Sneakers over heels #Wattys2021

Chapter sixteen

As we enter the school building and make way to our lockers, Ava's fingers grasped mine and twirled them in between my fingers. I look down at our hands and then back straight. I didn't mind it. Ava occasionally does something possessive like this.
 
But why now?
 
She usually acts this way when there is a potential best friend thief on the radar. That's what Ava calls anyone who tries talking to me. Looking around I find no one paying us the least bit of attention.
 
"Hey, can we walk with our hands intertwined?"
 
"I'm sorry but I'm not lesbian," I reply in a heartbeat. She scoffs.
 
"Yeah, I prefer rock abs and a handsome face as well." I quirk a brow at her. "It's just that you've been so occupied with basketball lately I've barely seen you, Judy." She finishes and this makes me feel bad all at once. Because of the continuous games, I've been put into, I barely had time to myself let alone to spend quality time with my best friend.
 
Ava understood me though. She wasn't complaining. Ava never complains. She was just sharing what she felt straightforwardly without keeping it to herself.
 
"Once the summer league is done I'm all yours," I say and she grins at me. Sometimes we really do look like some old couple. I laugh and she joins in.
 
"Oh and hey Judy? Could you please do me a favor?" She asks in-between her light chuckles.

Ah so that's why she laced her fingers with mine.  She wants something!
 
"What that's?"
 
"Mom was super against this when I brought it up but you're the only one I can ask this from," Ava drawls and this perks my interest.
 
"What crazy plans have you come up with now?"
 
"Well, my parents and I will be visiting my grandparents in Texas on the weekend. Would you mind checking up on Travis occasionally? I mean, I know he can pretty much take care of himself but please?"
 
"But doesn't Travis love his grandparents? How come he's not going?"
 
"How do you know that?" She asks with a teasing tone in her voice and I would have slapped her if we weren't in a busy hallway.
 
"On one of the many times you ditched me and had him accompany me, he told me his grandparents were his favorite."
 
"Oh" and her twinkling eyes lost its stupid excited shine.
 
Goodness, this girl.
 
"A letter came from college asking if Travis was dropping out because of his lack of presence in college and my parents forbid him from going anywhere until he comes with a solid answer." She sighs as if she was sick of the drama that's going on at home.
 
"Wow. Your parents forbid him? Girl, isn't he an adult? Travis can't take his own decisions?" This was making me mad. This is exactly what Travis had told me when we met for coffee the last time. That his choices were not welcomed.
 
"That's how things are done in the Heatherfield household I guess,” Ava says with a sad chuckle.
 
Those parents are simply crazy. I'm still a minor and my dad still allows me to make my own choices and decisions.
 
We walk in silence for a couple of steps and Ava doesn't pester me. I let out a loud sigh taking her by surprise.
 
"He'll call me when he's bored."
 
Yeah, I shouldn't have said that. Fucking big mistake of my life. Looking at Ava I find her eyes twinkling once more.
 
"If you do not stop with that annoying look, I'm going to scratch your eyes out," I say with a low tone and she turns away with a flinch.
 
Ava knows better than anyone that I don't joke with these kinds of stuff. Why? Cause back in third grade she had teased me about some boy whose existence I wasn't even aware of and I scratched her face like a crazy cat.
 
Some guy had asked for a pencil from me and Ava ended up making plans for a wedding dress. She even asked the kids who’d like to be the ring bearer. 
 
I mean, what the fuck? Who wants a boyfriend when you are supposed to be playing ball at that age and grade!? We’re fucking third graders!
 
Ava's fetish for boyfriends runs deeper than blood.

"By the way, where have you been lately? I barely see you these days." I ask and this time Ava slumps with a sigh. I quirk a brow wondering what's gotten her feeling so tired.
 
"Detention."
 
Woah.
 
"Why?"
 
"I've been slacking off in all subjects and so I've detention every afternoon after classes are done for the day." She whines.
 
Ava was a brainiac when it came to science, but the other subjects? Not her cup of tea.
 
I turn the other way and try to keep myself from barking out laughing. Sorry folks. I'm a horrible best friend. I know.
 
