Embracing Trouble (Trouble Series) (8 page)

Ava

Hugging myself tight, I looked up and down the street before I went to cross it, away from the party. A car pulled into the driveway next door and Antony climbed out laughing with a girl. He was drunk and holding onto a beer bottle as she stumbled out, giggling like crazy. I saw Chad and Monica in the front of the car and her eyes narrowed as she recognized me. She said something out the window and Antony looked over to me.

“Ava? Is that you?” he asked with a knitted brow.

“Yeah, it’s me,” I said forcing a smile.

“What are you doing over there?” he laughed, like the idea of me at this party was absurd.

He didn’t know how right he was.

“At a party,” I answered with a shrug, stepping over to them.

“With those guys?” he asked in surprise. “I had no idea you were into death metal and drugs.”

“Losers,” giggled the girl beside him.

“They’re not losers,” I said back at them.

“Since when do you hang out with them?” he asked stepping closer to me.

I felt an instant urge to stretch the truth, so I said, “I have for a little while.”

“I would never have imagined our sweet little Ava hanging around the burners,” he chuckled.

Sweet little Ava? I grimaced at the reference. I wasn’t sweet or little. They didn’t know a thing about me.

“Maybe I’m not so sweet,” I returned, lifting my chin.

Antony chuckled.

“Maybe,” he said, his eyes showing sudden interest. “And maybe I picked the wrong friend.”

I looked at him in disgust. Why the hell did Sophie choose this guy? Did he think that because I was hanging with the so-called “burners” that I would be his next easy conquest?

“Come in and join us,” he said next. “We’re going to have a few more drinks. Leave Noah and his loser buddies to party with themselves.”

“They’re not losers,” I said again in annoyance.

“The guy was one of us once, Ava, and now look at him! He’s a misfit on society.”

“Whatever,” I said, too emotionally strung out to even argue.

What did I know?

“I’m bored with this conversation,” said Monica getting out of the car. “Let’s go inside before someone is robbed,” she said glancing over at a small group at the end of the driveway.

“Beautiful Ava!”

I turned to see Will heading over to me, looking at Antony and Chad with narrowed eyes.

“Everything okay?” he asked as he reached us.

“Yeah,” I said to him as his arm went around my shoulders.

Antony stepped back a little, seeing that Will was a six-foot muscled guy with a mohawk hairstyle and tattoos on his neck. I hid a smile.

“I was just talking to school friends.”

“Sounds exciting,” he said with steely eyes directed at Antony. “Let’s go.”

He pulled me away, his arm still around me.

“You scare them,” I declared as we stopped at a group of people at the beginning of Noah’s driveway.

Will grinned, and remarked, “I scare a lot of people.” He didn’t take his arm away from me. “But not you, for some reason.”

I looked amused.

“Well, not all the time anyway.”

He smiled and grabbed my hand.

“Let’s get you home.”

“I’m perfectly capable of walking two blocks by myself,” I laughed.

“I know that,” he said with knowing eyes. “But humor me,” he said pulling me across the road.

“Hey, Will! Are you going to the Academy gig tomorrow night?” shouted someone.

Will looked back but continued walking.

“Of course.”

“Who’s the girl?” someone shouted.

“Nobody that fucking concerns you,” replied Will still walking with me hand in hand.

“What’s with the midnight stroll? You losing your touch?”

“You’ve normally got them bent over before you know their name!”

Will stopped and turned back.

“Shut it, before I come over there and kick your asses. She’s Zac’s.”

I blinked up at Will, puzzled at how I could belong to Zac, when he wanted me to stay away from him. How did that work? We were walking again, and I noticed how all the comments had stopped instantly at the mention of Zac.

We walked a bit more in silence, away from the party, and Will let my hand go.

“So, why are you leaving the party early?”

“Zac wants me to stay away.”

He grinned, and asked, “You always do what you’re told?”

“Not lately,” I returned with a smile.

