Ace Up Your Sleeve
Chapter Two
Ava's POV
Holy crap another update! I don't know what's gotten into me!
Mood Music: Everywhere I Go (Kings and Queens) – New Politics
"Everywhere I go,I'm higher than United, fly with me! Everybody knows! There's no sleep to Brooklyn, no sleep! We get high, we get by, yeah we roll with it! We been up, we been down, we got over it! Everywhere we go, we're the kings and the queens and we run this city!"
"Force someone's hand – to make someone do something they don't want to do."
Sam groans, and Peter facepalms. Sadi just shrugs, and resumes trying to break open her meatloaf.
"After hours? With these kids? I mean, no offense to you, Sadi, you're pretty cool, but the rest of them? No thank you," Sam says.
"I take no offense, and I completely agree. Midtown highschoolers are shallow and dumb, and I've learned that in just a few weeks of being here. But in all honesty, I've never stayed after school hours. It'll be interesting," Sadi says.
"Interesting? More like torture..." Sam mutters.
"I've gotta agree with Sam. Besides, don't you just want to go home?" I ask.
Sadi looks away from me, and I can tell I've hit a nerve. Oh... "Home isn't much better than school."
"Oh. Um, oh..." I stammer, not really sure what to say to that. I mean, we all have rough home lives in some way, but it's another thing to bring it up accidentally, it's just so awkward. "So," I say, eager to change the subject, "do you think the teachers are actually going to have class?"
"Dunno," Sadi replies carefully. She looks down, and we don't say anything.
The bell rings, and I head to class, wondering what Sadi meant.
When I get to History, I don't see a teacher. Rumors quickly spread, the most prominent one being the teachers barricaded themselves in the teacher's lounge. Isn't their JOB to teach?
However, I do see Ace and a crowd of popular girls. Dang, that guy just seems to be everywhere. I...I'm not really sure how I feel about that.
"Ace!" a girl I recognize as a popular person, on the volleyball team, I think, Bridget, says, "you sure you don't want to go out to a movie with me?"
Ace shakes his head, staring at his laptop. "Sorry. Can't. Busy," he says, not taking his eyes off the laptop.
"You're always busy..." a resident prep mutters. I recognize her as Isobel.
"Watcha doin', Ace?" Rebekah, another popular girl, asks.
"Becoming a millionaire," he says sarcastically.
"Cool!" she squeals.
Ace sighs. I notice Sadi, who just walked in, turn her eyes to Ace and the crowd around him. "HEY HEY HEY!" she snaps. "Give the poor boy some space! He's not interested in romance right now, and if he ever is, I will notify you! But for now, the best way to get on his good side is to not be on any side of him! MOVE IT PEOPLE!"
The girls glare and mutter things at Sadi, but for the most part, they dissipate. Ace glances up at Sadi. "Um, thanks," he says.
"Don't mention it," Sadi says with a grin. "And, um, I'm sorry...for earlier today...I was being kind of pushy...will you forgive me? So I can have my social status back?"
Ace is still fixated on his laptop. God, it's like he's attached to that thing. "Yeah, sure. Whatever."
Sadi does an arm pump. "Yes! So, thanks, and bye! Oh, and can I ask you a question?"
"Sure. Whatever," he repeats, not looking up.
"So, why do you keep turning down pretty girls? Aren't guys supposed to be like, sex crazy at this age?" Sadi's grin doesn't falter, neither does her voice.
I snort. Poor girl doesn't know the half of it, from Bryce to Flash to Colby to all the guys I've seen mistreat girls. The guys avoid eye contact, the girls glaring at them.
A blush spreads across Ace's face, "NO. Just...just...no...I'm not like that...I dunno, I guess I'm just..."
"Busy?" Isobel says sarcastically from across the room.
"Yeah. That." he says absentmindedly.
"Sure you are. Ace, you have your pick of girls, very very pretty girls, like me, so why don't you go out with any of them?" Isobel asks, her arms crossed.
"Look, I don't even know you, okay?" he says, staring at Isobel. "I just met you a few weeks ago when I started going here. You've shown no attractive qualities except for your looks, and you've only been attracted to me because of my looks. Which I can understand, but that's not the point. The point is I don't want to go out with any of you because I don't know any of you, and I'm not the type to believe in love at first sight. So if you want me, get to know me, and think of my personality. If you only like me for my stunning looks, then get the heck out of here." After that little speech, he went back to typing, as if nothing happened. Stuck up brat.