"It's so tiring hearing that stupid teacher complain on why the best friend of the class topper is an idiot."
 
Now that ticked me off.
 
I grab a hold of Ava's arm and march forth. "Woah, Judy?' she stares at me alarmed.
 
"How dare that woman say such s thing? I'm going to pick a fight!"
 
The lady was literally trying to separate us with such crude words.
 
"You are the only one I've got!" I didn't mean to yell but I was afraid of losing her. Ever.
 
Being alone has never bothered me. But without Ava, I’d truly be lost.
 
Ava doesn't laugh. No, she never does when I say this. Instead, she gives me a warm smile and a pat on my hand.
 
"Now how about we stop, since people are starting to question our sanity and sexuality?" She states with a chuckle.
 
I groan as I pull away from her and storm off. With a laugh, she skips to me and I'm left to wonder just what all those boys saw in this moron.
 
"Oh hey, look who's coming our way," But before she could say anything more I raise my hand and wave at the said person while calling out to him.
 
"Hey, James."
 
James was indulged in a book but when he heard me he quickly raised his head. With a smile revealing dimples he walks towards us.
 
Ava must have seen angels dancing behind me since this is the first time I'm calling out to James rather than running away from him.
 
She pretends to wipe tears away and I roll my eyes at her for being overly dramatic.
 
"Hey, Judy." James stops in front of us and gives me another smile. Ava being the annoying Cupid she is, grins wide as she bats her eyelashes idiotically.
 
"Now then, what do we have here?"
 
James must have guessed what weird fantasies were running through her mind and he chuckles.
 
"Sorry to burst the bubble but Judy said we're going to be just friends."
 
Ouch.
 
Ava's grin drops and morphs into utter shock as her eyes go wide as saucers. She stares at me as if she wanted to bury me alive. She then pats James on the shoulder as if comforting him while she rubs her eyes sighing.
 
"I'm sorry you had to fall for such an uncool person James."
 
You want to fucking die Ava? Do you?
 
James takes it as a joke and laughs making my foul mood even sourer. "There's nothing uncool in her Avangeline."
 
"You are such a good soul!" Ava exclaims gripping the dude’s shoulder with so much passion.
 
Why am I even friends with this retard?
 
I'm so jealous she can reach to his shoulder while I'd definitely look like a monkey hanging onto a pole. 
 
James was one of the tallest guys in the men's basketball team, almost reaching 6'1. 
 
"So what class are you having first?" James asks me ignoring my friend who was still pretending to be in tears.
 
Someone please do me a favor and lock this woman somewhere!
 
"I'm having AP Algebra and Statistics." I say and James whistles. Not many take AP classes for Statistics but it's one of my favorites. And that's when I remember something.
 
Fuck.
 
I want to turn back and run home and hide inside the closet.
 
"Um, Judy? Why do you look so troubled?" James asks when he sees my face morph into fear.
 
"I flunked a test." I can't believe such words were coming out of my mouth but it's the truth.
 
"WHAT!?" Ava's yell made every single eye turn to us.
 
"Ava shut up!" I say gritting my teeth together in annoyance.
 
"No no no. I must have heard wrong. I thought I heard you saying you flunked a test." It was more like she was reconfirming with herself.
 
"Uh, Ava? I did." I repeat.
 
"But how is that possible!?" She was being overly dramatic now as she wails and flings her hands on my arms.
 
"I'm human too."
 
"No you are not!" Excuse me? "I gave up the thought of you being human ever since you started getting
perfect grades since junior high."
 
I have a strong urge to slap her. A hand grabs mine and I find James chuckling. I raise a brow demanding who gave him the right to touch me.
 
"I'm stopping you from doing something regretful." was what he said.
 
Amazing. He understands me so well. Not that I'll regret slapping this buffoon.
 
I'm already having a headache with the dreaded thought of flunking a test and my best friend behaving like a hooligan and it gets worse with two pyschos.
 
They giggle like fools as if they were seeing something funny at a circus.
 
