I know pacing around the room endlessly isn't exactly gonna help but I guess that proved to be difficult as usual habits cannot be easily erased. I bit on my fingernail as countless scenarios pictured in my mind, escalating my anxiety. Just thinking about it confirmed to be vexatious as I let out a guttural groan.

"Fuck! I can't do this." I grumbled, ruffling my hair aggressively.

Making a complete fool out of myself was the last thing I would do. Being unknown and unlabeled in Rosewood was enough for me to feel relieved of not having the need to go through that same hellish cycle again. I was totally fine as the average, ordinary highschool girl with a normal, peaceful life. But when things went out of hand, my desired expectations began crumbling down in result. Well we've got one person to blame everything for.

Levi fucking Jackson.

Guess I should go beat him to a pulp when I have the chance.

I have no clue as to why he recruited me to the girls' soccer team out of the blue. I mean, being the sadistic bastard he is, he probably did it for his entertainment and thought that I would make an amusing plaything.

Well, I ain't gonna let him do what he wants just because he's a popular jock.

Letting out a long sigh, I sat down on Soren's bed, letting the mattress sink under my weight. I rubbed my temples in disbelief as I felt like my head is about to split into two since my thoughts are currently a jumbled mess. Mason sat on his bed across from me, sipping on his soda as he watched me in amusement.

"Are you done with your melodramatic soliloquy yet, Juliet? You know Romeo is waiting out there at the balcony." He held back a chuckle when I shot him a look.

"Save the jokes for later, Mason. Can't you see that I'm having a nervous breakdown right now?" I said, staring at him in disbelief. Mason tossed the canned soda to the trash bin after taking a big sip.

"Obviously. You literally ambushed into our room at 4 o'clock in the morning and started muttering nonsense to yourself. Thanks for ruining my beauty sleep, by the way." He said sarcastically. I bit on my lip, sparing a glance at my training bag at the door step.

"I-I just... I don't want to experience the same feeling again." I mumbled in a shaky voice. Mason's expression softened.

"What is?"

"The humiliation," His eyes widened for a brief moment before his countenance broke into a disheartened one. His lips pursed into a thin line as he stared blankly on the ground, lost in his own thoughts.

"Trust me, I know the feeling." He spoke after a fleeting silence. I perked up, eyes widened in shock.

"What do you mean?" Mason flashed me a weak smile.

"Being an actor isn't easy, you know? For me to become a great actor I am now, I had to deal with countless rejections in auditions and with the humiliation that I receive from the audience and the judges whenever I'd forget my lines or unable to project the right emotions in a character that I'm role-playing as. Believe me, I wanted to quit acting so badly because of the pent-up emotions building up inside me after being embarrassed and laughed at on stage a thousand times." My heart grew heavy at the sight of Mason wearing a pained expression. Seeing him this way was quite new to me and I prefered the usual carefree and lively Mason that I've always known. Instinctively, I went beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder in attempt to comfort him. He smiled in return.

"But guess what? I got through it all. I put my negative emotions aside and chose to follow my heart instead; to continue pursuing acting. You see Ash, if you love doing something, you shouldn't allow others and your own negative thoughts to control you. It's your life so people should just keep their noses out of your business." I quirked up a smile. Suddenly, I felt the heavy weight coming off my shoulders.

"Wow, thanks Mason. I really needed to hear that." I admitted. He chuckled.

"Well, glad to be of help."

The bathroom door creaked open and I turned to see Soren sporting his usual red varsity jacket underneath his white shirt. Combing his fingers through his messy damp hair, he made his way toward us. I wiggled my eyebrows, staring at him from head to toe.

"Looking good, bro." I teased with a nod. Soren scrunched up his nose in disgust and tossed his towel straight to my face.

"Very funny, sis." Mason shook his head with a smile.

"Now, that's what I call sibling goals." I groaned as I peeled my brother's stinky towel off my face and threw it to his bed.

"Dude, it's like you haven't washed your towel for weeks!" I exclaimed, glaring daggers at him.

"It's just one of my ways to shut you up." Soren said with a smirk.

"Seriously, you need to do your own chores since mom's not around to do everything for you. Unless I have to be her replacement." His cheeks turned red as his eyes widened in embarrassment.

"I don't need a babysitter! I could handle myself, thank you very much." He protested.