“He’s been like a bear with a sore head, since you appeared out of nowhere,” he muttered looking up at my house and stopping.

“Who is Academy and can I come?” I asked suddenly.

Will turned to me.

“You want to come and see Academy?”

“Why not? I haven’t been to a gig before.”

“And you’d want your first one to be a death metal gig?” he asked with his eyebrow cocked. “On a school night?”

“Yes,” I said lifting my chin.

“Zac would not like that,” he said.

“So don’t tell him.”

He chuckled.

“You need to be home doing homework like a good girl tomorrow night. Academy is not a band for you.”

“I’ll get my own ticket then,” I returned.

“It’s sold out.”

I narrowed my eyes in frustration.

“Then I’ll go back to the party and ask if anyone wants to sell one to me.”

He huffed, “Yeah, sure,” and then shook his head. “He can be bat-shit crazy, you know. You probably do need to stay away from him.”

“Why, because I’m such a good girl?”

“You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into. This isn’t some high school game.”

“I’m not playing high school games,” I grated.

Will sighed in exasperation as he looked at me closely.

“Fine, I’ll get you a ticket.”

“Just like that?” I asked starting to smile.

“You’re driving him crazy. It’s kind of fun to watch.”

I grinned, feeling a newfound confidence that made me a little light headed.

“Now go inside. The ticket will be in your letterbox by tomorrow afternoon,” he said heading back to the party.

* * *

The next night I sat down at the dining table where there was a lavish Sunday roast dinner spread out.

“Who else is coming?” I asked my dad sarcastically.

“No one. Sarah wanted to make a Sunday roast dinner a tradition for us,” said my father quietly.

Sarah was still in the kitchen, preparing another plate.

“Which restaurant did this come from?” I muttered.

“Enough,” said my father firmly. “She’s going to a lot of trouble to impress you, Ava. Cut her some slack.”

I rolled my eyes as Sarah walked out with a bowl of peas and a large smile. Her smile faltered as she saw my black hair. She tried to smile again as she set the bowl down and sat next to my father.

“This looks wonderful,” said my father. “Doesn’t it, Ava?”

“Amazing,” I mumbled.

We all spent a couple of minutes passing plates of food to each other and then started to eat.

“So, Ava, you’ve had your hair colored,” said Sarah, wiping her mouth with a napkin.

“I did,” I returned, spearing a pea with my fork.

“It’s very dark,” she commented. “Are you an Emo now?”

I speared a roast potato next and tried not to roll my eyes.

“No, I’m not.”

“We’ve noticed you have been going out a lot lately,” said my father glancing across to me. “Do we need to set a curfew or something?”

“I’m eighteen,” I said in disbelief. “Six months ago, remember?”

“We just need to know if you’re home safe,” beamed Sarah.

I felt like reminding them that they were never here to know if I was home safe or not, especially with their weekends away. But I didn’t. I couldn’t be bothered with an argument.

“Are you going out tonight?” asked Sarah looking at my makeup.

I couldn’t tell them about Zac, Noah, or Will, so I innocently said, “Study session with Sophie.”

Sarah eyed me suspiciously while my father went back to his roast. I smiled to myself, feeling powerful. Stretching the truth was fun. I had been missing out over the years.

* * *

I paid the taxi driver and got out, closing the door behind me. It had started to rain and I quickly ran across the city street to find some shelter. I stopped in front of a closed shop and looked up and down the street to get my bearings.

My phone rang and I looked at the screen. Sophie.

“Hey.”

“What are you up to?” she asked. “Studying?”

I cringed, and said, “Ah…no…seeing a band in the city actually.”

“With him?”

“Yeah.”

“So you’re going out on a date and you didn’t tell me?”

“Not a date. Just going to be at the same place…together.”

“Are you sure you know what you’re doing?”

“Not really, but it’s something I have to do.”

“Well, let me know how it goes.”

A group of gothic-looking girls walked past me, and I decided to casually follow them. They would have to be seeing Academy, too.

