Trespassing

Trip's POV

I leaned on the movie theater's wall; head cast down so people would see my face as clearly. I didn't need attention. My Mom was already making sure I wasn't lonely. Some could say I had appointments for the next two days, at late hours of the night. The guys I knew would jump at the opportunity of being alone with aspiring models, they did tend for hotness. I wasn't like those guys. The media thought so, but that's the last thing I enjoyed in the world. They came and we did it. It was business; there wasn't any pleasure for me. I did all the work. Fuck, I hoped Finn didn't take long, I was digging into the skeletons in my closet—thankfully I hadn't gone too much into the back. I could recover before the night was ruined. I reached for different things, bands, books—which reminded me that I had to start reading Paradise Lost or I would be the one lost in a few weeks. From the corner of my eye, I saw a brunette. She was tall… like Ava? But Ava didn't need the platforms she was wearing, I told myself. Why did I have to go and think about her? There was something wrong with me, I couldn't keep that woman off my mind for more than one hour—and that was a big achievement.

"Have you been here a long time?" I whipped my head into my loyal-follower's direction.

"Ten minutes, tops." I shrugged stepping away from the wall. A group of girls walked by, chatting among themselves. One giggled a bit more loudly waving. I averted my eyes. "Kids…" They couldn't be older than fifteen. At that age they should be doing something else than trying to lure in a seventeen-year old. If I had a time machine I would definitely go back to when I was their age so I could stop it from happening. I would be a lot happier today. There was no such thing as time travel—yet—I had to settle for the fucked up life I had. The one everyone thought they knew and was perfect—that was on the outside, what I wanted them to see—if they knew the truth… I don't think changing my name and leave America would be enough to erase my shame. I already felt enough of it when no one but me and them knew. It was a miracle my Mom could get them to keep their mouth shut. Then again, she was manipulative like every other woman.

"Think you can teach me that sometime?" Finn handed me a ticket. I cocked my head. "Ah, you know, how do you get all those girls to drool over you. you're just standing there, man." We stood in the end of the line to get popcorn. "No offense."

"I think it's better for you to learn on your own." I smirked ruefully. Finn gave me a sort of are-you-kidding-me glance. "I'm not a good teacher." I didn't do anything to pick up girls, they just came, and it wasn't for a good reason.

"I get it, I wouldn't to share my secrets either." He winked playfully turning to the front, leaving me to my thoughts. I'd rather swim with sharks than being alone with them right this moment—

I was pulled from the absorbing thoughts only to be thrown into a wheel of confusion. I got that Ava was interesting, intriguing because of how she acted, because of what she kept buried inside... it wasn't that strange to think about an enigma. That was the better word I could find to describe her—an enigma. To think of her was one thing, to see her across the room was another entirely different. I felt the side of my head like a full-on idiot. I felt tempted to close my eyes, maybe I was seeing things but I wasn't walking through the desert without a single drop of water and asking Finn if he saw her was even more stupid. Ava stood there alone, isolated. I tilted my head when she put her phone away. Her head lifted, the hair fell perfectly. Straight as a board but I tried to abstract myself from that uttermost detail because she looked beautiful. She was a very gorgeous, her heart shaped face with those big chocolate eyes—the way she was dressed … A tall-enough guy walked up to her smiling widely. He was big, probably a Football player. He leaned his face to hers—

"Trip what size to you want?" I shook off the hand on my shoulder out of instinct. "Sorry," Finn mumbled following my eyes, he patted my back. "Don't you get tired of looking at girls? We're here to see a movie not the girl with curvy long legs..." He trailed off. "What am I thinking, I wanna see her legs they..." Finn tilted his head when a person stepped in front of his field of vision. "They go on forever."

Hiding a scowl I turned to the guy behind the counter asking for the biggest bucket of popcorn. I drummed my fingers. What was she doing here? She should be studying—or too tired to do anything, that was what she'd told me. Well, I thought stamping a bill on the counter, looks like she lied. Finn wasn't gazing at her anymore, he was popping hot popcorn into his mouth.

"Can we go in?" I said glaring around.

"Huh, sure, if you don't mind sitting through all those commercials—"

"I don't." I walked straight to the room where our movie was premiering. After checking our seats I sat down with a serious face, slumping into the theater's chair. Why did I care that she told me a lie? Or maybe two, since Ava said there was no boyfriend. Everybody lies, it's a fact, it's a human habit. Especially women, they were cunning and manipulative. That's why I didn't trust them.

I was going to finish my bucket before the movie started if I kept eating like I'd never eaten before in my life. I tapped my foot on the floor quickly, when Finn forced my knee to stay still I glared at him whose face turned sort of wimpy. One thing I should teach him was how to stand up for himself. The guy was going to be beat up in College at this rate...

"Could you... huh, stop? It's a little..." He shrugged losing contact with my eyes.

