Stabbing her spoon into the pint of salted caramel ice cream, Avery pulls one of her legs to her chest, her other foot still propped up in Luke's lap.
"You know what's unfair?"
"What?" He asks as she swallows the spoonful of ice cream before holding her hand out to change him for the strawberry flavored one.
She runs her spoon along the rim of the pint, scooping the pink up onto the silver. "Sophie Sheridan has three men in her life who will gladly claim her as their daughter but my dad only calls when he needs to get the guilt off of his chest."
Luke straightens up and reaches for the remote, muting the rerun of an old Friends episode playing in the screen.
Avery usually prefers movies over tv shows but tonight the television is mostly background noise anyways. It's a nice change of pace to not have to care entirely too much about what's happening on the screen, to not have to worry to miss anything if she zones out. And she finds herself zoning out a lot tonight, mind not seeming to be able to not contemplate the few past days â how different they turned out from how she originally imagined them.
Twisting in his seat, Luke takes in her expression. There's a careful note laced in his tone as he asks, "Sophie who?"
"Sophie Sheridan!" She exclaims, resting the spoon against her lips as she sighs further into the cushion of the couch. "'Mamma Mia!'. At least try to keep up Luke."
The guilt of having snapped when he's here for her sake washes over her in an instant but she can tell it doesn't faze him much as he doesn't comment on it, instead simply leaning back against the decorative pillows propped up against the arm of the couch.
"Is that what he feels like?" He asks, reaching his arm out to set the pint of ice cream down on the coffee table. "Like he only calls when he's feeling guilty?"
She lifts her right shoulder in a shrug. "I don't know," She says, resting her chin on her knee. "I guess. When we talk it always stretches on forever and I don't know... there is a lot of prevarications and saying how he wishes things would be a certain way. You know?"
Luke's blue eyes soften slightly and he stays silent for a beat, tapping the pads of his fingers against her foot. "Whenever I mention it... or we talk about it you say he's doing the best he can."
"He is doing the best he can."
Though all her friends have quite a good understanding of the Robert-situation, Luke is the one who knows most. Mainly because he was there through all the years when her father was still here but his words ring true â she doesn't often touch upon the subject, doesn't dig deeper than the surface as it's brought up. Always desperately trying to shield her father from the criticism that may arise at the mention of him. It's a sticky situation to say the least â and the gods above know she's been struck in the crossfire more than a couple of times â but she's doing the best she can with the cards she's been dealt.
She flickers her eyes between the ice cream and her friend. Clenching his jaw, he looks as if he would like to dispute her words but instead he keeps quiet, reaching for the bag of gummy candies â the kind he doesn't even like but only brought along because he knows they're her favorite â where it lies on the coffee table. He regards her for a moment, popping a piece of candy into his mouth and she imagines he's contemplating how to speak what's on his mind without accidentally causing things to go sour between them.
"All I'm saying," He begins as Avery sets the ice cream down on the table, wrapping her arm around the leg she has pressed to her chest. "Is that he could've handled this whole 'oh by the way we're not going to Orlando' thing better."
Holding back a sigh, Avery feels her lips â and the neutral face she's been trying to keep up â fall. "... You're right, he could've," She rolls her lips in, swallowing. "I was really looking forward to finally get to know them. We've spoken about it so many times but it never happens and now we were so close and then he just... sent a text."
There are a lot of things that doesn't sit right within her about how this all turned out but the one thing she truly cannot shake is how she only had the news delivered to her through text. Or how despite the fact that it's been four days since she received it she hasn't heard another word from him since. Not a follow up text. Not a call. Nothing. She keeps that part to herself though.
Luke's expression mirrors her own. "I know."
Her eyelids fall shut, tongue pressing to the roof of her mouth as she draws in a breath through her nose. Her teeth are still clenched as she opens her eyes again, finding Luke staring back at her, brows dipped together in concern.
A dry chuckle escapes her lips. "I even bought a stupid Lonely Planet guide. It just... sucks."
