Player of Hearts

Looking up from her history book, Avalee Jones glanced at the boy across the yard, it was her lunch period and she mainly spent it reading and snacking on a bag of chex mix, she grabbed a couple piece of the rice and corn mixes and placed them in her mouth as she looked back down at her book, she had to keep from looking at him.

Victor Todd

The bad boy of the school, the teachers mainly wished he would quit school and be put in prison because he was barely at school as it was; he was tattooed up his arms all the way up his neck, a slight beard and goatee on his face, he was bald so he matched his friends, he never talked to anyone, barely even his friends, if he looked at you it was a cold blank stare that would scare you to death.

"Avalee what are you doing?" one of her only friends Tessa Dangers, she was a blond that had red streaks throughout her shoulder length layered hair, she was slim and fit but not athletic like she was years before, she would be stereotyped as a tomboy punk, which fit her perfectly.

"Reading a book," Avalee mumbled with a few piece of chex mix in her mouth, almost falling out into her books pages. "What are you doing?"

"Staring at my weird friend," Tessa laughed as she sat down beside Avalee who was parked on the grassy green ground, under the large oak tree in the middle of the yard. "How was history?"

"Pretty fascinating," I mused as I continued reading my book, it killed her how I could read and talk at the same time, she was extremely jealous of that talent of mine. "How was art?"

"Boring as hell," Tessa sighed heavily as she leaned her head on Avalee's shoulder while she held herself up by her arms behind her. "The teacher rattled off about still paintings for the whole lesson."

"Well I'm sure tomorrow will be better," Avalee stated optimistically as she grabbed more of her chex mix and placed it in her mouth, crunching on the small pieces Avalee handed her friend some. "You never know."

"You're way too positive for this place Ava," Tessa said sighing sadly at her friend as she laid fully on her back, on the grass, laying her hand over her stomach she grumbled to herself. "How do you stay awake through class?"

Victor Todd

"I pay attention," Avalee explained as she sat up fully and marked her place in her interesting book before she sat it down and turned to her friend. "What are you having trouble with my dear friend?"

"Science," Tessa said as she looked up at her friend with hopeful eyes. "You have it with me, keep me awake Ava, I'll fail if I don't stay awake!"

"You sit three rows down from me," Avalee explained as she looked down at Tessa with confused eyes. "How can I keep you awake?"

"Throw things at me, please?" she batted her eyelashes at Avalee, who sighed and nodded her head in agreement, she would do it for her friend who was in need of help. "Thank you Avalee!" she threw her arms around Avalee and tackled her to the ground, where Avalee grunted as the air was knocked from her lungs.

"I can't breathe!" Avalee squeaked out as she tried to push Tessa off her stomach, Tessa laughed and jumped off Avalee with a smile of apology.

"Sorry Ava."

"It's quite alright, I have another set of lungs," Avalee laughed as she stood up and grabbed her book and chex mix. "Let's get to the class before we're late."

"The bell hasn't-

At that very moment the warning bell rang for the students to get to class, Tessa's eyes fell on Avalee who wore a proud smile. "I'm good."

"You're creepy," Tessa murmured as she followed her friend through the crowd of scurrying people getting to class. "Are you taking you're book to your locker?"

"No, I'll just take it along with me, Mr. Franks will hold it for me," Avalee said as sh e and Tessa made their way down the hallway to class 236, Mr. Franks science class, as they arrived moments later, they took their seats and waited.

Slowly filing in the room, the students seated and waited for the teacher, the last to arrive even after the teacher had made his introduction speech about chemical reaction, Victor Todd decided to join the class. "Mr. Todd you're reason for tardy would be?" Mr. Franks asked as he set his book down that he was reading from.

"I had to piss," Victor said blankly as he made his way to the back of the class, on the opposite side of the room from Avalee and Tessa.

"Thank you for that information Mr. Todd, please next time be on time," Mr. Franks said softly as he picked up his book again and began preaching the science bible.

Thirty minutes into the lesson, Avalee was taking notes and listening intensely about the compounds of metal when she glanced down at her friend Tessa, and seen her slowly drifting off to sleep, grumbling softly to herself Avalee ripped off a piece of paper from her notebook and balled it up, she aimed it and threw it at the back of Tessa's head, not succeeding in waking her dead to the world friend. "Miss Jones."

"Yes?" Avalee's attention was caught by Mr. Franks; her heart began to beat faster as he walked over to her, most the time she was never noticed in the class so it shocked her to be called out.

"Detention for throwing things while I'm teaching," he slapped a pink slip on Avalee's desk then turned around and walked back to his desk, Avalee glared at the slip like it had tripped her in P.E. and stashed it in her bag, she had never been to detention, so this would be quite a trip.

"You're freaking kidding me! I'm so sorry Avalee! I didn't mean to get you detention," Tessa apologized as they both walked from Mr. Franks classroom, Tessa was rudely awoke by Avalee's slapping the her back of Tessa's head, causing Tessa to jolt up in class and s cream a few choice words, making her blush and take off from class with Avalee in front of her.

"It's alright Tessa," Avalee forgave her friend for ruining her perfect record of not detentions. "But I will have you explain it to my brother."

Avalee lived with her older brother because her parents gave full custody to him when he reached legal age, he cared more for her than anyone had, to him Avalee was his daughter, and he was only twenty seven.

"I promise!" Tessa said as she held her hand out, shaking it with less than normal strength Avalee walked towards the detention room.

"I'm off to see the delinquents, the wonder delinquents of…New York City."

"It isn't that bad, I've been there," Tessa said as she shrugged her shoulders and stood in front of the detention doors. "Just be quiet and stare blankly at you're book and it will be over in no time."

"I really want to hit you right now so I would go," she mumbled as she looked at Tessa wit h worried eyes. "You know I love you but it would be best that you stay out of arms reach for three or more hours."

"Will do," Tessa agreed as she stepped back at least four feet. "I'll wait for you outside so you won't have to walk home by yourself; I don't trust this damn city."

"Neither do I."

"Alright, have fun, or at least live through it," Tessa said as she gave Avalee a gentle yet firm push in the detention room, where everyone stopped talking and turned to her, her heart felt like it would bust out of her chest when she seen Victor and three of his friends in the back corner.

"I'm going to kill her," Avalee mumbled to herself as she lowered her eyes and walked to the desk where the vice principle sat, he glanced up from his newspaper article and stared at Avalee in shock.

"Avalee Jones? In detention? Has the world finally come to an end?" vice principle Morton teased as he grabbed her pink slip and motioned her out to the desk.

"It was a misunderstanding," Avalee mumbled in anger at the man, he was such a sarcastic man it made her mad, as she sat down in her seat three rows away from victor and his boys, she laid her head on top of her bag and mumbled I hate people repeatedly into the vinyl.

"Yes well, you're not the only one that hates people," someone stated to her right, as Avalee raised her head she glanced boredly to her right and unexpectedly she came face to face with Victor Todd.