July 2008
Avery yawned softly as she leaned against the passenger seat in Paisley’s car. Her eyes closing some as she drove down the backroads of Tulsa.
“You know your mom is going to freak when she seems me right,” Paisley spoke and Avery only nodded her head to that. “She might kill you too.”
“She won’t kill me,” Avery laughed even though another yawn wanted to come out. Jet lag having caught up with her some. “She’ll threaten too but she won’t,” she said as she opened her eyes again and looked at Paisley with a smile on her face.
Avery knew for sure that yeah her mom would be mad that Paisley was with her, that Paisley had went on the first half of the trip with her without Avery even telling her but in the end she didn’t care.
Paisley raised an eyebrow at that as she turned to look at Avery her eyes landing on Avery’s wrist briefly and Avery followed her gaze, looking down at the sun tattoo which adorned Avery’s wrist.
A tattoo that she had gotten in California three days after arriving. It was a spur of the moment decision but it was one she didn’t regret. Especially not when Paisley had a matching one on her own wrist..or well semi matching.
Paisley’s was a moon to go along with where she called Avery her moon just like Avery’s was the sun because she called Paisley her sun.
“Okay, so she might kill me for sure after seeing this,” Avery added on with a smile. “But I don’t regret it just like I don’t regret you coming with me,” she said as she reached for Paisley’s free hand which wasn’t on the steering wheel.
Her mind going back to a time in California. The day before they had flown to Paris.
Ending the skype call that she had been on with Zac and Kate, Avery left the guest bedroom that she and Paisley had been sharing in Hannah’s apartment. Heading out into the living room where when she got to it she saw Hannah in the kitchen that was attached to the living room but no sign of Paisley in sight.
“Where is Pai?” Avery asked with a raised eyebrow, watching as Hannah turned to look at her.
“She went outside to smoke,” Hannah told her as she pointed to the balcony and Avery followed her hand, seeing Paisley through the glass. “Told her I was jealous she wouldn’t share the last of her good weed with me. But of course she reminded me the weed came from Kellan and he’s my boyfriend so I could just get it anytime really.”
Avery laughed softly at that because that sounded just like her girlfriend, “Sounds like something she’d do,” she nodded before turning on her heel and heading toward the balcony.
Making it outside she watched as Paisley turned to face her as she opened the sliding glass door.
“How’d the skype call go?” Paisley asked with a raised eyebrow. “Did you get to see the little one?”
“Shepherd?” Avery asked as she sat in the chair beside Paisley’s. “Yep I got to see him for a bit but I highly doubt he even knew his Aunt Avery was speaking to him. He’s not even a month old yet and he was probably too busy pooping cause Kate had to leave and change him which gave Zac time to grill me and give me the third degree. Make sure I was sleeping properly, staying hydrated, staying safe.”
“Isn’t that why he wanted you to bring a friend? So they could make sure you were safe?” Paisley questioned as she kept her eyebrow raised.
Avery nodded in response to that, “He’s still just a protective older brother,” she told Paisley knowing it was probably in Zac’s nature to worry about her. “He asked about you as well, you know. You should have stayed in the room and taken part in the call. Got to see Kate and Zac’s lovely faces.”
Paisley scrunched up her nose at that before taking a hit off the joint in her hand, “I just wanted to give you time with your brother. Maybe next time.”
“Yeah maybe next time,” Avery mocked her slightly. “Something’s bothering you Pai so spill.”
“You know me so well,” Paisley spoke sounding a bit sarcastic at that. “But there is something bothering me. What if your brother tells your mom?” she asked sounding almost scared of that. “You know she’ll freak.”
Avery sighed at the thought of her mom finding out just yet that Paisley was with her, “Maybe she will,” she agreed knowing she would. “But Zac won’t tell her. Zac’s always been the best at keeping my secrets,” she explained knowing out of all of her siblings she trusted Zac the most.
He kept all of her secrets and never told anyone. Not even when sometimes he could get in trouble too. Just like sometimes she had kept his secrets.
“Still what if she does?” Paisley asked before taking another hit off her joint. “Are you going to make me leave early just to please her and make her happy? I mean I know how much you still want to make her happy,” she said obviously still maybe a bit bitter about the Jeremy stuff from May.
Back when Avery had invited him to the celebration for her passing her GED test and pretending to be a happy couple with him. Something that had at the time deeply hurt Paisley and even though they had gotten past it Paisley still remembered it well.
Avery wondering if maybe deep down Paisley was still scared that what if this lesbian stuff was just a phase for her. Which was what her initial problem was with seeing Avery play straight with Jeremy.
She had been afraid it was just a phase and that one day Avery would wake up and realize she liked boys and that she didn’t want Paisley. Letting Avery know that Paisley’s feelings ran just as deep as Avery’s own did.
“No,” Avery answered with a shake of her head, watching as Paisley finished her joint. “I wouldn’t make you leave,” she said as she stood from the chair she was sitting in and walked over to Paisley, sitting on her lap. “I kind of like having you here,” she told her smiling some when Paisley slid her arms around Avery’s waist.
Paisley smiled at that, though it didn’t make it to her eyes, “I like being here Hanson. Experiencing life with you, getting to see you away from Tulsa and your family. You seem so much more free that I am gonna hate it when we have to go back.”
“Maybe we can stay traveling forever,” Avery suggested playfully. “We can just take up fake names and travel the world together. We’ll be the thing that keeps the other going and only send postcards to our friends and the nice people in our families,” she spoke knowing that just like her Paisley had family who disliked her sexual orientation.
Though Paisley hadn’t quite divulged who or the story behind it yet. Just made small comments that she had family like Avery’s mom and Avery knew she had been kicked out after coming out.
“Is this your way of asking me to be your winding wheel?” Paisley asked softly as she leaned up, leaving a light kiss on Avery’s cheek.
