Fanfic: Once Bitten (Chapter 1)- Hellcats
Been a long time, but I have three new fanfictions ready to share. I hope you like the first one! *grin*
Title: Once Bitten
Author: Jailynn
Fandom: Hellcats
Couple(s): Dan/Savannah, Noah/Savannah
Rating: PG (possibly later PG-13)
Spoilers: If you've seen episode 8, you're good. I don't know where the show is going to go so this story is completely mine.
Warnings: It might be a little anti-Marti as I'm not happy with her or her drunk mother. Also: I'm a bad editor, please forgive all stupid mistakes
Feedback: Love some
Status: WIP, multiple chapter
Word Count: 1549
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Chapter 1
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She holds her breath in her chest, slowly letting it out through her parted lips. Her hand shakes as she pushes back some long brown hair over her shoulder. This is it. The moment she's been anticipating and dreading all at once. Savannah Monroe looks in the mirror, trying to perfect her “I've-moved-on” smile. He'll be there and she refuses to show how hurt she is. The expression never touches her eyes and she's reminded of Noah telling her that she couldn't act. She really can't. She hates it. Savannah once told him that she couldn't tell a lie convincingly... Her eyes drop from her reflection. Too bad he could. Too bad her new friend could. They could lie just fine. Lie to her, to themselves, to the world.
Tears well up in her brown eyes. Why couldn't they just be honest with her? Why couldn't they just admit they have feelings for each other and save her heart from being shattered? Why couldn't she have been smarter? She should have been smarter. Of course he would have feelings for Marti. She's everything Savannah isn't. She's blonde, Savannah is a brunette. Marti's going to be a lawyer, she's going to be a career cheerleader. Marti is confident, Savannah's constantly waiting for people to explain the joke. They lost their virginity to each other, Savannah is still clinging to her v-card. Yin and yang. Night and day. Different.
Dropping her head down to her chest, she clasps her hands together in her lap. This night is going to suck. How is she supposed to act around them and their limbo-ish relationship? They aren't together, but they can't seem to just break it off either. Marti and Dan, Dan and Marti. One has to be with the other. Liars. Lovers. Best friends. And who knows what else they are... They were going to be there together. Standing close. Whispering jokes only they understand. Enjoying the music. And she is going to be there alone. She really didn't want to go. Savannah just wants to curl up in bed and block out the heartbreak. All she wants is to vanish into her mind. She wants to forget everything that happened in the past couple of weeks. But she can't do that.
Standing, she rolls her lips together and squares her shoulders. She is cheer captain. She has to go and prove to the world that you could bend her to the breaking point but she wouldn't give in. Yeah she made a mistake. Yeah she fell in love with the wrong guy. Yeah she wishes she could go back in time and tell Dan no when he asked her out that fateful night. All of those things were true, but so is this fact, Savannah Monroe isn't going to let Marti or Dan know that she fell in love, wishes she could go back or that she made a mistake. She is going to walk into that bar with her head held high. She is going to celebrate with the rest of her squad and try like heck to look like she's fine. Because is fine...she will be fine, soon, maybe. Savannah sighs. Smoothing out the imaginary wrinkles in her dark blue dress, she thinks of all the ways to avoid them in such a tiny bar.
She looks at her watch and closes her eyes. Grabbing her coat, Savannah looks in the mirror one last time and steels her resolve. Show time. No backing out now....
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Standing in the corner he looks around, trying not to be obvious. The crowd of college kids grows, but he hasn't seen her yet. Dan Patch hasn't seen Savannah in weeks. Every time he stops by cheer-town to see Marti, she's never there or busy or avoiding him or whatever. If he calls, he gets voice mail with no call back. From what Marti says, the chill isn't just cooling his heels. Savannah refuses to speak to Marti unless absolutely necessary because they still share a room or because of cheering. She's civil, but keeps Marti at a distance. It's like she's cut them both out completely after opening her heart to them so easily.
And that's the part that bothers him the most. He likes Savannah. He likes her craziness, her vulnerability, her ability to smile even when she doesn't want to. Dan thinks about her in the most unusual times. At one a.m when an old black and white movie plays on the classic movie network or when he's at work and there's nothing to distract him or when he's walking down the street and smells the light scent of jasmine in the air. Her perfume. He looks for her. She's never there. It bugs him because this should be easy. They had a good run. They had fun. He tried the monogamy thing. He didn't sleep with her. And he still has Marti. His best friend.
Dan sees Marti standing by the bar, blonde curly hair falling over her shoulders and a false smile on her face. She's watching someone else. Dan follows her line of vision and lands on Lewis Flynn. The bald headed black man with an easy smile sways to the beat of the music with another blonde in front of him. Lewis glances up and sees Marti then looks away again to concentrate on pretending to have a good time. Dan takes a deep pull from the bottle of Budweiser in his hand and shakes his head. Marti and he managed to hurt everyone involved in this mess. And it ends up being for nothing. The feelings they felt in high school were gone. Kissing, touching, everything feels weird. Too much time has past for them. They missed their window.
It felt right with Savannah for him. It felt right with Lewis for Marti. And it doesn't matter, because those relationships have been wrecked. Dan pushes from the back wall and walks over to the bar. Marti turns toward him and leans her back against the worn wood. Her black booted right foot rests on the first ring of the stool next to her. She sighs.
“Some party huh,” Marti's mouth curls in that sardonic smile she uses when she wants to cover with sass.
He places the empty bottle of beer on the bar and nods. “It's really happening.” He twists his head so that he can see her eyes even while his body is facing the bar. “No luck with Lewis still?”
She shrugs, “He says we're cool. It wasn't like we dated that long and he understands the past coming back to bite you in the butt.” Marti looks down and moves the zipper on her leather jacket up then back down. “I don't think it will ever be the same though. He at least talks to me. Savannah...” Dan looks away. “Guess you're still being iced?”
“Iced and not thawing,” he admits. A new bottle of Bud appears in front of him. “She deserved better anyway.” He looks at his best friend. “You warned her dating me was a mistake.”
“Yeah,” she nods, “but I didn't think I would be the reason you turned out to be one.” He tries to let that slide, but the words still sting. “I never thought I would miss being included in the bobble-head club. And losing Savannah as a friend, it wasn't supposed to bother me either. What the hell happened, Dan Patch?”
Dan shrugs and takes a drink from the new beer, “I don't know, M. But I wish I did.”
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Savannah stops a mile from the “Rat Hole” and starts hyperventilating. She reaches into her clutch, grabbing her phone. Scrolling through the names in her contact list, she sees the one she's looking for. Her finger hovers over the call button, debating if she should. Would it be wrong to lean on him? Her mother told her she broke his heart. Was it right to call him now? They were always friends first... She trusts him and right now she needs someone she can trust. He could always say no if he doesn't want to see her. He won't though. Savannah knows that. He'll always come when she calls.
Running a hand through her hair and tucking it behind her ear, she closes her eyes and presses call before she can talk herself out of it completely. Placing the phone next to her ear, she counts the seconds between each ring. Finally, he picks up. “Savannah?”
“Hey, Noah,” she bites her lip and then asks her question in a rush. “Would you meet me at the campus bar? I could really use a friend.”
There is a beat where only silence is heard and she thinks, 'Oh God, he's going to say no.' Her stomach twists up in knots and her heart drops. Then he proves to be just how she remembers him and says, “I'll be there as soon as I can.”
Her breath rushes out in a gush, “Thank you.” Hanging up, she looks toward her destination and feels a little bit stronger. She'll be better with Noah at her side.
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End Chapter one..