Chapter Forty-Eight: Denial
(Tom)
I awkwardly shuffled around Avery's front porch, my fingers fidgeting around the pockets of my jeans. How am I supposed to explain to her? What would I even say? I sighed, taking a deep breath before screwing everything and reached forward for the door with a knock.
Almost immediately, the door opened and my stomach churned, when I see it's just her mother. "Oh hi, Tom."
"Good morning Mrs. Summers. Uhm, where's Avery?" I eyed her warily, my throat starting to feel dry.
I feel like I cheated and it's kind of funny to think about it. Well, it's not funny actually. I'm kinda nervous.
I didn't want her to kiss me I swear!
"Avery? She left an hour ago," she raised a brow.
My eyes widened. An hour ago? At six thirty?! This is bad. She's clearly ignoring me now. She probably won't ever talk to me again.
I hunched over my shoulders, feeling the world weigh over it.
"You alright, boy?" Mrs. Summers eyed me in pity. "—did you and Avery fight?"
I chuckled anxiously, scratching my cheeks slowly. I can't really hide anything, and it's my fault. "Somewhat yes."
"I'm pretty sure Avery will forgive you," she flashed me a reassuring smile, and while I'd like that to be certain, I'm not so sure. I really messed up big time.
"I don't know," I murmured, casting my eyes at the mat on their front step, feeling crestfallen.
"You're Avery's friend, and while she may seem grumpy, I'm pretty sure she wouldn't want to lose one of her precious friends," I see her foot get closer until I feel her arms wrap around my head like a mother's love and pulled me close.
"---and I want you two to just get together."
"Did you say anything, Mrs. Summers?"
"Oh nothing!" she chimed in a suspicious tone, running her fingers through my hair like a child. "—so you'll be fine, Tom. My daughter WILL forgive you."
That sounds more like a taunt, but I shake it off, a smile appearing on my lips. "Thanks Mrs. Summers."
She pulled out from the small embrace and pats me in the back for good luck with a toothy grin on her lips." Go get her boy!"
I chuckled. "Will do."
. . .
(Avery)
"Avery!"
My eyes roamed the classroom to find May, Leila and Rhea standing over the window where my chair was positioned.
When did they arrive here? Are they usually this early?
I raised a brow, stepping inside the classroom and shut the door behind me. Not long after that, May dashes off to my direction and grabs ahold of my shoulders, looking at me with a fiery glint of her eyes. "We heard about it."
I tensed awkwardly, trying to make some space between us since she's really so close and by close, I mean eye to eye. "Uhm, about what?"
"Tom's affair!" she hollered, widening her eyes like it was something scandalous. "---everyone saw it. So, what shall we do with him?"
I frowned, grabbing her shoulders gently and pushed her away from me. "Nothing really."
I walked pass by her, making my way through the row of seats and finally stopped when I stood in front of my own, then took my bag off my shoulders and slung it on the desk.
Rhea waved a hand up, an apologetic smile plastered on her lips. "Sorry about that Avery. Should've warned her before saying things without thinking."
I blinked, mustering a nod. "It's nothing really."
"Avery, uhm, if you wanna have a shoulder to listen," Leila started, sheepishly fiddling with her fingers. "—I can lend you one."
"How can a shoulder listen?!" May eyed us in incredulously. "---does my shoulder have ears too?"
"Dumb ass," Leila smacked her gently on the arm. "---it's a figure of speech."
"I'm fine," I waved them off.
"Oh Avery, we can't just let you be," May shook her head in defiant, clicking her tongue in the process. "---let's give you a make-over!"
"That's right!" she smiled to herself, proud like she's got a great idea up her sleeves as she pounded her fist onto her palm. "---let's make you look so pretty every guy would be dying to be with you!"
"I'm fine guys, really," I took a step back, eyeing the three of them wearily. They look so scary right now. Like hyenas ready to pounce on their prey. "---he's not my boyfriend or anything, so I don't get why you guys would go all this length."
"That means, you want him to be your boyfriend?" Leila spoke up after a minute of silence, propping a hand under her chin. "---is that what you mean, Avery?"
"No!" I flushed red. "---I meant that he can do whatever he wants and it's not like it's my business anyway."
"You're joining the campfire dance tonight, Avery?" Rhea asked.
"No. I'm just going to go straight home," I rubbed my sleeves, looking away.
"You should totally join," Leila insisted. "---in fact, I think it's going to be romantic. There's an urban legend about the two people who are each other's last dance will get together."
"Isn't that sweet?" she cooed.
"I wish I can get a boyfriend after this," she smiled, a blush flushed her cheeks.
Leila is a hopeless romantic; that's what I just noticed. I side-glanced at May who teased and playfully nudged Leila.
She's rather the loud-mouthed and free spirited. Then there's Rhea, probably the glue who sticks the three of them together.
I paused when I see Rhea looking at me with a smile. "How about you take our offer? It's not bad to feel like a princess at least once in your life, Avery."
"I don't know," I murmured. "—I don't really care about things like that. If anything, I just want to blend in the shadows."
"Come on, Avery!" May cheered, eyeing me intently. "---girl power!"