“I will. Catch up at school tomorrow.”

I stepped into a puddle and swore under my breath as the shelter stopped and the rain pelted down on my head. I still had Zac’s hoodie from that first night together and had decided to wear it tonight with my jeans. I pulled the hood over my head and quickly ran on ahead.

I saw the small club next to a restaurant and went over to the door, showing my ID and ticket. A burly security guard ripped it in half and ushered me in. I heard the music as soon as I stepped in, and it made the floors vibrate. I went down the stairs, the music getting louder with each step, and then I entered the main room.

People were everywhere watching the band and the room was so hot, it was bordering on steamy. I kept the hood on for the moment, feeling a little insecure as I watched guys banging their heads in time to the double kick drum on stage. Bodies were flying across the room further down near the stage and I watched in awe.

The singer growled and then screamed the words, the guitars delivering a powerful sound that never let up. Wow. It was so loud that it literally shook my ear drums as I stood there and watched. There was some pushing and shoving near me as the guys got into the music, and I stepped back, unsure of where else to go. I watched a girl holding two beers walk past me and weave her way in and out of the bodies, heading into the crowd. I would never find Zac or the guys in this crowd. I turned to the bar and squeezed my way in, ordering a whiskey and coke. I took a sip and felt my hand shake and soon took another, knowing I needed to quell my nervousness.

I watched the band throw their heads back and forth as they played, the singer screaming and crouching over the speakers. It was wild, almost primal as everyone in the crowd moved their heads in time and jumped up and down. I took in the girls that I could find, all alternative, lots with red hair, all with piercings and tattoos. Did Zac like that?

I thought I had been a little wild dying my hair black, but it was nothing compared to these girls, and I didn’t feel so confident anymore. I probably looked very boring in comparison. I felt the heat coming from all the bodies but didn’t move to take my hoodie off just yet. I needed it around me at the moment, to make me feel hidden and just part of the crowd.

I finished my whiskey and thought about lining up for another one when I saw him by the bar, a girl hanging from his neck. He was watching the band and moving his head in time, standing on a long bench seat against the wall for a better view. He looked so…hot, and I instinctively licked my lips, tasting the whiskey on them.

I watched the girl put her hands up in the air to sing along and then lean over and start to lick his neck. His eyes didn’t move from the band, like letting a girl lick him was just part of his night. I suddenly hated her. She was getting to do something that I wanted to do, without a care and without him pushing her away. I was so deluded coming here tonight.

I should go. I should leave before he sees me here, and I lose all self-respect for myself. I turned, but it was too late, as his eyes connected with mine, narrowing first in disbelief and then in anger.

The band finished a song and there was a roar from the crowd. His girl stopped her licking and cheered for them with her hands up in the air. Her short top rose with her arms, and I saw the tattoo covering her body and swallowed. Totally deluded.

Another song started and the crowd screamed their approval, but his intense gaze didn’t move from me. I stared back at him, lifting my chin in defiance. I had nothing to lose now, all self-respect had disappeared when I had come here tonight, following him around like a fool. Someone pushed past me and I lost contact for a moment. When I looked over to him again, he was looking down at his phone.

My phone vibrated in my pocket and I pulled it out.

Zac:
You shouldn’t be here.

I typed a response:
You’re forbidding me to see bands now, too?

Zac:
How many warnings do you need from me?

Ava:
None. I’m not here for you. I’m just doing what I want to do.

Zac:
Are you having a rebellious five minutes?

I took a deep breath.

Ava:
Think what you like.

Zac:
I think and do what I like. See the girl next to me? We fucked an hour ago. Go home.

I gasped as I read his text, feeling my stomach drop. I didn’t want to think of them together with her perfect tattooed body. I wanted it to be a joke, but I knew it wasn’t. I gathered the only strength I had left in me and didn’t look up at him. I knew he was waiting for me to get upset. He was an asshole and had crushed me with a single sentence. I had been warned. Again.