May 2008
Avery sat at the table in Taco Bueno, fiddling with her phone as she waited for Jeremy to show up. Wanting to keep constant vigil on her phone in case Kate had the baby while she was meeting Jeremy. A meeting she had planned just last night.
Mere hours before they had gotten the call at six in the morning that Kate’s water had broken and Zac was taking her to the birthing center they were using.
Avery almost wanting to be there but knowing she had to be here. Had put off this meeting with Jeremy for too long but one that had been on her mind since the graduation celebration dinner and Paisley getting upset at how well she played straight with Jeremy.
Not wanting to have something like that happen again. Not to mention both she and Jeremy had people now so it wasn’t like they really needed each other.
Hearing the door open Avery looked up quickly, feeling relief when she saw Jeremy coming inside.
“Sorry I’m late,” Jeremy apologized as he sat down in front of her. “Had to run some errands for mom first.”
“It’s okay,” Avery smiled as she shook her head. “You showed up and that’s all that matters,” she told him honestly as she laid her phone aside. “Even if you were late.”
Jeremy laughed some at that before taking a breath, “So we’re going to talk before eating?” he questioned with a raised eyebrow.
“Yeah we are,” Avery answered as she made a face. “Though it shouldn’t be a long talk. I mean you probably know why I’m here..why I wanted to meet up.”
“I have my suspicions,” Jeremy spoke as he lowered his eyebrow. “You want to stop the fake relationship,” he said before she could even tell him and he was right.
That was indeed what she wanted from him.
“You’d be correct,” Avery told him. “I think we should stop our rouse and just tell people we broke up. I mean we both said it would be until we came out or we both had someone and we both have someone now. You have Tyler and I have Paisley and I just think this whole thing should end.”
“No, I agree,” Jeremy said sounding almost relieved. “Tyler told me about how Paisley got hurt a few weeks back and I keep thinking what if that had been Tyler. I don’t want it to be so I agree that we should end things. Before we both go crazy or end up losing the people we love.”
Avery smiled sadly at his words because deep down she had been afraid that she had came close to losing Paisley. Glad that in the end she had fixed things and smoothed things over. Things being better now between them.
Nothing not even Avery’s family having done anything to create drama between them lately.
“Well since we have came to this decision I think we can eat now,” Avery told him right after her stomach grumbled and ruined the silence between them. “Lunch is on me.”
Jeremy raised an eyebrow at that, “On you huh?” he asked curiously. “You must be in a good mood today.”
“I am,” Avery admitted as she stood from the table, grabbing her cell phone. “I’m going to be an aunt again. Kate’s in labor as we speak and soon Zac’s going to be a dad,” she said feeling slightly weird having said that.
Yet she had perfect confidence that Zac would be a good dad. He had been a good big brother even if at times he was slightly crazy.
But then again weren’t all Hanson’s slightly crazy?
“Is it weird?” Avery asked as she sat outside of the hospital in Zac’s car with him. Sharing a celebratory joint with her brother over the birth of his new son.
A baby boy named John Ira Shepherd Hanson or just Shepherd. Shepherd who was only a few hours old now.
“Being a dad?” Zac asked as he handed the joint to her, reaching to turn up the song they were listening too. Some old Tom Petty song that Avery was sure Zac hated yet tonight it seemed right since they were smoking what was mentioned in the song.
Avery nodded in response, taking a hit off the joint. But remaining silent.
“Slightly,” Zac answered and at that Avery handed him the joint again. “Think I’m more nervous then finding everything weird.”
Raising her eyebrows at that Avery just looked at Zac, “Nervous?” she asked him as she laughed but stopped when she realized from the look on Zac’s face he was being honest. “Why are you nervous for Zachary?” she questioned using his full name.
“What if I screw my kid up Avie baby?” Zac asked her sounding like he genuinely believed he would. “I’m nervous for that. For one day realizing that somehow I screwed up my own kid. Ruined him somehow or something.”
“You ruin someone?” Avery asked him clearly in disbelief that he even thought he could ruin anyone. “Zac you’re not going to ruin anyone least of all your own son.”
“I ruin myself daily,” Zac muttered under his breath and Avery wasn’t sure if she was supposed to hear him or not.
One reason why she opted to stay silent at that, only heaving a sigh as she took the joint from him again and finished it off.
“You’re not going to ruin Shep,” Avery spoke again as she gave Zac a sad little smile. “I mean just look at me and Mac. We’re close to you and you haven’t ruined us yet,” she told him a bit teasingly watching as he finally gave her a tiny smile.
Not much of one but it was something. Made Avery feel a bit better to see him smile.
“Like you said, yet,” Zac said as his smile grew. “Though speaking of you, have you done what I asked you when I called on tour?” he asked and that question alone proved to Avery that Zac wouldn’t screw up with Shepherd.
Not when he was so attentive on her safety and the thought of not liking her traveling alone.
Avery chewed on her lip as she looked away from him. Afraid to confirm that she had, afraid to tell him that Paisley would be coming with her.
“I have,” she finally spoke breaking her own silence. “I talked to Paisley, my friend you had political debates with when we went out to eat as a family to celebrate my graduation and she agreed to come with me. Though she can only come on the first leg. Can’t take too much time off work.”
Zac took a deep breath at that, like he didn’t like that it would only be the first leg. “Guess it’s better than nothing,” he said his words confirming what Avery had thought. “Just expect me to be contacting you more on the second leg. To make sure you’re alive and everything.”
“Oh I will,” Avery laughed as she playfully nudged his shoulder with her own. “Expect you to do it on the first leg too even if I am going to have Paisley with me.”
“You know me too well Avie baby,” Zac laughed as he undid his seat belt and moved to get out of the car. “Come on though let’s go see my son again. Kind of miss him already.”
Avery grinned at that silently getting out of the car as well, following Zac inside and hating the fact that one day she wanted this for herself.
A family of some kind with some woman her brain conjuring up thoughts of Paisley. Even if the relationship may never last but still Avery wanted this one day. A partner and a baby and a family to call her own that she could gush and worry over.
But for now she’d still be a seventeen year old girl terrified of everything falling apart if her sexuality came to light.