"Yeah," Luke leans forward, lacing his fingers around her wrists and tugs her into his embrace, wrapping his arms around her in a hug. "It really fucking sucks."
â¡â¡â¡
"No peeking."
"You'll have me killed."
Luke's palms gently press into her shoulders. "No I won't," He says. "Okay. Step. Step. Step."
"Has this staircase always been this long?"
"There's only two more steps. Okay now stop," He says. "Don't look yet!"
Avery's lips pull into a faint smile. "I'm not looking."
"Good. Okay," He steers her around the corner of the wooden railing, that much she can tell from having spent the past seventeen years living in this house. "Now look."
"Surprise!"
Avery's eyes fly open as she hears the additional voice, lips parting as they widen into a big smile. "Nic?!"
As Luke nudges her in the back between her shoulder blades she stumbles forward, slightly dumbfounded as she wraps her arms around Nic who happily lifts her off of her feet, twirling her around before sitting her down. "You're supposed to be in Costa Rica!"
"I might have gotten a few days off camp life because of a family emergency."
Frowning, Avery takes a step back, looking up at the boy. "Family emergency?"
He pokes his finger into her shoulder, lips slipping into that grin he always seems to sport. "You're my family emergency."
Avery's mouth scrunches up in a soft pout, looking between her friends, skin around her eyes creasing as she blinks. "Me?"
"Of course we did," Nic pulls her into another hug, the height he has on her leaving her to bury her nose into his chest before he wraps his arm around her shoulders, bringing her with him as they walk into the kitchen. "We'll have the most epic week â well, most epic four days but whatever â ever! Starting with brunch. I'm starving."
Avery holds back an eye roll, corners of her mouth lifting into a smile. With Luke and Nic it seems there is never a time they're not thinking about food. She lets her gaze flicker over the spread on the kitchen table â noting that it is probably the most of groceries this room has seen in quite some time.
She leans back in Nic's embrace. "You guys are the best."
"No," Luke passes by them, simply patting her on the head twice. "You're the best."
â¡â¡â¡
A paperback lies open over Nic's face, it's bright pink cover shielding him from the sun rays slipping through the tree crowns above.
"I'd forgotten what silence is like." He says, voice muffled beneath the pages and a soft laugh escapes Avery's lips as she pauses in her reading, flickering her eyes away from the pages of her book where the three of them are sprawled out in the backyard of her house to look at him.
"I still can't believe you two came all this way just to cheer me up."
Luke stretches his arms over his head. "Believe it."
"I win though," Nic adds. "Because I came all the way from Costa Rica."
Avery lowers her book, letting it rest between her thumb and index finger as she shoots Luke a look, raising her brows as if asking whether he's about to challenge Nic's claim but the boy simply shrugs and she wouldn't be surprised if he just rolled his eyes underneath the shades of his sunglasses.
"Maybe I should just stay here for the rest of the summer," He says. "That house is crowded enough as it is."
Avery scoots over, dropping the back of her head into his lap as she looks up at him with a pleading pout of her lips. "Please do."
Luke smiles down at her. "Yeah no â that' won't fly."
"Tell them I'm sad beyond consolation," She says, reaching up to steal his sunglasses. She peers up at him through the shaded lenses, grinning. "They'll have no choice than to let you stay here with me."
Nic snorts, lifting the paperback off of his face as he sits up. He rolls his shoulders back, getting to his feet. "I'm bored. Let's go do something fun!"
â¡â¡â¡
"Yeah, I can't read that for shit."
Laughing, Avery recounts the 'summer specials' as Nic squints up at the colorful letters at the chalkboard above the counter before ordering herself an iced chai.
After getting refreshments at Beans & Bagels they let her roam the bookstore for a while, not exactly thrilled with it being the first activity she'd come up with when asking what she most wanted to do with the rest of their day but complies nonetheless.
Every time they get into the car, she controls the aux chord. Even though the car rides are short â playing 5 Seconds of Summer on a loop. Smiling, she leans her head against the window, singing along.
