Mated Against My Will

Chapter Two

I walked into Mia’s room while she was doing her usual last-minute chaos-packing. Her room looked like a suitcase exploded and then got into a fight with a closet. "Hey, did you remember to pack your toothbrush?" I asked, totally deadpan.

Her eyes bugged out like I’d just told her the world was ending. “s**t! You’re right! I almost forgot!” And off she went, sprinting like it was a track meet, brushing past me on her way to the bathroom. Girl was prepping for this big-deal exchange training program in Canada. A whole year. In a different country. Without me.

Yeah, I was lowkey spiraling.

She came back tossing the toothbrush into her suitcase like it betrayed her. “I think that’s everything,” she muttered, checking her list for like, the tenth time.

I flopped down on her bed and smirked. “Really? Sure you don’t need a fifth suitcase? Maybe squeeze in your entire closet just in case.”

She rolled her eyes. “Ha ha. I just don’t wanna forget anything, okay?”

I exhaled, long and slow. “A whole year, huh?”

Mia dropped beside me, laying back and staring at the ceiling like it held the secrets of life. “Yeah. Doesn’t feel like enough time to see all of Canada.”

I forced a smile. It felt like chewing broken glass. “I’m gonna miss you.”

She sat up and looked at me—really looked. Me and Mia? Total opposites. Like, night and day opposites. She’s this sunshiney bubble of color and energy, bouncing around in bright outfits and sparkles. And then there’s me—black boots, black eyeliner, and darker moods. If Mia’s a rom-com, I’m the slow-burn mystery thriller with a twist ending.

People always do a double take when they find out we’re related. They look at her, then me, like they expect me to start levitating or something. At school, she was the golden child. Everyone loved her. Me? The second I showed up at the same university, they expected another Mia—smiling, friendly, sunshine-in-human-form.

Instead, they got... me.

I remember the first time Mia really saw it. She came to pick me up one afternoon, her bright self ready to wave and run up to me. But then she saw it: the parting of the seas—or, more accurately, the students. People legit moved out of my way like I was some kind of villain straight outta a YA novel. I didn’t flinch, didn’t look at anyone. Just walked straight ahead, shoulders back, headphones in. Stone-cold.

She told me later she overheard the rumors. The usual BS—slept with a teacher, punched some dude so hard he needed a new nose, gang member, secret orphan taken in by the McCalls. Wild stuff. None of it true, but try convincing anyone of that. I just learned to live with it. I never told Mia it bothered me.

But of course she saw through me. She always does.

We sat there in silence for a second before she said it, voice soft but serious, “You sure you want me to go? I can still cancel. I’ll call them right now if you’re not okay.”

I shook my head, stood up, and gave her a quick pat on the back. “You leave in an hour. I’m coming with you to the airport. No arguing.”

I didn’t wait for a reply. Just bounced. Headed to my room. My brain was in knots. I sat on my bed, staring at nothing, thinking about what life’s gonna look like without her.

Empty.

It’s always been us. Just us. No parents. No backup. Just two girls against the world.

Even on the worst days, when school felt like hell and everyone treated me like some urban legend, Mia was my anchor. She’d come home late from work, but she was there. And that was enough.

Now? She won’t be.

I looked out the window just as lightning sliced across the sky. The rain started coming down hard, soaking everything. Honestly? I loved it. The rain matched how I felt—loud, messy, uninvited. And somehow, comforting. Like the sky was crying with me so I didn’t have to.

“It’s pouring cats and dogs out here. Be careful on your way back. Looks like it’s not stopping anytime soon,” Mia warned while driving my beat-up old pickup to the airport.

I didn’t answer. Just stared out the window at the neon glow of the streetlights, blurring behind the raindrops.

“Well, here we are,” she said, pulling into the departure lot.

We got out, grabbed her bags. Mia looked at me with that mix of amusement and worry she always gets when I’m in my “ice queen” mode.

She didn’t get it. It wasn’t about being rude. I was just... protecting myself. If I cracked now, I might not recover.

An attendant came over to help with the luggage. Mia thanked him, then turned to me.

“Ava McCall. Look at me.”

I did.

I shouldn’t have.

My eyes met hers and suddenly, I was ten again, lost in the woods, scared out of my mind. And she was the one who found me, always the one who found me.

She hugged me. Tight. I froze for a second before hugging her back.

