April 2008
Groaning as she sat outside by the pool Avery buried her head in the books that were laid out in front of her. It had been three weeks now since she had started the GED program and tonight was the second to last class before they took the tests for it and so she had been cramming way more.
So much that she was beginning to get a headache and get sick of studying. She was also shutting out everyone close to her except the family who lived at home and maybe she was also starting to get sick of them too.
Knowing if she had to listen to Zoe and Mac getting into one of their many adventures she’d probably lose her mind. That and the semi silent treatment she was getting from Jessica over the fact that she’d be traveling was enough to make her go crazy and she knew she needed a break soon.
Yet she was scared if she took a break she’d fail her GED test and she’d be stuck here in Tulsa with nothing to do all Fall except for Paisley and she was sure her mom wouldn’t like that to be her future aspirations. Doing Paisley for the rest of her life though the idea was actually not one Avery was opposed to.
Having sex with Paisley forever but not as a full time job of course. Instead she wanted to do something centered on art. Whether that be running an art gallery or even teaching art to people somehow.
“You okay there Ave?” a voice asked and Avery looked up to see Jeremy standing beside the table.
A blush coating her cheeks because she hadn’t even heard Jeremy coming outside. That was how lost she had been in her thoughts of hating studying and hating being stuck at home with her family.
Avery plastered on a smile as she watched Jeremy sit down in a seat next to her, “Just drowning in facts and information that I’m not sure my brain can handle.”
Jeremy laughed softly as he shook his head, “Oh right I forget Jessie mentioned the GED and summer trip stuff last time I saw her. She was a bit surprised that I as your boyfriend didn’t know this information.”
“Of course she was,” Avery replied back because it would be just like Jessica to assume you had to tell your partner everything. “Though maybe she had a point and you should have known if you were really my boyfriend.”
“But I’m not,” Jeremy smiled almost like he was gleeful over that. “God knows you’d drive me crazy if I was and I’d probably hate not getting to see you during your tumultuous time of being stuck in the study cave also known as Hanson House hell.”
Avery glared playfully at Jeremy, “It’s called the Hanson Compound for your information,” she corrected him knowing that she and her family sometimes referred to their huge gated house as the Hanson Compound. A name that stuck after fans began to use it online. “So it’s Hanson Compound hell and Paisley gets to see me,” she defended though she thought that maybe the last time she had truly seen Paisley had been Monday night.
Then they had, had lunch together on Tuesday but Cordelia and the girl that she had been having dates with since March had been there too so they hadn’t been truly alone then.
So maybe it had been a few days since she last saw her girlfriend or any of her friends. Though she had become an excellent texter lately so at least she still had contact with them.
“Really because Paisley was complaining about how little she has seen you lately over lunch at Taco Bueno,” Jeremy teased her and Avery only furrowed her eyebrows.
“You hang out with my girlfriend?” Avery questioned him because obviously sometime during her excessive studying for her GED she had missed the fact that Jeremy and Paisley had become friends.
Jeremy shrugged all innocent and shy as he looked away from Avery’s gaze, “She may be friends with my boyfriend,” he whispered softly and there again was another thing Avery hadn’t known and maybe Avery felt a bit bad.
Realizing that somehow since the relationship had failed with Jeremy maybe she had lost touch with him.
“You have a boyfriend?” Avery asked with a smile as she nudged Jeremy’s arm playfully. “Spill the details please.”
Jeremy kept his gaze away from Avery’s, his cheeks turning pink at her words. “His name is Tyler and he’s the boy I was thinking of when we kissed. I finally had the nerve to tell him how I felt a few weeks ago and we’ve been dating since then. Probably been spending more time with him than I have Mac which is actually why I came by today. To hang out with your brother.”
“Yet here you are outside talking to me,” Avery laughed as looked back at her books. “Giving me a reprieve from studying.”
“Decided to take pity on you. You looked so helpless with your head buried in these books on the table,” Jeremy shrugged. “That and maybe I wanted some advice.”
