May 2008
Avery huffed out a breath of air, the bangs that had been settled neatly on her face after putting her hair up into a half ponytail flying up.
“You know Jessie should be here helping us clean out the pool house,” Mac spoke up from where he was not far from Avery in the kitchen area.
Zoe having been regulated to one of the two bathrooms to clean it.
“Yeah well she isn’t. She used her boyfriend as an excuse to get out of helping us clean the pool house,” Avery retorted knowing the cleaning of the pool house was a monthly thing.
Though lately their parents had gotten a bit lax on actually making them keep up with cleaning it but now since they had decided to let Kate and Zac stay in the pool house for a few weeks after Shepherd’s birth. Something their mom said was just so they could cope with being new parents while having some help, they had finally decided to make the younger kids clean out the pool house.
Get things ready for whenever Kate went into labor and they had to come and stay here and somehow Jessica had made up last minute some plans she had with Joe. Something Avery had deduced without having to pull a Zoe and snoop to get her information.
Jessica was a pretty bad liar and when she had spoken about the plans this morning and did her weird hand twirl thing with a strand of her hair, Avery knew her sister had been lying. Getting out of cleaning the pool house and leaving Avery, Mac, and Zoe with the brunt of the work.
Mac chuckled at that, “I’m kind of shocked you didn’t try that,” he spoke as he turned to look at her. “Use Jeremy to get out of this or even using Paisley to get out of this.”
“Why would I use Paisley?” Avery asked with an amused smile. Not sure why Mac’s thought would be she would use Paisley to get out of house work.
Mac looked away from her with a blush on his cheeks which only made Avery’s amusement grow because it was rare that Mac got embarrassed over something. “I know about you two,” he stated his voice going softer now and Avery paused as she eyed him.
Feeling like her whole heart had stopped but surely he didn’t mean what it sounded like he meant. There was no way he knew.
Yeah Zoe thought she knew something but Avery trusted that her sister would keep her mouth shut. At least she tried to trust that because Zoe was ten and naive and maybe hopefully loved her enough to keep whatever she thought a secret.
Just like she hoped the same from Isaac and Taylor too.
“Know about us?” Avery asked finally feigning confusion hopefully to throw him off in case he thought he knew the truth.
Mac looked back at her almost skeptically as the blush stayed on his cheek, “That you two were arguing last night,” he spoke fast almost like he had came up with his words last minute. “Thought you’d want to fix things with her because she seems special to you.”
Avery smiled sadly when Mac said that Paisley seemed special to her. “She is special to me,” she nodded her head. “She may also be mad at me but we’ll fix things when she is ready so I know not to go and force myself upon her when she doesn’t want to see me.”
“But why?” Mac asked curiously. “You do it all the time with Juniper and Cordelia when they are mad at you and I know they’ve done the same to you.”
“Because Paisley is different than them,” Avery shrugged hoping that was answer enough for Mac and it seemed to be because after that Mac fell silent and they went back to cleaning.
Avery being so in the zone that when her phone rang out some time later it made her jump some before she realized it was her phone and she looked around to make sure that Mac hadn’t seen her and that Zoe was still in the bathroom.
Feeling relieved when it seemed she hadn’t been seen, Avery reached for her cell phone again without having to check the id because she knew from the ringtone that it was Juniper calling.
“Hello?” Avery asked into the receiver as she quickly moved to head outside to keep Mac and Zoe from hearing her conversation.
“You know I’m mad at you Avery Laurel Hanson,” Juniper stated first thing after Avery said hello.
Though even with her saying she was mad Avery suspected she wasn’t really mad. She didn’t have her usual mad tone to her voice.
“Mad at me?” Avery asked confused as to why Juniper would even be not so mad at her though claim she was. “What have I done now Junie?”
“Not you per say,” Juniper clarified. “But your girlfriend interrupted Cal and I, last night as we were fooling around. Came to Cal’s all huffy and angry and I got the boot so Cal could console her friend and I suspect Paisley was all huffy because of you.”
Avery was rendered silent at that. Sad over the fact that Paisley was as upset as she was. Upset enough that she ran to her best friend.
“It’s sorta because of me,” Avery confirmed with a nod of her head, though Juniper couldn’t see her. “I maybe invited her out to my family’s dinner celebration for me passing my GED tests and I may have also invited Jeremy just to keep mom happy and I don’t think Pai liked us playing boyfriend and girlfriend or she stopped liking it after one too many cheek kisses.”
