Two

• Ava's

POV

•

"It's high time now, Ava." Zoe spoke up. "I think you should hook-up with some other guy."

I inwardly cringed at her words, trying my best not to scrunch up my nose in the process as I moved along the busy cafeteria line, my lunch tray clutched in my hands.

"Honestly, I never knew you were a one night stand kind of person," Elliot spoke up behind me, "but there's this party tonight at Owen's–"

I placed my lunch tray on our table and slumped down with a small groan. "Elliot, I'm not trying to hook-up with someone when I have a boyfriend."

He frowned at me before sitting down across from me. Meanwhile, Zoe sat down beside me. The leather bands around her wrists thudding lightly against the table.

"Well, why are we talking about hook-ups then?" Elliot asked, running a hand through his dark blond hair, pushing them back. I glanced over his shoulder, not surprised to see two random girls giving him the candy

looks.

Since Elliot had the looks and all, girls swooned over him way too easily. Except me, since he was my best friend and Zoe of course.

"Because, Ava is wasting her looks on someone like Ian Lockhart." Zoe explained in a somewhat blank tone, her dark black eyes fixated on Elliot's face in what seemed like a glare to me.

Zoe was that type. With her short black hair barely reaching past her shoulders, she was more of the emo type. She always

kept her emotions in check. Too busy to even give a shit about others.

But that was different around Elliot and me. She cared about us. Or else, I'm sure how she wouldn't have been sitting with us right now.

"Ian's not your boyfriend anymore?" Elliot's frown hadn't left his face.

I hadn't realized how this conversation had turned totally pointless by now. Of course Ian's my boyfriend. He had been my boyfriend since we started high school.

"You know he's into that Charlotte chick." Zoe shrugged before looking over at Elliot again, the same glare this time. "Those chicks are checking you out."

Elliot ignored her and looked at me. With a somewhat concerned look. That was something I loved a lot about him. Elliot and I had been friends since middle school. Since his father was the CEO of one of the biggest companies in the entire state of Oregon, his parents and my parents worked along well.

And so, that was the exact reason why he easily got concerned for me. Not because of my parents choosing perfect lifestyle all the time. But because of how long we had been there for each other.

On the other hand, we had met Zoe in the start of freshman year of this high school. It had been a little hard to cope up with her hard exterior at first, but we had gone along well.

Now, we three were always there for each other.

"Ian loves me, Zoe. I don't know why you would say that." I murmured, looking away from Elliot's warm brown eyes. I was starting to feel a slight ache against my forehead. Which was bad. If I got a full-on headache today, it might just ruin the party tonight.

The perfect party that my mother had arranged all by herself. Perfect like everything else in my life. And mom would be really disappointed if my headache alone ruined it all.

"Does he?" I felt her give me a look at that. "Come on, Ava. That guy doesn't even give you the gooey look like those...girls are giving Elliot."

I didn't mistake the hint of disgust in her voice. Elliot rolled his eyes and took out his phone, not interested in this conversation anymore.

When

was

the

last

time

Ian

had

told

me

that

he

loved

me?

Now that I thought about it, I was left speechless. But this was just stupid. Thinking negative was just stupid.

You

couldn't

just

un-love

someone.

"He does. He loves me." I murmured, pushing back a strand of my red hair behind my ear. The same red hair that I had inherited from my mother. The same red hair which made me beautiful.

At least, that's

what

mom

said.

"Has your mom invited him to the party tonight?" Zoe asked.

I nodded in response.

Ian was the team captain of our school's soccer team. Not to forget that he was also the Head of the Student Council of our high school. Beacon Wood High.

"And is he coming?" She asked.

"Of course, Zoe." I glanced at her narrowed gaze.

Mom always did such parties at the start of spring every year. This was her way of making sure that all the family ties were still...intact. Not just family, but all their other clients too.

And since she's one of the best interior designers, she knew quite well how to arrange such parties.

"Oh well." I saw a smirk tugging on her lips as she looked away. "I heard Charlotte's invited too."

I stifled a groan and passed her a glare. Of course she was invited. Every rich family in this town was invited. Mom couldn't just not do that.

"Maybe, we'll finally find out Ian's true intentions tonight." Zoe spoke up in a thoughtful manner.

I looked down at my lunch tray.

Maybe

we

would.

ו•••×

"Mom didn't invite Grandma?" Will –my sixteen year old brother– asked as he barged inside my room.

"Ever heard of–"

"Nope." He cut me off before jumping on my bed. Right where my phone was.

I scrunched up my nose at him. "Can you not place your disgusting butt on my phone?"

He blinked before breaking into a sheepish grin and pulling out my phone from underneath him. I took it from him with a small frown.

"You didn't answer my question." He asked again as I scrolled through my messages.

"Will, when does Mom ever invite Grandma to such parties?" I asked him instead of answering.

We both knew the answer to that question. Mom, like always, wanted these parties to turn out perfect. Dad too. And Grandma wasn't much...perfect in their opinion.

Of course, I loved Grandma. She was probably the only person in my family who acted a little sane. Besides Will, of course. But Grandma's love for ancient mythology and legends slightly infuriated mom. Grandma believed in stuff which wasn't real. And mom didn't like that.

Nobody did.

But Will and I adored her.

Will shrugged and went over towards my desk, picking up a chocolate bar and opening it up. Which was actually supposed to be mine. The sunlight entering from the window made his reddish-blond hair look like fire.

"Grandma's cool." He mumbled in between his bites.

I frowned, a small thought clouding up my head. "Is there any way we could somehow skip this party?"

I knew how wrong it actually was to even voice out that question. If mom had somehow heard it, things wouldn't have gone well.

Will only responded with a loud sneeze.

"Geez–" He started but sneezed again.

"Why do you keep those things here, Ava?" He whined, pointing over towards my window seat. Where a collection of small potted plants were kept.

"I don't see a problem since this is my room?"

He just shook his head disappointedly.

"You do know you can keep them out in the garden, right?" He asked.

I knew that. But these plants were special. I wanted to take care of them. Not hand them over to the gardeners. They were beautiful. And they reminded me of how everyone needed to be cared for sometimes.

My plants were my babies.

"Anyways, so you were asking about skipping the party?" He asked with a sudden mischievous glint in his light brown eyes. Unlike him, I had dad's green eyes. Just like those green leaves sitting on my window seat.

"Yes, I was."

"We can skip it."

If

mom

heard

about

this–

I didn't even want to think about the disappointment on her face. Or dad's.

"How?" I asked him. A little nervously.

"Let the guests arrive. I'll give you the signal. We'll leave quietly from the back door. Take the car. Probably go to grandma's." He said with a shrug. "Easy."

I stared at him before narrowing my eyes.

"How are we supposed to do that without mom noticing us?" I asked. "Mom would kill us if we don't meet all the guests, Will."

Not to forget how one of the guests would be my boyfriend. And my best friends.

Will had the nerve to snicker at that.

"You are old, A. You can go through some scolding, can't you? And anyways, grandma would save us. She'd make something up to tell mom." He pointed out.

I sighed before shaking my head. Of course grandma would make up an excuse for us. But something just did not feel right about this plan.

"You make the worst plans, William."

He raised his brows at me, giving me the wise look. Something he loved to do even if he was the younger one. "But we both know how that's the only way."

If

I

had

known

what

this

plan

would

lead

us

into, I

would've

done

something. Anything

to

stop

ourselves

from

doing

it.