Page 120 of Reaching Avery
Since when did they come out there? Just my luck that Avery hadjustbeen about to tell me something important and then we get busted.
The man neared us, holding a flashlight and shining it directly at us. I kept my hand at Avery’s lower back as we stood up and squinted, trying to see past the blinding light.
“What are you boys doing out here so late?” he asked in a gravelly tone. “You smoking the dope?”
I snorted, and thank god it was too low for him to hear.
“No, sir,” I said. “We’re just sitting out here talking.”
It was the truth, but I doubted he believed it. Curfew wasn’t until another hour, so really, he couldn’t do anything to us because we hadn’t broken any law.
Once he was a few feet away, I saw he was middle-aged and a bit on the pudgy side. He kept his flashlight angled down at us, and I nearly told him to stop being a douche and lower it, but yeah, that wouldn’t have ended well.
“Been drinking?” he asked.
“No, sir.”
“It’s dangerous to be out here.” He placed his hand on his belt. “I suggest you boys get back in your car and head home.”
Hissuggestionwas a not-so-subtle demand.
“Yes, sir,” I said, giving him a curt nod before guiding Avery away.
Officer Buzzkill watched us as we got into my car. We put on our seatbelts before I started up my car and slowly pulled onto the road. Checking my rearview mirror, I saw him get into his squad car and drive the opposite direction.
“Where are we going?” Avery asked.
“Good question,” I pointed out with a short laugh. “Um, do you wanna go home?”
Please say no.
“Not really,” he answered, staring out the window.
“We can go to my place,” I suggested. “Since we don’t have school this week, my parents won’t mind me having someone over.”
He turned to me. “Even your dad?”
“He’s trying to do better,” I said, hating that I sounded like I was excusing his poor behavior. “When he got the call from Principal Miller about the fight Wednesday, he was surprisingly okay with it.”
“Really?” Avery asked.
“Yeah. He asked what happened, and I told him the truth. That you were being attacked and me and the guys put a stop to it.” I turned onto Boulder Street and started down the straight, narrow road. “He was cool with it after that. Of course, he doesn’t want me starting fights, but defending a friend against a bully is different. How did your mom take it?”
“Okay, I guess,” he answered, moving his stare back to the window and the dark wall of trees beyond it. “I wish she’d find another job. Any other job, it doesn’t matter. Just not one that involves dudes disrespecting her.”
When we got to my house, I parked in the driveway, being sure not to block in Dad’s car. He usually had to work super early during the week. Avery was beside me as I unlocked the front door and let us inside.
The house was dark, all except for the lamp in the entryway that Mom always left on for me when I wasn’t home when she went to bed.
After grabbing two Cokes and a bag of chips from the kitchen, we went upstairs to my room and shut the door. I sat the drinks on the desk with the chips before looking at Avery. He was standing in the middle of the room, holding his arm in that awkward stance he did when he was nervous.
“You okay?” I asked as I searched my memory for anything in the last five minutes that might’ve put him on edge.
It then occurred to me that he hadn’t been in my room yet. The one and only time he’d come over, we’d stayed in the kitchen with my mom and then had gone into the living room to continue visiting. Once my dad had come home and basically ruined the freaking day, we’d left.
“Yeah,” he answered, looking around. “Your room is messier than I thought it’d be.”
I laughed and went over to the pile of clothes on the floor. I had a dirty clothes hamper in the corner of the room, by my closet, but I didn’t always put them in there. After grabbing the massive pile in one trip, I tossed them in the hamper before going back over to Avery.
