March 2008
Waking the next morning to the smell of food cooking, Avery opened her eyes slowly. Having to blink several times before she realized that she was in Paisley’s bed.
Last night coming to her all at once as a sleepy smile played on her lips. Remembering how both she and Paisley had confessed their feelings and then how they had made love. Paisley taking her virginity fully last night and then telling her about Ellery.
Why things hadn’t worked out with her and why she wouldn’t go back no matter how much Ellery wanted her either.
Sitting up slowly Avery’s eyes also landed on the Polaroid she had taken last night of Paisley facing away with her and the perfect view of her ass. Making a mental note to herself to take it before she left and went back home because she really did truly want to keep that picture.
Just like she had kept the letter and put it away in a shoe box. It was the only thing she could do because she couldn’t publicly put things out in her room that had to do with her relationship with Paisley. Knowing her mom or anyone else could see them and ask questions.
Which made Avery sad but at the same time she knew she also still wasn’t ready to come out. Not when she was still so afraid of her family’s reaction and she wasn’t yet eighteen. Maybe once she was eighteen she’d tell them because then she’d be a legal adult and they couldn’t try to run her life.
Tell her what to do with her choices but then again they probably would. Taylor had been around that age when he had gotten Natalie pregnant and then been forced or well maybe coerced into marrying her and maybe now a part of Avery finally understood what Zac meant when he told her she’d understand everything when she was older.
She was older now and here she was making decisions that weren’t dumb but some that she knew maybe others would consider that way. Ask her why she had been so reckless but she was in love and maybe Taylor had been in love with Natalie.
Even if they had been off and on during their relationship before the pregnancy.
Shaking her head Avery came out of her thoughts and slipped out of bed. Getting dressed in a hurry but before she could leave the room a picture on the wall caught her eye. It was the same picture from Paisley’s myspace. The one of Avery in the sun. The one she had literally titled my moon in the sunlight and Avery wasn’t sure how but she hadn’t noticed it until now.
Another smile playing on her lips because hadn’t she told Juniper once that this was one of the things she wanted. To be a picture on Paisley’s wall and she was.
Paisley had put her picture on the wall along with other pictures that she had taken that she liked well enough to hang up in her room.
Turning to leave the room finally, Avery found Paisley in the kitchen standing over the stove. Her eyes looking Paisley over liking how she looked dressed in her pajama shorts and a flannel button down shirt that was long. Long enough that it almost covered her shorts.
“You just going to stand there looking at me or?” Paisley asked as she turned to look at Avery. A hint of playfulness in her eyes.
Avery laughed as she walked farther into the kitchen, “How’d you even know I was up?” she questioned as she went to the stove seeing that Paisley was making pancakes.
Probably gluten free and vegan somehow because Paisley was way more health conscience than Avery was. All of Avery’s friends were just like they were way more liberal too as Paisley had made it known already that she’d be voting for anyone who wasn’t a republican in the elections this year.
Avery though just hadn’t truly made a decision where she stood political view wise. Knowing where most of her family already stood. A good majority of them were conservative and clung to that like it was a safety net. The same as they clung to their religion as well.
“I could hear you walking down the hall. Then I felt your eyes on me,” Paisley explained before leaning in to peck Avery on the lips. “I’m almost done making breakfast. I mean if you can stay or you can go if you need to call a cab and get your car from where you parked it last night so that you can go home.”
“I should probably go home,” Avery spoke knowing it was what she should do. “But when have I ever done what I should?” she asked as she pecked Paisley’s lips again. “I think I’ll stay for breakfast then leave after,” she said knowing that she was also trying to delay the inevitable.
Her getting in trouble when she went home and had to face her parents.
Paisley smiled at that, “I was hoping you would. I even made coffee for you and we both know how much I hate coffee.”
Avery laughed some as she nodded her head, “You do hate coffee so I feel really special that you made coffee just for me.”
“Yeah well you’re the only reason I started buying it too,” Paisley told her and Avery couldn’t help but like that information.
Knowing that Paisley only even bought the coffee for her but she didn’t say that out loud. Instead she just moved to get a mug down from the cabinet and once she had it, she went to the coffee pot. Quickly fixing her cup of coffee the way she liked it.
As well as watching Paisley from the corner of her eye as Paisley moved around, fixing both their plates once she was done and taking both to the table.
Finishing up fixing her coffee Avery walked to the table and sat down across from Paisley. Deciding to speak only after she had taken a drink of her coffee and got some caffeine in her system.
“So,” Avery began as she swallowed the coffee. “I kind of wanted to talk to you about something and I’m not sure how you’re going to like it,” she said feeling a bit nervous but she knew she needed to mention before her mom hounded her on wanting to meet her unknown friend again.