She doesn't miss the way they shoot her glances every now and then. In the bookstore, in the park, in the car, while shopping for groceries â especially the times their conversation falls silent but her mind is far from the cancelled family trip fiasco. Her best friends are here. And they came all the way to Acebridge for her sake.
She knows there'll be a time when the disappointment lingering hidden in the back of her mind will come creeping back but as for now she's happy forgetting, happy to make the most of the few days she has with her friends instead.
â¡â¡â¡
Avery mimics Nic, setting down the bag of groceries she's carrying down on the kitchen counter. She turns on her heels, walking over to the table and sits down at one of the stools as she stretches her arms over her head.
"We bought way too many things for three people."
He shrugs, heaving himself up on the counter as he begins to unpack the bags. "Maybe."
Brows dipping together at the sound of a car pulling into the driveway, she cocks her head around the weaved curtain, lips widening into a smile."Is that who I think it is?"
It's a pointless question â she could spot it in a sea of identical ones, she knows every inch of the Audi from it's sleek black finish, the license plate to the small dent in it's left backdoor from that one time they accidentally parked too close to another car at an away-game.
As she turns her head to look at Nic he's grinning, shrugging as if feigning he doesn't have a clue. "Why don't you go look?"
She glances out the window again just as the two girls climb out of the vehicle, pointing and waving excitedly as they spot her face in the window and Avery's on her feet less than a second later, sprinting down the hall and throwing the door open just as Callie takes the two entrance steps in one sprint, wrapping her arms around her at the very same second as Avery throws her own around her, instantly becoming engulfed in the girl's familiar scent of vanilla and peach.
Lea hurries past them, kicking her white sneakers off in motion. "I'll be back in a second but I really have to pee!"
â¡â¡â¡
"Did anyone time the pasta?"
Avery and Luke exchange a glance before the latter pours the slices of cucumber on his cutting board into the salad bowl, turning to Lea. "... We thought you did."
Lea's lips part as her eyes narrow but she closes her mouth again, refraining from whatever lingers on the tip her tongue, eyes cast to the pasta as she stirs around the pot. Callie walks into the kitchen that very same moment, hair wrapped into a towel on her head.
"How's it going?"
Avery jabs her elbow into Luke's ribcage as she catches him trying to hold back his laughter as an exasperated breath leaves Lea's lips, the corners of her own mouth twisting up as she meets his gaze. She shakes her head, returning her eyes to the task of cutting tomatoes.
Lea beckons Callie towards her, lifting a few straps of spaghetti with the spoon, blowing on them. She carefully takes one between her fingers before holding another out to Callie.
"Help me decide whether this is perfect, not cooked enough or totally overcooked." She says, popping the spaghetti into her mouth.
Callie does the same, chewing thoughtfully as she asks, "Didn't anyone time it?"
Avery clears her throat, dropping the cut up tomatoes into the bowl. "A slight miss in our communication."
"It's not done, is it?"
Callie shakes her head. "No. No I don't think so, let's give it some more minutes," She says, eyes scanning the kitchen. "What can I do."
"Set the table?" Lea says, flickering her eyes towards Avery who nods with a smile. Lea nods too. "Yeah, set the table."
The sound of the front door closing comes a few seconds later and Nic strolls into the kitchen, beaming as he drops the gym bag hanging over his shoulder to the floor by the doorway.
"Just in time for dinner." Callie notes as Avery hands her the cutlery.
The latter stirs around the salad with two spoons before carrying it to the table, before glancing Nic's way. "Do you have the goods?"
He kicks lightly at the bag. "All in there."
"'Princess Protection Program' too?"
"What kind of person do you take me for?" Nic mocks offense. "Of course Princess Protection Program too."
Callie disappears out of the kitchen as Lea brings the pasta to the table, returning a split second later with her hair out of the towel and hanging combed out over her shoulders. Avery pads over to her on her bare feet, wrapping her arms around her shoulders.
"I've missed you."
Callie leans her head against Avery's, one arm coming out to hold her. "I've missed you too."
Lea passes them on her way to dim the lights and quickly ducks away from both of their outstretched arms, getting a laugh out of both of them.
