February 2008
Waking the next morning as her door was slammed shut, Avery jumped awake her eyes opening slightly as she saw Jessica at the door, standing with her arms crossed.
“Jessie?” Avery asked softly her voice still sounding like she was half asleep and well maybe she was. She had been rudely awoken.
“How could you?” Jessica snapped as she shook her head, walking closer to Avery’s bed though her arms remained crossed.
Now Avery sat up in her bed slowly, giving Jessica an even more confused look.
“How could I what?” she asked unsure of what Jessica was mad at her about though she was sure she was going to find out. Her sister had came in here for a purpose and that was to confront her about something. Otherwise she wouldn’t have woken her so rudely.
Jessica only laughed as she finally uncrossed her arms before sitting on the end of Avery’s bed. “The way you treated Jeremy on your date,” she sighed sounding a bit disappointed. “Joe told me how you ran out of the car after you two kissed,” she spoke sounding as if she was still disappointed and Avery had to look away from Jessica.
Mainly because a part of her was disappointed in herself too. She knew it was wrong and that she shouldn’t have done it.
“Then you just ignore him all day yesterday,” Jessica continued with a sigh. “He was so upset according to Joe.”
Avery chewed on her lip as she kept her gaze off Jessica, instead moving it to her blankets that covered her lap now. “I don’t know what happened okay,” Avery lied as she shrugged her shoulders. “I just wasn’t expecting the kiss and I freaked. I know I should have called him yesterday and apologized but I didn’t and it wasn’t like he contacted me either.”
Again Jessica let out a laugh this one much more bitter and angry sounding than the last, “Was it his place to call you Avie?” she asked sounding like she was judging her sister and Avery hated it.
Hated knowing she was a bad girlfriend already. She had ignored Jeremy yesterday and she had also cheated too. She cheated on him with a girl just to find out if it was only Cordelia she had a crush on or all girls and Avery was a fucking horrible girlfriend.
In the end Jeremy probably deserved so much better and yet for now he had her. Someone who was still confused and someone who would still treat him like shit and ignore him.
She was doing the same to Cordelia for entirely different reasons, though she did have plans to maybe text Cordelia and see if she wanted to hang out today.
“No,” Avery finally answered as she looked at Jessica and she shook her head almost feeling like a child that her sister had scolded. “I..I should have called him,” she admitted as she faked a smile. “I’ll call him later today and apologize maybe even suggest another date.”
“You don’t have to do that,” Jessica said as she stood from Avery’s bed and Avery just looked at her confused, though it didn’t last for long. “Joe and I sort of mentioned a double date with you two for next Friday. It’s a night we both have free and Jeremy sort of agreed for the both of you because regardless of what you did he apparently still wants to be your boyfriend.”
Avery only nodded her head, watching as Jessica left after that and a part of her was angry. Angry that she had been roped into a date she hadn’t even wanted. Wishing that Jeremy had talked to her first but then again even if he had tried to contact her she probably would have just ignored him like she had done to Cordelia who had called her yesterday morning.
Letting out a slight groan, Avery reached over for her cell phone which was on her bedside table and as she turned it on she had all intents and purposes of contacting Jeremy. Of apologizing and making things right but the she had saw she already had a missed call from Cordelia today and all thoughts of contacting Jeremy left her mind.
Instead she pressed a button and put the phone to her ear as she called back the girl who was making everything in her life so confusing.
“Hello,” Cordelia’s voice greeted her after the third ring and she almost sounded too happy for ten in the morning on a Saturday.
“Hey Cordy,” Avery said as she used Cordelia’s nickname, hoping maybe if Cordelia was mad at her that using that nickname could win her over some. “I’m just returning your call.”
“You mean the one I left yesterday morning with your mom?” Cordelia asked and she did sound a bit harsh. “It’s what a good twenty-four hours later?”
Avery blushed though she knew Cordelia couldn’t see her. “I know,” she sighed as she shook her head. “I’m a shitty friend but how about I make that up to you and we can have lunch today at Dilly Deli? I’ll pay.”
“Hmm,” Cordelia spoke as if she was thinking. “Let me check my calendar yeah and get back to you in say, twenty-four hours?” she asked sounding sarcastic now.
“Fuck you Cordy,” Avery teased as she leaned back against her pillow.
