Catch Me [Teen Romance]

11

We were waiting a good twenty minutes in Ryan's driveway for my mum to come and pick us up. She was quite pleasantly alarmed on the phone, mainly due to the fact that it was only 11pm and I'd told her that I probably wouldn't want picking up till about 1am.

She stopped at the end of the driveway, winding the window down, shouting at us to hurry up.

"Guys, don't be saying anything to my mum" I pleaded. The last thing I wanted was for her to take this keep Ava out of danger routine any further.

I stopped dead still in my tracks and repeated those words in my head again keep Ava out of danger. It all made sense now, I thought back to the words the psychic had told my mother - "Ava will be in grave danger" and I then thought back, to just minutes ago, in the bathroom with Ethan, those words he had been repeating and repeating over and over again "I am dangerous Ava. Really dangerous" and everything fitted into place. This was the warning Madame Rose had been talking about, Ethan was right to try and keep me away from him. He was the danger. He was the undeniable, irresistible, yet completely unavoidable danger in my life, and it was now my sole duty to stay clear of him, and even though I detested him at the minute, I knew deep down that the last thing I ever wanted to do, was avoid him.

"Ava" I heard several voices shouting me, I hadn't realised I'd been stood still in the driveway for this long; Ebony and Grace were already sat in the car, buckled up ready to go.

I sprinted towards them.

"Sorry, I had a stone in my shoe"

"Are you drunk Ava?" My mum quizzed.

"No she's not Kath, just er..." Ebony began so I shot a knowing look at her "just annoyed"

"Annoyed at what?"

"That I stole the front seat of the car" She laughed, flicking my cheek as I climbed into the back seat with Grace.

"So Grace, Ebony - do you two want to stop at our house tonight? Only, I'm running low on petrol and haven't got enough to take you both home... I can call at the gas station in the morning and drop you off though?"

Grace and Ebony looked at each other, then me and grinned from ear to ear.

"Sure, sounds good to us" Grace smiled.

I groaned. Knowing full well I was going to get a grilling tonight.

"But mum, they don't have their toothbrushes, pyjamas etcetera"

"Well they can lend some of yours, and we have spare toothbrushes, Jesus Ava, don't be rude"

"Yeah Ave, don't be rude" Grace nudged me, raising her eyebrows, then leaning in closer to me she mouthed "every single detail"

Great, I had exactly ten minutes of the journey left to think of the best cover up story I possibly could that would amount to the actual truth.

The car journey was surprisingly silent after that, I think my mum realised something was up, but she never liked to ask. I was mostly staring awkwardly out of the window while Grace and Ebony kept exchanging alarmed glances. There was so much running through my mind - what was I going to tell them? - That Ethan does hate me after all, fail. Or maybe that he was talking about the wrong girl and I got the wrong end of the stick - also fail. Or how about, hey, Ethan told me he's a murderer. Fai...in fact, they'd think that that was the lie. I really didn't have a clue what I was going to say, and the moment where I would feed them my lies would be fast approaching, I mean sure, it would be so much easier to tell the truth, but despite how angry I felt towards him - I could never tell his secret, it felt like I was indebted to him even though I had every right to spill.

"So come on Ava, what the hell has been going on?" Ebony cried when we all got settled into bed and switched out the lights.

"Um..." I started

"Ava, don't lie or spin the story, just tell us please"

I panicked. "Well after Grace heard him saying that to Carl" - I gulped, still having no idea what to say or where this web of lies was about to begin "I guess I was kinda pissed off at him, you know, didn't help being drunk either - so yeah, everyone was crowding me and I just needed a bit of space, so I went to the bathroom to be alone but he followed me and demanded to come in and talk. I didn't let him at first, but then Oli sort of convinced me to hear him out, so I let him in, and he kept apologising and stuff and said that he never meant for me to hear it"

"Yeah but that's not it right?" Ebony said confused "Because he does like you, right?"

"Well he said he does yeah, but he told Carl he didn't like me because he didn't want Carl to be fussing over it and making him feel awkward and embarrassed and stuff... so yeah I guess that's it" I said concluding in one quick breath, hoping to God that they'd take it all in and believe me and let me get on with life, but I knew my friends too well, and they weren't about to let it...

"Liar, there's something you aren't telling us" Grace piped up "If that's the case you'd have forgiven Ethan and we'd still be at the party, so what is it?"

I sighed; I really didn't know how I was going to get out of that one.

"OK, I didn't wanna tell you this because it's really embarrassing and I'd be gutted if anyone found out but uh, after that he err..." Oh god why was I about to do this to myself, to protect Ethan of all people!? "he said how sorry he was and that he really did like me and stuff, and I dunno how it happened, it was just the way he was saying it, and how he was getting closer, and I... well I sort of kissed him"

"Oh my God" they both squealed ludicrously, I had to cut them off before the gossip was all round school...

"BUT he pushed me away, honestly the way he looked at me, it made me feel sick" their squeals turned to gasps in a matter of seconds, but it had to be said, it was about the only thing they'd believe "he looked at me in disgust like I was possessed or something"

"W...what, why?"

"He said we could never be like that. Because I'd never be enough for him" I felt my bottom lip tremble a bit as I said the last word, it was weird how I was sort of beginning to believe my own lies, but maybe that's because they weren't completely untrue. In my eyes, I would still never be enough for him, regardless of whatever murky secrets lay in his past.

There was an eerie silence for a few moments and Grace whispered "I'm sorry Ava"

"Why?"

"It's my fault. I told you. I should have kept my stupid fat nose out of it"

"Don't blame yourself at all Gee, it would have got back to me anyway, and honestly I'm glad I know now"

"I'm sorry too Ave" Ebony joined in "I haven't done anything I mean, but I'm sorry for how it all worked out. He sounds like an arrogant S.O.B anyway babes, you're probably better off without him"

"Yeah maybe you're right" I sighed but in my head all I could think was"If only you knew the truth".