“I’ll miss you, baby sis, but you’re gonna be okay. You’re a tough cookie,” she whispered. She pulled back, searching my face. “You’ve got a good head on your shoulders… even if you are a bit hard-headed.”

I snorted. “No lies detected.”

She smiled, but then her eyes got serious. “Promise me one thing. While I’m gone… try. Just try. Let people in. You don’t have to be this wall all the time.”

I didn’t answer.

But maybe… maybe I’d try. For her.

Just maybe.

"Seriously, though, give people a chance when I’m gone. Not everyone’s a jerk," Mia said, knocking her fist on my head like she always does when she’s making a point. "I want you to have at least one new friend by the time I come back in a year, okay?"

"Easy for you to say," I shot back, rolling my eyes. "You’d be shocked at how many jerks there are out there."

Mia chuckled, all carefree, like she didn’t have a flight to catch. "No arguments there. Alright, I gotta go. Don’t live off just noodles, try to get some sleep, and for the love of God, don’t spend all your time online."

I raised an eyebrow. "What about no boys over?"

She grinned, all mischievous. "A boy might do you some good, sis."

I coughed, instantly turning red, trying to hide how awkward that made me. "Don’t you have a flight to catch or something?"

Mia snapped her fingers like she almost forgot. She grabbed her carry-on, and we walked toward the entrance of the terminal. It was crazy how different we were, even though we shared the same blood. I mean, she was all spontaneous, the life of every room, and me? I was just... me.

At the cutoff point, she stopped, looking at me with a sad smile. "This is it," she said, lifting her bag onto her shoulder like it was no big deal.

I rolled my eyes, trying to cover up how much I hated this. "I’ll never see you again," I said, sounding way more dramatic than I intended.

Mia shook her head, chuckling. "Shut up, kiddo. I’m trying to have a moment here," she teased, pulling me into a hug that was way too tight for comfort. I’m not crying. Nope. Totally not crying.

"Alright, have a blast and take tons of pics! Don’t worry about me, sis," I said, though I sounded way more reluctant than I’d meant to.

Her voice dropped a little. "I’ll video chat, call, and I’ll send you money so you can focus on school without stressing about work."

I felt guilty for not telling her I already had a job, but whatever. I’d break the news later.

"Remember what I said about making friends and kissing boys."

"You didn’t say anything about kissing boys."

"Oh, didn’t I?" She winked. "Okay, well, make sure you do it a lot."

My jaw dropped. "What?!" I whispered way too loudly.

The overhead announcement cut through our awkward moment. "Flight 532 for Toronto departing in 15 minutes."

We shared a final, tight hug before Mia turned and walked away. I stood there, watching her go, feeling the weirdest emptiness. My eyes watered, but I wiped them away before they could betray me.

Walking back to the quiet house, I realized just how much Mia was the energy in this place. Without her, it was like the house had sucked out all its warmth. It felt cold. Empty. Like me.

I was not in the mood for food. But after the rain cleared up, I found myself in the kitchen, even though I wasn’t hungry.

I just needed to escape for a bit. And what better way than with a book, right?

Slipping into something comfortable, I opened the curtains and let the moonlight spill over my room. Scanning my bookshelf, my eyes landed on my old fave: The Little Wolf's Book of Badness. Not the best book, but it hit the spot every time.

I cracked it open and before I knew it, I was done. The book was short, but man, it pulled me in. I laid back, staring at the sky. I felt that drowsiness starting to creep in, but my mind was still buzzing with thoughts of tomorrow.

Monday.

School.

The burning stares. The rumors. The whole deal of people excluding me just for kicks. It made my stomach twist.

I sat up and glanced out the window. The stars were... weird. Normally, they’d show up slowly, gradually, but tonight? They were popping into the sky faster than I could process. Almost like someone was pulling them out from behind the dark.

I squinted at the sky. Was it just me? Or was it actually happening?

---

Head up, shoulders back.

I took a deep breath before stepping into the university building. I could feel everyone looking at me, even before I made it through the door. Like clockwork, people turned to stare.

I was almost infamous here.

Rumors? Oh, they were rampant. But the truth? No one had any clue. They had no idea who I actually was. And instead of asking or getting to know me, they just stared and spread their nonsense.

It made zero sense why people acted like this. It was like middle school had never ended.