She shakes her head, sliding onto one of the stools closest to the window. "You're so clingy."
"Sorry."
"Soz."
Just as they've all taken their seats and filled their plates Avery groans, getting to her feet again to walk over to the fridge. "We forgot the lemonade."
â¡â¡â¡
As she returns from the bathroom Avery's lips pull into an amused smile, skin between her eyes creasing.
"Um," Her eyes flicker between her four friends where they're sat on the living room floor and the movie on the screen of the TV. "What's going on?"
Callie whips her head over her shoulder only to have Nic promptly turn it back into it's previous position. "Sit still," He orders her before shooting a glance Avery's way. "A deadly competition, that's what's going on."
Avery drops herself down in the corner of the couch, watching in amusement as Nic and Luke do their best to braid Callie's and Lea's hairs â taking far longer than should be possible. She flickers her eyes to the TV momentarily, watching the Disney Channel Original Movie before returning her gaze to her friends.
"He's not messing it all up, is he?" Lea asks Avery, eyes on the movie. "If I go look in the mirror and see one big snarl on the back of my head I swear toâ"
"It's fine," Luke says reassuringly. "It's actually turning out quite great, don't you think?"
"She's not allowed to give you any feedback," Nic's quick to say, turning to Avery. "You're not allowed to help him out."
"Avery pulls one of her knees to her chest. "I wasn't going to."
Callie pats the floor in front of her, "Come sit."
Already knowing her friend is about to give her a neck massage Avery happily obliges, grabbing the bowl of Cheetos stood on the table and sits down in front of Callie, feeding her a Cheeto before reaching the bowl out for Lea.
A moment later Nic exclaims a "Voila!", causing Avery to avert her eyes from the movie once again.
"That..." She begins. "Doesn't look half bad."
"Mine's better though, right?" Luke prompts as he scoots back and gets to his feet.
"They kind of look the same."
"Okay but who wins?"
Avery sets the bowl down, reluctantly moving away from Callie as she motions for the girls to properly turn around for her to see. "Luke."
"Yes!" Luke holds his palm up for Avery to high five. "Thanks Ave."
"Well that's not fair."
Lea cocks a brow. "How's it not fair?"
Nic looks between Avery and Luke, raising his brows. "Those two have some weird womb connection."
Lea laughs and Avery pops a Cheeto into Callie's mouth before taking one for herself.
"You did a good job though." She says, smiling at Nic as he scoots back to lean against the couch.
"Yeah," He mutters, turning his attention back to the movie and reaches his hand up to the coffee table to grab the nearest pint of ice cream. "Thanks."
Callie pats his leg consolingly. "I'm sure you did just as good a job as I would."
â¡â¡â¡
"Weak."
Avery laughs as Callie shoots their friends a look with the word â where they're all sprawled out over the floor, sound asleep with pillows propped under their heads and bodies wrapped in blankets.
"Shh," Callie puts her finger to her lips. "Let's not wake them."
Avery downs the last of her lemonade, shifting from sitting crosslegged to fold her legs to her side and lowers her voice as she asks, "Are you tired?"
"Not really, no."
"I want tea. Do you want tea?"
"I could go for some tea."
They collect the trash, empty bowls and glasses stood on the coffee table before leaving the living room with as soft footsteps as possible, making sure not to wake their friends.
Callie swiftly works her way through the dishes and puts the few pints where there's still ice cream left in the freezer while Avery prepares the pot of tea. She takes two of the floral patterned ceramic mugs her grandmother has made them out of a cabinet, setting them down on the kitchen table before crossing the room. She digs through one of the bottom drawers full with all sort of stuff until she finds a pair of tea-lights, dropping them into two candle holders, lightning them up and taking them to the table too.
