? I looked at it again and the name Chase popped up on the screen. “It’s him.”
“Well? Answer it!” she inquired, I stood up from the seat and walked in direction of my music room and answered it once I reached it.
“Hello?” I said and then cleared my throat
“Where do you live?” he asked and I frowned
“Why?”
“Because I have the afternoon free so we can work on the project.” he beamed “So, directions?” I gave them to him “Be there in five.” he said before hanging up. He was right on time, as if he was a clock he arrived at my front door precisely five minutes after our phone call, the doorbell rang and I walked towards it, fixing my hair before opening it. Why? Because no guy apart from my father had ever stepped foot in this house. “Hey.” he said as he smiled at me
“Come in.” I said as I moved aside so he could step in, he glanced around and smiled
“Nice place.” he commented, my mom popped her head through the kitchen door and smiled instantly, this ought to be good.
“Hi! I’m guessing you’re Chase?” she said as she shook his hand “Ava has told me so much about you!” I wanted to die then and there. Drag me into a hole and leave me there to die.
“Oh? She has?” he glanced at me with a smirk
“We’re leaving now!” I grabbed his arm and pulled him in direction of the music room, once we left the house he cracked a laugh “Something amusing you?” I said as I glanced at him with a raised eyebrow
“You should’ve seen your face!” he said as he tried to stop laughing “Did you really tell your mom about me?”
“Yes, I told her how incredibly annoying you were.” I smirked and he looked at me again, as if he was studying me “Stop doing that.”
“What?” he chuckled
“Looking at me like your staring into my soul.” I said dramatically and he laughed
“I just don’t get it.”
“What?” I asked and he glanced at me as I opened the door to my room
“Why you hide yourself from people.” he said “At school you're so quiet that until now I hadn’t heard a single word come out of your mouth.”
“I’m just… awkward around people…” I whispered “They think I’m weird.” I said as we arrived at the room, he looked around in shock and amazement at the same time
“I didn’t think you were weird. Just shy.” he added and I looked at him and smiled softly “This is amazing…” he said as he looked at all my guitars, my grand piano and my collection of records, he examined them and took out The 1975 and put it on my record player.
“Out of all the records you picked that one.” i chuckled
“What can I say? I don’t listen to old music.” he shrugged and I chuckled
“It’s not old music, these are classics!” I exclaimed
“Po·tat·o po·ta·toe.” I giggled and he looked at me with a smile “You have a nice laugh.”
“Why are you being so nice to me?” I whispered as I sat cross legged on the seat of my piano, as I played with my hair
“Why are you so hung up on the way I act around you?” he said softly as he came closer to me “Why can’t you just accept the fact that I like hanging out with you?”
“Because in the five years we’ve known each other you’ve never spoken a word to me.” He stared at me intently and then sighed before running his hands through his hair
“What do you want me to say, Ava?” he whispered “I’m sorry? I apologise?”
“I want you to tell me that this whole nice guy thing is an act!” I exclaimed
“It’s not an act.” he answered “I like hanging out with you, period!”
“You don’t even know me.” I spat “You know nothing about me so how can you say you like hanging out with me?!”
“I like hanging out with you because you’re different!” I froze, was he being serious? Different? That was his big excuse? “Because you don’t want something from me like everyone else does, because… you’re real.” he whispered softly and I looked down “I know you don’t believe me now, and I get it. You have trouble trusting people because of the way they act around you.” I looked directly at him and bit my lip “But I want to get to know you, not because of the project. Because I want to.”
“Why should I believe you?”
“You don’t have to believe me now, but… I’ll work hard to get you to believe me. And if you accept, I’d like to hang out with you… outside of the project.” he said as he scratched the bak of his neck, he almost sounded… nervous? Was Chase Harper nervous?! “There’s a party in my neighbourhood this weekend… and I know that’s not your scene, but I promise you’ll have fun, I’ll be with you the whole time since you don’t really know anybody, just think about it, yeah?” He looked at me, waiting fro my answer. I nodded quietly and he smiled softly. “I guess I’ll see you later?” I nodded and he waved at me before disappearing. What did I just get myself into?
*****
“What possessed you into deciding to go to a party?” My mom said as I grabbed a granola bar and munched on it before reapplying my lipstick
“A demon called Chase Harper.” I mumbled and she looked at me in shock
“You’re going with him?” she said incredulously, I nodded
“He said he ‘wanted to get to know me better’” I said, trying to imitate his voice, but failed greatly.
“That’s sweet of him.” Mom said with a smirk “He’s cute, too.” I stared at her with my mouth agape, she giggled
“Mom!” I exclaimed “Thats so wrong!” I said as I covered my ears in disgust, she only laughed harder, I heard the doorbell ring and my hands instatly felt clammy and I was starting to get really anxious. Why? Because this was my first party with people at my school who thought I was the “weird girl”, who was about to arrive at a party with he single most popular guy in the whole school. “Coming!” I said as I rushed to the door, I opened it and my breath was nearly taken out of my lungs. I was no stranger to Chase Harper’s dashing good looks. You could easily look at him and think he was a model, Abercrombie like. He wore a black v-neck and a pair of jeans with a simple pair of shoes. Simple, but so right. I wore skinny jeans, rolled up at the bottom with my white converse and my Nirvana t-shirt. I didn’t know how to dress for a party, so I just went with the flow.
“Hi.” he said as I opened the door, I smiled shyly and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. Stupid habit. “Why are you nervous?” he chuckled softly as he came closer “It’s just me.” he whispered softly. And you’re the one who makes me most nervous out of everyone.
“Let’s just get this over with.”