The Kids Don't Stand A Chance

Another month had gone by. Another month of watching Zack fall for me, another month of watching Kylie two-time Jack with Brad – just to keep him interested and away from other girls.

The two of us became regulars at Zack and Jack’s band practice, and while I tried to stay as far away from Kara and Lisa as possible, they became like best friends to Kylie.

How was this even possible?

“Ava,” I heard someone whisper harshly. “Ava, the teacher’s glaring at you!” I blinked, snapping out of my thoughts. I could see Zack from the corner of my eye, staring at me as though I was crazy. “Are you feeling okay?” He questioned quietly, and I just nodded.

“It’s been a long week,” I mumbled, trying to avoid the question. Zack just shrugged.

“I don’t know, it didn’t feel like too long of a week.”

“Zack, Ava – don’t make me separate you both,” our teacher scolded, and from there we stopped talking. Forty minutes later the bell rang, and the class nearly sprinted out of the room. And being it was the last period on a Friday, I was running, as well.

“Woah, Ave, slow down,” reprimanded Zack with a soft chuckle as he struggled to keep up with me in the hallway.

“Sorry,” I responded softly. “I don’t think I’m feeling very well again.”

“Really?” Asked Zack, his brow furrowing in confusion. “You haven’t been feeling well for a while. Maybe you should go to the doctor?” I shook my head – you couldn’t bottle a medication for guilt.

“I think I just need some sleep.”

“Oh,” mumbled Zack, looking down at his feet as I pulled my bag from my locker. “So you don’t think you’re going to come to practice today?” I opened my mouth to respond, but he cut me off. “No, you’re not coming to practice. You’re right – you just need to sleep.” I nodded, slinging my bag over my shoulder. Zack pulled me into a tight hug and kissed my temple gently. “Feel better, babe.”

“Thanks.”

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“Kylie!” I shouted, watching my friend make the turn on to her street. She turned around, waiting for me to catch up to her.

“There you are, Ave. How come you didn’t stop me before? I wanted to walk home with you.” Her voice was sickeningly sweet, and it made me want to vomit.

“I was just… lost in my own world,” I muttered.

“Oh.” The conversation was silent as we made a right turn, and I was busy trying to figure out how to bring up the conversation I had wanted to have for weeks.

Blurting it all out, I began, “Kylie, I’m sick of the game.”

“Fine,” she replied simply, not bothering to look at me. “I win.”

“No!” I exclaimed. “It’s a draw.”

“No such luck, Ava-ave,” she said. “You quit. You lose.” I bit the inside of my mouth, wondering if my next question was even worth it.

“One more task,” I squeaked. “I’ll do one more task. Anything. But then it’s over.”

“Anything?” Questioned Kylie, her head tilting.

“Anything.” She stopped short, biting her lip in concentration.

“Fine,” she began. “I was saving this last one for later, but I guess it’ll be a good note to finish on. And just to make it a bit more interesting, we both have to accomplish it by the end of Matt’s party this weekend. No exceptions.” I breathed a sigh of relief – that was tomorrow night. At least I didn’t have to wait long.

“Great. What is it?”

“Have sex with Zack.”

I thought I saw my entire life, all of my values, every single moral I had acquired over my eighteen years, flash before me. I was a virgin, and I wasn’t ready to let that go. And especially not to Zack. I wasn’t ready whatsoever to have sex, and certainly not for a game.

“No,” I said softly. “We’re both virgins. We aren’t going to do this.”

“Ava,” Kylie began with a laugh. “Do you really want to go to college a virgin? Besides, all that crap about ‘your first time’ is such bullshit. Your first time isn’t going to be any more special than your nineteenth time. You may as well get rid of your virginity with someone who doesn’t mean anything, so that when you meet someone you want to impress you know what you’re doing.”

I didn’t have anything to say back to her, so I just mumbled, “It doesn’t seem right.”

“Right and wrong don’t matter, Ava. It’s just a game.” We stopped in front of her house, and she quickly changed the subject. “Are you coming to practice today?” I shook my head. “Alright, fine. Talk to you later.” She blew me a kiss as she walked up the stairs to her house, leaving me with nothing but the desire to curl into a ball and cry.