Finally, it was the weekend. Avory had almost been with us for a full week, but her mood had shifted dramatically since her first day of school. That was my fault, I suppose. I should have known better than to snap at her, but I always did have a problem biting my tongue. She'd become even more closed off, if that were even possible. The only person, aside from my mother, she would speak to was Rian. It was understandable. He was much more mature than the rest of my friends and his kindess was always sincere, however I felt a little jealous that she liked him more than me. For crying out loud, I'm her foster brother. I gave her a fighting chance, why couldn't she give me one?

Thinking about Ave was simply making me angry, so I shoved the image of her face away from my mind. Avory could stay locked in her room all that she wanted to, but I was going to go out and have a good time. Cassadee's parents were out of town this weekend, so she'd made plans to throw an awesome party. Naturally, she invted the new girl, but Avory declined. I can't be sure, but I think she mostly said no because she knew Rian wouldn't be able to stay by her side all night. It was obvious to everyone that he had a thing for Cass, so wherever she went, he'd follow.

My body was freshly clean and my hair was styled just the way I like it. I smiled to myself and slipped on my shoes, grabbing my car keys from my dresser. Skipping my way down the stairs, I stopped just before I left the house to remind my mother that I wouldn't be home tonight.

"You wait right there, Alexander!" I groaned. I hated when she used my full name. "Why is Avory not going with you?"

"Because she doesn't want to go, mom," I rolled my eyes. My purpose had been served with that girl. I showed her around, gave her some friends and made life a little easier. Babysitting wasn't part of my job description.

"I don't care, Alex. Either she goes or you stay."

"Mom!"

"No way around it. This has been really hard on her. We all have to make some changes."

There are certain moments when you're a teenager that just make you want to rip your hair out and tell the world to fuck off. This was one of those moments. Usually, my mom didn't care where I went so long as I came home when I promised. The fact that Avory could change that part of our relationship pissed me off. I didn't take in a foster child, that was my mom. If Avory wanted to spend the weekend at home, then my mom should be the one changing plans to keep her company, not me.

Knowing I wouldn't win this fight, I stomped back up the stairs and began to bang on Avory's door. There was some rustling coming from the other side. Putting my ear to the door, I tried to figure out what she was doing, but all I could hear was the faint sound of music. A minute later, Ave slowly opened her door. Her big green eyes were puffy.

"What do you want, Alex?"

"Are you actually listening to music?" I eyed her. In all the time she'd been spending with my friends, not once did she show an interest in the songs we played, not even when we had band practice on Tuesday. "Who is that?"

I pushed past the small girl and invited myself into her room. The laptop was open on her bed, so I plopped down in front of it and turned the music up a little louder. I was familiar with this band, but they weren't my favorite. With that thought in mind, I stared at her. Those dark locks were around her face because her head was down, but she was singing softly.

"I'm so tired of my mood, and sleep comes with a knife, fork and a spoon. You're so pale in your face. You let life get in your way. And I've seen you don't need their seeds, when the cut goes in deep and I'm lost in sleep, am I wrong?"

Her voice was almost child-like. Scared, but confident in the words. Avory barely even spoke around me, the fact that she was singing made me nearly burst with excitement. Somehow, in the past week, she'd found songs that she really connected to. Maybe there was still hope for her after all.

"I-I really like their music," Avory whispered, not allowing her eyes to meet mine. "I feel like there's a realness in his voice."

"Yeah, there is," I agreed.

In that moment, I realized Avory wasn't just some little broken girl who didn't want any help. She was a real person, with real feelings and just like the rest of us, she was terrified she was going to end up all alone and shattered. At least she was starting to come into her own, finding her own music to relate and having the guts to tell me about it.

"Do you want to come out with me tonight?"

"No," she shook her head, sitting on the edge of the bed so her back was facing me. "I'm not ready for that yet, Alex, but you go and have fun. Don't worry about me."

"That's just the thing. My mom won't let me go without you," I frowned. I could tell by the way she inhaled I'd managed to make her feel bad. Again. "You know what? It's no big deal. We'll order pizza and watch movies or something."

"You don't have to pretend that you want to hang out with me, Alex," she shook her head. "Please, just tell your mom I'm not feeling well and go on."

Stubborn. She was so freakin' stubborn it made me want to tear my heart out even more than my my mother had earlier. I groaned, once more, and made my way to the door. With my hand on the knob, I stuck my head out into the hallway and yelled down to my mom.

"Mom! Order a pizza!" I turned to smile at Ave. "And tell Dad we're stealing the living room tonight!"

"No," Avory sighed, standing up from the bed. "I'll go with you, okay? Don't make your mom spend money or kick your dad out of his favorite room."

I grinned to myself, nodding my head like a crazy man. Avory motioned for me to leave the room so she could change out of her sweats, so I darted back down the stairs to tell my mother to cancel the order.

Admittedly, I wasn't sure how this night would go. Ave didn't do so well around people, except for Ri, and I knew that Cass was popular enough to have a house full, especially with Zack bringing people from his own high school. I'm sure she didn't understand what she was getting herself into... But I was pretty stoked to show her what being in high school was all about.

It's time for Avory Bowan to live a little.

Notes

Part one of the weekend. Who wants to know what happens at the party?!
You guys are fantastic and I love you tons! <3.