Juniper sighed softly almost like a disappointed mother would sound like, “Oh Avie,” she muttered and Avery could picture perfectly the way Juniper shook her head when she was upset. “You didn’t.”
“I did,” Avery responded almost guilty as she looked down at the pavement that she stood on, walking a bit closer to the pool. “I know I shouldn’t have but I just I wanted Pai there and I knew the only way I’d truly be able to have her there would be to invite Jeremy too.”
“But you didn’t have to act all lovey dovey with him,” Juniper reminded her which made her guilt worse.
“No probably not,” Avery conceded with a tiny sigh. “But I knew if we didn’t my family would get suspicious and acting was easier now that we both know we’re gay.”
“I’m sure it was,” Juniper stated plainly. “But I can see how it would hurt your girlfriend’s feelings. I know it would hurt mine if my girlfriend who couldn’t be able to show how she feels for me openly decided to act straight with her fake boyfriend in front of me. Even if I knew it was to make her family happy. It would just hurt deep down on some level.”
Avery frowned slightly as she ran a hand through her bangs, pushing them up, “Well how do I fix this then Junie?”
“I wish I knew something to tell you but honestly I have nothing Avie,” Juniper spoke and she sounded almost regretful. “I’m sure you’ll think of something though. You’re a smart girl.”
“A smart girl who has been making dumb decisions for the past several months now,” Avery added on knowing that lately she just wasn’t herself but she blamed it on everything that was changing thanks to what she now knew about herself.
That and keeping Paisley a secret was taking a toll. But sadly she just wasn’t ready to come out to her family especially not when her mom was so against even the idea of Avery being gay…especially when it came to Paisley because there was an even bigger chance she’d react worse if she knew Avery was indeed gay and dating Paisley.
“Maybe but I know you’ll still figure something out,” Juniper reassured her and how Avery hoped she was telling the truth.
“I hope so because I really love her Juniper. Like the head over feet kind of love,” Avery said knowing she was in so deep.
Deep enough that sometimes it scared her to think about the relationship ending.
“Then I know you’ll figure something out if you love her that much Ave. Now I gotta run I have a lunch date planned with Cal if your girlfriend doesn’t have her preoccupied still.”
Avery laughed softly at that, a sad sounding laugh, “No, she has to work this afternoon so she shouldn’t have your girlfriend hijacked anymore Junie,” she told her and after saying that both Avery and Juniper muttered a quick goodbye before hanging up.
Avery pocketing her phone as she turned and headed back into the pool house. Finding both Mac and Zoe in the main room just sitting on the couch.
“Okay enough being lazy you two,” Avery told them, watching as they both groaned and rolled their eyes. “We have to get back to work and finish cleaning but how about after we go out shopping and for an early dinner? My treat.”
Mac stood from the couch as he eyed Avery, “Shopping where?” he asked sounding almost apprehensive because of course he would he was a fourteen year old boy and most didn’t like the idea of shopping, especially with girls.
“A record store,” Avery answered knowing Mac would hopefully be fine with that. “I mean if that meets your standards.”
“Can we go to a video game store too?” Mac asked with a hopeful look on his face. One Avery didn’t want to crush.
“Sure,” Avery smiled softly. “Then we’ll go to Panda Express after.”
Mac grinned all big at that, “Then it’s a deal,” he told her and his words made Zoe huff some.
“But what if I don’t want to go?” Zoe asked from where she still sat on the couch.
“It’s free food Zoe…free food on your very kind older sister,” Mac told her as he looked at Avery, his grin still staying on his face. “How often does she offer free food out of the goodness of her heart?”
“Hey,” Avery yelped as she reached out and swatted Mac playfully. “Be nice or I’ll make you pay for yourself and only treat Zoe.”
Mac laughed at that but turned back to Zoe who still seemed hesitant, “Oh come on Zobug,” he pleaded as he dropped his smile for a pout. A pout Avery knew he was only putting on for show to win Zoe over. “Come with us for me. Your favorite older brother in the whole wide world.”
Avery had to look away at that, chuckling softly at how much Mac was laying it on just to get Zoe to agree.
“Fine,” Zoe spoke as she stood from the couch. “I’ll go with you guys but if I don’t have fun you guys are gonna hear it on the way back home.”
“Oh trust me Zoe,” Mac stated as he walked to her and slung an arm over her shoulder. “We’ll have fun. When have I ever let you down?”