The trio stared at me, waiting for my answers. This is why I hate hanging with people; there's that pressure. I sighed, hunching my shoulders, and feeling another wave of headache come through me.
With a grumble, I begrudging replied. "Fine. Just, make it quick."
And that was all it took for them to squeal, grinning to each other in victory and then lunged at my direction to my surprise.
Surprise, surprise, we all fell on the floor with a loud thud.
"Sorry."
. . .
"You're amazing girl, like your advice really helped me!" the girl from yesterday came back and looked at me with gratitude and warmth.
This is weird and it's making me feel uneasy. I'm still not used with people being genuinely kind to me, nor would they be grateful for what an idiot like me could give.
. . .
"Hey."
I tensed up, then looked away, the scowl on my lips was already evident and I wasn't planning on hiding it either. I lowered my head, making a few locks of my hair sway over my face, my vision slightly blocked.
"Good morning, sir. What can I do for you?" I spat coldly, still staring at the random spot on the floor.
In the peripheral of my eye, I see him take a seat and it feels suffocating to be in the same room as him. My breath gets ragged and my shoulders tensed up.
"How can I apologize?"
"Isn't that simple? You say the words 'I'm sorry'. Did no one told you about that? How sad."
"Avery, I swear I didn't expected it!"
"What?" I feigned ignorance. "---I don't know what you're saying."
"Avery------"
"Hey lover birds," the curtains whipped open, revealing Emily with a grin on her face and her hair in a messy bun. "---let's go."
"Where?" Tom asked, forgetting the ordeal for a second.
"We're going to try the booths, silly!" she looked at us, putting her hand on her hip with a brow raised. "---we haven't been able to hang out and have fun this festival, so why not now since today's the last day."
"Emily, I don't wan---"
"We will," she replied, eyes taunting and threatening.
I sighed, muttering a few curses under my breath before resigning and standing up from my seat. The idiot followed and I stood there, waiting for him to move out when he doesn't budge.
Curse him! Why the hell does he want to torture me? I grit my teeth, finally taking a step forward and swerved past him, barely bumping into his shoulders.
Damn you Emily. I can't be with this guy right now. He's so insufferable. So...so...ugh!
. . .
"Ahhh, the weather is so nice!" Emily chimed, peering at us through her shoulder. This little jerk.
She purposely walked ahead so that I'm left with this guy beside me. Sneaky little scheming girl.
"A Crepe sounds good right now!" she exclaimed. "---hurry up guys!"
I slowly followed, the guy just right beside me as I awkwardly made my way through where Emily was running along with an inpatient look on her face.
I paused, then took a step back so that he'd be walking in front of me, and that I won't be beside him and feel this weird sensation inside me. I shook my head, purposely taking my time.
. . .
My feet were getting tired, but Emily didn't even break a sweat under the crowded people and the scorching hot sun beaming through us. I sighed, feeling slightly parched and my body screaming at me to take a seat.
I'm not the most athletic person or really the type to move much. I'm a passive person, so turning in circles and all sorts of directions took a toll on me.
"Can you..c-calm down?" I croaked, my breath ragged and sweat trickled down my cheeks. "---we've been walking nonstop. Show some restraint, will you?"
Emily finally halted, then turned around to look at me and Tom. "Well it ain't my fault you guys are so old."
"Excuse me?" I cocked a brow, scoffing.
Emily cackled, taking in my offense as her amusement, then turned her back against us again and points at some booth. "Let's take a picture!"
I stood firm on my ground, crossing my arm and eyed her with a glare. I'm tired of playing this game already.
. . .
"I hate you," I murmured to Emily who only grinned as she started pressing some buttons, and some sort of effects showed in front of the screen with my haggard face staring against the reflection. I looked away.
"Oh yeah, can you move Avery? It's so cramped," she grinned mischievously, taking a wide leap and nudged me purposely on the side where my shoulders bumped against the guy.
I immediately move away, darting her a death glare. Ugh, I hate you Emily. "Smile, Avery."
"Avery, this is a photo shoot, not a burial ceremony," Emily stared, pointing at me. "—now open up those lips and face the camera!"
I rolled my eyes, still maintaining my frown but slightly forced a small curve on the edge of my lips. This reminds me of those times where you take a photo for an ID and you have to force a grin.
The screen flashes a countdown and Emily bumps her shoulders against me, grinning wide and basically showing how photogenic she is in front of the camera.
I stared at my reflection, starting to feel weird and somewhat...conscious of it. Some of my hair swerved in all directions and were fighting to get out of my loose bun.
My eyes look slightly tired and I look pale—despite my complexion.
"Cheese!"
I blinked once the lens flashed, and Emily leans forward, pressing another button. While that was in progress, I swung my legs back and forth with my eyes strained to the front.
Where else can I look at anyway?
I slightly flinched when an object hovered in front of my eyesight, then I looked down to immediately regret it. He was lending me his handkerchief. It was well ironed and it was red with a small pink bunny at the bottom stitched to it.
"You need it, right?"
I don't mutter a single word and snatched the handkerchief off his hold, taking it onto mine. I pressed it onto my face and I got a whiff of his scent—that perfume that he always put on.