Isobel looks stunned for a moment, but she recovers quickly. "Well, how are you supposed to get to know people if you won't go out with them?"
"If I like what I see here. I'm very observant, you know." I raise an eyebrow at that, as he's still on his laptop.
She walks over to Ace, slams his laptop closed, and pulls him into a kiss. His ice blue eyes are wide, wider than they usually are. I can't really help but just think how sweet that is. I have to say I agree with Sadi, he really does need a girlfriend. She leans away from him. "How's that for love at first sight?"
"Not too bad," Ace says, his eyes wide and the blush still there.
"Go out with me?"
"I'll think about it." Isobel walks over to her desk, and starts talking to her friend.
From what I've seen, that's the most reaction that anyone has gotten out of him. That was a smart move for Isobel, but not for Ace...poor boy, girls are going to try to make out with him all the time now. If I were him, I'd go out with Isobel and save my face. Literally. But hey, that's just me.
I wonder if that was his first kiss. Probably not, he's a senior, no matter how young he looks. He looks Sam's age, maybe younger, yet he's a senior, not a sophomore or freshman, even. I still would be surprised, I mean, people with those kinds of looks don't go unnoticed.
I look away from him, and at myself. When was my first kiss? Oh, that's right, I've never had one. Overprotective dad, which was kind of ironic, as he trusted me with the amulet but not for even a minute alone with a boy. And then after...everything, I still haven't kissed anyone yet, with S.H.I.E.L.D training and school and everything going on in my life. And the fact that I'm, well, me. I'm not Rebekah or Bridget and nowhere near Isobel. I'm A+ Ayala, goody two shoes who thinks she's better than every boy. Which I am, but that doesn't mean I'm closed off, or stuck up or whatever, like Ace.
...does it?
I blink. Normally I would focus or work on the lesson, if my thoughts drifted to places like that, but we have no teachers, as our teachers are little more than incompetent potatoes who regurgitate words from some crappy website. So I look to Peter and Sam, who are giggling and whispering like eight year old girls. Which they totally are. Well, I guess I can't talk too much, I was doing the same before, but I had the sense not to gossip, even if that's what pretty much all the class is doing.
Why did no one leave the room? I mean, we're talking about the students of Midtown High. With the exception of a few, most students are underdeveloped chimpanzees that go wild at the sight of a turned back.
Yet here most of them are, gossiping and giggling to their friends, pointing at the popular kids, mostly Ace and Isobel. Kids are shallow, shallow, shallow these days. God, I sound like I'm sixty. I sound like Wise Old Ava. Yet another affectionate nickname from Sam. I used to like it, as he was pretty much acknowledging I was the only sensible one on the team, with the exception of Luke, maybe, but now...am I really as snobby as they say I am?
Sadi sits herself on my desk, and turns my head towards Ace. He's more engaged in his laptop than ever, pounding away furiously at keys. "Look at him, the poor boy, he's obviously in love, but he can't bring himself to recognize it. Poor thing. Should I help him?" she asks me.
"Well...he's pretty clear about people staying out of his love life..." Sadi doesn't seem to hear me, as she nods rapidly and jumps off my desk.
"You're right, I should help him. It's my duty as a human being to help my fellow human beings, especially with their emotions. Thanks, Ava." I sigh. Sadi seems like a nice person, but...misguided. At times.
I guess I have no choice but to watch painfully and cringe when he screams at her. I'll try to help her, but he probably won't listen to me... "Soooo, Acie, you gonna say yes or what?" she asks, sitting on the portion of the desk not occupied by Ace or the laptop.
"Yes to what?"
"You KNOW what. Isobel. Asking you out. And consequently giving you your first kiss. And don't you try to tell me that wasn't your first, because I saw the look on your face, my lovesick puppy."
"What?"
"Don't deny it. Just say yes, it'll make you happy, something you need to work on, because you are very grumpy today. And yesterday. And ever since you've been here."
"I'm not grumpy," he protests. "I just don't like people."
"Well, get used to it, because you are a people! Well, I'm not really sure what you are... But that's besides the point. Just say yes to her."
"I'm busy."