"Annoying?" I offered. He nodded. "I wasn't going to hit you for saying it, you know." I crossed my stubborn leg knowing it was the only way to keep it docile.

Finn said nothing just happy that I had stopped.

"You got tickets in the middle row?"

"Don't you like them?"

"Yes, I do. They're my favorites, actually." Are you kidding me? I gripped the edge of the seat when I saw from the corner of my eye... Ava walking down the row. This is fucking-awesome. With my luck she would think I was following her, call me a creep and slap me—again.

"Something wrong, babe?" I heard the guy with her ask.

I took another faint glance at my right. She was standing there again, statue-like. Her eyes were locked on me, her lips pursued. Just then the lights in the room began to fade. Slowly so the jock wouldn't notice, I pulled down the folding-seat so she'd sit. Ava studied the gesture, then my face for five seconds. Five seconds that seemed to last ten minutes. I took my hand away from the seat when she sat.

"Cole, could you go get me some popcorn?" She whispered to her own right where her brain-dead date was. "I changed my mind."

"Okay," he said easily.

I checked on Finn who was turning off his cell phone. I prepared to face her speech.

"What are you doing here?"

"Me?" I hissed with a cutting edge. "Shouldn't you be home blowing your brains out studying or sleeping off practice?" Ava's jaw became taut with tension. I slit my eyes carefully. "If you didn't want to see me you could've been honest. You didn't need to lie."

Her pretty eyes flickered away to the rows in front of us. I settled my head backward waiting for the lights to fade some more. A part of me hoped the all-muscles-and-no-brains dude got locked outside the movie room. Ms. Coleman couldn't have had the worst idea. You went along with it. Yeah, that was true, I wish I'd known what I was getting myself into before I said 'yes'. This girl was proving to be all that I hated, all that I wanted to cut out of my life. She was a model that was problema número uno, second she wasn't interested in knowing me—she rather hate me—and third, she lied. I hated people who lied. Especially after...

"I thought you didn't get any sleep yesterday." She bit suddenly.

I snorted a half-cold smirk dug itself into my lips.

"There's something called coffee, it works wonders. Not that you need it you look incredibly refreshed, no one would ever know you had Track."

"You're angry because I lied?" Did she really need to ask that?

"I never thought you were stupid enough to ask." Her hand formed a fist. "I hate liars." And models and the combination of the two.

Ava's cheeks grew red, I couldn't see it very well, but it was like the heat was coming off from them in waves.

"You're a freaking saint who never lies." She boosted mockingly. I felt someone lean over to me—it could only be Finn. I was too engrossed in her to pay him any mind. "You lied about the black eye, did you forget?" Ava crossed her arms.

I had lied? People say there isn't a better lie than the truth. Bottom line was, I told what really happened, she chose to label me as a soulless monster incapable of doing a good deed. Why did I want to decipher this girl? She hadn't been in my life for a month and I was already digging into feelings and memories I'd buried within the very soil of my heart. She was a menace to me, a reminder of what I hated, what I wanted to escape from and at the same time… Ava had something different about her.

"Seriously, man, you are fucki—freaking lucky." Finn watched his language because of the girl right beside me.

Ava's dark eyebrow perked softly eying my self-proclaimed friend.

"No introductions?" It was meant for me but Finn beat me to it.

"I'm Finn Matthews," he smiled that puppy friendly smile and Ava laughed.

"Wow, Trip, he seems way too nice for you." I could feel my own temperament wanting to bust the patience meter. "How do you stand to be friends with an egocentric, womanizer, bastard—"

"He helped me out with two guys at school." Finn said simply. "I don't think Gil's nose will ever heal." I buffeted a laugh along with him.

Ava parted her lips bewilder, her arms slacking falling onto her sides. I smiled bitterly turning to front as her date plopped down on the room's seat noisily. Her stare was branded on my face.

"I'm not a liar," Was the last thing I whispered before the ads ended giving their place up for the movie.

Ava's POV

I sat between Cole and Thomas. I hated coincidences. This was even worse than the night I had envisioned. Who knew he was coming here? I didn't even know he liked horror movies… or movies for that matter. I shifted my legs as the little boy in movie hid behind a wall, spying on his Dad, don't ask the reason. I wasn't paying the slightest attention to it. I was too caught up with the fact that Trip told me the truth about his black eye. He'd actually done something good for another person. He told me what happened and I thought he was lying… my stomach twisted like it was famished, it hurt because of the lead ball shaping itself inside. The guilt swam my veins by now. I was a liar, I knew that, I just didn't think he'd find out about this night.

