Wicked Heart Beat - A Listen To Your Heart Book

Risks

Audrey marched out of the cafeteria as quickly as she could, Jay at her heels.

"Yo! Audrey slow down!" Jay said, grabbing her arm to stop her. Audrey turned around and started pacing.

"What are we gonna do?" She said panicking. "This can not go on like this. There's literally only a few weeks of school left and I don't know about you but I really don't want to spend my summer with all this tension."

"How do you think I feel?" Jay said exasperated. "My girlfriend won't even look at me! My best friends, almost sisters, are in a major fight over some guy. Carlos, literally like a little bro to me is heartbroken, and to top it all off the only person I can actually talk to about any of this is my sworn enemy!"

"Gee thanks," Audrey said sarcastically. "Glad to be your shoulder to cry on. Too bad we're sworn enemies."

Jay rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean. You hate me." He sat down on a bench.

Audrey paused a moment. "I don't." She whispered.

"What?"

"I don't hate you," she said, sitting down as far away from him on the bench.

"You don't?" Jay asked, genuinely surprised.

"I used to, don't get me wrong,"Audrey chuckled, earning a laugh out of Jay. "I hated the idea of having VKs at Auradon. And you all didn't make a great first impression. But not everyone at Auradon is a saint either."

"So to clarify," Jay said. "You don't hate me?"

"No," Audrey giggled. "Obviously Mal, Evie and I have become closer. Carlos is adorable and you've become more... tolerable."

Jay rolled his eyes and chuckled. "Tolerable? That's the best you got?"

"Maybe?" Audrey teased. The both burst into laughter. When they stopped they stared at each other, just realizing how close they've gotten.

"So.." Jay said clearing his throat. "Can we be..friends? Maybe?" He stood out his hand.

"Totally," Audrey smiled. She went to shake his hand in a truce but immediately pulled away.

"You okay?" Jay asked.

"Um yeah," Audrey said. "I just remembered that I have something to do! Bye!"

Audrey literally ran away as fast as she could and turned the corner, hiding in an open classroom. Jay sat, bewildered at Audrey's strange behavior. He looked down at his hand that Audrey shook. He furrowed his brow. Why was it tingling?
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"Who are you hiding from?" Someone whispered directly into Audrey's ear. She jumped and let out a startled shriek. She turned around to face a sheepish Doug. "Sorry," he apologized.

"Oh Doug, it's just you," Audrey said, clutching her chest. She took a moment to compose herself. "You almost gave me a heart attack."

"Again, sorry," he said. Audrey realized they were in the chem lab. Doug hopped onto one of the tables. "So who are you hiding from?" He smirked.

Audrey blushed. "And what makes you think I'm hiding from someone?"

Doug chuckled. "Because you literally ran in here as if a mad maniac is out to murder you."

Audrey only stared. Doug's smile stopped. "Are you being chased by a mad maniac out to murder you?!" Doug grabbed Audrey and pulled her away door, and closed the blinds to the door's window, double checking to see that no one was there.

"No," Audrey sighed. "The only mad maniac is me."

"And why is that?"

"I don't know whether I'm the problem anymore!"

"Oh," Doug said. "You're hiding from Jay."

"What!" Audrey blushed. "What- how- no!"

Doug smiled. "Aha."

"Why would I be hiding from Jay?" Audrey replied indignantly.

Doug shook his head, laughing. "Audrey it doesn't take a genius to figure that out. I've heard the rumors. I've observed things. And I've known you since preschool. You like Jay."

"Doug I know you think you're some kind of genius-"

"Well I've been tested-"

"-but I need you to know that you're wrong about this one!" Audrey finished.

"I'm never wrong," Doug said matter of factly.

"Well you are now," Audrey sighed, sitting next to him. "Jay and I are just friends."

"Sounds like you're trying to convince yourself more than me," Doug smirked.

Audrey blushed and shoved him. "Don't you have your own problems."

Doug frowned. "Don't remind me."

"Look, I talked to Evie," Audrey said. "She so upset. She told me that she didn't even initiate the kiss. And she wanted to tell you and Mal but Ben thought otherwise. Can't Believe Ben would do that though."

"Evie really said that?" Doug asked.

"Yeah, I think you should go talk to her."

Doug smiled, hopping off the table. "You're right. Avoiding each other will not solve anything."

Audrey rolled her eyes. "That was directed at me, wasn't it?"

Doug paused at the door." You know it!" Doug smirked and ran out of the room.

Audrey sat on the desk and thought about Doug's words until her thoughts were interrupted by the bell, signaling first period was about to start.

"Maybe I should stop trying to avoid my problems," Audrey muttered, grabbing her stuff. She saw Crystal walking to homeroom.
"Well it's now or never," she said walking out of the classroom.