"OH FOR GOD'S SAKE!" Sadi yells, startling me. "These poor girls have been trying to tell you, Isobel has been trying to tell you, I'VE been trying to tell you, YOU'RE NOT ACTUALLY BUSY! You might THINK you are, but in reality, your subconscious is making you think that, because for whatever reason, you're afraid of getting hurt. You're closing yourself off, not allowing yourself to close to anyone, just because you don't want to get dumped! And believe me, you won't, because you are pretty sexy. So lighten up a bit, and just have some FUN for once! Get off that laptop, and face the world around you!"
For a split second, so quick I'm not sure if it was even there, I see cold fury in his ice eyes. But then it's just hurt, pained hurt. "It's hard to forget the past." Past? What? Something happened to him in the past? I'm wondering, even though I probably shouldn't be, but still...when someone says something like that, it's hard not to wonder.
He pushes down on the laptop, and packs it away. "I'm leaving. Sadi, for the last time, just stay out of my life. I don't want to have to hurt you."
"HURT me?" Sadi protests. "Is that a threat? You know, you can get expelled for-"
"The school has no authority over me. I do what I want."
I raise my eyebrows at this. He has to have legal guardians, parents, something. Someone has to have authority over him, he's a minor, even though he's a senior. Grade doesn't matter, age does. At least in the eyes of the law.
"Suure, you just keep thinking that."
"I don't answer to anybody." And with that, he walks out the door, a gaggle of girls getting up and following him. My god.
For some reason, my feet decide they have a mind of their own, and move me to the door, following Ace and the Ace Fangirls (reminds me of Bond Girls). I see they're closing in on him, and I know I have to do something to help. Aha, Janitor Stan's unlocked closet!
I run ahead of the crowd, blending in with the Ace Fangirls, and slip into the closet. When Ace reaches the closet, I pull his wrist, yanking him into the closet, and locking the door behind us. Wow, I just realized that sounds like something out of a teen movie...
Ace turns to see who pulled him into a janitor's closet, and he does a double take when he realizes it's me. "Wait, you? The girl with the brown eyes?"
I roll said brown eyes. "Yes. And my name is Ava." I glance at the door, girls banging on it. "I figured you wanted some alone time."
"You're right, but alone time means alone, not with another person."
"Well, I'm sorry. I didn't have time to think of a plan."
"You could have shoved me into there, and locked me inside from the outside. I wouldn't have minded that."
I squeeze my eyes shut. God, did he just outsmart me? Well, not really outsmarted, just...thought of something better. Huh.
"You'll just have to deal with me. Haven't you ever heard of spontaneity?"
"I analyze all possible outcomes and decide which ones would bring me the most benefits in a matter of seconds. It's a gift."
I resist the urge to facepalm. Great. A genius. A diamond in the rough. "Well, not everybody's a genius. Speaking of geniuses, why did you turn down Isobel? She's beautiful, and that's coming from another girl."
"Didn't I already explain this?"
"No. You're a good actor, though. I'll give you that." I pray he's acting.
He raises his eyebrows. "And what exactly do you mean by that?"
"You weren't hurt by what Sadi said, you were angry at her. Furious, even. I saw it."
He bites his lip, sighing. "I slipped for a moment. But yes, I was angry."
"Why?"
"Why did you and your boyfriends suddenly come here?"
"Don't answer a question with a question."
"Did I?"
I take a deep breath. "Yes, you did. And I would like some answers."
"About what?"
"You. According to students here, Sadi, Harry, all them, you just showed up here one day, and acted like you owned the school. Who are you, Ace?"
"I'm me. My name is Asa Rhys Penwood-Augustine, and I govern myself and only myself. And my goldfish."
"Asa?"
"Yes. I go by Ace, though."
"Why?"
He smirks. "You're just full of questions, aren't you?"
"Yes. Yes I am."
"Can I trust you? You tell no one. Not even your boyfriends. Not S.H.I.E.L.D. No one."
My heart races. "S.H.I.E.L.D? What?"
"I'm not an idiot. I know what S.H.I.E.L.D is, who works for it. I know you're White Tiger. I can keep a secret, you know."
"How do you know?"
"That's one secret I'd like to keep."
"Well...fine. You keep my secrets, I'll keep yours. I swear."
He holds up his hand. "Pinky promise?"
I smile. "Pinky promise."
I feel utterly ridiculous doing this, yet it makes me happy. Funny how those sorts of things are. "Now what's this secret?"
He takes a deep breath. "Okay, well, let's start at the beginning. The beginning of me."
Yes. I'm mean and I'm going to cut off here. So, Acie has a few love interests...who to pair him with, who to pair him with...eheheee...