A Piece of Cake (ON HOLD)

Don't Hate the Player

 Gavin shoved his hands in his pockets as he walked through the brisk autumn wind on his way to school. When it got colder he would have to take the bus, but for now, it was a few easy blocks to walk. He'd survived his first week of Muffin Tops and it had been... interesting to say the least. On one hand, he had a lot of fun piping. And he was pretty good at it, too. It had come to him like painting with acrylics, and he had felt so calm and at peace doing it. Well, except for when Ava had yelled at him.

And the other hand. Ava. Gavin sighed to himself. Her advice had been helpful- Gavin knew she knew her stuff- but she was terrifying. Sure she had helped him, even encouraged him a bit to get better at piping. And Gavin was pretty sure she smiled at him last time. Then again, it might have been a grimace. He couldn't understand how someone so cute could be so angry.

Woah, Gavin thought. He blushed furiously as he shoved his hands deeper into his pockets and started walking faster. What was he thinking? He just met her, and he was 98% sure she hated him. Nope, all I want from Ava is friendship, Gavin thought. Or at least some form of mutal respect between the two of them.

After a few minutes, Gavin reached the school, checking his phone to realise classes didn't start for another 20 minutes. Gavin groaned and glanced around him to see if there were any familiar faces he could kill time with. The only people Gavin recongized were a girl from English class he borrowed a pen from and a guy from his Phys. Ed class that had recently demonstrated his talent to burp the alphabet. Okay, so the pickings were slim.

Luckily, Gavin saw someone talking to their friend on the bottom of the main stairs that lead into the school. It was that girl, Ellie, from Muffin Tops.

“Hey!” Gavin ran over to her. “Ellie! How's it going?” Her long braids swished behind her as the girl turned around to face him. Only it wasn't Ellie. Granted she looked an awful lot like Ellie, but Gavin definitely had the wrong person. And boy, did she let him know it.

“Who the hell are you?” The girl snapped, crossing her arms. “Why'd you think I was Ellie? What, do you think all black people look the same or something? Can't tell us all apart? I'm gonna mess you up, you little crack-”

“Shontelle, stop it!” The person the angry girl, Shontelle, had been talking to jumped up and rested a hand on Shontelle's shoulder. He realised now that this was Ellie. “He's my friend! It was a simple mistake! Besides as sisters, we're going to look a little alike!”

Shontelle calmed down a bit and grabbed Gavin's hand and shook it. “Sorry my little colourless brother. Take care of my baby sister for me!” She pulled Gavin into a tight embrace. While she hugged him, she stood on her toes and whispered ino his ear. “If you don't, I will bust you up.”Shontell broke the hug and gave a friendly finger wave goodbye before heading off to class.

Ellie smiled sheepishly. “I'm really sorry for my sister,” she said, “She takes everything was too personally. And she enjoys threats. Even though that's all they are-threats- she's gotten detention so many times.” Ellie shook her head and sighed. “Sometimes I wonder who's the older one.” Gavin laughed and nodded.

He extented his arm out to Ellie. “I'll walk you to class.”

“No thanks, “ Ellie said. “But I can take you. You are new after all.” She extended her arm and Gavin held onto it.

The two walked through the quiet, but soon to be bustling, hallways and Gavin talked a bit with Ellie.

“I haven't talked to you yet in Muffin Tops. You seem a little shy.”

Ellie nodded and held her head down.

“It's ok, I'm shy too sometimes.” He smiled until Ellie started to smile as well.

Gavin asked Ellie if it was ok to ask her a question. Ellie said it was, and Gavin got right to the point.

“Why does Ava hate me?” Gavin looked at Ellie, who without thinking, quickly responded.

“She hates everyone, a little I think.”

“No, it's like she has some special brand of hatred reserved especially for me.”

Ellie was quiet for a while. The two had reached Gavin's locker, because Ellie already had her books.

“I'm sure she doesn't,” Ellie said finally. “She just needs to get to know you is all. She likes M and M's. Not the ones with like nuts inside, just plain. And she hates Smarties.”

“Aren't Smarties and M and M's the same thing?”

“Not really. Or at least not to Ava. I think it will be fine. You just be nice to her, and she'll be nice to you.”

“Um... Yeah, sure.” The two resumed walking and made it to the door of Gavin's first class, and started saying goodbyes. In the back of Gavin's head he knew following Ellie's advice would be like trying to clean a tile floor with a toothbrush-it wouldn't work very well. He would go every extra mile to make Ava like him, suck up to her, follow her around, anything. Gavin reached his desk and plopped down in it. His eyes widened as he just remembered what class he was in. Math.

“Hey,” Ava nodded in Gavin's direction.

Gavin turned to her and tried to respond, but his breath caught in his throat. Ava looked stunning today. Her hair, usually in a ponytail or pulled back tightly, lay in loose waves down her back. She wore a light pink sweaterdress and white tights and had on minimal makeup. It was the lack of makeup that did Gavin in. Ava seemed like the type of girl who spent long periods of time in front of the mirror perfecting hair and makeup, and Ava's makeup, while never overdone, was always calculated, meticulous, and looked like it had taken her some time. Today, Ava's makeup was completely understated; it looked like there was none at all. Ava had a naturally beautiful face and looked far less intimidating today than she usually did.

Ava noticed Gavin's silence and smiled slyly. “What, not felling like you're usual, chippy, annoying as hell, self?”

“Uh..” Gavin swallowed. “It's just... You look really pretty.”

Ava's eyes widened in shock as her face turned beet red. “Well,” She exhaled sharply. “And you, my friend,” She began to open her notes on her desk. “You need a haircut.”

The two didn't talk for the rest of class, and by the end of the bell, Gavin stood up quickly, mortified that he had been so blunt with Ava. He rushed to the front of the room to escape when someone called him, causing him to pause.

“Hey!” Ava called after him. She rushed up to meet him at the door. “That was nice. T-Thanks.” Ava's face flushed red as she pushed past Gavin to leave the room.

Gavin felt a bit hot in the face, too. Walking out of class, he thought about it. Although long and tedious, a toothbrush could do an alright job scrubbing a floor.