Ch 9

IT was as if nothing had happened between us.

Like he never stood me up or even had feelings for me. Trevor Mitchell strode down the hallway, a laughing Jennifer wrapped around him. He whispered something in her ear that made her smile broader. My eyes narrowed as they came closer, making Trevor go stiff. Jennifer looked from him to me and raised a delicate eyebrow.

She kissed him on the mouth which broke him out of his trance. The Barbie strutted away, but not before giving me one of her back-off looks. SO she did notice about what happened with me and Trevor. His expression changed into that mocking once and said, "I got held up on Friday, if you know what I mean," he gestured down the hallway to where Jennifer went. My breathing started to get ragged but I forced myself not to run away crying.

"I don't give a damn about Jennifer...or you." I stated flatly.

Something like pain flashed across his face but vanished as he said this, "You act like you don't care Monster Girl, but under that mask of yours- you still love me."

Although I knew it was true, I didn't want to get hurt again. It was time to play the Alexander card. "At least Alexander still loves me, for who I am and all that deep romantic sayings," I said with a wave of my hand. His eyes flashed with anger and all traces of humour were gone.

Trevor's face went dark and he whispered gruffly, "I don't know why you still think that guy loves you, because shall I remind you? He left."

A sarcastic laugh escaped my mouth and I shook my head incredulously. "God, Trevor. He does love me. He just wrote me a letter attached to a rose and..." My voice trailed off as I realized I had told him about Alexander's latest gift. Trevor's expression changed into pure fury as he spun around and left without another word. He stalked down the hallway, ramming his fist into one of the lockers. I flinched mentally and held back the tears that were threatening to fall. My god, crying was like a hobby for me lately. The bell rang, signalling the start of the classes...and the end of my life. Again.


I looked up to see that it was only 2:30. Didn't school end at like 4:10? Matt noticed my dismay and said, "Today's our championship game, they're letting the school off early."

"Oh."

He looked at me sceptically and asked, "You're coming right?" I grimaced and was about to decline, when Matt put a hand in front of my face and made me shut up. "Do not ditch me or Becky, I mean it's our last game." His eyes were pleading with me.

Whining some protest, I finally said yes. He jumped from his seat and...fell. Everyone turned to see what had happened and I couldn't help but laugh. Matt gave me a sarcastic death glare but cracked into a smile a second later. "Why do you want me to go?" I asked curiously.

"Becky's going to be lonely." My eyes rolled, knowing that he was just covering with an excuse to hide the truth. The teacher dismissed the class and everyone rushed out the door, pumped up for the final game of the season. Sighing, I stood up and followed the crowd. The hall was filled with cheering students as a small portion of our school's marching band paraded along. Matt disappeared with his oncoming team and I noticed a tall blond amoung them.

Trevor turned his head at the exact moment I spotted him and met my eyes. Forcing myself to smile, his expression stayed flat as the cheerleaders swarmed them and he disappeared as well. Fury bubbled beneath my skin, realizing how jealous I was right now. Taking a calming breath was a pretty good idea. The noise had died down for now and I used the opening to escape.

The courtyard was filled with less people and I settled for sitting at a bench for a while. Although Trevor was mad, I knew he couldn't deny his feelings for me. Which made it all the more worse because I wanted him to like me. It's true that I did love Alexander but there will always be a longing for Trevor in my heart. The win ruffled my hair as I got up to leave. I sighed and thought, It's just one game. The Finals. Even if Trevor is mad, I'll go "cheer" him on or something.

My mom greeted me as she opened the door. She was either really happy today or my dad had just snuck some vodka in her water. She never greeted me at the door. Ever. My eye twitched nervously because she hadn't really said anything yet. Her lips tilted in unison with min and she finally cracked. "My sweet Raven has a boyfriend!"

Her arms wrapped me in a vice-like hug, cutting off my way of breathing. Giving her one of my I'm-totally-lost looks.

"Well, Mrs. Mitchell called and said that you were attending Trevor's soccer game."

"Mom, that doesn't mean he's my boyfriend."

"I know, but, it seems like it." I rolled my eyes incredulously and slid into the kitchen. Grabbing a quick snack to satisfy my hunger, I jogged up to my room and shut the door. Nightmare jumped into my arms and started to lick my face. After putting her down gently, I picked up the still-alive rose and smiled. He still cared. Since I was happy, I decided, Oh, what the hell? It's a game where guys kick a ball into a net. That's...fun, I guess.

I pulled my black scarf from my closet and wrapped it around my neck in case it got too cold. Something told me I should bring my black parasol (You know, that fancy word for umbrella) but I didn't want to go dragging it around at the game. My mom called for me to hurry up and I splashed on some eye-liner before heading down. My brother, Nerd Boy, smirked and waggled his eyebrows at me. I rolled my eyes at him and went to wait by the door.

Becky showed up shortly after and waved me to hurry up. "Matt asked you to pick me up?" I asked, getting into her car.

"Uh, yeah," she said in a matter-of-factly tone. I gave her a sweet smile hoping she would find it somewhat sarcastic. "So, you know your 'thing' with Trevor?"

