Author's Note: Mild language and TRIGGER WARNING: Mention of sexual assault.

October 19th, 2023

Auggie's POV

I walked into the guys' locker room with my teammate, Andy, after football practice. All of the other guys left already.

"You ready for the game tomorrow, Gus?" Andy asked me. I don't mind the nickname. He's a Junior.

"Yeah, for the most part," I answered.

"Well, yeah, you're just the kicker," he teased me. I just smiled and shook my head.

We peeled off out sweaty uniforms and, without looking at each other, got in the showers, which had walls between them.

"What about you?"

"I'm a little nervous," he admitted. "I dropped the ball several times today."

"Well, you haven't seemed very confident, lately," I observed. "How you see yourself influences your coordination."

We turned off our respective showers and put towels around our waists. We walked back to the benches. I grabbed my clothes and went to the other side of the set of lockers..

"How do you know that?" He inquired.

"I've seen it happen with friends and my girlfriend," I told him.

I put my underwear and pants on.

"Well…It's kind of hard when your parents see you as a royal screw up for getting your girl pregnant," Andy said.

I threw my t-shirt on. I walked back around to him.

"Well, you don't have to see yourself that way," I told him.

"I'm probably not going to even be a good dad," he said.

"What does your girlfriend think?"

"She says that I'll be a great one," he replied. "Her mom says the same thing. She even let me move in with them after my parents kicked me out."

"Then, why don't you believe them over your parents?" I questioned. "You should really focus on the people that believe in you, even if it doesn't include your parents."

"Thanks, Gus," he said.

"No, problem," I told him. I stuffed my uniform into my duffle bag. "Wanna go to my place and play video games?"

"Sure," he answered. "Anything but football, though."

"I was thinking the same thing," I said with a laugh. We headed to the exit. I looked at him. "Did I ever tell you that you have the same name as my brother-in-law?"

"Really?" He asked.

We walked out the door as we kept talking.

Ava's POV

I walked out of the gym with my cheer squad.

"You did awesome today, Ava," Christina, one of them, told me.

"Thanks," I said. "That flip Cheryl did was sick!"

"Thanks," Cheryl said. "You and Bailey are great flyers."

"Thanks," Baily and I replied together.

"Anyone want to go out for pizza?" Baily asked.

"Yeah," all of us agreed.

We took the Subway to get pizza.

The waitress brought us our pizza and we started eating.

"So, real talk," Jessica, another cheerleader, started. "Who here has lost their V-card?"

Everyone, except me and Baily, raised their hand. I was too uncomfortable to do it.

"You two haven't?" Cheryl questioned. I just sat there uncomfortably.

"I mean, they're Freshmen," Christina said. "They will at some point."

"Okay, so, who did everyone lose theirs to?"

"Jacob Hopkins," Christina said. "Then he dumped me for a Senior."

"What an ass," Baily commented.

"I know, right?" Christina answered. "What about you, Cheryl?"

"David Robinson," she answered.

"What about you, Jess?" Christina asked.

"Kevin Michael," she answered.

Fear suddenly took over. It became hard to breathe. My heart started beating fast, and I could hear it in my head. It felt like I was back there again..

"Ava, you okay?" I barely heard Baily ask me. "You're shaking."

I started feeling trapped, like I was with Kevin. I was on the inside of the booth.

"Let me out," I said.

"What?" Jessica questioned.

I started breathing heavier, freaking out.

"Let me out! Let me out! LET ME OUT!" I started pushing Baily.

Baily's POV

"What is wrong with you?" Jessica said, looking at her like she was crazy. She was sitting on the other side of me, not moving.

"Get out of the way, Jessica," I ordered her.

I shoved her out of the booth and moved out of Ava's way. She ran outside.

"You Bitch!" Jessica said at me, standing up.

"You're the Bitch," I told her. "She obviously needed out of the booth and you wouldn't move."

"Sit down," Cheryl told both of us.

We both sat down.

"What do you think happened?" Christina questioned.

"I don't know," I replied, "but she was shaking and looked really freaked out when Jessica said…" I suddenly remembered something. "Wasn't Kevin arrested a few years ago?"

"Yeah, but I don't know what for," Jessica said in a thoughtless manner. "And before you ask, we did it in the start of out 8th grade year. Don't judge"

"I'm going to go check on her," I stated. I looked at Jessica. "Get out of my way."

She stood up and let me out.

I walked outside. I looked around, and right when I was about to go back inside, I saw her across the street.

Ava's POV

Someone sat next to me. I looked up to see Baily.

"What happened?" She asked with concern. I didn't answer. "I know Kevin got arrested a few years ago, Do you know why?"

I simply nodded.

"We can just sit here if you want.," she said. "Just know I'm here to talk if you need it."

I just realized she didn't even ask if I'm okay. I'm guessing she knows I'm not. I'm sure my eyes are puffy from my crying. We sat in silence for a couple of minutes.

"He raped me when I was in 6th grade," I told her. "That's why he was arrested and went to prison."

"Oh…wow," she said. "That means you were—"

"12," I finished. "I'm sorry that I ran out. I just started having a panic attack and I just—"

"You don't need to apologize," she told me.

"I was so uncomfortable answering," I said.

"So was I," she admitted. "I'm actually pregnant. I'm probably going to have to stop cheerleading soon. Probably shouldn't even be flying right now, but I'm dumb."

I smiled a little bit.

"I think I want to go home," I said. "Well, more like to my boyfriend's apartment down the hall from mine. It's in Greenwich Village."

"Are you talking about Gus?" I gave her a look. "August Matthews. My boyfriend is on the football team with him. They're friends. That's his nickname for him. He goes over there sometimes. His name is Andrew, but he goes by Andy."

"I better get going," I said. I stood up.

"Wait!" She exclaimed, standing up, herself. "Could I maybe go with you?"

"Sure," I agreed.

"Okay, let me just shoot Christina a text."

After she did that, we walked to the Subway and got on the train to go to Greenwich Village.