Against the Odds

Chapter 2

Ellie

He was lying on his back at the edge of the bleachers, an undeniable smirk plastered across his face. This boy seemed to make it his personal mission to one-up me at every turn, who never missed an opportunity to remind me about how he was superior to me in any and every sport we happened to compete in. Tonight, his gaze was a cocktail of contempt and amusement.

I tried to shake off the chill his presence brought. My friends pulled me into the center of their victory circle, and I forced myself to focus on their congratulatory shouts, their laughter, and their proud faces. I mean, we had just pulled off an incredible win, and it was our moment. But Noah's smirk was a dark cloud casting a shadow over the sunshine of my success.

"Ellie, you were amazing girl!" Mia, my best friends, exclaimed. "That last shot was epic!"

"Yeah, I don't think anyone expected you to make it!" Janelle chimed with her eyes sparkling with admiration.

I could raise a smile, even while my eyes seemed to drift back to Noah, now striding out onto the court with an easy, confidence-swinging swagger that set my teeth on edge. His presence was enough to shatter the euphoria I was trying so hard to cling to.

"Ellie, hey," a voice behind me said. It was Coach Thompson, beaming with pride. "That was a phenomenal game out there. You've earned yourself a lot of respect tonight."

"Thanks, Coach," I said, forcing myself to look him in the eye. "I just—"

My words were cut off as Noah strolled up, his smirk still there, accentuated. "Well, well, well, if this isn't the star of the night. You must be feeling pretty good about yourself, huh?"

I turned to face him, my eyes narrowing at him. "What are you doing here, Noah?"

"Just came to see what the competition's up to," he said, his tone oozing in condescension. "I must say, I didn't expect you to be the one to sink the final shot. You're full of surprises."

The way he said it made my skin crawl. He was always so quick to undermine my achievements, belittle my hard work. I felt the frustration rising inside of me, boiling over, but I drew in a deep breath, reminding myself that I earned this and wasn't going to let him ruin it.

"Well, I guess you'll have to get used to surprises," I shot back. "This is just the beginning."

Noah's smirk faltered for a second before he regained his cool. "I'm sure it is. Enjoy the limelight for the time being, Ellie. The real challenge is yet to come around."

He had turned his back on me and started walking away before I could even reply, which left me in a fuming state. There I stood, watching him go, feeling the weight of what he had said. He always seemed to have that effect on me. God, I fucking hate this human being!

Mia, ever perceptive, noticed my distraction. "Hey, you okay?

"Yeah, just dealing with a sore loser," I said, trying to sound casual. "But let's not let that ruin our night. What's the plan?"

Mia's eyes lit up with mischief. "The boys are having a party tonight. We should totally go!"

I raised an eyebrow. "Mia, you know I hate parties. Sweat everywhere, people dancing and making out, rubbing it in your face—it's not my scene."

Mia pouted, giving me her best puppy-dog eyes. "Come on, Ellie. Do it for me, please?"

I sighed, knowing I was already losing this battle. "Okay, okay. I'll go."

Mia's face brightened with a triumphant smile. "Yay! Thanks, girl. I love you!"

"I know you do," I replied with a small smile, even as my thoughts lingered on Noah.

The gym was slowly emptying out, and the farther the crowd thinned, the more it seemed Noah's smirk and taunts were just the beginning. But for now, I was going to enjoy this win with my friends. Tonight was supposed to be about celebrating our hard-earned win, and I wasn't going to let anything—or anyone—take that away from me.

After the game, I went home with Mia, and we were very elated about the win and going out to the party. Clearly, Mia was so excited to celebrate, which really helped keep my mind off the lingering irritation I still felt from Noah being around.

"Okay, I'm going to get changed."

"Will do!" Mia called back, already eating my snack.

Feeling quite sweaty after the game, I wanted to ease my mind as well. A good shower to wash away all that sweat and tension from the game was enjoyed in the bathroom. I freaking love showers. My head started to clear in the hot water, and then I took a moment. Even with the rush of adrenaline from the game, I knew that I had to turn it down before I got on the party scene.

When I came out of the shower, Mia was lying on the couch, flicking through my wardrobe. She turned to face me as I walked into the room, her eyes shining with anticipation. "So what's the plan for the party outfit?"

I looked at her and chuckled. "You're in charge of that. Just don't make me look like a clown."

Mia's eyes lit up. "Don't worry, I have just the thing!

She pawed at my closet, eventually producing a fitted black top with a deep V-neck and some high-waisted jeans that drew in at the waist. "This should be perfect. Classic, yet really cute."

I took the clothes from her and began to get dressed. "I am not fucking wearing that!"
"You're going to look gorgeous, girl. Trust me," Mia said confidently. She started gathering accessories: silver hoop earrings, a thin chain necklace, and a pair of ankle boots.

I slipped into the outfit and stood in front of the mirror, looking at the appearance. I look like a hooker. Mia handed me a brush and started working on my hair. "Let's go for something easy but classy. Loose waves, maybe?"

I nodded, and she got to work. As she worked on my hair, we just kept chatting. She was so cheerful that it sort of dissipated the lingering unease I had about this night. She was so positive with her conversation, distracting me from Noah and his really annoying smirk.

Once my hair was done and I had applied a bit of makeup, just enough to enhance my features without overdoing it, Mia declared, "You're all set! Now let's get out of here and show them how it's done."

Just then, just as we were finishing up, Jackson busted into my room, as he customarily did. "Hey, Ellie, you done with all that makeup stuff? I'm trying to watch the game, but it's kind of hard to hear over whatever that noise is.".

My mood subtly shifted. Jackson always seemed to be one for poor timing. "Jackson, could you not? I'm getting ready to go out, and I'd sort of appreciate it if you could give me a little space.".

Jackson rolled his eyes, stepping further into the room and looking around with obvious disinterest. "Oh, right. The big party. How's that going to go, anyway? Are you even going to have fun, or are you just going to be the designated driver again?"

"Not everything is about you," I snapped, trying to keep my voice steady. "I'm just trying to enjoy myself for once."

" Go fuck yourself!"

Before I could say anything, Mia stepped in. "Jackson, we're about to leave, so could you give us a break? It's a party, not the end of the world."

We both laughed, and Mia grabbed her clutch and my jacket as we headed out the door. The night was warm and clear, a perfect evening for a party.

The drive to the party was awash with laughter and music because Mia's playlist really set the tone for the evening. As we turned the corner onto the street with the party house, cars were pointed in every direction down the length of the road, which was a clear indication of what the night was going to be like.

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Hope you guys enjoyed the second chapter!