Induction

Chapter 38: A Complete Misunderstanding

The girls squealed with delight over the phone and quickly hung up so they could get ready to leave when Jared came to pick them up. Since she only had ten minutes, and she still had to walk the block over to Justine's house, Ava settled on wearing a long-sleeved white shirt with the school logo on it and her worn-out skinny jeans. She didn't go to many sporting activities or school events in general, so she figured it'd be appropriate to try to fit in with the rest of the crowd.

It didn't take long for her to rush to the Giuliani house, but she was winded by the time she walked up the front steps. She was sorely missing her bike right now, but the front rim was still severely bent from the fall she took last week. Just the thought of her damaged bike reminded her of Gabriel. It would be impossible to not see him tonight since he was one of the star players on the football team. Still, she planned to avoid him.

Her feelings were starting to get messy, and she didn't want a guy like him to distract her. She had her good grades and her good reputation to uphold. Any involvement with Gabriel Giuliani would surely spell trouble. She hadn't missed the recent rumors involving that skank he had over the other day. All of the girls at school were hounding him more so now, if that were even possible.

Apparently, he was very skilled in the bedroom and did not disappoint—not that Ava would know anything about that. What she did know about the rumors was that he was indeed well-equipped. A blush was already creeping up her neck when she thought about that time she caught him coming out of the shower with a thin, damp towel slung low on his hips.  Even with his bulge covered-up, his size was still quite noticeable. Fuck.Snap out of it!

Ava pulled herself together and got her mind out of the gutter just as Justine flung the door wide open. Her friend had the most vibrant shit-eating grin on her face. Oh, what it would feel like to be truly happy. Seeing Justine this cheerful, also made her feel glad that she was able to bring two of her only friends together.

"Ava! My bestest friend in the whole entire world! I love you so much!" Justine threw her arms around Ava and gave her a tight hug. Justine was literally bouncing off the walls. She couldn't keep still with the excitement of finally being able to be with Jared as his girlfriend.

"Love you too, crazy woman." Ava managed to breathe out as Justine loosened her hold.

"Sorry! I'm just excited."

"No shit. I'm happy for you though. I swear...Jared couldn't stop talking about you either. He's completely smitten by you. And how do you manage to always look so gorgeous? I look like utter shit compared to you." Ava glanced down at what she was wearing versus the outfit that Justine had on. Her friend was in a cotton tank maxi dress in school colors and a chunky necklace to match.

"What-evs, Ava. You look fine. You have that natural 'I-don't give-a-shit-but-I'm-still-cute' look. Most decent guys prefer that. The sluts in their tight, short dresses can have all of the dirtbags, but you deserve better. Trust me, I know for certain that guys like you just the way you are." Justine wasn't going to mention that one of those guys was her stubborn-ass brother.

"You're just saying that to be nice. I know I'm average and boring, but thanks anyways." Ava wasn't fooling herself. She dressed like a tom-boy most days despite her recent efforts at looking more girly. Comfort was her style of choice, and she couldn't care less if she made an impression or not. She had gradually reverted back to her old style—worn jeans and band tees.