Finding a lone chocolate bar among the trash they brought in from the living room she grabs it in one hand and the pot in the other, padding over to the table and sitting down on one of the stools. Callie gathers up the rest of the trash, throwing it out before coming over to the table too. She twirls her long red strands of hair into a bun on the back of her head, fastening it with the tie she has around her wrist. A small smile curves on Avery's lips at the sight of her friend as she stretches herself long, reaching her arms over her head â the satin pajama pants sure to cost a fortune quite a stark contrast to the worn out, coffee stained gray t-shirt with the faded 'Montgomery for Congress-78' in bold letters across it's chest.
Avery rips the chocolate bar open as Callie sits down, laying it between them on the table before pulling her legs up onto the chair to sit crosslegged, reaching over to pour tea in both their cups.
Apart from the flames of the tea-lights and the designer lamp stood on the window sill the kitchen bathes in semi-darkness, the sky having grown quite dark outside and the two of them are sat there for quite some time. Their conversation taking routes between small nothings and big somethings â talking and laughing softly as not to wake their friends in the other room while breaking pieces off and nibbling away at the chocolate bar, drinking their tea.
â¡â¡â¡
The next day passes quite swiftly and Avery can't help but to feel like their time is running away. Suddenly her gratefulness for getting at least a few days with her friends this summer instead of not having any at all fiddles out, exchanged for the feeling that it's not enough, a sadness striking at her core when she's reminded that in a couple of days it will be just her again.
She tears her eyes away from the pages of her book, glancing out over her friends where all five of them are sprawled out over her backyard, soaking in the last rays of sunshine for the day. If one were to look at them right now it'd be hard to determine the temperature â Lea's wrapped in one of the duvets she's brought with her from the living room, her face peering out of it where she lies on her back with her eyes closed while Nic uses his paperback to shade the sun â Avery hasn't actually seen him read said book yet â in nothing but his shorts. Callie's sat over at the rickety table, painting her nails and Luke's leant against the trunk of the tree, weighing a glass of lemonade back and forth in his hand as if beginning to grow bored. Avery's beginning to feel the restlessness kick in herself.
"Anyone wanna go for a run?"
A collective groan spreads through the backyard and Lea sits up, pulling her earbuds out. "What?"
"Ave just asked if anyone wants to run."
As if that's the most outrageous thing she's heard today Lea grimaces, flopping back to the ground. "That's a no from me."
"Yeah no you are in no way getting me out on a run." Nic says from beneath the pages of his book.
"Aren't you guys the ones who are supposed to be in pre-season conditioning?"
"Don't remind me," Callie says, blowing on her nails. "Hey, let me do yours."
"There's no point," Avery says, putting her book to her side and stretching her arms over her head. "I'll only mess them up anyways."
"No come on," Callie pats the stool next to her. "Let me make your nails look pretty."
â¡â¡â¡
Luke sighs a moment later. "I'm bored."
"Me too." Lea says from inside her duvet cocoon.
"I suggested we run but that wasn't good enough," Avery says, eyes set on her nails as Callie carefully lets the brush run over them.
Lea sits up again, letting the duvet fall to her side. "We could play a game."
"What like Scrabble?" Luke asks just as Nic sits up, asking. "What like Never Have I Ever?"
"No and no," Lea shoots them pointed looks. "Like Hide and Seek."
"Yes!"
"Hide and Seek?"
Avery whips her head in their direction, smile on her lips. "I want to play Hide and Seek."
"Careful you'll smudge it!" Callie scowls before screwing the top of the nail polish bottle back on. "Yeah, I'm game too."
"Hide and Seek?" Luke asks again, disbelief sprawling over his features. "That's literally all I've done this summer and now that I have finally escaped those tiny humans you want to play it too? What the fuck you guys?"
"Come on!" Lea says, getting to her feet and dragging the duvet behind her as she walks over to the table, taking hold of her glass of lemonade to drink a sip. "It'll be fun! Please."
â¡â¡â¡
"Shit shit shit." Avery hisses under her breath as her phone goes off with a loud horn. She turns the sound off before putting the device on 'do not disturb' as she peers down at the screen where she's sat underneath a pile of clothes in her mother's closet. A small smile appears on her lips at the sight of the notif and she shifts slightly in her seat in the crammed space as she unlocks the phone with a swift swipe of her index finger.
