Page 10 of Reaching Avery
When I gave one to Avery, I couldn’t help but look at him. However,hiseyes were downcast, as if he was embarrassed. Or maybe he was just ignoring me. Either way, he didn’t bother talking to me, so I moved on until all the books were passed out.
Mrs. Brown thanked me before starting class. I let my mind drift a little, as I already knew a lot of what we’d be covering that year, and of course that led me to Avery.
Again.
My interest in him wasn’t exactly a shocker. He was my type, and even though they didn’t look a lot alike, he reminded me of Noah. Noah had been the rocker type, sporting aqua-blue hair, piercings, and a wardrobe that consisted of band and zombie T-shirts. Not exactly like Avery, but a similar style.
Where Noah had looked more like a punk skateboarder, Avery was more emo. All the labels—goth, emo, punk—kind of went over my head, and I wasn’t one for labels anyway. But going off of style, I guessed that’s how they’d be.
You have a boyfriend, I told myself.Even if Chris hasn’t returned any of your calls.
Feeling lonely was no excuse, though. Cheating wasn’t my style, and I’d never stoop so low.
Class ended, and I trekked to the next one. Algebra.Ugh.Mr. Davis was his usual grumpy self, and I stared at the clock, willing it to move faster.Not surprising, he actually lectured on our first day back to school and gave us homework.
I didn’t see Avery again until lunch.
He grabbed his tray and sat at a table in the corner of the cafeteria. From my distance, I watched him. His slumped posture was the same, as was the way he kept his head down. A group of girls passed him and gave him that snobbish look before giggling and walking away. He peered at them before dropping his gaze to his food.
I debated on going over to him, but after the standoffish attitude he’d given me earlier, I decided not to.
“Hey, you!” Sarah ran over and wrapped her arms around me. She was only five foot two, so matched with my six foot height, it was almost comical. After pulling back, she stared up at me and moved her neon pink glasses farther up on her nose. “How are you liking classes so far? I swear, Mrs. Parker is out to get me. She knows I can’t draw for anything, and yet she gives us a stupid assignment in art today, only giving us twenty minutes to do it, and then she makes me stand up in front of the class and show them all what I did. It was a disaster.”
I chuckled, which earned me a slap.
“Sorry! Sorry.” I put my hands up in surrender. “Was it just you she called up?”
Sarah nibbled her bottom lip. “No. Everyone had to get up and do it. But still.”
Shaking my head, I walked with her to the lunch line, and we slowly worked our way forward.
There was a decent variety of food. Pizza was served every day, as were hamburgers and fries, plus whatever was on the menu. It was some mysterious concoction of meat and cheese that day, so I went with the pizza. Once we had our food, we found a table and sat.
“Do you work tonight?” Sarah asked after popping a fry into her mouth.
“Yep. Six to ten.”
“Awesome! Well, not like awesome that you have to work, but awesome as in I’ll come in and see you.”
I worked at Brew Emporium, a coffee shop that was also a used book store. I got the job over the summer. The place had a lot of cozy areas and comfy chairs to sit in while you enjoyed a specialty latte and a good book—or comic books in my case. There were also a bunch of tables that made it the perfect place for students to study.
Throughout the week, I’d work just a few hours after school, and I’d have a longer shift every Saturday with Sundays off.
I loved it. It was a great after-school job until I graduated. And maybe even as I went through college, if I could still swing a part-time job while keeping up with my studies.
Sarah started saying something else, but my attention moved to Avery.
He stood from the table and went to dump his tray. He quickly left the cafeteria, as if he’d been waiting for that exact moment when he could flee.
Once again, I wondered what his story was. His rude behavior from earlier might not have been aimed directly at me, like a personal thing. It might’ve just been how he treated everyone he saw as a potential threat.
“Mav? Are you listening?”
“Yeah. Totally,” I lied, meeting Sarah’s gaze.
“God. You’resucha guy,” she said, looking annoyed. But then she grinned and nudged my elbow. “It’s a good thing I like you.”
“Wait. I’m a guy?” I asked, feigning shock and looking down at myself.
