March 2008
Arriving home Avery slowly stepped inside almost cautiously. Like she was waiting for a bomb to explode or something.
Deep down knowing that, that wouldn’t happen but it did feel like it. Especially after having stayed out all night without telling her parents where she was.
But the farther Avery got into the house without seeing her siblings or her parents she began to let her guard down too much. The uneasy feeling subsiding slightly and of course she should have known she wouldn’t be in the clear because the moment she let her guard down she heard someone clearing their throat and she turned, seeing her mom standing in the kitchen with her arms crossed over her chest and a glare set on her face,
Avery swallowing hard as she did her best to throw an innocent smile on her face. Hoping that somehow it would work in her interest in the end.
“Mom..” Avery started watching as her mom shook her head.
“Don’t even try to sweet talk me Avery,” Diana interjected as she kept her arms crossed. “You did it again. Not coming home and I can take one guess where you were since I called Juniper’s and her mom said you weren’t there at all. You were with that friend we haven’t met yet.”
Looking away from her mom Avery once again swallowed hard, “I was with her,” she confirmed with a nod of her head as she chewed on her lip. “She just showed up at the club where Juniper and I were at and she asked me to stay with her last night and I said yes.”
Diana let out a tiny sigh, “And you couldn’t have called and asked if that was okay?”
“I knew what you’d say,” Avery spoke up as she let her gaze go back to her mom. “You’d say no because you don’t know her but I swear she’s a good person.”
“She may be a good person but right now she doesn’t seem like one to me Avery Laurel Hanson. The way she convinces you to just stay with her without even consulting your parents,” Diana retorted as she stepped a bit closer to Avery. “I’m sorry to say this but your dad and I had a talk last night and you are not to see this new friend of yours until we meet her.”
Avery rolled her eyes slightly knowing in the end her mom had probably made the decision and her dad had just went along with it. Like he always did everything she said.
“I told her you wanted to meet her,” Avery said as she crossed her own arms over her chest now. “She agreed and she’s available to meet you tomorrow or Tuesday. She wants to meet you,” she lied knowing that it was best that way.
To just let her mom think this is what Paisley wanted and that Avery hadn’t, had to twist her arm in anyway or the other.
Diana paused at that, uncrossing her arms as she stood there for the longest time eyeing Avery. Like she hadn’t expected her to actually have mentioned anything to Paisley and maybe she hadn’t. Maybe she had thought Avery would never tell the friend she didn’t know so she could casually just try to end the friendship.
“Tomorrow night sounds good,” Diana finally nodded her head. “She can come for dinner and meet your father and I.”
Avery smiled at her mom’s words though she still had a sense of dread, “She’s vegetarian and gluten free,” she added on. “Just so you know to fix something that maybe she can eat.”
“You know I always accommodate guests Avie,” Diana smiled and yeah, Avery did know she did. Just like she always tended to make way too much food when people came over. “Now go upstairs and get ready for Kate’s baby shower. We have to be at Janine’s house in an hour,” she added on referring to the woman from the church that her family went to who was throwing the baby shower for Kate.
Nodding her head Avery headed upstairs. Almost wishing she could find a way out of the baby shower because the last thing she wanted was to be stuck with a bunch of women she didn’t know. Even if her sisters and her mom and two of her sister-in-laws would be there.
Natalie would have been there but she had gone on some last minute trip with Taylor to god knew where. So Pam had decided to go in Natalie’s place.
Sitting on a chair on Janine’s back porch Avery sighed softly as she turned her iPod up, adjusting her earbuds in her ears and she was almost thankful she had brought them along with her. Because she had been hoping she’d find a way to sneak off and she had.
Doing so during one of the many games that had been planned. Just needing a moment away from everyone. That and maybe she had overheard a conversation between her mom and another church friend named Rhonda who also knew the Wrights.
Had heard Rhonda tell her mom that she had seen Jeremy the other day out in downtown Tulsa with some boy who he was acting particularly really friendly with. Almost implying that they were together without even implying. Though of course her mom had dismissed it because he was supposedly still dating Avery even if they hadn’t really hung out at all since the double date last month.
Which maybe they should rectify if they wanted to keep the dating rouse up but then again now that she was with Paisley and Jeremy had obviously found someone maybe they should just end it. She’d have to find a way to ask Jeremy.