When I first started, I was nice. Polite. Quiet. I kept to myself. But then the rumors started.

People thought I slept around. Got plastic surgery. Even got pregnant. Where these rumors came from, I had no clue. But by the time I heard them, it was already too late to stop them. Denying it would just make things worse.

So, I kept quiet. Blocked it out. It was like numbing yourself with alcohol—eventually, you don’t feel anything anymore. But when you wake up the next day, the hangover hits harder than anything.

Things had gotten a little better, I guess. Not by much, but there was a slight shift. People didn’t stare at me as much, at least not as obviously. But those lingering gazes? Yeah, they were still there.

"Ava!"

I winced when I heard it. The voice. The footsteps. The last person I needed to see right now.

Michelle Parker.

Were we friends? Nah.

Were we enemies? Not really.

We were just... nothing.

We didn’t have what you'd call a real relationship, and honestly? I wasn’t sure I even wanted one.

Michelle would try—she’d always be calling out to me, trying to start some kind of conversation, but I just... couldn’t get into it. So, I’d keep walking, not even giving her a second glance. I didn’t have time for small talk or pretending to be friends with someone I didn’t even want to be around.

"Ava!" She practically screeched, rushing to catch up. Her voice was way too high-pitched, and I couldn’t help but cringe. I mean, seriously? Was this high school?

I didn’t stop walking. I couldn’t. Not today, not when I had a million things on my mind.

"I called out to you. Didn’t you hear me?" she whined, practically begging for attention. I swear, she was wearing clothes that barely fit for the weather, and she looked... like she was trying way too hard. But whatever.

"No," I muttered under my breath, not looking back. I had perfected the art of tuning people out by now, especially the ones who wanted to keep up with the rumor mill. And that’s exactly what Michelle was doing. She didn’t care about me—she cared about what people thought of me.

Michelle wasn’t exactly what you'd call wholesome. Her reputation wasn’t exactly pristine, but of course, people assumed we were besties just because we exchanged words sometimes. But the truth was, Michelle wasn’t my friend. She was just there—convenient for the gossip and drama, I guess.

She rolled her eyes, the same way she always did when I didn’t respond the way she wanted. "Are you going to Dan’s Halloween party tonight?" she asked like it was the most normal thing in the world.

Dan.

Just saying his name made my stomach turn. Daniel Smith, the walking disaster. He was rich, obnoxious, and obsessed with making my life a living nightmare. Not to mention, he was the one who spread all those rumors about me, just because he got off on messing with people. People thought I was some kind of slut because of him, but the truth was... I hadn’t even kissed a guy. Ever. But I wasn’t about to explain that to anyone, especially not to Dan.

Dan had made it clear what he thought of me from the start, and every conversation with him ended the same way—me walking away in frustration, wanting to scrub off the ickiness of his attention.

"I’d rather not," I said, my voice flat and final. There was no point in even pretending I cared about the party. Not when it was his party.

Michelle gave me this look, like she was disappointed but also trying to be all superior about it. "Well, you should be grateful he even notices you," she snapped, her tone sharp. "Without his attention, no one would even look at you. People here think you're a recluse, a slut, or just... detached. Maybe if you made an effort, people wouldn’t treat you like crap. I mean, with your reputation, maybe you should be more grateful. Or maybe those rumors are true?"

I felt my blood boil, but I didn’t let it show. I stopped walking, turned around, and faced her head-on. "I didn’t ask for your company," I said, my voice cold and cutting. "I’d rather be alone than have you or anyone like you associated with me. I don’t care about Dan. I don’t care about the rumors. And I sure as hell don’t care about whatever you think about me. So how about we just call it what it is and stop pretending like we’re friends?"

She blinked at me, stunned into silence, and I could feel her jaw tightening. I turned on my heel, leaving her standing there. She probably thought I was rude, but honestly? I didn’t care.

As I walked away, I heard her mutter under her breath, "B**ch."

The word hit harder than I wanted to admit. It stung, even though I knew she probably meant it as some kind of insult. Maybe it was true—maybe I was unlikable, maybe the rumors had stuck. But I didn’t ask for any of this. I never did. And yet, here I was, fighting to keep my head above water in a sea of assumptions.

I didn’t stop walking, though. Not even when I felt the sting of her words in my chest. I had to keep going.