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October 2008

Avery nervously stood outside of Juniper and Calliope’s apartment wondering if she should knock or just call a cab. Wondering why she had even arrived a day early except for the fact that she was getting tired and restless in Tulsa and she wanted to see one of her best friend’s

That and she needed to talk to Juniper about Cordelia and the recent new developments in her and Cordelia’s friendship.

Developments that had only started after both of them had gotten dumped at the same time. Texting each other days after it happened to console each other and both finding out they had been texting for the same reason.

Both girls having been dumped by the women they had been dating. It was enough to have made them start skyping every night as well as texting even as Avery traveled for the rest of the summer and once she had gotten back to Tulsa their conversations hadn’t stopped.

They still had found time to chat and talk and sometimes just to sit there in silence with each other or watch movies together via skype.

It was enough that maybe it was bringing Avery’s old crush for her best friend back. A crush that she had thought had died when Paisley had been in the picture but maybe it hadn’t quite died.

Maybe she had just buried it for all the misplaced feelings she had for Paisley. Feelings she should have never put in anyone who would cheat on her. Had planned to cheat while traveling the world with her..someone who had even once promised to never do it because she hadn’t wanted to ruin what they had.

Yet had so easily done it anyway and then told her that what had happened was the consequence of falling in love with her.

She should have always just went for Cordelia, her safer option because the other option hadn’t worked out. It had burned her hard.

Taking a deep breath though, Avery came out of her thoughts and knocked on the door finally. Waiting for a response and hoping her showing up early wouldn’t be an inconvenience to Juniper or Calliope.

“I told you, you shouldn’t have left so early and that you’d forget something…” Juniper started as soon as she opened the door but stopped talking mid sentence when she saw Avery. A blush coating her cheeks. “Oh I…I wasn’t expecting to see you standing there Avery,” she muttered out with a shake of her head. “Thought you’d be someone else.”

“Someone else?” Avery asked with a raised eyebrow.

Juniper raising her own, “Yes someone else. Now what exactly in the ever loving fuck are you doing here a day early when I didn’t expect to see you here until tomorrow, the day of your brothers concert?” she asked as she moved aside so that Avery could come in.

“Was it her?” Calliope called from where she sat on the couch, her head not facing the door at least not that Avery could see as she stepped inside.

“No,” Juniper answered and her words made Calliope turn her head finally an eyebrow quirking up as she made a peculiar face when she saw Avery. “It was Avery,” she stated sounding like she indeed was surprised by Avery’s visit though Avery thought there was something else in Juniper’s voice.

Just like there seemed to be something else in the expression on Calliope’s face.

“Oh,” Calliope muttered out as she chewed on her lip. “I thought she wasn’t coming until tomorrow night.”

“I wasn’t coming until tomorrow night but I decided to surprise you and I needed to talk to Junie,” Avery spoke up finally as she smiled though she still felt like there was something Juniper and Calliope where keeping from her.

Juniper crossed her arms over her chest, “Needed to talk to me about something?” she questioned.

“About Cordy,” Avery shrugged looking down at the bag in her hand. “But can I put this away first?” she asked not wanting to stand in the middle of the living room holding her bag like some idiot. “Because if not at this rate you and Cal have terrible hospitality and I’ll have to give you a two star rating.”

Juniper chewed on her lip briefly before nodding her head, “Y..yeah come on,” she muttered as she ushered Avery back towards the guest bedroom. “There umm…there is someone else staying here for the night but I’m sure they won’t mind sleeping on the couch tonight.”

“Someone else is staying here?” Avery questioned as she turned her head to look at Juniper. Knowing that yeah Juniper had thought someone else had been at the door as had Calliope but she hadn’t expected someone else to be staying here now.

Juniper pasted on a smile as she nodded her head, “She’s leaving tomorrow but yeah, just passing through as she heads to New York where she plans on planting roots for awhile with the woman she’s dating at the moment.”

“Ah, so she was going to be gone by the time Cordelia and I got here tomorrow and now my early arrival semi complicates things?” Avery asked figuring that was why Juniper seemed so off.

Avery was now inconveniencing someone to the couch when they should have had the guest bed. “If that’s the case I can take the guest bedroom.”

“It’s something like that but trust me Avie she won’t mind taking the couch,” Juniper stated as she kept her smile as they made it to the guest room.

Avery going inside first where she slowly laid her bag down on the floor, “If you say so,” she muttered before sitting on the edge of the bed.

“I do,” Juniper nodded sounding like she was trying to convince herself and maybe Avery. “Now you said you wanted to talk to me about Cordy and that’s the reason you came here early?”

“I did,” Avery confirmed as she yawned softly, her traveling clearly catching up with her now. “But can our chat about Cordy wait until after I take a nap?”

Juniper busted out laughed at that as she shook her head, “Oh Avie,” she muttered with a voice that only someone who knew her for years could use. “Only you would show up a day early and surprise me like really surprise me and then make fun of my hospitality and now you want to just take a nap instead of talk about the main reason you showed up early.”