"God she's so obvious it's pitiful." One says while giggling at her sidekick.
 
"I know. She looks like a kid being held by her older brother. She's so tiny I barely saw her."
 
Oh, so that's what this is all about. James had his hand on mine and these bimbos just had to make me feel annoyed. The rumor of James's crush on me was circulating around the school but somehow it quickly turned to me being desperate to get James's attention.
 
Puh-lease.
 
They continue giggling as they walk past and I clench my free hands which James had left quickly.
 
I look up at his face but he's looking elsewhere and doing weird eye movements. I turn back with a frown and notice he's giving some kind of signal to Jonas, the center player of the boy’s team.
 
Yeah, I know all players and their position on the boys’ basketball team. I'm a basketball freak, deal with it.
 
The dude gives a Cheshire grin and takes a step in front getting in the way of the two who had mocked me earlier.
 
One girl bumps into him and crashes into the other one beside her who almost falls on her butt.
 
"Oops, sorry ladies." Jonas drawls but a baby in diapers could tell he didn't mean it.
 
"Could you not step back when you saw us walking by?" One snaps with a low irritated tone.
 
"Well I did step back but I didn't know you were this big and that I had to step further to let you pass."
 
Ava guffawed while I stared baffled. The two girls stormed off in embarrassment while Jonas laughed his head off.
 
He gives James a high five and walks past still laughing.
 
"Uh, thanks." I say still unable to process what just happened.
 
James smiles down at me while Ava bumps into him still laughing.
 
The joyful moment is short-lived as the bell rings and I find myself alone in front of the classroom door.
 
I quickly open the door and enter, taking a seat further back for the first time since I started junior year. Mr. Franklin enters soon after I drop my books on the table and he clears his throat to get everyone's attention.
 
"I'll be handing out the score sheet for last week's pop quiz. Those of you who scored below thirty-five will have to meet me later on for a valid explanation."
 
And he starts handing out the score sheets. My mind is filled with dread as I wait for my name to be called.
 
Did I score badly? Will my grades drop?
 
I don't even remember the quiz. It was a day right before the next game and I'd been so excited to get to practice I finished the paper quick and left class.
 
"Judith Drakeyer."
 
I look up to find the stern face of my teacher peering down at me through his thick-rimmed glasses.
 
"I had less hopes for you once I had heard you joined the basketball team. With the seasonal game and what happened with that senior girl Howell, I was sure you had deteriorated from your studies." He hands me the sheets but my focus is still on his face. A pinch of a hard smile turns the side of his lip. "Yet you proved me wrong Judith. A perfect score."
 
And that's when I look down at the sheet. Sure enough, an "A" in bright red was drawn on the top right side of the paper.
 
I gleam with my eyes dancing in excitement as the teacher moves away from me.
 
No way! What just happened? Is this for real?
 
I couldn't believe my eyes since I was pretty sure I was going to flunk the test and get an earful from the teacher. I didn’t give the test much thought and had written down the answer without care, handing it over with my mind elsewhere. 
 
God, am I lucky or what?
 
The period drawls on afterward with half the students grumbling about how they'll have to meet Mr. Franklin after class. I squirm in my seat, feeling happy at myself.
 
As the bell rings to end the class, I pack my bag and pull out my phone before zipping the bag close. I couldn't wait to text Ava about my test score. She’d surely laugh her head off saying I’d been too worried. But then I stop to stare at the small device. 
 
A message from Travis.
 
Hmm?
 
~You alright?~ T
 
Uh, what's with the baseless question all of a sudden?
 
~Why would I not be alright?~
 
A quick reply back.
 
~Ava texted me about you confronting two girls who might have made your day bad.~ T
 
Oh. That girl is fast. Though she really need not have said that to Travis. I'm not that soft to take everything to heart. 
 
Before I could type back a reply, I get one more message from the guy.
 
~Leave physical size aside, your presence is much stronger Judith.~ T
 
I didn't realize I was holding my breath while I kept rereading the text until I let go of the breath I'd been keeping locked. And then I grin wide.
 
Why does Travis know the exact words to say to me to lift my spirits?