Avery scrunched up her forehead in confusion at that, “I guess it is, whatever winding wheel means,” she said before laying her head in Paisley’s neck.
“It’s from a Ryan Adams song,” Paisley explained and of course it was. Avery should have known because Paisley used songs to explain things and maybe it came from working in a record store. “It’s the ultimate soul mate. That one person who is with you for the rest of your life. Guiding you when you’re lost and inspiring you when you need inspiration. Basically your driving force.”
Avery fell silent at that, finally feeling like she had an answer to everything that Paisley was to her. “Yeah that is what I’m asking you to be,” she spoke again sounding genuine and honest in her words. “Be my winding wheel Paisley Brianna Chambers?”
“Don’t ever use my full name again and I will be,” Paisley laughed as she held Avery a bit closer to her.
“Deal,” Avery spoke with a smile on her face, her eyes going to Paisley’s moon tattoo that was on her wrist. “A deal I’ll never go back on.”
“Then I’ll be your winding wheel Avery Laurel Hanson,” Paisley agreed and Avery smiled even more. Feeling content and at home.
Something she always felt anymore with Paisley, more so than she ever felt at her actual home with her family.
“Wake up Avery,” a voice spoke and Avery slowly opened her eyes, realizing she must have fallen asleep. “We’re at your house,” the voice said again and Avery turned her head to see Paisley looking at her as she turned the car off. “And your parents are on the porch death glaring us already.”
At the last bit of information Avery moved her head some more towards the porch where indeed her mom and dad were standing. Not too happy looks on either of their faces.
“Well let’s go and face my death sentence together,” Avery spoke with the best smile she could muster as she slipped out of the car, Paisley soon following her lead and as they walked towards her house Avery felt her nerves finally hit.
Scared of how her parents would react to the sight of Paisley as well as how they’d take in Avery’s tattoo which she had sort of gotten illegally since she was only seventeen. Finally actually using the fake id she had for something other than drinking.
“This is unexpected,” Diana stated once Avery and Paisley had made it to the porch. “I wasn’t expecting Paisley to be the friend you mentioned who’d drive you home from the airport. The friend you just told me last night in your first phone call home that tagged along on your trip with you.”
Avery shrugged her shoulders nonchalant as she looked at her mom, “Figured it was best that you found out this way,” she told her as they locked eyes. Her mom’s eyes resembling that of an ice cold swimming pool or what Avery imagined one would look like.
“You did huh?” Diana asked her anger coming through, matching the icy shade of her eyes. “I’m your mother Avery Laurel and I should have known that your little friend was coming with you on this trip. Just like you should have called before last night just to update us on how you were doing.”
“Diana,” Walker interjected as he put a hand on Diana’s shoulder. “Do we have to do this now? Everyone else..”
“Everyone else will be here in an hour,” Diana stated as she turned her head to look at Walker. “So yes we’re doing this now. Our daughter kept stuff from us Walker and she hasn’t contacted us in weeks. It was like she fell off the face of the earth.”
“But she didn’t fall off the face of the earth,” Walker spoke again and Avery just eyed her parents curiously. Wondering when things had changed while she was away and her dad had started to speak up more. “Anyway we know she talked to Zac and she called Jessie some. So she was fine and Paisley was with her..keeping her company.”
Avery nodded at that, “Yeah,” she stated as she moved her hand up to wipe some hair off her face. “Paisley was there to keep me company which is what Zac wanted by the way. He wanted me to have a friend there just so I’d be more safe….” she spoke only to be stopped when her mom reached for her hand.
Avery soon swallowing hard as her mom turned her wrist over to face her.
“You got a tattoo?!” Diana exclaimed before turning back to her husband and settling him with a glare. “She got a tattoo Walker. Are you going to justify that too?” she asked him sounding patronizing.
“If it helps it’s a matching set,” Paisley said softly as she moved her hand so that both of Avery’s parents could see her wrist.
At that Diana laughed as she dropped Avery’s wrist, “I can’t do this right now,” she muttered under her breath as she gave Avery a glare and Avery swore if looks could kill she’d be dead. “I need to go upstairs and say a prayer before everyone else comes and I don’t even want to see you right now Avery Laurel Hanson. I’m so disappointed in you,” she muttered before turning and heading back inside the house.
After she left Avery chewed on her lip as she eyed her dad, almost afraid he’d go off on her too but instead he just pulled Avery into him, kissing her forehead softly.
“She’ll come around Avery,” he muttered as he lead her inside the house, Paisley following behind silently. “Just give her time to cool off. Though I do suspect sometime soon we’re going to talk about that tattoo of yours because you really should have asked us before getting it.”
“I know I should have,” Avery told him as she looked up at him with a smile. “Which reminds me it’s Paisley’s birthday and I was wondering if she could come to our Fourth of July celebration we have here as well as maybe spending the night. It’s her birthday.”
Walker let out a tiny sigh as he moved away from Avery, “I’ll talk to your mom about her spending the night,” he told her and Avery was afraid with that, that the answer would be no. “I’ve been trying to get her to loosen up on you guys while you were gone but I’m afraid today’s reversed some of that. But I’ll see what I can do though it’s fine if Paisley stays for our usual Fourth of July stuff. Now you two go into the kitchen and help Jessie and Zoe finish fixing the foods. I need to make sure Mac hasn’t hurt himself in doing the yard work I had him doing.”
Laughing at that Avery nodded as she turned to face Paisley, waiting until her dad was gone to speak, “Well that went better than I thought it would,” she said feeling a bit hopeful. “I’m still alive.”
“For now,” Paisley added on as she turned to lead the way to the kitchen. “You’re still alive for now.”
“Which is good enough for me,” Avery told her knowing for now it was good enough for her.