Turning my head to look at her, I asked, "What do you mean?"

She gave me an eye roll and retorted, "Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about 'cause you know exactly what I mean."

Giving her a sigh, I said the most common thing any girl would say when her heart has confused feelings, "I don't know what that thing is."

We arrived at the outdoor stadium early and parked in what seemed to be the last parking spot on earth. "Like honestly!" Becky exclaimed. "I saw a corvette, a corvette, take up two spaces"

I chuckled lowly and tried not to pay attention to the gawking people nearby. Sheesh, have they not seen the shade black? We stepped through the archway and nearly ran back out when an uproar of screaming voices greeted us. My mouth dropped open as I saw so many students jumping and hollering. The semi-finals were nothing compared to what we were seeing now.

"Hey, isn't that Micah?" Becky asked. "She's in our gym class remember?"

My eyes followed her pointing finger and noticed a girl walking up and down the bleachers...with a tray of peanuts in her hands. I instantly burst out laughing and had to hold onto Becky's arm for support. When I had settled down, we found two empty spots (that were fortunately) close enough to see who the players were when they were running across the field. The commentator filled the speakers and said Dullsville's High soccer team members. Welcome to the 7th annual junior's soccer competition. Austin Whissell, Tristan Fairclough, Nick Jonas, Kadell Thomas, James Lightwood...

The announcer said the name after name for our team, Matt and Trevor the final two. He did the same for the opposing team, Allan Gracer Elite School afterwards. Becky and I jumped from our seats and cheered as the game came to a start. Both teams really had trouble playing the game because Kyana Hatch was the referee. "My god," Becky whined. "Can't they just play the game?"

"Well, what do you expect?" I questioned. "She's pretty, nice and loves soccer."

"And running?"

"Yeah, that too."

Becky shrugged and continued to watch the game anyways. Tristan and Austin created a nice play and shot the first goal. Allan Gracer's aggressiveness grew higher as they refused to back down from letting us have the championship title. Micah's voice broke through the intense air and the whole row told her to shut up. Micah left without another word. Wasn't selling peanuts like for a baseball game or something?

Shrugging off the random question, I focused my attention back to the game. Nick had just slide-tackled, and totally hit the ball, when Kyana said it would be a penalty because it was in the box and he tripped the guy first.

Bullshit.

Over half the crowd booed as number 8 sent the ball to hit the back of the net in the matter of less than two seconds. Allan Gracer's fans cheered wildly as the score became a tie of 1-1. Halftime sounded minutes later and many took off for breaks. The players were heading for their change room and I couldn't help but notice Trevor scanning the crowd for something. For me, maybe?

At that time, the cheerleader's came out and over half the male population at the game whipped back their heads and looked as if they'd get nosebleeds right then and there. Jennifer and her zombie minions were good alright, but they looked like complete amateurs compared to Allan Gracer's cheerleaders. Damn, Jennifer looked so bad right now.

Meh, whatever. I wouldn't be surprised if she flashed everyone just to win the guys' attention again. Becky left to buy herself a hot dog and so I sat there yet once again alone. A bright flash startled me and I turned my head to see what happened. Lulu, the head of our decorating/party/yearbook/all that crap committee, stood with a huge camera beside me. "Sorry," he mumbled. "We decided to reaction shots for this game."

Raising an eyebrow, I asked, "Reaction for what?"

He nodded at the now empty field and I gave him a look filled with pure confusion. "But there's nothing there? Isn't that kinda...boring?" I said, stating the obvious.

"Yeah, and that's why you got your picture taken to fit the 'boring reaction'." He said, leaving out the "you moron" at the end of his sentence. Folding my arms across my chest, I watched him leave and waited for the second half to begin. The chatter of voices grew louder as students began to fill the empty spaces again. Becky returned with her hot dog and started babbling on about her and Matt, all the while advertising the food in her mouth.

Fortunately, Kyana blew her whistle to start the game once more. The ball was passed around again and again. It was really agonizing to see no one break the tie! It was gonna be like the last game, wasn't it? Someone's going to score at the end of the game, sealing the victory for their team. Trevor was getting frustrated, but I knew he wouldn't be giving up anytime soon.

Looking up, I noticed that the sky had turned darker...with rainclouds. Ugh. Please make it rain after the game, when I'm inside my house. The three strikers, Austin, Trevor and Tristan, advanced with the ball, creating 'the weave' play. The game would be done in a few minutes and I knew both teams didn't want to go into penalty kicks. The crowd gasped as Allan Gracer striked the ball and hit the crossbar. Number 9 went for the rebound and missed the net by that much. Their coach jumped off the ground in frustration but applauded them anyways. The audience cheered even louder, the stadium rumbling with excitement.

The ball was in our possession, James carrying the ball up the field. He got around the defender and sent the perfect thru ball to Trevor, who was currently on the run. Trevor received the ball with his head and shot it into the net while in the air. Dullsville's team hooted and cheered knowing they were going to claim victory. The student body erupted in cheers, jumping up and down, Becky and I one of the many.