“Advice?” Avery questioned feeling a bit taken aback. People rarely came to her for advice, mainly because she sucked at giving advice. The only Hanson’s who seemed to be good at that were Jessica and Isaac but Isaac’s was usually more like a parent would give and he could usually get boring when explaining things.
Then again hadn’t she been told by a few people she could get long winded like Isaac too? A comparison she really hated just like she still hated when Paisley had compared her to her mother.
Jeremy again blushed his cheeks now a lovely red instead of pink. “Tyler and I are finally going to have sex for the first time this weekend. His parents are out of town and he invited me over and I’m internally freaking out because I’ve never had sex before.”
“And you think I’ve had sex before?” Avery asked him though her tone implied she wasn’t scandalized by his question.
“I’ve seen Paisley,” Jeremy stated like that should have been reason enough for his assumption. “If I were straight I would have had sex with her the first day we met.”
“We sorta did,” Avery confessed as she now blushed too. “But sex isn’t something to be nervous about. It’s actually really good and you may suck with it being your first time but if Tyler loves you he won’t mind.”
Jeremy nodded his head before standing up, “I hope he won’t but let’s be honest Avery,” he spoke as he smiled sweetly down at her. “I’ve done sucking way before my first time.”
“Eww,” Avery muttered sarcastically as she swatted at Jeremy. “Too much information for my innocent ears,” she told him as she shook her head.
Watching as he left after that and once he was gone she was left with her books. Knowing she still had a few more hours until she had to leave for class and that meant a few more hours of studying.
“I’m going to die,” Avery muttered to herself as she shook her head. “Going to fucking die.”
Sighing in relief as she left her class Avery slowly slipped her notebook into the purse that she had slung over one of her shoulders. Slowly looking for the keys to her car as she walked out of the college and down into the parking lot.
Just wanting to get home and maybe sleep even if it was only nine at night. All the studying today and learning in class had made her tired and an early bedtime sounded like heaven.
As did a cup of coffee which would keep her awake but her body did crave coffee like it craved certain foods. Coffee and Paisley being two addictions that Avery was certain were going to do her in at some point or another.
Making it to her car, Avery found her keys finally and smiled as she closed her purse. Her face contorting in confusion when she saw a letter taped to the driver’s side window of her car.
Reaching out she took the letter off and unfolded it. Smiling again when she was greeted with Paisley’s handwriting.
I can’t believe you have made me resort to writing you letters and stalking your car out to leave them on. But I guess you really are like the moon lately and I’m like the sun because we’re never out at the same times anymore since you descended into the pits of study hell. I miss you though and you’re still pretty to me. Prettiest girl I know right now and how about we go get ice cream before you head home and go back to study hell?
Avery raised her eyebrow in confusion at the last sentence though her confusion soon died when she heard someone behind her clear their throat and when she turned around she smiled seeing Paisley behind her.
“You’re still here?” she asked almost afraid that somehow she was imagining her standing in front of her.
“No it’s my ghost,” Paisley joked with a roll of her eyes. “Yes I’m still here. I missed you and wanted to see your pretty face,” she smirked before leaning in to cup Avery’s cheeks with both her hands. “That and I really want ice cream.”
Avery laughed softly as she leaned in to peck Paisley on the lips, “So you want ice cream more than seeing me is what you mean?” she asked playfully.
“God you know me so well Hanson,” Paisley nodded her head. “The ice cream is what I was looking forward to all along. Your company is just an added bonus.”
“I knew it,” Avery said triumphantly as she moved away some. Putting the letter in the pocket of her jeans. “You’re having an affair on me with frozen goods. But I guess I may come along on this forbidden love affair of yours. See what my competition is really like.”
Paisley smiled almost like she was the cat that had gotten the canary. “Good now get in your car and follow me downtown so I can see and taste my mistress in front of you.”
