Wanting You (Book 1)

Down And Up Again

Astrid's POV

Silence hung in the air. Every eye was on Trent Ambrose.

"Is he moving? Can he move? Can my man move?" Annalise asked with concern. Tears at the bay of her eyes as several other cheerleaders struggled to keep her grounded.

Moments, Trent rolled to his side and managed to sit upright before standing on his own two feet again. The crowd cheered, and I released a breath I wasn't aware I was holding.

The game resumed, and the competition became even more brutal and more intense until the last half.

Trent commanded the field and his players. Every time the other team made their attempts, our team was already ahead of them. They battled it out, arranged players and plays, but it wasn't enough to save their skins. At the last play, seconds on the clock, Trent was the target. When the ball exchanged hands, no one was expecting Trent to throw it to his best friend, Alex Hinds, who ran away as fast as a bullet.

"TOUCH DOWNNN!" The announcers roared."That's the game! Your champions, The Pacific Way High School!"

The celebration erupted. Students took to the field with their banners and balloons and confetti. The school band played their glorious and victorious music, and we cheerleaders danced and cheered into the evening.

~

When the celebration gradually unwind, Annalise wanted to speak to us. We surrounded her and awaited her words. She couldn't stop smiling. It was the first time I've ever seen her cheese this hard, especially to the squad.

"You guys were all incredible today. We did our thing, and our boys bought home the trophy!" she squealed, "And the fun and celebration don't have to end right now. I'm hereby inviting each and every one of you to my home tonight!" Annalise finished and went off in search of Trent.

"I got to go home," I said.

"What? Are you kidding me? You can not go home when Annalise herself just invited us to her house," Keri said to me.

"Keri, my mom would literally kill me if I'm to stay out even later than this!"

"Then tell her you're spending the night with me for a study group. I'm sure she'll buy that."

"You know, I don't like lying to my mom."

"Girl, for Annalise's house.. Scratch that.. Annalise's mansion, you would lie."

The other footballers joined the circled, including Trent. His arm wrapped tightly around Annalise.

"Your squad is ready?" he questioned her.

"They are," she answered. At that moment, a party bus pulled into the parking lot, and we made a beeline towards it and filed in. I shot mom a quick text once I had found a seat, then hoped she wasn't going to find out the truth.

~

A ride later, we pulled up to one of the most luxurious properties and mansions I've seen. Annalise ushered us in just as the other party bus pulled up with the footballers who immediately ran towards the outdoor pool.

Annalise cussed underneath her breath as they made a ruckus, but her eye contact with Trent was enough to tell him that he should keep his players under control.

We gathered in the theater room which was big enough to accommodate everyone. After the footballers had freshened up and changed into clean and decent casual clothes, they joined us as well.

Annalise played some music and had the maids served us drinks and fingerfoods. Everyone mingled with everyone else and everything was going great.

Until!

"Truth or drink!" Stormi said, earning the attention of everyone when she stood on a chair holding bottles of vodka in her right and left hands.

"I'm down," almost everyone said at the same time, including Keri.

I settled at Keri's side, dropping my voice so only she could hear.

"I don't know about this game, Keri. You don't drink alcohol neither do I. And Idon't trust this whole invitation vibe."

"Astrid, you need to seriously relax! Our school just won the highschool championship and our head cheerleader invited us here to celebrate. What's the problem with that?"

"We're talking about Annalise."

"So?"

"Since when she's welcoming?"

"Since she's happy we didn't screw things up on the field today. Since we won and she's the girlfriend of the star quarterback! Geezz!"

"Okay! Fine!"

"Stop bring paranoid. Just relax and have some fun. You don't have to play if you don't want to. Go outside for some fresh air or something. Go take a walk," Keri shooed me away like a peasant. I couldn't believe this was the way she was acting towards me after swaying me to come here with her and lying to my mom about my whereabouts.

Without another protest, I left her side and stepped out into the night by myself. I headed towards the back of the premises and found another pool, a much smaller one compared to the one up front but it was more inviting.

I took my shoes off and dangled my feet in the water when I sat at the edge of the pool. I looked around. It was quiet outside and I was beginning to enjoy this.

"What are you doing here?" an unwelcoming voice asked me. I almost leaped out of my skin when I turned to find Trent Ambrose staring at me.

The bottom half of his body was covered by a towel but the top half was left exposed. I gulped at his captivating toned and muscle arms. His chest provoke my senses and I felt my mouth salivating.

"Are you going to answer my question or just continue drooling over me?" he asked again.

"I wasn't.. I'm not answering drooling," I stupidly said.

"What?" Trent asked. I face-palm myself and he laughed at me. I stood up from the pool after getting my senses back in order.

"I'm not drooling over you," I got out.

"Could have fooled me then," he said and stepped closer. I took a step back.

"You're not wearing that awful glasses anymore, I see."

"Aren't you observant. Maybe I'm tired of you ridiculing me about it."

"You're ridiculing yourself at this point, putting on that big, ugly thing on your face every morning," he condemned.

"What is your problem, what have I ever done to you?"

"Nothing. You're not effective or important enough to even do anything to me."

"That's lovely to know."

He dropped the towel, showing off black swimming trunks. I took another step backwards again when he took another step closer, then another and I slipped on the wet tiles. Backwards I found myself falling but a firm grab stabled me.

"Thank you," I told him, heart racing from the fright. I was face to face with his chest.

Annalise is so lucky. She gets to lay on it.

"Ha! Ensure you tell her to be grateful then," Trent said.

He heard what I spoke to myself and after feeling flush and out of place indded, I went away as the embarrassment I was.