"Then stop acting like you need one!" I shot back. Mason threw his head back as he bursts out laughing.

"Oh God! You guys are killing me! You two really are a brother and sister, alright. I guess it's true that redheads do have a short temper." I frowned.

"That's just a myth, you know."

"I have my own beliefs, don't judge me." He said and tapped his temple as if he were an extraordinary genius. I scoffed and stood up, glancing at my watch.

"We gotta go. We're almost late for class."

* * * * *

I sighed for seemed like the hundredth time as I set my clipboard down to my lap before turning my attention to Jack. He stared at his hands blankly as a dejected look crossed over his features.

"Jack, you've been quiet for a while now. What's wrong?" I asked worriedly. His shoulders tensed up as he seemed to snap out of his trance. He stayed silent for a moment before he spoke up.

"Do you know Meredith?" I nodded instantly.

"She's my roommate and friend. I heard from her that you two got invited to participate to a Math competition at France. That's a rare opportunity, you know." I said with a soft smile. Jack didn't return the gesture as he rubbed his temples and released a deep sigh. My eyebrows furrowed in concern.

"Jack?" I called out softly.

"Sorry. She's just so... difficult to deal with. Like, I absolutely have no idea how to interact with her. Unlike other girls, she's the only one who gives off an antagonistic vibe." He admitted, running a hand through his slick bangs. I let out a quiet chuckle.

"Agreed. She has a horrible personality to be exact. She's arrogant, cold, and mean. When I first met her at the dorm, I hated her entire being and our way of exchanging a conversation is to argue which became a normal routine for me." I paused as Jack regarded me with a worried expression.

"She's been hard on you, hasn't she?"

"Well, yeah but I got used to it." I said with a shrug.

"But there was this time when I saved her ass during P. E. after accidentally throwing a basketball right at her face. That's when she slowly began warming up to me, I guess." I added. A look of uncertainty crossed his features.

"It's not like I don't believe you or anything, but I just can't seem to imagine Meredith being nice after encountering her." He said and shuddered slightly.

"Meredith isn't the definition of nice after all." I said as a small smile subconsciously made its way to my lips.

"But that's what makes her unique. And that uniqueness sets her apart from others." Jack's gray eyes softened as his lips parted slightly, staring at me in awe.

"You think so highly of her, huh?" I smiled and nodded.

"Of course. Like I said, she's my friend. Just be patient with her, Jack. I'm sure she'll come around." He flashed me a grateful smile.

"Alright."

* * * * *

"I said no," Soren said sharply as he glared coldly at Mason and I with his arms crossed. I had to cover my mouth to muffle my giggles at his childish behavior. Mason held onto his stomach and nearly fell off the bench as he leaned forward, laughing hysterically.

"Come on, bro. It's just a dare. Take it like a real man." I mocked, offering a fist bump to his chest. Soren swatted my hand away, extremely annoyed.

"Just a dare, you say? I'm about to make a fool out of myself in public! I'm a popular jock now, sis! I can't let a stupid dare steal away my title." He protested, creating exaggerating hand movements. I rolled my eyes.

"So, you're making popularity a big of a deal now?"

"Believe me, you'd feel the same way if you were in my shoes."

"I don't give a damn about popularity for your information." I shot back.

"If you don't take the dare, then your punishment will be kissing a random girl in the campus." Mason butted in, a triumphant smirk evident across his face. Soren sighed exasperatedly.

"Fine, fine. Let's get this over with. What am I supposed to dance?"

I smirked. "Gangnam Style," Soren looked like he was ready to pounce at me at any moment, scowling at me.

"You've gotta be kidding me, sis."

"Aww, don't be shy bro. You loved dancing that song as a kid." I pointed out, tilting my head to the side innocently. My brother exhaled deeply.

"I'm doing this very quickly."

Mason fished his phone out of his pocket, "I'll play the song now," He announced, trying to hold back a chuckle. Pressing the play button on the screen, the pre-chorus of Psy's Gangnam Style began playing.

Areumdawo sarangseureowo
Geurae neo hey geurae baro neo hey
Areumdawo sarangseureowo
Geurae neo hey geurae baro neo hey
Jigeumbuteo gal dekkaji gabolkka

"I can't believe I'm doing this," Soren huffed, his lips pursed into a thin line as if he were bracing for the worst.