'that god-awful son of my boss'
violet just ripped someone to shreds over the phone
you should've been here to see it
Avery freezes as she hears footsteps outside, pressing her lips together as she holds her breath and relaxes as they disappear further away again.
you almost exposed my hiding spot stupid
what do you need a hiding spot for?
if you have to know i'm currently playing a very serious game of hide and seek
hide and seek?
what are you? five?
the tone went off just because you had to tell me about violet
what are you even doing at the offices at this ungodly hour?
you not turning the sound off during hide and seek sounds like a you problem but alright
that's a very good question. got any more?
She rolls her eyes.
so what did this person do to make violet throw a fit?
beats me but i'm afraid to go out there
what if i'm next?
why would you be next?
because it's violet
true
and you do have a way of getting under one's skin
is that a compliment or an insult?
could be both
you think about that one
hide and seek?
really?
hey now
i simply happen to know how to have fun
don't doubt that
any advice on how to swiftly make it past violet unseen?
help me or i'll have to spend the rest of my life in this conference room
She drops her phone as she's startled by the door swinging open and Nic peers in, grinning as he spots her. The others are all stood behind him.
She reaches out to lock her phone, taking it into her hand as she pushes herself to her feet.
"Took you long enough," She says, eyes flickering back to the black screen before walking out of the closet, setting her phone down on the windowsill by the opposite wall. She stretches her arms behind her. "Is anyone else hungry?"
â¡â¡â¡
It's late in the night as she realizes she never responded to Ethan's text, having forgotten about it in the midst of everything else. She flickers her eyes over her friends where they all seem to be asleep before grabbing her phone, rolling over on her side as she opens up their conversation.
'god-awful son of my boss'
you still stuck in that conference room?
no
no thanks to you
sorry
got occupied
why are you still up?
because i'm dumb
what about you?
i don't know
then who does?
good question
got anymore of those?
what episode of b99 should i watch?
i don't know
i've never seen it
you've never...
WATERS
what?
i don't really like tv shows
i watch movies
that's the stupidest thing i've ever heard
but why would i want to be stuck in a story for six years when it could be over and done with in two hours?
i can't believe you've never seen a single episode of b99
i feel bad for you
i don't think we can be non-friends anymore
:(
would it help if i said i'll watch it?
or give it a chance at least
maybe
then i will
i'll hold you to that
â¡â¡â¡
She wakes up to Callie peering down at her. "Good morning."
"What time is it?"
Callie shrugs and uses her foot to wedge a space between Avery and Lea where they lie on the mattress, nudging them gently to make them scoot to their sides before lowering herself into a crosslegged seat, pulling the blanket covering them over her legs. She scoops some ice cream from the pint she's holding onto the spoon in her hand, eating it before repeating the motion, holding it out to Avery, who quirks a brow, instead.
"Ice cream?"
"Well breakfast is important," Callie promptly holds the spoon out. "It's Macadamia Brittle, come on."
Avery takes a bite and fall back against the mattress as the coldness and taste spread over her tongue. Heaven. Callie continues on by holding the spoon out to feed Lea, who sleepily pushes herself up onto her elbows while batting her eyelids open.
Callie scoops another spoonful for herself. "Let's go to the beach today?"
Avery nods. "Sounds like a plan. Can we swing by Beans & Bagels on the way?"
Callie holds one of her hands up, fingers doing quote marks. "'On the way'," But then she smiles. "Definitely."
Lea grabs her pillow, throwing it across the room, hitting Luke in the back of his head.
He looks up from scrolling through his phone. "What?"
"Wake Nic up."
"Why?"
She stretches her arms over her head before ruffling a hand through her charcoal brown hair. "We're going to the beach."
"Now?"
"Yes now."
â¡â¡â¡
Going into a game of volleyball alongside Lea is a dangerous feat â even if it's the kind where they have sunnies on their noses and move barefoot through the sand on the court.
