Howling Desires

Avery sat behind her desk, staring at the computer screen. She found it hard to focus on her homework on the screen, not with the silent whispers echoing through her head. She knew that the whispers were about her. They were loud with rumors that she couldn’t even bear to think about.

And it all started with Eva, her supposed loyal best friend, who she had confided that she liked Brent, the star player of the school football team.

Avery couldn’t tell when the rift in her relationship with Eva started. Eva Tranny had been her best friend from their first day at school; the girls grew up together and had been best friends, almost sisters since they were five years old. They had grown up together in the same town, attending the same school, going to the same church, and spending numerous afternoons playing at each other’s houses and switching dolls.

Avery had always been a shy and quiet child, preferring to keep to herself and her novels. But Eva quickly became Avery’s closest friend with her outgoing personality and love of adventure. She had a way of drawing Avery out of her shell, encouraging her to try new things and take risks.

As they got older, their friendship only grew stronger. They shared everything, from their deepest secrets to their biggest dreams. Avery confided in Eva about her crushes on boys, and Eva was always there with a listening ear and a clever plan to win them over.

Despite their differences, Avery and Eva complemented each other perfectly. Avery was the steady, reliable one, while Eva was the wild and unpredictable one. They balanced each other out and were always there for each other through thick and thin.

But as they entered high school, things began to change. Avery started to feel the pressure of fitting in and being famous, while Eva remained true to herself and her unique style. Avery began to rely more on Eva for her social status, and Eva started to take advantage of their friendship for her gain.

Avery had harbored a crush on Brent, the star football player, for as long as she could remember. He was tall, muscular, and had a winning smile that could make anyone’s heart skip a beat. But Avery had always felt invisible to him, just another face in the crowd.

That was until Eva stepped in. With her fiery red hair and piercing green eyes, Eva always had a way of making Avery feel confident and beautiful, even when she didn’t believe it herself. When Avery confessed her crush on Brent to Eva, she was surprised when Eva offered to help her win him over.

Eva gave Avery a complete makeover, starting with her hair. Avery’s light brown curly locks were tamed and styled into sleek waves that framed her face perfectly. Eva then worked her magic with makeup, enhancing Avery’s golden eyes with a subtle shimmer and giving her a bold red lip. When they were done, Avery hardly recognized herself in the mirror.

The transformation was a success. The next time Avery saw Brent in the hallway, he couldn’t take his eyes off her. They struck up a conversation, and he even asked for her number. Avery was over the moon with excitement, and she had Eva to thank for it.

But little did Avery know Eva’s intentions were not entirely pure. She had ulterior motives for helping Avery win over Brent, and those motives would lead to the ultimate betrayal.

After Eva helped her with a makeover, Brent noticed Avery and began to like her back. But then, a vicious rumor began to spread that Avery was a whore and was sleeping with all the boys on the football team. Avery had no idea what was going on, and before she knew it, everyone in school had turned against her. Avery was a beautiful girl. She had always been popular, but after the rumor spread, she became an outcast. The bullying became so bad that Avery began to dread going to school, and Eva was her only cheering crowd; she told Avery to shut her ears and not mind the public.

Avery was doing just that up until the final match of junior year. Avery was dressed her best; she wanted to congratulate Brent and his team for winning the championship and confess her feelings to him. She walked behind the bleachers and saw Eva and Brent making out. Avery was shocked and hurt. She couldn’t believe that Eva had done this to her. Avery hid in the shadows, waiting to see if Brent would push Eva off or if Eva would hit him for kissing her. None of that happened; instead, it seemed more like they were about to tear each other’s clothes.

“Eva, how could you do this to me?” Avery asked from the shadows; she walked out so the cheating couple would see her.

Eva didn’t startle; she turned around and looked at Avery with a smug smile. “Oh, Avery. You didn’t know, did you?” Eva said. Brent still had his arms wrapped around her waist, and Eva was stuck on him like gum to a shoe.

“What is going on here?” Avery’s voice was faint and shaky; she didn’t want to believe the sight before her was real.

“You are asking like you don’t have the eyes and brains to figure this out,” Eva’s voice dripped with cold venom; Avery had never heard her best friend sound so full of hate.

“What are you talking about? Why are you making out with Brent?”

“Because I can,” was Eva’s simple answer.

Avery could feel her heart constricting; never in her life would she have believed that Eva would betray her. Instead, she looked from Eva’s twisted face to Brent’s face that dripped with disgust, disgust at her.

“Brent was only with you because it was a dare. He never really liked you,” Eva continued.

Avery felt her heart breaking. It was all a facade. The makeover, the attention from Brent, and the rumors were all part of a cruel joke.

“Brent-” She tried to reach out to him.

“What can I say, Avery? It would be best if you listened to the rumors. There is no way that I would have liked you. All I had to do was make you feel special and get two hundred bucks.”

