We left the cafe, refueled and markedly less cranky than when we arrived. Avery sheepishly handed Mackie a ten dollar bill, both of them smiling widely and trying to stifle their laughter until they were out of earshot from the door. I couldn’t help but giggle along with them, not surprised that my brother had effortlessly acquired the hostess’s number. Paisley gave him a high five, her laugh the loudest of our little group.
I sighed with relief. Maybe the tension would continue to ease.
“So do you guys need to hit the road again, or what?” Avery said, casually holding hands with Mac and swinging her arms playfully. She seemed so happy. So unlike the girl she was during her last few months at home when she was trying so hard to cover up all her secrets. She seemed so…carefree.
“We’re not really on any tight schedule, and now that we’re here…” Mac began, cutting himself off, knowing that he had promised me a short visit. I looked at him inquisitively. Maybe it would be okay if we stayed for the day. It hadn’t been too bad so far. Sure, a little awkward. A little forced. But we were sisters. We could get past it, right?
“You can stay as long as you want!” Avery exclaimed. I could tell she was excited to have Mac around, and that having visitors was a treat. Paisley looked at Avery with something I could only describe as the happiness you feel when the person you love most is happy.
“What do you say, Zo?” Mac asked, turning to me.
“It’s your car, bud. It’s up to you.” I said, trying to hide my nervousness.
“Our couch pulls out, too. You can spend the night and then get a fresh start in the morning,” Paisley offered, surprising me with her hospitality.
“Oh gosh, please stay!” Avery squealed, bouncing up and down on her toes. “Just for the night. I miss you guys. I’m so disconnected from everyone except Zac. He’s the only one that ever comes and visits.”
“Okay, okay, twist my arm,” Mac replied sarcastically. “After all, I have to text that cute hostess.”
We spent the rest of the day being shown around Oklahoma City by Avery and Paisley, browsing around a farmer’s market, walking around downtown, stopping for even more coffee in the afternoon, and eventually making it back to the apartment where we were promised a home cooked meal. It was a lovely day, but pretty hot, and I was happy to change out of my sweaty t-shirt and wash my face. I had been to OKC plenty of times, but it was fun seeing it through my sister’s eyes. This was her home. She looked more comfortable and happy here than she ever did in Tulsa.
While we were dawdling around the apartment before dinner, I noticed Mac furiously texting. I wondered if he was telling the hostess that he would be out and about tonight (I heard him and Avery discussing going out for a few drinks), but when I flopped down next to him on the couch, he quickly turned his phone over so I couldn’t see the screen.
“Who ya textin’?” I asked curiously. “That girl?”
“Um, no just talking to Zac.”
My eyes widened. This morning felt like weeks ago.
“What does he want?”
“Nothin’, just checking in on us. I told him we were staying longer here than expected, and that Avery said hi.”
“Lemme see,” I said, holding out my hand stubbornly.
“I just told you the conversation,” he said, matching my intensity and pocketing the phone resolutely.
“Fine.”
I heard Avery humming quietly to herself and glanced up, watching her move serenely to the kitchen to begin cooking. I looked over at Mac, happy to change the subject.
“Things seem to be going okay,” I whispered so that Avery wouldn’t hear me.
“Yeah, you all are playing very nice. I’m proud of you.”
“I’m not just playing, I am being nice.”
“True.”
“I actually don’t think she’s still mad at me. I mean, I can’t really tell.”
“You should probably just talk to her face,” I heard a voice behind me and nearly jumped out of my skin. Somehow, Paisley had come out into the living room and was picking leaves out of their potted herb garden by the window without us hearing a thing. I clutched my chest dramatically and threw an annoyed look to my brother. He snorted with laughter.
“Didn’t see you there, Pai!” He said. How did he do it? How did he manage to dissolve tension so effortlessly. I would never understand it.
“My bad,” she said with a smirk, and headed into the kitchen. I rolled my eyes.
“She’s right, you know.”
“Shut up, Mac.”
