{irl. social media}

midnight love - girl in red

"It's probably because they've lived a few towns over our whole lives" AJ says with a shrug. Week one of hockey camp was completed, and everything had been a success. Everything except her situation with Chris. She did not know why he hated her so much. He went out of his way to leave the rooms she was in, to make every possible snarky comment, and to ignore her as much as possible. She's had many enemies before, but something about Chris annoyed her beyond belief. Maybe it was the way he walks around like he owns the place, or maybe it was the way he was her only actual competition. AJ hated to admit it, but Chris was damn good at hockey. Almost as if he were born playing the sport. She wanted to be number one, and refused to let anyone take that from her "I wouldn't worry about it"

"No, AJ, I'm telling you. I know them from somewhere" Monica persists "I just don't know where from" The two had been resting in their dorm (which was now personalized with sheer curtains, photos framed, and posters) when Monica grew curious about the triplets. AJ was almost certain they just had familiar faces, but Monica persisted that there was a reason behind it. She had spent an hour scrolling through her phone in an attempt to figure it out, but did not come in contact with any results yet.

"They make me wish we went to Somerville instead of Arlington" AJ says, looking at her best friend who was deeply focused on her phone

"Mhm" Monica mutters, mindlessly not listening to AJ. Her thumbs were rapidly scrolling as she held the phone three inches away from her face. This was like an inch she couldn't scratch.

AJ giggles at her best friend's behavior as she walks to the bathroom and begins her skincare routine for the night. Today was a good day that consisted of hockey practice, dinner with the triplets, and now spending time with her best friend.

"I knew it! I fucking knew it!" Monica yells as she swings the door open, running into the bathroom with AJ who was standing at the counter dabbing moisture on her acne breakouts

"I could've been naked in here, you know? What then?"AJ laughs as she rolls her eyes playfully. Thankfully, she was not naked. Within the many years of friendship, Monica and AJ had surely gotten dressed in the same room together before, but it was more of the point of the situation.

"I told you I knew them from somewhere. I knew I wasn't crazy. Check this out" Monica says, ignoring her friend's previous statement. She holds the phone close enough for the two to both observe the screen.

"Define not crazy" AJ mutters under her breath sarcastically. Monica rolls her eyes and gently shoves AJ playfully before directing their attention to the phone. A youtube channel was opened to several videos of Nick, Matt, and Chris. They had many subscribers and were almost to one million.

Monica clicks on a video titled 'Reacting to DM's' which was supposedly part one. As the video goes on, AJ couldn't help but to focus solely on Chris.

This was not the same Chris that she knows. This Chris was happy and silly, just as Nick had described a week earlier. The first thing AJ noticed about him in the videos was his smile, it was almost contagious. Unfortunately for her, Chris hates her, which makes staying focused on getting better at hockey 10 times easier. AJ convinces herself it's probably for the best that things stay this way.

"They seem to be really genuine" Monica says "I mean, they act the exact same way in person."

"Matt and Nick definitely. But Chris, that's hilarious" AJ sarcastically laughs, continuing to do her skincare as she drifts her attention away from the phone. She found it interesting and cool that her new friends own a channel, but in her eyes they were the same people they were before she found out. It would change nothing about how she treated them.

"Maybe you can kiss and make up" Monica winks. AJ quickly raises her eyebrows in shock as her lips depart and remain gasping.

"Fuck you" AJ laughs "I would actually rather do anything else. Literally anything"

"Keep telling yourself that. I'm going to bed while you dream about Chris" Monica says in a sing-song tone, disappearing from the room and tucking herself in bed after turning off her bedside lamp.

AJ decided not to take her best friend's words to heart. That's what best friends do, they fuck with each other. Monica knew AJ hated Chris, and she knew Chris hated AJ. Therefore Monica hated Chris, that's just the way things worked. Anyone that is an enemy of AJs is an enemy of Monica's. Nonetheless, she found it hilarious to tease AJ about her new rivalry.

AJ laid in bed for an hour as an attempt to go to sleep, but her mind kept drifting to Chris. How was he able to get under her skin so easily? She hated the way he could get to her, and she hated the way he acted like he was untouchable. She hated how he was amazing at hockey, and she hated how effortlessly the sport came to him. But most of all, she hated that he was attractive.

It wasn't fair that her new enemy was allowed to have bright blue eyes and toned muscles. It certainly was not fair that he had a cute smile and hair that never seemed to fall in the wrong place.

In order to get this out of her system, she knew she needed to go find peace in the best and only way she knew how.

Hockey.