“If only you weren’t in the closet Ave,” Cordelia finally laughed. “Then you could fuck me,” she spoke out and though she was teasing Avery felt her heartbeat begin to hammer in her chest as she had thoughts and images of doing with Cordelia what she had done with Paisley.
Feeling Cordelia’s lips on her own. Touching Cordelia’s breast….having her mouth between her legs. It was enough to make Avery shiver as she moved slightly from being a bit turned on.
“I’m not in the closet,” Avery shot back with a sigh. “But how about lunch, I’ll still pay regardless of you being a bitch and saying I’m in some closet.”
“I actually have plans with Juniper today to have lunch in the same place. She’s finally agreed to let me meet that girl she keeps raving on about,” Cordelia spoke before pausing only briefly. “You could come along if you wanted. Pretty sure Juniper wouldn’t mind the not so heterosexual Avery Hanson joining our lesbian meeting and meeting the girl she’s currently enamored with.”
Avery rolled her eyes at Cordelia’s words, “I’m straight,” she said though now she knew that was indeed a lie. She was maybe bisexual. A very strong maybe. “But what time is the lunch? I’ll join this lesbian meeting that you two probably have without me a lot.”
“Not a lot,” Cordelia laughed. “Just every other Saturday afternoon at one which is what time it is today. Though maybe we could both get there a bit early and hang out before Juniper gets there because I do kind of miss just us,” she said and she did sound genuine in that.
Which Avery understood because lately it seemed like anymore it was all three girls instead of just one or two of them. Though in the end it had used to just be her and Cordelia but then Juniper had moved to Tulsa from New York when they had been twelve and Juniper had been thirteen and Juniper and Cordelia had bonded at school and somehow Cordelia had brought Juniper into their friend group.
Though Avery had never felt left out even when Cordelia and Juniper had both realized they were lesbians during Cordelia’s freshman year of high school and Juniper’s sophomore year.
“So get there at twelve then?” Avery asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Yep, which means if you’re going to get there on time you better hang up now Ave. I know how long it takes you to make yourself beautiful.”
Hearing Cordelia say that last bit Avery only blushed, mainly because she remembered Paisley calling her beautiful last night and the words coming from Cordelia’s mouth had sounded just as sincere and maybe they had given her a tiny flutter in her chest.
Just a tiny one.
“Yeah, yeah. See ya soon Cordy,” Avery spoke and once she heard Cordelia offer her a goodbye she hung up the phone and slowly got out of bed.
She didn’t know why but she just had a nervous feeling in the pit of her stomach now.
“You’re late,” Avery said as she looked up from the menu, her eyes landing on Cordelia as she moved into the booth across from Avery.
Avery had maybe gotten to Dilly Deli a bit early so in all actuality Cordelia was only really five minutes late.
“Five minutes Ave,” Cordelia shot back as she rolled her eyes as a blush played on her cheeks. “Sue me.”
“I think I will,” Avery teased as she laid her menu down because really she knew what she’d get. She’d get what she got every time she came here..
Cordelia only snorted a laugh as she picked up her menu, “Funny,” she deadpanned as she quickly browsed over the menu but Avery knew she too would get the same thing.
They were both predictable like that where as Juniper wasn’t. Juniper was always changing her mind on her food orders or anything else really and maybe that was why in the end they were all three friends. In some odd way they helped to balance each other out.
“So, Juniper texted me before she came inside,” Cordelia spoke as she laid her menu down and locked eyes with Avery. “She’s apparently going to be early today. Which is probably a good thing we’re both here now.”
Avery laughed again at that, “Juniper, early? When does that ever happen?” she asked doing her best to sound shocked because Juniper was rarely early. “But why is she coming almost an hour early?”
“She didn’t say,” Cordelia frowned slightly. “She was kind of coy on the whole thing and I didn’t like it one bit.”
“Yeah Juniper being coy only means she’s up to something,” Avery agreed with a nod of her head. “Probably nothing good either.”
“Nope,” Cordelia agreed with a shake of her head. “Though speaking of good, how about giving me all the gossipy details about your date with Jeremy?”
Blushing at Cordelia’s question Avery finally broke eye contact with her knowing she should have expected Cordelia to ask but then again at the same time she hadn’t.
