Third Time's the Charm

Chapter 6: A brief run in with the bad guy of the school!

I headed straight to the grounds, right after class. Bella had already gone early as she had wanted to change into her sports jersey and shoes. I realized with a start that Bella wasn’t kidding when she said that the entire school would be there. The entire ground as well the court was tight packed. As I searched desperately for Bella, my eyes landed on an airy blonde wearing a Nike tee shirt, glittering yoga pants and a reebok shoes all just for a tryout for the school team. I resisted rolling my eyes at her and continued to eye her incredulously. People would think Mia was competing for the world championships.

“How is that going to help her get into the school team?”, I said out loud and snorted, then jumped as I realized that I wasn’t the only one who had snorted. I looked around and to my surprise saw that none other than the star of the school, our senior, Mr Ethan Torronto was behind me, looking at Mia with an expression of disgust written all over his face.

I took a step back frantically and that’s when he noticed me. There he was dressed in jeans and a leather jacket, looking like heavenly sin. What the hell was he doing here anyway? I thought that he only hung out with his celebrity crowd. He wasn’t one who attended school functions and he wasn’t very friendly either. He always kept to himself.

He raised an eyebrow at me and I found myself avoiding his eye contact desperately.

“What happened to the sweatshirts, geek?”, he asked me and both my eyebrows shot up in surprise.

I didn’t think Ethan Torronto would ever notice a nobody like me, and yet here he was commenting on my makeover.

“I..uhm”, came my very intelligent reply.

He smirked at me, then turned his attention back to Mia and pointed at her and said dryly, “She is not trying out for the team. She is trying out for the position of head cheerleader.”

This comment earned another snort from me and he peered curiously at me, a smile playing in the corner of his mouth. So, she had worn this outfit for just a cheerleading tryout. That just made it much more entertaining and hilarious.

“Shouldn’t she have worn some normal outfit then, rather than professional, sport brands?”

He rolled his eyes and replied smugly, “Girls like her just like the attention. She is just showing off.”

“By the way, How did you know that she was trying out for the cheerleading team and not basketball team?”, I asked, my voice slightly wavering.

He shrugged and pointed to the notepad he was holding in his right hand and said, “I am on volunteer duty….you know write the names…keep it organized …blah…blah…though I don’t quite recall volunteering for it”

I rolled my eyes at him, my initial fear subsiding and retorted dryly, “Of course, you didn’t volunteer, you are the least social person in the school, Mr Pop star”

Was I just imagining it or was his eyes gleaming mischievously. The corners of his mouth lifted up slightly and he held my gaze as he replied smugly, “Oh yes! And you are full of warmth and sunshine hugs. You were a loner too until your little friend showed up. “

I blinked in surprise. I racked my brain trying to remember if we had crossed paths before. No! this was the first time we were running into each other.

“Well, thank god that you didn’t pretend to not know me while simultaneously trying to hit on me”, he declared and I rolled my eyes at him.

What was he suggesting? That the girls all usually pretended not to know him at first and then start flirting with him…Trust him to make it all about him….Why is this high school filled with narcissistic, self obsessed, arrogant jerks?

“Of course, I know who you are, I don’t live under a rock. Plus, don’t worry about me hitting on you because unlike the other girls I actually have the semblance of a good taste.”

With that, I left him gaping at me in surprise as my eyes finally landed on my best friend. Before giving a chance for him to retort sarcastically, I strode off towards her, my heart beat thundering furiously. I can’t believe I just did that. Me…Ava Langdon…talked back to a senior…who was none other than the devil Ethan Torronto himself. I took a deep breath and let it all out as I approached Bella. I had no idea where I got that confidence or courage from.

Bella was at the basketball court doing some stretching exercises.

I waved at her as I walked up at her and muttered cheerfully, “Hey, all set?”

She nodded nervously and I tried my best to encourage her, “Hey, calm down. Remember that they are only district level players while you are a state level player. You are on a whole different league, babe. This would be a piece of cake to you, so just relax. You will do fine. Good luck babe”

“Thank you”, she murmured softly as she continued on with her stretches.

I nodded encouragingly at her and looked around for a vacant seat but to my dismay found out that the entire stadium has been tight packed. Their eyes however weren't currently fixed on the team but rather on the cheerleaders.

My eyes landed on a vacant bench filled with bags where the players keep their bottles and towels and I immediately headed towards it and sat myself there after clearing out some space.

Just then, the head coach, Mr Rupert walked in and everyone fell silent.

Bella finished her warming up exercises and entered the court to join her competitors. I watched curiously as I saw the Head coach mixing both the girls and boys into teams. Oh! This is going to be a mixed match. Maybe he couldn’t find enough players to gave a girls vs girls and boys vs boys so he might have mixed them up together so that the trails can be over in one single shot. Killing two birds with one stone.

Isabella, Mike, Lauren and two other boys I didn’t know the name of was in one team. I smiled satisfied. Mike, with all his faults was a good team captain and he was unstoppable on the court. Bella’s team surely would win. Mike was a national level player and him and Bella together in one team would make a deathly combo. Then my eyes went to the opponents team.

The other team consisted of Luke, Lisa and two other girls I didn’t quite know the names of as they didn’t look like they were in our year. Wait a second! That team only had four players. This is going to be an unfair match. Luke is definitely good since he always played with college seniors in his neighborhood but he is only a state level player. Mr Rupert desperately eyed the stands as he figured out the math too and finally his eyes landed on me sitting idly in the bench.

I already knew what he was going to ask and I desperately glanced around hoping that someone else would show up at the last minute to take the open spot. I knew that he didn’t exactly want me to try out, he just wanted me to fill the spot so that the rest of them could continue smoothly with the tryouts. I did a quick sweep and found to my horror that everyone was busy watching the cheerleading tryouts.

Holy crap! Mr Rupert is headed straight towards me now. 

Now it would look bad if I were to make a run for it in the opposite direction. I gulped and my knees trembled as he got nearer and nearer.

“Hey, you! In or out?”, he shouted at me, with both hands placed firmly on his waist.

I hesitated for a split of a second before murmuring back, a slight tremor in my voice, “In”

Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Ethan watching everything with a satisfied, smug smile on his face as if he knew something that everyone else didn't.