IMAGINES ▹ ROSS BUTLER

↳ like no other

( LIKE NO OTHER )
by anaboo96

The constant pounding of bass from the stereo was starting to become too much for you. The headache that you had was getting worse as you felt the blood pulsating against your temple. You weren't one for parties like the average Liberty High student. Drinking alcohol was like drinking fire and watching others drink it until they became helpless was like babysitting a child. Your friend Sheri Holland pleaded with you to come with her and you were starting to regret the decision as you lost her in the sea of students within fifteen minutes of your arrival.

You made yourself comfortable on a piano bench, aimlessly hitting a key on the piano to preoccupy yourself. All you wanted to do was go home and sleep.

"What song are you playing?" a baritone voice broke you out of your trance. You turned to its owner to see the tall, raven-haired jock, Zach Dempsey. He was the star of the basketball team and could get any girl that he wanted with just a look, yet he was talking to you. Something wasn't right and you could feel it.

"Oh, nothing," you forced a chuckle, but kept your smile, "Just trying to fight boredom,"

"Then you're doing the party thing all wrong," Zach leaned in closer to you after taking a pull of his beer. "Maybe, if you hung out with me you'd have more fun,"

You had to admit, Zach Dempsey was smooth, but you weren't falling for his charm that easily. "Eh, I don't know I have some stuff to get done at home," you rose from your seat prepared to leave when something caught your eye. Over in the kitchen, you saw a group of Zach's friends, Bryce Walker, Montgomery de la Cruz, and Marcus Cole stealing glances and snickering at what you could assume was your exchange with Zach. You knew Zach coming to talk to you was too good to be true and you couldn't have been more furious.

"Oh come on, it's a party, relax for a bit," Zach reached for your hand as he still tried to win you over. Unbeknownst to him you had put two and two together.

"I think I'm going to head out," You maintained a calm demeanor before snatching your hand from his. "I'll see you around," your words were cold before you strutted out the door leaving Zach confused and disappointed.

Zach walked over to his group of friends with his head hung low. It didn't help that they were mocking him, adding salt to his already fresh wounds.

"Aw, what's wrong Big Z?" started Monty, "Couldn't get the girl?"

"Dude, I told you," Marcus nudged the tall jock to gain his attention, "She doesn't fall for jocks. A total waste of your time,"

All Zach could do was shake his head and take a long pull of his beer. It wasn't like him to drop the ball on picking up girls. He was Zachary Dempsey, star of the basketball team. All he had to do was say hi and girls were begging him to be his girlfriend, except for you. To the guys, you were a challenge. A bet that if they could hook up with you, he would earn bragging rights for the rest of the year. However, it was different for Zach. He wasn't in it for the money, but he saw it as his chance to ask you out on a date, but he blew it somehow.

"I don't know," Bryce chimed in, "Maybe she's a good lay with all that built up tension," Everybody laughed except Zach, who forced a smile. Bryce hooked his arm around Zach's neck to get his undivided attention. "Look, man. I know this girl is different from all the other girls in this school and might be worth the challenge, but I'm starting to feel sorry about taking 25 dollars away from you,"

"Woah!" Zach ducked underneath Bryce's arm to get out of his hold, "The bet's not over yet. Give me until Valentine's Day and you'll see," Zach said, voice full of hope.