***
The sun cascaded through the west facing windows as we ate our dinner, created from fresh ingredients the girls had purchased at the farmer’s market earlier that day. Mac steered the conversation, which I was incredibly grateful for, making sure we stayed mostly on the topic of his adventures in LA and the gigs he was able to play out there so far. He told Avery about the venues and the shows he went to see and how traffic there sucked, but everyone knew that. He said again and again how happy he was to get back, how Tulsa always felt a bit suffocating after the first few days.
“You’re telling me,” Avery replied.
“It’s ridiculous. Like, it’s so great to be there…see the fam, see my friends, go out a couple times, and then I feel like I’m being smothered.”
“I completely agree. Granted, we left home for slightly different reasons but I would have left anyway, I’m sure.” Was Avery’s tone a bit pointed? I shook my head, convincing myself I was making it up in my head.
“Are you planning on staying in Tulsa, Zoe?” Paisley asked, attempting to sound polite.
“I’m not sure. Probably. I mean…I’m not even done with high school yet.”
“True. But sometimes it’s fun to dream.”
“She’s got plenty of time, Pai,” Avery intervened, feeling the tension rise again between us. I felt like we were all just walking on eggshells, desperately trying to sidestep any words or looks that might crack the surface of pleasantries we had created.
It was only after dinner that things actually started to fall apart.
***
“What is it?” Mom asked, after I told her I needed to tell her something in a shaky voice. I had considered keeping it a secret. Maybe I could just try my best to block in out of my mind. But I had barely slept at all. The secret was too heavy.
“Um…I saw Avery do something last night. Something bad.”
“What do you mean, sweetie?” It was a power my mother had over all of us. She could get us to tell her everything, just by the tone of her voice.
“Her and Paisley. I saw them…um…”
Mom’s brow furrowed, and she looked into my eyes with such intensity I thought maybe I wouldn’t have to confide anything. Maybe she could just see it in my eyes.
“You don’t want to say, do you?” She asked me. I shook my head vigorously, fear clouding my blue eyes. “Okay. Were they together?”
I nodded.
“What were they doing, Zo Bug? It’s okay, you can tell me.”
“They were um…kissing and…stuff?”
“Stuff?”
“Yeah. They weren’t wearing any clothes. It was dark so I couldn’t see everything but…it looked…um…it looked like things they shouldn’t be doing,” I finally choked out. I didn’t know how else to phrase it.
My mom’s eyes flashed with anger, but only for a moment, before she placed a kiss on my forehead and held my face in her hands. “Thank you for telling me, Zoe. You did the right thing. Never forget that.”
“Mom…Zoe…” I jumped, causing Mom to draw her hands away from me, at the sound of my sister’s voice. “I’m surprised you two are awake so early,” she said as she mindlessly made her way to the fridge.
“I am too actually but Zo couldn’t sleep. Said something was troubling her and so she woke me up to talk about it. She should be fine now though,” Mom said with a comforting smile in my direction. I still couldn’t bring myself to wipe the look of pure worry off of my face.
“Well at least she’s better now,” Avery replied. It seemed like she didn’t suspect a thing, which shocked me. How could she be so careless? Mom sauntered out of the kitchen and I heard her climb the stairs. I assumed she was wasting no time in telling Dad the whole sordid tale. I couldn’t stop watching Avery as she got bowls out of the cabinet, the cereal out of the pantry, the milk out of the fridge. I tried to look away, but everything I knew about my sister had changed overnight.
She turned back around and saw me gawking. “Are you okay, Zoe? I mean…really is there something wrong? Because if you need to talk…”
“Nothing’s wrong!!” I cried, louder than I had intended, “Now can you please just go and be with yoarur friend and leave me alone,” I said, a fresh wave of confidence washing over me. “Pretty sure the fun you had last night is probably still making you tired today.”
“What does that mean?”
“Nothing. It…means nothing. Now please just go.”
Avery’s looked like she had been smacked, and I saw the wheels just begin to turn in her head. I also saw her look down at the cereal bowls and remember Paisley was upstairs. The person that was causing her to sin and betray her family. The person that was leading her to darkness.