I Can Make You Dance All Night.

The next morning, Ava managed to get up early enough to straighten her hair before she had to take Logan to school. She really wasn't trying to get Jack's attention or anything.

Coffee in one hand, his hand in her other, the two Peters siblings walked up the sidewalk to the chatty kindergarten classmates.

"You know, I have zero idea what that little girl's name is? The one you were playing with yesterday?" Ava asked, sipping on her coffee cup.

Logan looked up at his older sister. "It's Crystal Grace Barakat," he told her. "But she likes Crystal."

"That's a cute name," she said. "Do you like her?"

"She's nice," Logan said slowly. "But she's a girl. Girls are gross."

Ava playfully scoffed at her brother. "Gross? I'm a girl!" she laughed.

"Yeah, but you're a cool girl," Logan said.

"Well boys are gross too," Ava said. "Especially little boys named Logan Peters."

Logan shook his head. "I'm not gross!"

The two arrived at the pavement. Logan spotted Crystal talking to another kid, so he gave his sister a kiss and ran off to talk to his new friend. Ava watched as Logan smiled brightly at the little girl, talking. The older girl's heart warmed as Crystal smiled back.

"They're cute, aren't they?" someone said behind her as she sipped on her black coffee.

She turned her head, curling her lips in a smile. "I didn't think he'd make friends so quickly. I was worried," she said.

Jack took a step next to her. "Oh, Crystal just adores your brother. She wouldn't stop talking about him yesterday,"

"That's a relief," Ava said.

He nodded. "Did you still want to set up a playdate?"

"Yeah.That'd be great," she replied. "Saturday isn't really that great of a day for us. My parents are throwing this 'welcome us back home' party thing all day. What about Sunday?"

"Our place or yours?" Jack asked with a nod.

"You guys can come over ours. The parents will be gone all day for a luncheon-dinner thing my dad's boss is throwing. I'll watch the kiddies," she answered with a small grin.

"It's a plan then," he said. They waved at the kids as they hurridely walked into the building. He faced back to Ava. "You should let me take you to breakfast."

Butterflies flew around the blonde's stomach. Was he asking her out? "You know, I'd really love to, but my parents are coming in from Cabo right when Logan gets out. I want to get as much writing I can in today. I'm sorry." she frowned.

"I get it. It's cool. Some other time?"

"Definitely."

"What are you writing?" he asked.

"It's just a novel," she shrugged.

"Oh, cool. What's it about?"

Ava looked around, realizing her and Jack were the only people left at outside the school. She looked at her phone's clock the same time her phone started to buzz. "I have to go. I'll explain it later, okay? See you this afternoon!"

"Uh, okay. See you?" She heard behind her as she pressed ignore on her phone.

Why was he calling her?

~

She only gave Jack a wave when she had picked up Logan. They couldn't stay and talk since their parents flight was about to come in. She rushed to the Baltimore-Washington Airport, though she really didn't know why.

It wasn't that she didn't love her parents, because she did. If it wasn't for her dad, she wouldn't have the opportunity to be doing what she loves with a possiblity of making money off of it. Writing has been something she'd love to do since she was a kid. And if it wasn't for her mother, she wouldn't have... uh, gotten such a great math grade in school.

But it was the little things her parents never did. Yeah, sure, they got her some great chances, and helped her on her homework, but besides that, they were distant. Them going to Cabo right before their baby's first day of school was a prime example of how selfish they could be.

They never taught her how to cook food as a kid, they were gone on holidays sometimes, they forgot it was her birthday when she turned sixteen, and most importantly: they just weren't there.

Her mother was a snobby woman that made stupid, and rude remarks. When Ava went to prom, she had commented on Ava's weight and then acted like the victim when Ava had started to cry.

Her dad acted like Ava was Logan's mother, and obviously could care less about the things parents needed to care about. He never bandaged up Ava's knee when she fell off her bike. He wouldn't play catch with Logan when he would grow up into a big kid.

But they were her parents. She had to love them, right?

That's why when they arrived from the plane, Ava gave them a big hug.

"I've missed you!" she said, squeezing her mother.

"I've missed you, too. But sweetie, you're hurting me," her bottle blonde mother said.

"Sorry. Want to go get lunch?" she unwrapped her arms away from Paula Peters.

"We're so jet-lagged, Ava," her father sighed. "Tomorrow, though. We promise."

"Oh, okay. Just so you know I scheduled a playdate for Logan with a kid from school on Sunday afternoon," the daughter said, eyeing her brother.

"With Crystal?" her brother perked up.

"Yeah,"

The four moved through the sea of people, heading towards the baggage claim. Her brother spoke as her father grabbed their luggage.

"Am I going there? Mr. Barakat is so cool!" he said.

"Nope. Sorry, you're stuck with me." she ruffled up his hair.

"Crystal? Is that a girl?" her mother scrunched up her nose.

"It is. They can't get enough from each other," Ava said with a chirp in her voice.

"Why is this dad so cool?" Frank Peters asked, sticking up the handles on the luggage. He handed Paula's her suitcase's handle. The bags rolled behind them as they walked.

"He's not like a regular dad, dad. He's not old," Logan explained.

"He can't be that young, Sport," the dad chuckled. "Not if he has a child."

"He's 22," Ava said quickly. She paused for her parents judgement on someone they didn't know.

"22? He's around your age, Ava. Is he cute?" her mother asked with a wink.

"22? He was a teenaged father. Don't even think about it,"

"Oh, Frank. Don't be so judgemental," her mother said, pushing the door in front of her. Her face went sour as the Baltimore air hit her. "She's 19. She makes her own decisions now. Oh, how I didn't miss this air."

Ava hid her smile. And make her own decisions was what'd she do.

The smirk vanished as her phone started to ring. She checked the number, and scowled.

He just wouldn't leave her alone, would he?

Notes

!!! wow