Tangled Hearts

Chapter Six: Rumors and Realities

JT sat on the bleachers outside his dorm, unwinding after a long basketball session. The cool afternoon air felt good against his skin, and he was just about ready to head back inside when he heard a familiar voice.

"JT! Hey, what are you doing here?" Brianna called out with excitement as she approached him.

"Well I dorm here," he replied, still surprised from seeing her.

"Oh, wow. I didn't know that." She tilted her head, inching closer to him as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"So, what are you doing here on a Saturday?" JT asked.

"The cheer team had a meeting today."

"Whole team?" he questioned, mainly for the conversation's sake.

"Yeah." Brianna stepped closer, casually testing his reaction. "So, if you're not busy today, maybe we could hang out again? I mean, your dorm is right here."

JT wasn't interested in hanging out again, he knew what would go down and it would be leading her on. It took a lot for him to really like someone. He wasn't about to get involved with someone he barely knew, especially not someone who seemed so easy when it came to sex. Still, he didn't want to be rude.

"Sorry, I have plans today," he said, giving her a polite, but firm smile.

"Ugh, maybe another time, then." She leaned in for a quick hug before heading off, leaving him with a sigh of relief as he gathered his things and walked back towards the dorm.

⸻

Ashley sat at Alana's vanity, rummaging through her assortment of face masks, deciding on which to try.

"How about this one?" she asked, holding up a green clay mask she'd finally chosen.

"Good choice. I use that one all the time." Alana said.

Their hangouts were always spontaneous, usually involving random activities. They never needed a solid plan, just being in each other's presence was enough.

"Oh! The Hawks are throwing a party tonight," Alana suddenly exclaimed, looking at a notification that popped up on her phone.

"We are?" Ashley raised an eyebrow, walking over to see the message for herself. Apparently, some of the football players were hosting one.

"So... are we going?" Alana asked, raising her eyebrows.

Ashley sighed, thinking to herself. "I'd have to go home and get ready. That's too much."

"Girl, you don't have to go home. Just go through my closet." Alana encouraged. "Come on, it'll be fun!"

"Fine, I suppose we can go," Ashley finally agreed, getting up to search Alana's closet for something to wear.

As she browsed through the options, her phone buzzed. It was a message from JT, asking if she was going to the party. She quickly replied that she was and then focused back on the clothes. She settled on a cropped tee and a skirt that she paired with her own jacket and shoes. Ashley went to get dressed in the bathroom, emerging a few minutes later, and doing a little spin.

"How do I look?" she asked with a smile.

"Hot," Alana said, nodding in approval.

Ashley reapplied her lip gloss, grabbed her purse, and the two of them headed out in Ashley's car. The party was already becoming packed by the time they arrived. Ashley held Alana's hand as they walked through the crowd.

One of the girls, Jade, from the cheer team greeted them as they walked in, offering drinks. Ashley declined, but Alana happily accepted, giving Ashley a little shrug.

Leaning against the kitchen counter, Ashley took in the party scene, feeling a bit bored. She wasn't one for big parties with nothing going on. But soon enough, she spotted JT making his way toward her, holding a drink in his hand.

"Hey, Ash," he greeted her with a smile, checking out her outfit. "You look good."

She smiled back. "You don't look too bad yourself."

Meanwhile, Brianna stood in a corner, watching the two of them with an intensity she couldn't hide. The sight of JT and Ashley talking so comfortably stirred something in her, but she held back, at least for now. She couldn't tell what it was about him that intrigued her but she wanted him all to herself. Every smile or laugh that came from the both of them, irritated her.

Eventually, Ashley and JT drifted apart as more people joined their conversation, and Brianna seized her moment, starting to walk towards JT. Just as she was about to approach him, another girl beat her to it.

"You're the new football player, right?" the girl asked, batting her eyelashes.

"Yeah, that's me," he replied, glancing at her curiously. "Sorry, who are you?"

"Oh, no one special," she laughed, introducing herself. "I'm Zoey."

Brianna's jaw clenched as she watched them talk, aggravating her more and more as time passed. The two of them eventually made their way upstairs, and Brianna felt her face flush with anger. After watching them disappear, she took a deep breath and went outside, trying to calm herself down.

But it didn't work. She couldn't stop imagining the worst. There was no reason anyone would go upstairs at a party just to talk, right? After a few minutes, she made up her mind, walked back inside, and headed up the stairs, pretending she was looking for the bathroom.

She pressed her ear to each closed door, trying to hear over the music. Finally, from one door, she heard faint sounds. It sounded exactly like what she expected, moaning noises.

"He's such a whore," she mumbled under her breath. Brianna stormed back downstairs, anger radiating off of her.

Without a second thought, Brianna rushed right over to Ashley, aiming to give her a piece of her mind. "He's never going to pick you. Just because you two had sex, it doesn't mean anything," she said, speaking loudly enough to attract attention.

Ashley blinked in surprise, taken aback. "What?"

"Is she talking about JT?" Alana asked, wide-eyed.

Ashley shook her head, baffled. "I mean, she has to be..."

"Wait... you two didn't, you know?" Alana's eyes squinted, turning to her friend.

"No!" Ashley exclaimed, horrified. She was shocked she even asked her that.

Ashley was embarrassed, it's not like Brianna was speaking quietly. The last thing Ashley wanted was for people to think she got down like that. At that point, she was completely over it.

The two of them left together, and once they got to Alana's place, she tried to distract herself. The night had taken an unexpected turn, but at least she was away from that entire situation now.