When AJ walked into the gymnasium, she expected it to be dark and silent. Instead, she was greeted with a well illuminated room full of skating sounds. The smell of freshly skated and shaved ice floods her nose, a smell she has grown to love. A familiar figure was doing laps around the rink, going intensely despite not wearing proper gear. Chris was wearing gray sweatpants and a black hoodie, while his shaggy brown hair was dripping sweat. He had clearly been here for a long period of time.

But who was AJ to judge? She herself came in sweatpants, a sweatshirt, a beanie and her pink gloves. She was in no place to condemn someone for doing the same thing as her.

The familiar figure looks up to notice AJ standing and staring before making his way in front of her and coming to a complete stop.

AJ couldn't help but to wonder what he was doing here in the same room as her at this time of night. Perhaps he also could not sleep, or maybe he wanted to be one step ahead in the game.

"There's enough room for two people. I'm not contagious, you know?" Chris scoffs, wiping the cold sweat off of his forehead. His eyes evaluate her face. She had furrowed eyebrows, but her eyes let him know she was confused. She knew so little of him, but was certain on the fact that she did not like him.

"I wouldn't know. This is the closest you've gotten to me since i've met you" She remarks, crossing her arms "I think you decided to hate me the moment you laid eyes on me"

"You wish" Chris answers, rolling his eyes and setting his hockey stick on the side of the rink to rest. He returns his gaze back to her, but she remained as she was before

"No I want an answer. We are going to be on the same team all year whether you hate my guts or not. Just tell me why?" AJ persists

"Stop" Chris says blankly before skating off in an attempt to do more laps. Laps help build focus, strength, and balance. Funny enough, the last thing Chris had in his life was balance.

AJ rolls her eyes and takes off, skating up next to him. This surprised Chris. He was fast, very fast. He was also shocked that she even bothered to finish this conversation. Most people do not care enough to do so.

"Answer me" She persists, turning her head to look at him. He kept headstrong in his focus on the ice, his cheeks beginning to flare red from his intensity on skating

"I said stop" Chris mumbles under his breath

"I said answer me" AJ demands

Chris stops abruptly in a fit of anger. AJ was caught off guard by the sudden stop, she did not expect to get an answer deep down. Chris stares off in the distance, rage brewing in his eyes. He lets out a shaky, quiet smile before shaking his head and turning towards AJ. She watched curiously. Apparently Chris Sturniolo did have a breaking point despite his big bad wolf persona he puts out.

"I fucking know your type." Chris starts, putting his hands on his hips in exhaustion. His voice indicated that he was very annoyed, and very mad.

"My type-" AJ responded before getting cut off by Chris

"Your type thinks life is peaches and rainbows just because you're pretty and living off of daddy's money. Your type has never had anything bad happen to you in your entire fucking existence. You play hockey because that's just the sport mommy and daddy put you in, and you never left. Oh, and everyone must like you or else you'll never be Miss Popular. Get a fucking grip, Avarie June"

A new silence surrounds the room. Chris stares at AJ, expecting a snarky remark and reflection. Instead, he was met with her staring at him with a blank expression. The tension between the two was strong.

"You can do the laps. Just let me shoot pucks" AJ says, breaking the silence as she grips her hockey stick. She saw no purpose in giving him satisfaction in responding. AJs heart was beating rapidly, yet has never felt so heavy. A nauseating feeling rests at the bottom of her stomach. Why did his words hurt? Why did she give him power to affect her? She saw it better to move on.

"You're not going to say anything? Defend yourself?" Chris scoffs once more. He attempted to maintain his headstrong expression, but a look of confusion slipped out. He couldn't help but furrow his eyebrows. He expected her to fight back or run away. Never did he expect her to ignore it.

Avarie quietly laughs at him and shakes her head. The nauseating feeling sinks deeper in her stomach and she needed to get it out somehow. She skates away from Chris alone and begins to practice her shooting. With every puck she hit, more and more rage built within her, and this showed. What started as gentle and steady hits soon grew rapid and aggressive.

If silence was louder than words then the room was a storybook in this moment. Chris was just the fuel to ignite the fire that burns everything to the ground.

@avyoung made a new post!

@avyoung: messy hair don't care. is that what the kids nowadays are saying?
liked by @monihayes, @christophersturniolo, and 53 others
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@monihayes: yes mama. slay mama.
↳avyoung: i'm serving mama.

@user1: IT girl!

@user2: blessing my feed once again

@matthew.sturniolo: boomer
↳avyoung: you meddling kids would never understand

@user3: Okay perfecttt
↳avyoung: ily & imy!

@nicolassturniolo: aren't you 17?
↳avyoung: aren't you 80?