Wrong Quarterback | ✓

2 | you, again

Rivalries exist everywhere, and the town of Acebridge is no exception.

Traditions are to be nurtured and in Acebridge that comes across in the decades-spun generations-long rivalry between Ace East-and Acebridge West High School.

    Which is only the beginning of why Avery's lips pull into a scowl the second her eyes set on Ethan Taylor sauntering into the offices of T.H Publishing on the Tuesday of her second week at her internship. He's got a four-cup holder in one of his hands, a brown paper bag in the other.

    What is he doing here? Running into him once is one thing. But twice? In a week? Just her luck.

    Sinking further down into her chair, she wills herself to become invisible considering he has yet to see her. How dare he infiltrate the space that's supposed to be hers this summer? She's in dreamland. And he's ruining it by his mere presence.

    Refocusing on the manuscript on the desk in front of her, pencil resting between her fingers as she turns the page, she hopes the screen of the computer is enough to conceal her. She'd rather not interact with Ethan Taylor today. Or any day.

Her head snaps back up as he calls out an echoing, "Mom?"

Anna comes round the corner from one of the two conference rooms a second later, hands adjusting the collar of her oversized white shirt before she pulls her dark hair up into a simple ponytail.

"Great you're here!"

    In horror, Avery watches the interaction between the two as the woman swiftly walks down the hall and crosses the offices to where Ethan's stood by the small kitchenette, the cup holder and bag now placed on the counter. The wheels turn in her head – Anna had asked for her Beans & Bagels order just twenty minutes prior, saying her son would pick it up for them.

    She hadn't thought much of it – figuring something in the likes of a preteen would appear in the offices with their food sooner or later but now she slaps a hand to her forehead, the realization dawning on her.

    Ethan Taylor, yuck, is Anna Harrison's son. Her boss's son. What are the fucking odds?

"I'm not your errand boy, you know," Ethan says, heaving himself up in a seat on the counter as he adjust the collar of his t-shirt. He grabs one of the cups and brings it to his lips. "Can't you have your intern do the coffee runs?"

"My intern is far too busy with actual work," Anna retorts, clicking her tongue with a waggle of her finger and as she mentions the girl she seems to recall Avery's presence, whirling on her sneaker clad feet to look her way. "Avery?"

Peering over the computer screen, Avery hopes the look on her face mirrors one of displacement – as if having been so engrossed in the manuscript that she hasn't even noticed the conversation taking place across the room.

"Huh?" She says, pretending not to see how Ethan's eyes flicker towards her.

Anna smiles, pointing to the beverages and paper bag. "Come eat."

"Oh. Hey Waters." Ethan says, as if he didn't just see her when turning his head over his shoulder, when she gets to her feet and steps away from her desk, smoothing out the fabric of her linen skirt.

    Rather reluctantly she walks towards the kitchenette and it's dark-green cupboards. "Hello Taylor."

"Fancy seeing you here."

Anna perks up, clapping her hands together. "You know one another? Great!" A flash of panic crosses her face then. "Oh god I forgot about Linda!" She rips the paper bag open, taking two paper wrapped bagels out and then grabs two cups, balancing the bagels upon them as she swiftly makes her way back towards the conference room before Avery even has the time to offer her help. And now she's left alone with Ethan Taylor. Great.