Rivals?

Chapter 4

Haylee wakes me up for church in the morning. I get up and throw on a white dress, do my morning routine including facial treatment, make-up, and brushing my teeth and Haylee does the exact same thing in the exact same order. She also puts on a white dress. We both wear black heels with it. We grab our bags and she packs her stuff because I'll have to drop her off at home after church. We walk downstairs together and say good morning to my Mom. Dad is at work. Mom says it's okay that we drive together in my jacked-up, silver Toyota Tacoma. Me and Haylee get in but don't turn on the music. 

"Hey, Mickey?" Haylee asks.

"Huh?" I ask, starting up the truck and pulling out of the driveway, following my mom.

"You know Mike? At our school? Senior, kinda... short, but the star basketball player?" She asks. 

Shit. I know exactly what this is. She's about to say she likes him. "Yeah, I know him. He and my brother are best friends, why?"

"I think he's cute. Not saying I want a relationship with him or anything, just saying. He's cute." She smiles at me from the passenger seat. "Do you not even think anyone is cute at our school?"

I can't just lie to her, right? 

"Not really." I lied.

She looks at me, one eyebrow raised, and says, "Liar," and then looks me up and down. "No way. I mean, I know you don't want a relationship or anything.. but come on."

I pull into the church parking lot without saying anything. I just shrug and look at her from the corner of my eye. She looks annoyed but she'll get over it. We both look out the passenger side window when we see Abby getting out, her hair wavy and down with a white dress and black heels. Just like me and Haylee. We both look at each other and get out with our bags. I lock the truck and throw my keys in my bag. We wait for my mom to catch up with my brother and we all go inside together. 

"Why didn't you two come with Abby?" Joey whispers next to me as we walk inside and find our seats. Abby moved a row down.

"Long story. Tell you later." I say. I look at him and he nods. His best friend Mike sits to the right of him and I elbow Haylee, giggling. Mom is on Joey's left. I'm on my mom's right and Haylee is beside me. Abby is usually beside her, using up the rest of the room on the bench. However, she is in the row in front of us with Paul and their parents. Haylee's mom walks in and takes Abby's usual spot, eyeing me and Haylee suspiciously. 

"I'll tell you later." I hear Haylee whisper to her mom. 

"Ugh, here comes the star quarterback. What a mother-" Joey starts but mom hits him on the thigh before he can finish his sentence. We all look behind us at the church doors. Daniel walks in and scoffs at the sight of us. He sits with his 'friends' which are really just his minions that kiss up to him. 

"Ignore it," Joey tells me without looking away from the large television in our corner of the church with daily bible verses and their meanings. 

"Yeah... okay," I say, looking away from Daniel.

Joey hates him because he is a cocky football player but he also hates him because of what he has done to me since middle school. We have always hated each other since the sixth grade when they were giving out academic excellence awards to kids who had a ninety-eight and above in every class. They called his name and he was so excited to find out he was the only one. Until the principal said "WAIT! There is one more wonderful student with us that has also earned this delightful award. Mikayla Shapiro!" Ever since, we competed in sports, grades, and out-of-school essay competitions and clubs. It's always a back-and-forth game. I win one time, and he wins the next. It's a continuing pattern. We are also in all the same AP classes so we see each other almost the entire day. We don't speak much, but when we do, nothing pretty comes out of either one of our mouths. His dad is an asshole too because he's really smart and owns an AI business that he created. They do geeky and smart shit but since he's rich, he walks around with his nose in the air. However, there's a rumor that he's a depressed alcoholic. I've never seen his mother, though.

"Flip to page two-hundred and fifty-four in your bibles, please." The priest's deep voice pulls me out of my trance. I open my bible and read along with him. 

Once church is over, everyone gets up and walks outside to chat and talk about how amazing their lives are but I just want to go home. Haylee ends up leaving with her mom instead of having me take her home. I sit on a bench outside while I watch my mom talk to other people. My brother has left with Mike and Abby won't talk to me so I have no one to talk to. I'm stuck in my own thoughts until a deep and hate-filled voice appears beside me.

"Move," Daniel says. I look up into his deep, dark blue eyes with beautiful, thick, long, dark lashes and his dark curly hair making his eyes pop. His personality is what makes him ugly. 

"Excuse me?" I ask, my legs crossed like a lady but my voice makes me sound ghetto and unformal.

"I said move. Jack and I want to sit here, you daddy-issued fucker." 

His words make me freeze and my whole body turns into stone. I hear muffled laughs as I am frozen in time. Did Abby tell him that? How would he know about my dad otherwise? Did she tell someone else and did the rumor spread? Is there a rumor that has already been spread and I am just now finding out about it? My eyes are wide. I choke back tears but don't stand up.

"What did he say? Move." Jack smirks a pats Daniel on the back. Daniel isn't smiling but he doesn't look at all apologetic. 

"Fine. I don't really care you lazy assholes. Wanna sit down? Sit down." I stand up, spit on the bench, and walk towards my truck, ignoring my mom's reach for me, and I drive off.