I lightly dab it on my face, feeling more relaxed and cooler than how icky I felt the entire time. After some wiping, I put it down on my lap, not before muttering a word. "I'll wash it."
"Alright, let's go wacky!" Emily exclaimed, leaning back and springing up her peace sign, smiling wide that it almost closed her eyes.
I stared at the screen, watching it start to flash a countdown. As it neared to five, I reluctantly put up a peace sign, just like Emily and before I knew it, it was over.
"Here's one for everyone," Emily mumbled under her breath, focused on picking up the finished photos and then scanning them for more than a second, her back faced against us.
I take that chance to look at the surroundings. It was still crowded and occasionally, I could see parents and some children running along the narrow way.
"Hey Avery."
I shift my attention back to Emily as she slipped two photos to my hands. I took them, murmuring a thanks before slowly peering it since I might look like trash just like my hunch.
I looked normal in the first photo; it was plain obvious I was angry with my lips turned into a wry one. Emily was smiling at usual, and him ...well he's doing well than usual.
In the second photo however, that seemed to change.
My fingers were awkwardly put up in a peace sign and Emily grinned widely, a smile that could've landed me a muscle cramp and he...he was looking at me. There was a smile on his face as he glanced at my direction and a peace sign on his left hand.
"What's got you all flushed, Avery?" Emily teasingly said, breaking me out of my reverie. My cheeks slightly flushed before clutching the photos tightly. This girl is really...
"Let's go the-----"
"Guys!" a voice hollered amidst the rowdy crowd.
The three of us turned to look at the figure coming close, running as fast as he could with hands up in the air, waving.
"Lance?" Emily squinted her eyes, then her eyes suddenly switched into a glint of hope. Something that called for one of her plans.
She dashed towards Lance, not before looking back at us with an evil grin. "See ya guys! And Avery, meet up at 5 in the classroom!"
I took a step forward, attempting to catch up to her and leave him standing alone when he clutched on my arm. I turned to look around. "What?"
"Let's go," he replied, proceeding to walk along the busy stalls and the whiff of all kinds of foods and sweat reeking in the air.
I tugged, trying to loosen his grasp on me but it doesn't budge, instead, he tightens it. "Let me go!"
He doesn't reply and I frowned. "I don't want to be with you right now," I confessed, seeing his back against me.
"I know."
"Then let me go, will you? I'm tired."
He abruptly stopped in the middle and I almost bumped into him, making sure I break just in time. He starts walking again, heading to a stall with corn dogs filled with cheese and lined up without waiting since the last costumer just left.
He proceeds to say something to the person in charge and I pursed my lips, tapping my foot impatiently on the ground, eyes looking back and forth on the people passing through me.
Some are couples. Friends, mostly. The stalls outside were selling well, ranging from ice cream to pastries and greasy food, you name it.
"Shit!" I involuntarily cursed when a cold object gets pressed onto my cheek. It was really cold I tell you!
I glared, turning to Tom who pressed the cold bottled water on my cheeks. This guy!
It was straight from the cooler; it was freaking cold! Was what I wanted to say to him, but I'm pretty sure my eyes could speak for itself.
"What?"
"You're thirsty, right?"
"No," I grumbled.
"Take it."
"No."
"Come on," he persisted.
"I'm going to scream in the middle about my feelings for you if you won't take it," he eyed me seriously.
I hissed, my cheeks slightly red, finally taking the cold-water bottle off his hold and onto mine, taking the opportunity to yank my arm off his. "Thank you. You happy now?" I eyed him sourly.
He smiled, and nods, then faced the person in charge and takes two sticks of corn dogs and a bottled water onto his other hand.
He reached his other hand to hand me the corn dog. I raised a brow, and he nudges, urging me to accept it. I sighed, taking one and grumbled a few words before taking it onto hold.
"Want to go to our usual place? It's kinda crowded in here."
Do I even get a say? Obviously not. I don't want him to scream about 'that'. Not to mention the amount of glaring and hostility I'd be given if he did that.
. . .
Eventually, I took and drank the bottled water he gave me.
As embarrassed and high ego I was, in the end, I was thirsty—to the point I felt like my face gained colour once more.
I slightly shake the bottled water that was almost drank by solely me and an untouched corndog on my left hand.
"How much is this? I'll pay you for it," I broke the silence.
"Hey, are you listen---"
I turned to look beside me to find Tom sprawled on the grass, eyes closed shut and his breathing calm with some locks of his hair swaying with the wind.
He looks at peace right now. The cold bottled water rested beside him and the stick of what used to be filled with corndog rested on his hand.
I sighed, looking up at the skies glumly. "Damn it."
I stared at him one last time before taking a bite of the corndog and felt the crunchy deliciousness of it. It was slightly sweet but it was balanced. Before I knew it, I finished it and I cursed under my breath, feeling embarrassed that I gave in to the demon's offering.
"Curse you, Tom," I murmured under my breath. "---you're making me feel so complicated."
Then I took off my hat, planting it in front of his face to cover him up from the beaming heat of the sun. I pat my dress and glanced at him one last time before leaving with two sticks and a bottled water in tow.