Sins Of Her Venom

-Glyndon Walton: ( song of the chapter: If you think I'm pretty by Artemas)

"She's hot." Ava's words sliced through the conversation like a blade. All of us—me, Alex, and the rest of our group—turned in unison to stare at her, utterly flabbergasted.

Ava, the quintessential cheerleader with her fiery red hair cascading down her back, stood confidently in her casual outfit: a crop top, mini shorts, and sneakers.

It was the kind of look that screamed effortless beauty as if she didn't have to try to turn heads.

She was dating Asher, one of Alex's friends and their team's goalie.

We'd been mocking her—Kathrine Andrews, the girl who had the nerve to actually show up here, wearing that bold outfit and radiating confidence like she didn't give a damn what anyone thought.

And then Ava dropped that comment.

"What did you just say?" Alex asked, his voice low and incredulous.

Ava turned to him, rolling her eyes slightly. "I mean… I hate her. I don't like the whole lesbian biker girl thing she's got going on. It's weird, okay? But let's be real—what you just said about her being ugly or whatever? That's just plain wrong."

She paused, glancing around at all of us. "Objectively, she's hot. Like, hot. She's probably the most beautiful girl at this party, and I don't know why you guys are acting like she's not."

The room fell into stunned silence.

Before anyone could respond, Ava continued, as if she had a point to make and wasn't going to back down.

"I'm not gay or anything, but come on. Just look at her. Her long legs, her stomach, her ass, her curves, her tits, her arms—hell, even her tone fingers are perfect. And her hair? Thick, long, and gorgeous. You can hate her lifestyle all you want, but you can't deny that she's stunning."

Her words sent a ripple of discomfort through the group.

Alex stepped forward, feeling the heat rise in my chest. "What's wrong with you, Ava?" he snapped, narrowing his eyes. "Are you secretly a lesbian, too? Is that it?"

Ava rolled her eyes at him and me, unbothered by his sharp tone. "No, Alex, I'm not gay. I love my boyfriend. But seriously, calling her ugly? That's just denial. If you believe that, maybe you should take a hard look at yourself and figure out if you even like women."

The group fell silent again, tension thick in the air.

I wanted to brush her off, to laugh and make a joke, but I couldn't shake the irritation bubbling inside me.

It wasn't her teasing about Alex or the insinuation that we were insecure.

No, what bothered me was the way Ava had looked at Kathrine.

She'd genuinely seen her—seen her beauty, her confidence—and it made me uneasy in a way I couldn't explain.

Before Alex could retort, a voice cut through the tension, cold and detached.

"Now that I'm here, can I get my earphones back?" We all turned to see Kathrine standing there, her arms crossed and her expression blank, as if this was just another boring task on her to-do list.

Her voice had been devoid of emotion, almost robotic, but her presence was anything but.

She was close—closer than I'd ever been to her before.

I froze, my breath hitching as I took her in. Her sharp features, her piercing gaze, and the way her black and purple outfit clung to her figure—it was impossible to look away.

Even in my heels, the top of my head barely reached her mouth, and that closeness sent a strange flutter through my chest.

And the scent. God, she smelled good.

Sweet and warm, like vanilla with a hint of musk. Billie Eilish's perfume—I recognized it immediately.

Of course, Billie Eilish, I heard lesbians are all head over heels for this singer.

For some reason, my throat tightened, and every word I wanted to say got stuck.

I held her earphones in my hand, but all I could do was stare at her, my mind racing with thoughts I didn't dare acknowledge.

Kathrine raised an eyebrow, her patience visibly thinning. "Are you going to give them to me, or are you just going to stand there and stare at me?"

The group fell silent again, and I hated the way my heart raced as she looked directly down at me, waiting.