Oppa Gangnam Style
Gangnam Style
Op, op, op, op
Oppa Gangnam Style
Gangnam Style
Op, op, op, op
Oppa Gangnam Style

I had to bite the insides of my cheeks to stop myself from cracking up upon seeing my brother dancing to his childhood song awkwardly, a deep blush adorning his face as he shot me an icy glare. He had his hands crossed and balled into fists as if he was holding onto the horse reins while doing small jumps with his legs spread as if he were riding a horse. Mason on the other hand didn't try to stop himself as he slapped a hand on his thigh, tears gathering from the corners of his eyes from laughing too much.

"Now this is what I call an art of masterpiece!" He joked, earning a scowl from his roommate. A few students who were passing by snickered and whispered amongst themselves as some would dare to take a picture, further embarrassing the popular freshman jock. Mason paused the song and Soren sighed in relief as he sat down on the grass.

"Great, this shit is gonna spread around the school like wildfire. Believe it." He grumbled.

"Well, at least you didn't had smooch with a random girl right? Otherwise, that would be pretty scandalous." I said in a matter-of-fact tone. He wore a deflated expression as he nodded.

"Point taken. Just pretend this never happened."

* * * * *

I feel like I'm about to throw up.

It's not even winter and yet I'm shivering like crazy. Placing my cold, trembling hands behind my back, my eyes searched the surroundings frantically, looking for an escape route desperately to get away from the tense atmosphere.

But I knew there was no turning back.

"Attention!" Coach Kramer's stern voice made me jump slightly in surprise.

"For today, we'll be doing ball control and shooting drills. To start off, jog around the whole field for thirty minutes. Start!" Automatically, the girls formed two lines with Penny and another girl in front to lead the jogging exercise. I was about to follow along when I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"You exluded, Rockwell." I heard Coach Kramer say behind me. I gulped nervously, turning to face her.

"What's going on, coach?" I asked hesitantly. She raised an eyebrow incredulously.

"You still have try-outs, right? Now is the time to do that. I'll be judging your passing, shooting, and dribbling accuracy. Alright get on the field, Rockwell." She slammed a hand on my back and I tried not to wince in pain as I staggered forward.

"Y-Yes, coach." I stammered before jogging up to the big grass field at the goal area where colored markers are scattered around.

Coach Kramer held a clipboard on one arm as she uncapped her pen and stood beside the white goal.

"For your first test, dribbling."

Great.

"I want you to dribble the ball from one marker to the other. Ready when you are." She tossed me a soccer ball and I caught it before dropping it on the ground in front of me. I exhaled, trying to calm my shaky breathing.

You can do this, Ash. This is just one of the basics. Heck, you've done this a thousand times.

I tried not to be intimidated by Coach Kramer's scrutinizing gaze as I pushed the soccer ball forward with my dominant foot using the lace part of my shoe. Slowly, I dribbled the ball towards the marker at the other side. I repeated the process by stopping the ball using the sole of my foot before doing a quick turn to start dribbling once more. I stopped my pace in front of the marker before looking up at Coach Kramer nervously. She scribbled something on the clipboard before meeting my eyes, her expression stoic.

"Six out of ten. You barely passed but still qualified, although your dribbling is too slow and predictable. Any opponent can snatch the ball away from you. As for your posture, your shoulders are too stiff. You need to work on your relaxed posture and speed in dribbling. But nonetheless, your form and ball control are accurate. Let's move on to the next test." I sighed in relief although at the back of my mind, I knew that I have to brace for the worst.

Loud pants escaped from my lips as I sat down on the bleachers, completely drenched in sweat. After accomplishing the tests, Coach Kramer made me sprint around the field in five rounds as warm-up.

Man, even the warm-ups are pretty deadly here in Rosewood.

"What's up?!" I nearly choked on my water bottle as Penny came up from behind me, scaring me half to death. I coughed as I stared at her in surprise.

"Dude, what the hell!" I protested. She chuckled as she sat beside me.

"Sorry about that. Anyway, I'm just glad you finally decided to join us Ash. Somebody's been looking forward to see you, you know." She teased with a grin as she elbowed my arm playfully. I was genuinely confused.