Kyana blew her whistle, signalling it as a 'no goal'. Trevor screamed in complete disagreement and their whole team went to argue with the ref. I knew you shouldn't do that, because you could get kicked out of the game but come no, that was so a fair goal! I heard a couple of students chant that it wasn't offside at all and that the goal should be counted. Kyana shook her head in disapproval and was about to walk away when Austin grabbed her forearm and snapped her back to him. He whispered something in her ear. And I watched her features bubble up, Woosh, what a freaking bribe! Oh, well. Kyana blew her whistle and made a gesture of apology and declared it as a goal. Dullsville's fans shot up and cheered, cameras flashing and scarves wailing around. Becky and I screamed like crazy and I had a good sense of déjà vu. Our team was praising Trevor and giving pats on the back and high fives.

Jennifer and her zombies were just as mad as the rest of us, awaiting their turn to congratulate them. My heart beat faster as I walked down the bleachers, realizing this was exactly what I did before I saw Trevor break my heart at his previous game. My hands gripped the railing hard, the only thing separating me from running onto the field, pull him into my arms and tell him how amazing he was. Trevor broke free from the suffocating crowd and caught my eyes. The same time Jennifer stepped onto the field as well.

We were all a few metres away from one another, standing so still, it was as if we were frozen in time. Jennifer's eyes were locked on my face, his eyes were locked on mine. His face changed and he smirked at Jennifer. She stood up straighter, waiting for him to come to her. My eyes went teary as I realized that his decision had been made.

Alexander, my conscious whispered. His name sparked something inside of me, but it was just a spark, one that could easily be burned out. My feet felt like concrete as I forced them to turn. Turn and walk away from Trevor. I ascended the bleachers slowly, not paying attention to the cheering fans, the colourful confetti or the blaring trumpets.

Just then, a hand grasped my own and I stopped. This familiar hand that held with such care when needed. My stray hair blew soundlessly in the wind, as a single tear escaped my eye. If I turned, he would hurt me again.

But I loved him.

Taking a deep breath, I turned to look straight into those blue eyes. Trevor's eyes.

For a moment, I wanted nothing more to get lost into his eyes, but then I remembered. He can't love me. He won't. He loves Jennifer and he's showed it very clear. Just a moment ago I was in love with this crazy boy, but now? I don't know.

Alexander.

My mind whispered again. I grabbed onto that last bit of hope before I fell into Trevor's charm. My hands gripped in on it selves and I gritted my teeth saying, "Alexander still loves me."

And just like earlier today, his face filled with rage- the angriest I've ever seen him. "God Raven,
he puffed. "You're so damn naïve. When will you finally understand that he will never come back!" He spoke the last three words precisely, making them ring in my head again and again. My lips quivered slightly, not believing a word he was saying.

"What the hell are you talking about?" I asked, fury and anger boiling inside of me. Part of me knew that I'd been shying from the truth this whole time. But the other part just couldn't stand anymore lies. Tears filled my eyes and I stepped closer to him. We were so close our breath mingled together. His forehead creased as his eyes finally understood how much pain I've gone through. I laid my hand against his cheek, my pale skin blazing in contrast to his.

Although it killed me to do so, I did the only thing that would end this, the only thing I could do now: I lied.

Closing my eyes briefly, I opened them and stared dead into his. "Alexander," my voice cracked. "Loves me." I willed my voice to come out strong, but even I felt uncertainty sound through my words.

His eyes blazed like blue fire as he ripped my hand from his face. "When will you get through your freaking head that he doesn't love you!" His hands were on my shoulders, shaking me violently. "I can't stand this anymore. I don't want to lie to you again. For once in my freaking perfect life I'm not going to pretend!"

My body just completely shut down. "But- I thought Alexander- he still…"

"Raven! Alexander doesn't love you! Never has, never will! I was the one who gave you those presents! I was the one who wrote the note! I didn't leave you!" Did you ever stop and think that maybe I love you too?"

My lips were glued shut as his question hit me hard. Trevor. Trevor was the one who gave me those gifts. It was him who had given the feather. The teddy bear.

His heart.

I was the one he loved, not her. My eye-liner caused my teardrops to turn black as they ran down my cheeks. I looked into his eyes and smiled. His sweet laughter filled the air as he pulled me close to him and kissed me.

"I'm sorry." I murmured gently. He simply shook his head and buried his face in my hair. The crowd cheered once again, oblivious to the fact that two people had just confessed their love for one another. The band started their victory song as Dullsville's team paraded through the bleachers. I smiled again and looked at Trevor.

A raindrop had fallen on his cheek, several more coming on top of my head. They mixed with my black teardrops, causing me to grimace. "Ugh. I hate the rain." I complained.

He pulled me closer, my head resting against his neck. His lips came down to my ear and whispered, "Don't worry, I'll be your umbrella from now on."

THE END


I'd like to thank ALL the people who reviewed, and have been EXTREMELY patient with me. :) Hope you enjoyed it and consider reading stories that I've written and will be writing. A SPECIAL THANKS to my bestie and fellow writer SILLY SOUL for being there to help :)

ps. A quick survey, (answer in your review) Mortal Instruments FF, Hunger Games FF, or Vampire Academy FF?

WHICH ONE?

-TRUsong