March 2008
Sitting in Natalie and Taylor’s hotel room, Avery smiled softly as she looked down beside her at Penny who was laying on one of the beds coloring while Ezra played some game on Natalie’s laptop and River slept in the bed opposite them.
Avery feeling a bit thankful for the break right now because ever since she had, had the children today they had all been hyper and active and maybe they had wore Avery out. Made her feel tired and she was almost counting down the time until she could go to the hotel room she was sharing with Zoe and sleep.
Hoping that Zoe let her sleep anyway because sometimes Avery swore that Zoe could be bad about letting her sleep when they shared rooms.
But sleep was what she wanted to do and if Natalie’s text that she had sent was true she would be back in thirty minutes which meant that her brother’s show at the Bat Bar had to be almost done because Natalie would never leave until the very end. She was still that much of a fangirl at times.
“Aunt Avie?” Penny questioned bringing Avery out of her thoughts. “How come you aren’t going to be watching us tomorrow?” she questioned sounding all sweet and innocent and very much like a girl who wanted her aunt to watch her tomorrow.
“Because tomorrow I’m watching Everett for Nikki and going with your Granna Hanson and Aunt Zoe to see the Jenkins,” Avery told her as she smiled more.
Almost liking that tomorrow she only had one kid to watch instead of three and tomorrow she’d also have her mom and Zoe there as well while today it had just been her because there was no way that Avery and all three kids could fit in the same car as her mom and Zoe to go and see the Jenkins the family friends they had here in Texas, which maybe it was a good thing then that at the last minute Jessica and Mac had chosen to stay home.
Because it felt hectic enough to Avery to have as many family members as they did already here in Texas.
Penny made a face as if she was thinking over her next question, a face that Avery knew she got from Taylor. “Well can’t you leave Everett here with Ezzie and River and take me instead?” she asked before batting her eyelashes.
Laughing Avery shook her head, “I don’t think your mommy would like that too well, remember you guys are going out before the show to celebrate your daddy’s birthday?”
“Oh, right,” Penny spoke almost as if she had forgot and that seemed to tide her over on questioning Avery as she went back to her coloring and Avery turned her attention to the TV, where she tried her best to pay attention to whatever TV show was on but her brain was just too tired to do that.
Her brain obviously wanting sleep and wanting it now.
Though it seemed her brain just couldn’t win as her phone vibrated and she pulled it out of the pocket of her jeans. Seeing a text from Cordelia and feeling a bit surprised as they hadn’t spoken since Saturday when Avery had obviously broken her heart.
How’s Texas?
Texas is good. How are you?
Drowning in my feelings by eating ice cream but hey I found out I just got accepted to that one college I really wanted to go to this fall.
The one in San Fran?
Yep 🙂 I’m finally leaving Tulsa behind.
Reading Cordelia’s last text Avery swallowed hard, a part of her feeling sad again because with this news that meant both of her friends were leaving her alone in Tulsa next year.
Juniper moving to North Carolina with Calliope and Cordelia moving to San Francisco and she’d be stuck in Tulsa semi alone.
Yeah she’d have Paisley maybe if they were still sleeping together by then but her friends would be gone and never once in her life had she really been without them. Even when she was arguing with one of them. They had always been there in some way and now they wouldn’t and she’d be alone and that was probably the downfall of being the youngest in her friends group and being a grade behind Cordelia and two behind Juniper.
Hearing the hotel door open though Avery came back out of her own head as she pocketed her phone again, not even responding to Cordelia yet. Because how could she congratulate her friend when she was conflicted on her leaving?
“Sorry I’m a few minutes late,” Natalie spoke as she came into view and Avery stood from the bed, giving her a friendly smile.
“It’s okay,” Avery told her as she shook her head. “It was no problem. Once I got the kids bathed and settled for the night they were fine.”
Natalie seemed to smile gratefully at that looking somewhat relieved and with Taylor nowhere in sight Avery guessed she probably was because that meant the kids would be good while she dealt with them alone. Until whenever time Taylor decided to come back to the hotel.
“I’m glad to hear it because trust me I know they can be a handful,” Natalie laughed as she put her purse on the end of the bed that River was sleeping in. “Even after their bath sometimes.”
“I guess I lucked out then that they weren’t a handful on me tonight,” Avery laughed as she moved to leave the room. “Goodnight Nat,” she said before opening the door, hearing Natalie say goodnight to her as well and it was after she responded that Avery slipped out of the room.
Heading down the hall to the room she shared with Zoe and again the moment she was alone her brain was screaming for sleep. Though now when she slept she could at least forget for awhile that soon in a matter of months she’d be left alone without her friends there for her.
When she reached the door of the hotel room, Avery found her hotel key in the other pocket on her jeans. Letting herself in the room and none to surprised to see Zoe sitting on the bed she had claimed yesterday watching some show on the Disney channel.
“Disney channel still Zobug?” Avery asked as she shut the door behind her and walked to her bed where she collapsed none too gracefully. “Aren’t you a little too old for those shows by now?” she asked with a smile because maybe she got a kick out of teasing Zoe some.