I gave a jump when a weight appeared on my leg. I looked down at Cole's hand on my knee. We had never talked much, me and him. I didn't like jocks. I didn't like popular so… but I had to pretend and put up with their stupid rituals, trends, mannerisms, and whatnot. I was certain hell couldn't be worse than my life. Cole's touch felt scorching against my exposed legs making me wish I'd worn jeans, even then I feared the thin denim layer would do nothing to keep the disgust from spreading out through me. I controlled my breathing as his hand slid to my hip. I drew in a breath abruptly, it sounded like a gasp, honestly. It wasn't weird since I could be scared of the movie. Rolling my eyes, I smiled at Cole with a load of sugary-goodness to cover up all the traces of me wanting to smack his face. My hand glided to his then, I took his away from my leg. Cole's lustful eyes blinked at my gesture. It clearly read: back of. The shadow crossing his face wasn't an indication for happy. What did I care if he wasn't happy? I wasn't either. So welcome to the club, pal. He thought I was an easy score because I was model? Jesus these guys were all pig-headed.

Unconsciously, I squirmed to my left resting my elbow on the chair's arm—I found little space for it seeing as Thomas had his arm resting there. I didn't want to glance at his face now. I was afraid of what I'd say. I couldn't let Cole know I knew him. Any connection to Thomas was dangerous for me. Every second I spent with him was tempting fate, if my Mother found out… I could hang myself. Trip's arm disappeared and I had the whole thing for myself.

"Your date is on your right, not left." I felt the warm breath brush my neck, it melted away my insecurity allowing me to glance up to his eyes. Thomas wasn't even that close to me… had I imagined his breath? God that sounded straight from creepy-land, why would I do that? "He doesn't seem all too happy."

I turned enough to see what he was talking about. Cole had definitely other things on his mind and, now, because I turned him down he was sulking. You'd think a guy his age would be less like a baby when he didn't get his way. Oh well. I sat back into my seat comfortably. Cole shifted around suddenly, snuck a look when light came from his spot. He groaned audibly and got some people to shush him, or complaining about his texting. Soon enough he tucked the cell away, inching towards me.

"My little sister's at friend's party and she… got a little tipsy." Tipsy was code for: totally hammered and throwing up in the bathroom. "I can tell her to get into a cab if you want me to stay." He wavered with an edge of actual concern. There was another thing on his mind besides nailing me. Who knew?

"No, no. Go get your sister. I'll be fine." If I still had Mia I wouldn't let her walk around alone… because that was the main reason why she wasn't alive today, living out her modeling life. She should never have gone there…

"I'm sorry about this." He kissed my cheek lightly showing how much in a hurry he was. I watched him run up the dark theater's stairs.

"Aw, did your star-ball player understand you're too frigid for him?" I snapped my head to Thomas, eyes stricken with anger. "Did I strike a nerve?"

I dug my nails into the soft cushion.

"I'm not frigid. I just don't like him that way." Or any way. I shut up digging into the popcorn Cole bought me. I had yet to touch them.

"That's it?" I chewed a little noisily to tune him out. "You're not going to insult me? Call me a smartass or anything worse?" Was he baiting me into an argument? Did he want us to start arguing inside the movies? Was he looking to get us kicked out?

I tucked my hair away glaring at Trip's half-smirk.

"For me to call you a smartass, first you need to be smart. Otherwise you're just an ass." He choked up a laugh doing his best to keep quiet when his friend scowled a little. "And you know what the best thing about Cole leaving is?" That got his attention faster than a lightning rod. "I can move one seat away from you." The smirk was gone when I began getting up and sat on Cole's previous seat. Ah, I showed him…. I was just a wimp. I was just running away like today on the phone. Ever since our hug—chills rippled my skin every time I thought about it—I wanted to stay away from Thomas… as much as I wanted to be with him. It scared me. Really, it did. He was angry at me for lying, he had the right to be a jerk.

"I can just move to your seat." My eyes focused on the angular face. The linear rather than curved lines were illuminated by the movie's light, the clean-cut features were so well defined. All of him was. "You're running from me." He whispered lowly making dry heave, as he got closer to me—my face. We were so close, the heat was unbearable. I knew I should back away right that second because if he pushed two inches further our lips would touch. That couldn't happen, Thomas Harrington was not stealing my first kiss or any kiss, for that matter. "What's the deal with you, Wellington?" He said backing up.

The air was breathable when I got my personal space back. Trip acted like nothing happened; he turned to the front like he hadn't absented himself from the story. I didn't react when a chilling yell rippled through the room leaving some people to gasp on their own. What was the deal with me? I closed my eyes for a minute. There were so many things… but they all derived from one night. One death.

I had to apologize. I should, but when I went to open my mouth nothing came out. I tried again. Nothing. I tried to glue my eyes on the screen far away from us, finding my eyes travel to the side every once in a while, then to Finn who was so deeply involved with the horror show he didn't even notice Trip had moved away a seat. I hated to admit I was wrong but maybe I was and Thomas had been right. I met him and judged him by what I read, provided I saw two girls leaving his bedroom, but the thing was, I had a preconceived idea of him. It was the same Cole had done. He thought I was easy because I was a model… I didn't like it. So, I could imagine what it was like for Thomas when everyone thought about him the same way. Great, I felt like a total ass.