Not right now though, instead she’d much rather just drown in her music. Another Tegan and Sara song and forget the conversation she had heard. Forget that even while Tulsa was a sizable small city that in the end it seemed like everyone knew each other and just how lucky she was that she hadn’t been caught with Paisley in public yet by anyone who knew her parents.
Especially last night when they had kissed in the middle of the sidewalk.
It had been foolish and stupid even if at the moment it had felt right. Even if it had lead to good things like sex at her apartment after.
Coming out of her thoughts though when she saw someone out of the corner of her eye sit down in the seat beside her, Avery turned her head seeing Kate.
Almost surprised that Kate had found a way to sneak out of her own baby shower and also surprised in general that she had because today was one of the lucky days she was the center of attention. Something that maybe at times it seemed she strived for with her mom especially when Natalie somehow always found ways to be that center of attention.
Turning her iPod off Avery took out one of her earbuds as she she kept her gaze on Kate. “Shouldn’t you be inside?”
“Probably,” Kate nodded her head as she gave Avery a small smile. “But I wanted to see how you were doing? You kind of remind me of Zac you know? When something’s wrong you run off and hide away from everyone else.”
“I don’t run off and…” Avery started but stopped as she looked around her. Realizing that maybe Kate had a point and she did run off and hide. “Okay so maybe you have a tiny little point and I do. But I’m fine.”
Kate laughed at that a hand coming to rest on her stomach, “You and Zac are also terrible liars Avie,” she told her with a shake of her head. “So what’s wrong?”
Avery chewed on her lip as she looked away from Kate, her eyes going to look at the white picket fence that wrapped around most of Janine’s back yard. “Just things have been weird lately for me. Things are changing in my life and my friend group and some changes…they’re a lot emotionally,” she sighed with a frown not even sure she was making sense. “They’re also taking a toll on my relationship with my mom. I think we’ve begun to argue more than we usually do.”
“And you don’t like that it’s taking a toll on your relationship with your mom?” Kate questioned as she gave Avery a curious look. “I mean according to my dear husband you are one of the better children even if maybe he has helped you do some questionable things in the past,” she winked playfully and of course Kate would know about the weed and the underage drinking.
Zac it seemed sometimes told his wife everything or almost everything. After all didn’t everyone keep some things to themselves even when in relationships?
Avery again chewed on her lip knowing she should say that she didn’t like it but at the same time it didn’t tear her up. It just made her angry how much her mom didn’t seem to want to cut the cord and seemed to be tightening it more and more the closer she reached eighteen.
“I just wish she’d give me more freedom,” Avery admitted as she looked at Kate almost guilty. “It feels like the closer I get to eighteen the more freedoms I lose.”
Kate paused as if she was considering how to reply back, “Well I think every parent has a phase like that Avie. Not to mention you Hanson’s seem to get more stubborn as you age,” she teased with a light laugh. “But at least you will be eighteen soon and then she can’t really take any of your freedoms away which probably scares her since after you she only has two more kids to get to eighteen then she loses all her rights to do anything to anyone that would be controlling and let’s be honest you and I both know your mom can be at times but she wouldn’t be her if she wasn’t.”
“You have a point I guess,” Avery spoke her voice coming out soft.
“I always have a point,” Kate smiled as she slowly stood from the chair. “But I guess like your brother you’re too stubborn to admit that at times too.”
Avery rolled her eyes playfully, “Yeah I guess I am,” she agreed wholeheartedly with a nod of her head.
Kate laughed again as she put a hand on Avery’s shoulder, “Just know if you ever need to talk I’m here Avie and trust me I know Zac is too even if he’ll be busy soon with the Spring tour and all. You know he’d drop anything to talk to you because between the two of us I think you’re his favorite sibling with Taylor being a close second of course.”
“Of course,” Avery laughed as she looked up at Kate giving her a grateful smile and after she had, she watched Kate head back inside.
Avery knowing she should follow after but for now she just wanted a few more minutes by herself to breath and maybe a cry because without even realizing it she had started crying.
Reaching up quickly to wipe at her eyes before anyone else came outside and found her a mess of emotions. But it wasn’t like she could help it.
Her mind had just chosen to go to what Kate said about talking to her if she ever needed and the same with Zac. Both things Avery knew was true she just hated that she was fucking terrified and afraid to tell them the main issues that were plaguing her.
That she was a lesbian who had her first girlfriend. A girlfriend that most of them probably wouldn’t accept because she was a girl and not a boy.
She wasn’t the prince charming they all saw Avery with or had dreams of her with.