Avery only shrugged as she looked at Cordelia again, “What’s there to say? We went on a date that’s that.”
Cordelia seemed to examine her after she spoke, her brows furrowing slightly.
“Yeah but was it good?” she asked and Avery well maybe she was going crazy but she thought she heard reluctance in Cordelia’s voice just from asking that.
Like Cordelia almost didn’t want to really know the answer.
Again Avery shrugged, “It was alright,” she answered not sure how to answer Cordelia’s question other than that.
Her date with Jeremy certainly hadn’t been the best and now Avery knew why. She knew why but a part of her still wasn’t ready to face anything other than her still being into men somehow. So for now it was because she was bisexual.
“Just alright?” Cordelia persisted with a raised eyebrow and for the second time today Avery felt as if someone was judging her, making her feel horrible in some way.
Though she kind of was horrible with all the lies she keep telling.
But thankfully before she could answer the door to the restaurant opened and Avery watched as Juniper walked inside followed by a long blonde haired girl who was holding her hand tightly and behind them..well fucking hell.
Behind Juniper and the girl who was almost a blonde replica of her was another person she really didn’t want to see today. Paisley.
“Avery?” Juniper spoke as she made it to the table, her presence making Cordelia look at her and hopefully forget the interrogation she was giving Avery. “I didn’t know you’d be here,” she spoke sounding genuinely shocked to see that Avery was here.
Cordelia gave a forced smile at that as her eyes landed on the blonde holding Juniper’s hand as well as the other girl with them and from the look on her face it seemed Cordelia had a look of recognition about something hit her.
“I invited her,” Cordelia fessed up as she kept her forced smile. “I didn’t know you wanting me to meet your girlfriend would mean that you were also going to try to set me up,” she sighed as she shook her head. “I told you on the phone last night I didn’t want anyone right now,” she said and for some reason at Cordelia’s words Avery felt like she had been physically hurt somehow.
Juniper sighed audibly as she and the blonde holding her hand let go of each other’s hands before setting down next to Cordelia and Avery chewed her lip softly as she watched Paisley sit down next to her, her heart which just minutes ago had felt a little stab of pain at Cordelia’s words now beating faster.
Mainly because of nerves because right now she had to act like she didn’t know Paisley. That Paisley hadn’t had sex with her last night and taken her virginity in a way.
Her lesbian one at least, to some extent.
“I know what you said,” Juniper spoke with a shake of her head. “But I just…I wanted you to have someone too so you didn’t feel left out with Avery being in denial about her sexuality and dating Jeremy and me sort of having Calliope,” she smiled as she turned to look at the blonde who Avery now knew was named Calliope.
“You know,” Paisley spoke up making everyone look at her, everyone but Avery anyway mainly because besides having an internal freak out she was trying not to have an external one because somehow Paisley’s hand. The one closet to her had dipped under the table and was resting on her leg. “I’m not really looking for someone either,” she said as Avery’s hand reached down under the table too and rested on top of hers. “I’m not much for dating,” she finished saying almost the exact same thing she had said to Avery last night.
“See,” Cordelia smirked as she looked at Juniper with a shit eating grin on her face. “You really suck at playing matchmaker.”
Avery laughed softly at Cordelia’s words, a shiver running through her body as Paisley slowly linked fingers with her and Avery was almost afraid that they were tempting things.
Playing with fire by holding hands under the table but it was almost like a magnetic force had taken over and well holding hands with Paisley and just being beside her. It was enough to make Avery forget about any hurt she had over Cordelia not wanting to date anyone right now.
“Whatever,” Juniper replied teasingly with a roll of her eyes. “I tried,” she said before smiling and after saying that Juniper did the official introductions for Calliope her girlfriend who was in her art class as well as Paisley who she also had a class with and who lived in her apartment complex.
Which meant Avery again had to act like she didn’t know Paisley. Like Paisley hadn’t just been with her last night as her first lesbian experience and like they weren’t secretly holding hands beneath the table.
It was hard to do but surprisingly Avery thought she was doing well and she was also glad that she had been right about Juniper’s arrival getting Cordelia to drop her interrogation or at least she did for awhile.
Only deciding to open her mouth mid way through the lunch.
“So Avery?” Cordelia spoke in between bites of her egg salad sandwich. “You never did tell me why you’re date with Jeremy was just alright.”