“You’re not going to end things with me already are you Hanson?” Paisley asked rather teasingly though her facial features showed she was interested in whatever it was Avery had to say. As well as her leaning in some even after she had taken a bit of her pancake.
Avery shook her head as she took another sip of her coffee as well as taking a tiny bite of her own pancake. Wanting to now delay this talk though she knew it needed to happen.
“My mom wants to meet you,” Avery finally confessed. “Demanded as much in Texas last week when we got into an argument and I’m afraid if she doesn’t meet you then she’ll ground me until I’m eighteen. Her threat to even get me to agree to have you meet her.”
Paisley nodded her head slowly a few times, remaining silent after Avery had spoken. Avery feeling afraid of what she’d said. That Paisley would freak out on her or something.
“And you’re just now telling me this?” Paisley asked as she raised an eyebrow. “You couldn’t have told me sooner like right after you got back from Texas?”
“I just I guess I was afraid and it never felt like the right time to bring it up,” Avery defended knowing it was nerves more so than never being the right time. “I was afraid you’d freak out or something you know? I mean I might if I knew my girlfriend’s mom wanted to meet me or else,” she spoke not even realizing she had said girlfriend until the word had slipped out of her mouth so casually.
“Girlfriend,” Paisley repeated before smiling softly as she reached for the orange juice she had fixed herself. Taking a drink of it. “I like the sound of that oddly and I never thought I would like it again,” she admitted with a tiny smile. “But on the subject of your mom I wouldn’t have freaked out like you said in Texas or explained really your mom is kind of a bitch. I get her threatening wanting to meet me but I didn’t even know she knew of me specifically.”
Avery took another tiny bite of her food, “Well not you specifically just the mystery friend that I stayed with in February,” she said as she felt herself blushing as she looked away from Paisley. “She doesn’t like it that I have a friend she doesn’t know about.”
“Ah,” Paisley muttered as if she had, had a sudden epiphany on something. “So she wants to meet me to see if I meet her standards and if I don’t then I’m gone from her daughter’s life. That’s how it is right?” she questioned and yeah maybe she had, had an epiphany because deep down Avery had a feeling that was what her mom had in mind.
To meet Paisley and if she didn’t like her find a way to end their friendship except her mom had no clue that their friendship went much deeper than that. That they were together as more than just friends…they were girlfriends it seemed.
Had became that without them even realizing until it had already happened.
Nodding her head Avery took a long sip of her coffee to keep from verbally answering for a bit. “Yeah, that’s how it is probably going to be,” she finally spoke with a tiny frown.
Unsure now with that out of the way how things would go between them. If she’d still be rational or if she’d now get angry or something.
“And what if she doesn’t like me and wants me out of your life Avery?” Paisley questioned with a raised eyebrow. “I mean it’s a possibility and I don’t look like Juniper or Cordelia. It’s going to be harder to pass me off as a straight friend so what happens if she doesn’t like me?”
Avery sighed softly because deep down she knew it was a possibility. A major one because Paisley did have a point. There was no denying that she looked anything but gay which she was. It was sort of how at times Taylor looked gay but then again he wasn’t or she didn’t think so anyway so maybe she could use that if her mom tried that argument.
Even if it would be a lie.
“I’m not going to cut you out of my life,” Avery spoke sounding more confident than maybe she felt. The only time she had really even stood up to her mom was in Austin last week and even then she had ran and apologized by the end of the day.
She just still prided herself on being her parents good child and wanted so much to be what they wanted her to be. Knowing deep down she was far from it.
Paisley gave out an almost bitter laugh at that, “You say that now but I know people like your mom,” she spoke with a sad tone to her voice. “I mean why do you think I don’t have anything to do with my own family. They are people like your mom and I got kicked out of my house at sixteen,” she admitted and Avery frowned because she hadn’t known that.
Paisley never really talked about her family and now Avery guessed she knew why. But hearing that made her more nervous than ever about admitting the truth of her sexuality to her family.
“But if your mom wants to meet me then I guess that can be arranged,” Paisley finally conceded. “Though the only days I have available this coming week are tomorrow and Tuesday. Every other day is filled with work or school stuff.”
“I can bring it up to my mom when I get back home,” Avery said feeling happy that Paisley had at least agreed. Now though she was nervous on what her mom would think of Paisley. “I’m sure my mom can find a way to work with one of those days,” she smiled though it didn’t quite reach her eyes.
A part of her worried for whatever day it would be and what would go down. Hoping that maybe her mom would like Paisley and see that she wasn’t a bad person even if she was able to figure out Paisley’s sexuality.