Page 34 of Reaching Avery
“Hey, chick,” I called to her. “Where’re you goin’?”
Surprise showed on her lightly freckled face, but before she could respond, Travis chimed in.
“Yeah, what’s up? Too much testosterone for ya?”
A smile touched her lips, and she approached us again. “Not even a little bit. I grew up with three older brothers. I know how to handle men.”
“Good to know,” Travis said with a wink.
I narrowed my eyes at the two of them, not sure what was going on. Last I heard, Travis was banging some cheerleader, so my protective side would be coming out if the flirting went further.
Sarah was like a sister to me, and friend or not, I’d kick Travis’ ass if he hurt her.
Once we’d reached the other guys—who playfully harassed Sarah and she put them in their place real quick—we settled in with them. Conversation was thrown into the gutter almost instantly, going to partying and hookups.
Losing interest, I started looking around the yard and saw Avery sitting at a table in the shade. Ben from bio class was with him, and they were talking. Avery smiled at something Ben said, and it did something strange to my insides, like a jostling sensation in my stomach that fluttered up into my chest cavity.
I was glad he’d made a friend, since he’d said he never really had any before. And of course that line of thinking made me remember that night in the car with him. Of how the small space between us had made me want to scoot closer and close that distance. To bury my face in his dark hair.
Crap. I had it bad.
I knew I wasn’t being fair. I had a boyfriend, and yet, I couldn’t help but be drawn to Avery. In my heart, I knew I’d never act on those feelings while still dating Chris, but it didn’t make me feel like any less of a jerk.
But it was just a harmless crush, right?
***
A few days later, I grabbed some textbooks from my locker before going outside to the student parking lot. I tossed the books in the backseat of my car before getting in and starting it.
With me being cast in the school musical, I needed to go to Brew Emporium and talk to my boss.
The scripts were nearly ready to be passed out and rehearsals would begin the next week. It was the one downside to it all. Rehearsals would be after school Tuesday and Wednesday, with the occasional Friday thrown in closer to the first performance, so I’d need to work that around my work schedule.
It shouldn’t be a problem because my boss was awesome, but I didn’t like that I’d be cut hours.
Mr. Lee hadn’t told us when the opening show would be, but I estimated probably in November. Bigger theater companies usually rehearsed four to six weeks before opening night, but since we were a high school, I assumed we’d at least have two months or more.
I drove to work and parked in the employee area before walking inside.
“Hey, loser,” Garrett greeted me. “I thought you didn’t work tonight.”
“I don’t.” I approached the counter where he was making a latte. “Just need to talk to Derrick about my schedule. Rehearsals will start soon, and I’ll need certain days off.”
“Congrats, man,” he said, placing the drink on the pick-up bar and then calling out the order. A cute guy with bleach blond hair and glasses came and grabbed his coffee before walking back to the table with two girls. Garrett watched the guy a moment before turning back to me. “D-Man should be in his office.”
“Cool. Talk to you later.”
As expected, Derrick was cool with it and blocked off the days on the schedule that I couldn’t work from the next week and on. He congratulated me as well, and I thought it was pretty cool that he was supportive.
If only my dad could’ve been like that.
Once I got home, I told my parents that we’d start after-school rehearsals next week and that I’d had to take off work. Mom was excited for me, saying I needed to have as much fun in school as I could.
Dad, however, scoffed into his cup of coffee.
“What?” I asked, even though I already suspected the reason.
“Saying you’re gay is one thing,” he answered, shaking his head in dissatisfaction. “But do you really need to play it up this much?”