"Wait, what? Who?" I asked. Penny chuckled before nodding her head to the left. Curiously, my eyes followed to that direction. I was greeted by a pair of ocean blue eyes, gazing at me deeply. Levi stood in front of the bleachers from the other side of the field, biting on the collar of his red jersey before flashing me a playful wink. I shuddered in disgust before turning away almost immediately.

"Unbelievable," I muttered under my breath.

"Playing hard to get now, are we? There's no need to be shy, I know you're flattered because the hottest guy in Rosewood is into you." She said with a giggle. I rolled my eyes.

"For your information, I absolutely hate that guy." I growled in a menacing tone.

"Sure you do," She replied with a smirk. I scoffed, tying my short hair into a ponytail.

"Look! He's coming this way!" She squealed in delight, nudging my shoulder. I groaned internally upon seeing Levi heading his way towards us with a smirk, his eyes watching me intensely.

"Hey there," He said huskily, running a hand through his blonde locks as he leaned against a nearby lamp post. Ignoring him, I turned my head to the side. Penny crossed her arms and smiled.

"Yo, Levi." She greeted casually.

"Good to see you, Pen." He said with a nod before his eyes darted to me.

"You know, you shouldn't ignore me like that mute girl. Your future boyfriend is right in front of you." He said and I could hear the amused smile in his voice. I stayed quiet, staring blankly into the distance. Penny nudged me again.

"Ash, talk to him!" She whisper-shouted. I pretended to look confused as I glanced at her.

"Talk to who? I don't see anyone here." I said with fake innocence as I looked around, my eyes avoiding Levi's on purpose and I fought to urge to smirk in triumph.

"Oh, really? Hmm, what if I do this?" Levi teased before I could hear footsteps coming towards me. Before I knew it, I felt someone's shoulder brushed against mine and an arm wrapping around my shoulder.

"Was that enough to make you notice me, sweetheart?" I flinched in surprise as I felt Levi's breath tickling my ear. I shrieked loudly as I stood up abruptly, a deep blush creeping up to my cheeks. He bursts out laughing as he stared at me, his blue eyes twinkling.

"Man, that's such a cute reaction mute girl." He smirked in amusement as I shot him a cold glare.

"Stop making fun of me, Jackson!" I barked, completely infuriated.

He tilted his head to the side, "And what if I don't want to?"

"Then go to hell!" I exclaimed. Penny chuckled.

"Oh, my! You guys are way too cute for each other!" She squealed happily. I groaned and turned away, not wanting to be involved in the conversation any further.

"I'm not about to waste my time with that guy." I muttered.

"You look cute with your hair tied up like that by the way!" I heard Levi yell behind me. I walked up ahead, ignoring him.

How annoying.

I went up to my teammates who were chattering amongst themselves. A brown haired girl seemed to notice me as she waved.

"Hey, Ash. How did your try-outs go?" She asked politely. I shrugged and smiled casually.

"Other than the fact that I barely passed the dribbling test, I did okay I guess." I admitted. She nodded thoughtfully.

"I see. I'm sure with a little practice, you'll get a hang of it. I'm Hailey, by the way." She extended her arm with a smile. Returning the gesture, I shook it.

"Nice to meet you, what's your position?"

She grinned, "Goalkeeper."

My eyes widened, "Wow, seriously? Not to offend you or anything but you look quite short for a goalie." Hailey chuckled.

"That may be true but I can jump pretty high as my natural talent. Probably the reason why I chose to play soccer. Well, why did you choose soccer Ash?" I thought about it for a moment.

"My brother played soccer since he was a kid. You could say he inspired me."

"That's cute! Did you ever tell him he's the reason why you start playing?" I chuckled as I shook my head.

"Nah. I'm too embarrassed. Besides, he doesn't really like me being too cheesy. It's cringey, at least that's what he says."

"Well, that's just your brother being himself. Guys hate to be emotional anyway." I smiled.

"Yeah, you're right."

ʕ•ﻌ•ʔʕ•ﻌ•ʔʕ•ﻌ•ʔʕ•ﻌ•ʔʕ•ﻌ•ʔʕ•ﻌ•ʔʕ•ﻌ•ʔ

A/N: Finally able to publish another chapter! Hope you liked the little moment between Levi and Ash back there. Look forward to my next chapter! :>

Word count: 3394