Eva released a cynical chuckle at his words.

“So all of this…? the help, the shopping, the walks, the talks, the dates? They were all…”

“Nothing,” Eva and Brent said together.

Avery could not believe how gullible she had been; how could she have thought that Brent Woods would have fancied her? Eva was the pretty one, with red curly hair, clear skin, and green eyes. They looked so good together; Brent was the golden boy of the football team. With his blond hair, bright blue eyes, and muscular build, he was the object of many girls’ affection at their high school.

How laughable! Everyone was probably giggling at her behind her back; how foolish she was to believe he actually liked her!

But it was all a facade. Eva had been manipulating the situation the whole time, spreading rumors about Avery and the football team to make it seem like she was promiscuous and easy. Brent was playing along with the dare, thinking it was all just a joke, that her heart was just a joke.

Now that Avery had discovered the truth, it was a devastating blow. Her crush on Brent was shattered, and she felt humiliated and betrayed by both Eva and Brent. She couldn’t believe that the people she had trusted the most had used her for their amusement.

Brent’s appearance may have made him famous and desirable to many girls. Still, his lack of integrity and willingness to go along with the hurtful rumors ultimately made him unappealing to Avery.

Avery ran away from Eva and Brent, feeling embarrassed and humiliated. The bullying in school became worse after that day. Avery was a broken person. She didn’t know who to trust or where to turn. She felt like she had lost everything.

The whispers in the hallway grew louder and more vicious, with people calling her a slut and a whore. The once friendly faces of her classmates now twisted in disgust whenever she passed by.

Avery tried her best to ignore the nasty names that were thrown at her, but it seemed like everywhere she turned, there was someone ready to tear into her fragile confidence. Even the teachers seemed to have developed a different viewpoint toward her, as if they had heard the rumor and believed those terrible words.

Avery’s grades began to deteriorate because she found it hard to focus in school. It was now a pattern for her to come home from school shaking all over and in tears, and her mum and dad were at a loss. They didn’t know how to help her. They tried talking to her, but she said nothing and just avoided them.

Avery’s once sunny and overflowing personality started to fade away, replaced by a shell of the happy girl that she used to be. She stopped hanging out with her so-called friends and became increasingly lonely and isolated. She stopped caring about her appearance and started dressing in baggy shirts and trousers to hide her body and wearing hats to cover her hair.

The bullying didn’t just stop at school. She started receiving scornful messages and comments on her social media, with her schoolmates hiding behind anonymous usernames to spew their poison at her. It was like she couldn’t escape those nasty rumors.

Soon, she began to feel like she was sinking. Like there was no way out of this problem. She felt like she had lost everything that ever mattered to her—her relationship with Eva, the relationship she could have had with Brent, her social life, and herself. She knew it would be hard to pick up the shattered pieces and move on from this point in her life.

Her parents were worried about their daughter’s quick change in character. They noticed she had become withdrawn and quiet. She now preferred to spend more time alone in her room. They tried to talk to her about what was happening, but every time they brought up the subject, Avery would shut down and refuse to say anything.

After dinner one night, Avery’s parents sat with her at the kitchen table, hoping that they would finally get through to her. Her mother took her hand in hers, looking at her with worry etched on her face.

“Avery, baby, we’re concerned about you. Is everything okay?”

Avery kept her eyes fixed on the table, not meeting either of their gaze. “I’m fine, Mom,” she muttered, her voice barely louder than a whisper.

Her father leaned into her, his brows furrowed in concern. “Avery, please talk to us. You know you can tell us anything. We’re here for you.”

Avery wildly shook her head. Hot tears pricked at the corners of her eyes. “It’s nothing, Dad. Just some stupid rumors at school.”

Her mother’s grip reflectively tightened around her hand. “Rumors? What kind of rumors, sweetie?”

Avery hesitated for a bit, and with a deep sigh, she blurted out, “That I’m sleeping with all the guys on the football team.”

Her parents sat stunned, shock and anger evident on their faces. “Who would say something like that?” her father demanded.

“My supposed best friend, sweet, pretty Eva,” she replied bitterly. “She spread the rumors, and everyone just had to believe her.”

Her parents exchanged a concerned look. They both knew that bullying was a grave problem that needed to be addressed. “We need to talk to the school about this,” her mother firmly said. “We can’t let this kind of behavior go unattended.”

Avery slowly shook her head, feeling overwhelmed. “No, please. That will only make things worse.”

Her father leaned in again. His voice was soft and gentle. “Avery, sweetie, we understand that this is hard, but we need to do something to help you. You don’t have to go through this alone.”

Avery looked up at her parents, fear and dread swimming in her eyes, her tears streaming down her face.

“I know,” she whispered. “I just don’t know what to do.”