“Demanding and kinky,” Avery teased before opening the door of her car, watching as Paisley walked towards her own.
“But you love me,” Paisley called out over her shoulder and as Avery got in her car she knew there was no denying it.
Paisley had her there. She indeed loved Paisley very much and was almost a bit sad that in June she’d be leaving her for a few months to embark on her summer trip and then after she wasn’t sure what would happen. Where she’d apply to school and where she’d end up.
Was afraid that maybe somehow her mom would get her wish and that their relationship would dissolve.
Arriving at the ice cream shop that stayed open late downtown, Avery parked her car next to the sidewalk and she got out. Slowly walking to where Paisley was parked and once Paisley had got out of her car and walked over Avery wasn’t in the least bit surprised when Paisley linked her fingers with Avery.
It was just something they did nowadays. Hold hands in public and sometimes they kissed too still even if they knew they could be chancing it.
But Avery swore sometimes maybe the chance was worth the risk because how could she hide how she felt for the girl she kept falling more in love with every time they were together.
“Eating ice cream is really going to mess up my sleep schedule,” Avery mused as she walked with Paisley towards the ice cream shop. “It’s going to keep me up for most of the night and I should sleep.”
“So you can wake up and study again?” Paisley asked with a bit of sarcasm to her voice. “It seems to be a wash, rinse, repeat thing with you.”
Rolling her eyes Avery shook her head, “No, I promised Cordelia that I’d go see her play actually. It’s her last one in high school and she’s really excited for it. She even got the lead which she didn’t think she’d get but of course she would because she’s good at it and never has confidence in herself.”
“People are their own worst critics sometimes,” Paisley said with a nod. “I usually hate majority of the pictures I take.”
“I hate a lot of my own paintings,” Avery added on knowing she did hate a lot of her own stuff. “But Cordelia’s really good and one day I think she could be on Broadway or in movies or something. It’s really no wonder she got accepted into the school she wanted in San Fran.”
“Exactly what school was it again?” Paisley asked and Avery was sure Paisley was only asking for her benefit because of how much she had been talking about Cordelia and maybe she shouldn’t be doing that.
Talking about her ex crush who may have harbored feelings for her still while out with her girlfriend.
“Academy of Art. She’s getting a degree in acting though personally I don’t think she needs it with her talent,” Avery said with a shake of her head.
Paisley only laughed as she pulled Avery a bit closer by her hand, “You know you are such an adorable best friend. I can see why Cordy fell for you. The way you dote on her.”
Blushing Avery looked down, “Sorry. I know I shouldn’t be talking about her so much while out with you.”
“No, I get it,” Paisley told her as she squeezed Avery’s hand. “She’s your best friend probably more so than Junie at times and you like to talk about her. I’m that way with Cal at times.”
Avery smiled softly as she turned to look at Paisley, feeling comforted some that Paisley hadn’t been jealous about how much she had talked about Cordelia.
Mainly because in the end Paisley had nothing to be jealous over. There were no feelings on Avery’s part for Cordelia. None that amounted to the type of feelings she had for Paisley.
Coming out of her thoughts though as they dropped hands briefly to go inside the ice cream shop. Avery took her hand just as quickly as they went to the counter to order.
Not being surprised when they both got their usual ice cream orders. Paisley’s some low fat chocolate thing and Avery getting a Strawberry cheesecake flavored kind. Some type that Jessica had gotten her addicted to years ago when they had came to this place and now it was her go to ice cream flavor.
“Avery?” a voice asked from behind where they were standing after they ordered and maybe they both turned around too fast at that.
Avery swallowing a bit hard when she came face to face with her two pregnant sister-in-laws. Nikki and Kate and as soon as that realization hit her she let go of Paisley’s hand quickly.
Afraid that even an innocent hand holding with a girl would be clue enough that they were dating or that one or the other would go back and blab to her mom about what they had seen and that was the last thing she needed.
Not when her mom already knew Paisley was a lesbian and was wary of her.