An exasperated breath leaves the girl's lips as Avery ducks and throws her arms over her head to protect herself. She whirls around in her red bikini top and denim shorts, pushing her sunglasses into her hair.
"How are you going to hit the ball if you're hiding from it?"
"I don't mean to!" Avery says, dusting her palms off on her thighs as Nic's laughter carries through the air. "It's a reflex, okay?"
She gives up on playing all together soon afterwards, leaving her friends behind as she pulls the light fabric of her yellow sundress over her head and runs down to the shoreline. She continues into the water before diving beneath the surface, feeling the cold engulf her as she swims a couple of strokes before breaking surface. She kicks around to float on her back before getting to her feet, pushing her hair back away from her face.
Walking back over the dunes to their bath towels, she relishes in the feel of the warm sand beneath the soles of her feet. Over at the beach volleyball court her friends are still deeply engaged in their game and the corners of her mouth twitch as she hears the sound of Luke and Lea swearing each other out carry through the air.
She throws herself down onto the towel, water dripping from her hair and skin as she picks her paperback up, only having begun reading as her eyes travel to Callie's basket bag. Reaching over, she pulls her phone out, glancing down at the screen to see if there are any new messages but other than her mother checking in to see how they're all doing there aren't any other notifications.
She types a quick reply to her mother before grabbing her sunglasses where they lie atop her sundress and puts them on, gaze traveling over the edge of her book towards the neighborhood closest to the coastline where it lies a short distance away before returning to the page.
â¡â¡â¡
Nic throws himself down next to her a few minutes later, nose scrunching up as her hair drips onto his forehead and he scoots back into a seat.
Avery looks over her shoulder, seeing that a group in their tweens have taken up the volleyball court. "Where are the others?"
"Getting us ice cream."
Her lips crack into a wide smile and she puts her book down, stretching her arms in front of her before getting the sunscreen out, beginning to reapply it to her shoulders as she pokes her foot into his ribcage.
"Spill about Mateo."
Nic shakes his head. "Not much to spill."
"You're smiling," Avery's lips twist into a mirroring smile. "You like him."
Nic rolls his eyes, leaning back on his elbows. "Yeah okay, fine. I like him."
"That's good. I like that for you."
Her eyes flicker back to the screen of her phone as it buzzes but it's only her mother responding to her own text and her shoulders slump slightly.
As her gaze catches Nic's again he regards her. "What about you?"
"What about me?"
"Any summer crushes?"
She snorts. "Please, until this week my summer has been confined to my house and the four walls of the publishing house."
â¡â¡â¡
"Okay. All or nothing." Luke says as they close the door to the microwave and Avery sets the timer, pressing the 'start' button, the lamp inside shining a light on the brown bag of microwave popcorn as the circular table begins to spin slowly.
"Remember what Caia said," Lea says as all five of them peer in through the little door, watching the bag as it begins to grow bigger with every pop. "Just as there is three to four seconds between every pop we have to get it out. If we wait any longer they'll burn."
"Shh," Callie hushes the girl, moving her face even closer to the glass. "I'm trying to focus."
They all stare intently at the bag of popcorn, knowing it's the last try they have.
"We really should know how to do this," Nic comments. "It's not neuroscience."
"Shh."
"Is it supposed to take this long?"
Avery hears Lea count under her breath next to her and then she suddenly rips the door open.
"Now, now, now!"
Luke joins in. "Take them out now!"
Lea grabs the bag. "I'm doing it! I'm doing it!" She moves over to the counter, tearing at the bag but only managing to get a small gap teared apart. "I can't get it open."
Avery takes the bag. "Ow!" She exclaims as she burns herself, tearing at the corners. "These things are fool-proofed."
"Here." Nic takes it out of her hand, tearing it open with one swift move as he pours them into the awaiting bowl on the counter, taking one and popping it into his mouth. The others are quick to follow his lead and then Nic's lips crack into a grin. "We fucking did it!"
. . .
a/n: just wanted to take the opportunity to say thank you so much for the incredible support on WQ so far! <3 it never fails to put a smile on my lips, so truly, thank you!
much love, L.