“Well it wasn’t the main reason,” Avery defended with a playful smile. “I did really miss you terribly too. I mean I haven’t officially seen you since July.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Juniper teased her as she shook her head. “Just nap and we’ll talk tonight over dinner or something. Maybe I’ll even take you out to a nice fancy place even if I am such a horrible hostesses when my guest just up and surprises me with her day early arrival.”

Avery kept her playful smile as she yawned again, “Your rating is going down to one now,” she called out as Juniper flipped her off before finally moving out of the room and shutting the door.

Avery falling back gently on the bed after she had. Her hand automatically reaching for the necklace she still had and wore.

The one that had been a gift from Paisley. Her eyes falling shut as she wondered how to even go about bringing up the stuff with Cordelia to Juniper.

But before she could fully form a plan sleep won over and she was out like a light.


“So tell me about what you wanted to talk about concerning Cordelia,” Juniper spoke as she sat across from Avery at the restaurant not far from her apartment.

Both of them having ordered a grilled chicken with a side salad and a water with lemon.

Avery nervously looked away as she used her fork to pick at her chicken. Clearly using it as a diversion tactic for now. Until she could face Juniper head on.

“I think I like her again,” Avery mumbled not even sure if Juniper could hear her. “Like before Paisley like her.”

Juniper coughed some, clearly over exaggerating which made Avery look up at her, “You mean you like like Cordelia?” she questioned her face looking almost comical. “When exactly did these feelings of yours change again and why didn’t I get the memo here Avie. I am one of your best friends you know.”

“I know,” Avery blushed finally taking a bite of her chicken. Waiting until she swallowed to answer her. “But I didn’t tell you because I know you’re kind of still hoping that somehow I’ll reunite with Paisley somehow which is absurd because she cheated on me and I don’t want to date someone again who could so carelessly cheat on me.”

“I still stand by the fact that she didn’t cheat on you,” Juniper stated nonchalantly. Something she had said ever since the day after Avery had found Paisley and Ellery. Ever since Paisley had admitted it herself. “But you still could have told me about Cordelia.”

Avery again looked away and took a few more bites of her chicken, “Maybe so,” she agreed as she reached for her water and sipped on it. “But as for your earlier question on when things changed. When I finally told her Paisley and I had broken up and she confessed to me that so had she and Jane. We spent most of the last few months texting and skyping every night. Some nights not even talking just watching movies together or listening to music and I guess her being there. It changed things and made me realize maybe I never stopped having feelings for her.”

“So you’re saying that what, you buried your feelings for Cordelia?” Juniper questioned as she eyed Avery intently.

“Yep,” Avery confirmed with a head nod. “That’s what I’m saying and I’m asking you what I should do about this because I’m terrified to tell her because what if she has moved on or what if she hates me for hurting her before.”

Now it was Juniper who looked away from Avery which let Avery knew she knew something. That she was trying to hide what she knew.

“I think Cordelia would be okay with you liking her again,” Juniper spoke as if she was trying to choose her words wisely. “So maybe you should tell her and decide what to do. Though I’m afraid for you guys dating to be honest.”

Avery scrunched up her nose at that, “Afraid for us to date?”

“Yeah because what if it doesn’t work out and what if it ruins your friendship,” Juniper explained as if it should make all the sense in the world. “I don’t want to have to choose sides.”

“Well hopefully it works,” Avery smirked as she looked at Juniper. “I mean why wouldn’t it. We’ve been best friends forever and we know each other well and I could be happy with her.”

Juniper sighed before finishing off her water, “Could be is the key word there. You could be not you would be because again this all goes down to you and how you don’t like the safe choice Avery. You like a bit of danger and let’s be honest Cordy god bless her heart isn’t an ounce of danger.”

“Yeah well the danger option got me hurt last time so maybe safe is better,” Avery retorted which seemed to shut Juniper up.

Shut her up enough that they finished their meal in silence. Juniper seeming like she was just as lost in thought over things as Avery was.


The silence that had settled over Juniper and Avery seemed to last even on the walk back to Juniper’s apartment. Only being broken when they made it back inside, the only sound in the apartment being that of the shower running in the bathroom.

Juniper mumbling something to herself about how Cal was asleep before turning on her heel to look at Avery with a panicked look on her face.

“So umm there is probably something you should know about the person who is staying with us,” Juniper began pausing only when the shower stopped running. “Something we probably should have told you before now.”

“Like what?” Avery asked almost amused at how panicked her friend looked. A look that increased as the bathroom door opened.

“That it’s…” Juniper started only to be stopped when Avery finished for her.

“Paisley,” Avery muttered softly as she watched Paisley saunter into the living room clad only in her usual flannel pajama pants and a band t-shirt.

Not looking the least bit surprised to see Avery which Calliope must have told her before now but Avery well Avery was surprised to say the least to see the girl whom she hadn’t seen since July when finding out she cheated.

Though maybe she shouldn’t have been surprised, not when her brain remembered how odd Juniper had been when she first had shown up at the door today.

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