Then again she knew Zoe could kind of give it back just as good because again she had learned from Mac who had probably learned from Zac.
“And aren’t you too old to be sharing a room with your ten year old sister but here you are,” Zoe retorted as she stuck her tongue out at Avery which made Avery laugh softly.
“Touche,” Avery nodded her head before letting out a yawn and closing her eyes. “Enjoy your Disney shows though as long as it means you’ll let me sleep,” she muttered softly too tired to even get up and change into her pajamas.
When Zoe didn’t respond back and the room stayed silent except for whatever TV show she was watching, Avery sighed almost content as she kept her eyes shut. Hoping that sleep took her soon because she’d take it and enjoy it for all it was worth.
Though she knew she’d still wake up in the morning with the knowledge that her best friends were leaving her behind. That no matter how many feelings she had for Paisley and no matter how much it would be nice to have Paisley still if things were still the same between them by this fall it would still be different because her friends were much different than the woman she may have loved.
They were people she could run too and not be judged or they were anyway. She was still so unsure about things with Cordelia and hell maybe Cordelia had only told her to make her hurt just like she had hurt her.
But maybe Avery was just being crazy and maybe Cordelia just wanted to share her happiness with her friend even if she was upset at said friend.
“Hey Avie?” Zoe sing songed bring Avery who had been close to sleep back to reality and she heaved a sigh though she kept her eyes shut.
“What Zoe?” Avery spoke up sounding a tad bit annoyed.
“How come Jeremy didn’t come after all on this trip? I mean he was supposed to come and he’s still your boyfriend isn’t he?” Zoe questioned and her words made Avery open her eyes as she swallowed hard.
She should have known someone would question Jeremy’s absence since he was supposed to be here and they hadn’t told anyone they weren’t dating anymore. Having decided that for now since neither were ready to come out to their family that it’d be easier to just keep up the dating rouse until one or both were ready to come out or until they had someone steady of the same sex to date even if they didn’t come out.
Taking a deep breath Avery opened her mouth to speak, “Things just came up with his dad’s church,” she lied and she hoped it was believable enough. After all Jeremy’s dad was a pastor and he sometimes had his kids help out last minute with stuff at times.
Zoe gave her skeptical look as if she was trying to decide if she believed Avery or not.
“Oh, I was just…I guess I thought maybe you two were having trouble,” Zoe shrugged as she looked down.
“Why would you think that Zobug?” Avery questioned with a chuckle that sounded forced.
Zoe only shrugged again as she stayed looking down, “I just do but then again you love him,” she stated before looking at Avery as if she could see right through her sister. “Don’t you Avie?”
Now it was Avery who looked down, “Of course I do Zoe,” she nodded her head and well she did love Jeremy just not like a boyfriend. She loved him the same as she loved all her brothers.
“Are you positive?” Zoe questioned again and Avery again felt annoyed because she’d much rather be asleep than playing twenty-one questions with her baby sister.
“Yes I’m positive now goodnight Zoe, I’m going to sleep,” Avery snapped out as she closed her eyes again and this time she even turned away from Zoe. Hoping that her sister got the hint and stopped asking questions.
Waking from a peaceful sleep to something vibrating against her leg, Avery opened her eyes slowly. Blinking several times as she slowly came too. Realizing that the room was now pitch black and the TV was off and as she turned over slowly she could make out Zoe’s sleeping figure in the bed opposite hers.
Feeling another vibration Avery looked down at the pocket of jeans, knowing that her phone had been the reason she had woken up and so she reached inside to pull it out. Almost expecting to see two texts from Cordelia questioning her on why she hadn’t replied to congratulate her once the phone was turned on but instead she saw the two texts were from Paisley.
So guess who dyed her hair blonde?
Laughing Avery only shook her head before opening the second text.
If you guessed me you’d be right. But my hair dying isn’t why I was texting. I was texting to say that Junie, Cal, and I may or may not be in Austin right now and at your hotel. We had to pry the info from Cordelia but she caved. We have a room on the third floor if you know you want to come and hang out with us. There is alcohol and pizza.
Avery just stared at the second text having to reread it several times over just to make sure she was reading it right and when it became apparent she was she bit her lip. Sending a text back.
It’s one in the morning….and I don’t even know what room you guys have on the third floor.
Room 355 and I mean if you want to be an old lady and sleep you can do that 😉 We’ll just enjoy the pizza and alcohol without you.
Biting her lip as she read Paisley’s text back, Avery knew she shouldn’t go to their room. Not when she had a long day tomorrow hanging out with family friends and also watching Everett but the pull to hang out with her friends as well as find out why they were in Austin exactly was much too strong so she slipped out of bed.
Doing her best to be silent and not wake Zoe as she left the room, heading to the elevators quickly in case someone from her family came outside. A part of her hoping that her brothers were all in for the night because she wasn’t sure what excuse she’d come up with for being up and taking an elevator at one in the morning.