My Best Side Was Your Worst Invention
I'm Making the Difference
Avory was becoming more distant, but this time, it wasn't really her fault. No one warned me that Lisa stayed at Cassadee's house late into the next day so I could give her a ride home. No one informed me that she invited herself into the bedroom where Avory and I had made love and saw our naked bodies tangled together. Everyone remained silent about the fact that she took off from Cassadee's house in a fit of rage, ready to make both of our lives a living Hell. But now she knew that I knew. She knew that Avory knew, and she was determined to make a big deal out of something that wasn't even her business.
First, it started off with making Avory feel unwelcome in our school. Lisa had broken away from our usual group, which consisted of Rian, Cass and Jack. Instead, she decided to cling to a group of gossips who had always wanted to be her friend. Together, they sneered their nose at Ave, said hurtful things and made her feel isolated from the rest of the students. At least it hadn't spread to the entire school yet. Honestly, I think Cass was the only one of our group who really knew what happened, and she'd been kind enough not to mention it to either of us. Not until she told me what happened with Lisa, that is.
Still, the issue at hand was starting to break Avory down. She could handle not talking to the rest of her classmates, and she could even handle the cruel words Lisa threw at her, but it was the fear that CPS would hear about what happened and rip her away from my home that broke her heart. The tiny girl was terrified that she'd end up in an orphanage.
Because of this, I decided to gather everyone at my house on Friday evening. My mom and dad declared this their date night, since I asked for everyone to come over, and ordered us pizza before they left. They assumed we'd be having band practice, since Zack was included in this. We all sat around my living room: Rian and Cass were curled up on the loveseat, Jack was sitting in the middle of the floor and Zack joined Ave and myself on the couch. We all remained silent- Afraid that we'd inflict more damage on Avory.
"Someone has to tell me what's going on," Zack broke the silence. "I'm as much of a member of this band as any of you. The fact that we go to different schools makes it hard enough for us to connect."
"Well, some rumors have been going around that can get Avory in a lot of trouble," Cass mumbled, sending a frown to the brunette with a broken heart. It amazed me how sweet Cassadee had been to her. If Ave would open up a little more, they could be best friends. "So it's our job to make sure they don't reach any ears that they shouldn't. No matter what, we have to stand firm and deny any claim against her."
"What kind of rumors?"
"I-" Avory's voice was small and weak, making all of us stare at her with concern. It'd been so long since she willingly spoke to any of us. "I had sex with Alex. If CPS finds out about this, they'll take me away. My social worker always keeps a close eye on me since my other homes were a disaster. I can't be taken away again.. I just can't."
"Why would you want to be taken away?" Jack smiled, reaching over to put a comforting hand on Ave's leg. To my surprise, she didn't pull away. "Alex has the coolest family ever. Not to mention, his friends are pretty great, too."
"I do love it here," Avory admitted. "Even if things have been rocky between Alex and I. There's no where else I'd rather be."
"Then we'll do everything in our power to keep you here," Rian smiled. "We'll say that Lisa walked in on him with someone else.. But we need someone who can agree to that if people come looking for answers."
Everyone fell silent. I knew all the girls I'd been with before Avory would turn up their nose to my request, and those I hadn't been with were now following Lisa around like a lost puppy. If anything, Zack would have to bring someone in from his school, though I doubt any of them would ever go for it.
"Say it was me," Cassadee's voice shook as she spoke. "I'll take the fall. Rian knows I didn't really do anything and there's a lot more at stake here than my reputation. We'll say Lisa was still drunk the next day so her memory can't be trusted."
"You would do that.. For me?"
"Of course. You're a part of the group now, Avory," Cassadee smiled brightly, trying to hide the fact that she was honestly scared for her reputation. She knew this single lie would be a heavy weight on her relationship with Rian and that a lot more damage could come from it, but she was such a kind-hearted person that she couldn't handle the idea of Ave going to an orphanage when she could have helped. "So it's settled. Lisa walked in on Alex and I naked. End of story."
The smallest girl in the room let out a sharp breath. She'd never had real friends or a real family before. No one had ever gone to such a length to protect her. I could only hope that now she understood that we weren't trying to harm her and we weren't trying to be cruel with anything that we did. Not even when I stole her virginity. Maybe this is what it took to open her up.
About an hour later, after Avory had thanked Cass a million times and made herself smile in response to the comments my friends made, everyone decided to watch a movie. All of my friends were curled up in blankets as the lights went out, a scary movie startingn on the screen, but Ave had excused to herself to go get some water. I dragged myself from the couch and followed her, a small pang of hope in my gut.
"Ave?"
"Don't start, Alex," Avory frowned, taking a sip from her glass cup. "I get it. You have good friends, but that doesn't mean I belong."
"My friends are willing to lie to CPS just to protect you," I defended, the hope quickly crushed. "You have to understand that we want you to love and trust us as much as we love and trust you."
"You do not love me, Alex."
"Yes I do. I'm not in love with you, or anything, but I do love you. You're a part of my family now, Ave. The daughter my mom and dad always wanted. A girl for Cass to depend on. A new friend for the guys to protect. I love you in a way that means you made us all complete when we didn't even know we were missing anything."
She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Instead, a single tear slipped down her cheek. I half-smiled, extending my arms to her frail body. Without a second thought, she wrapped her small arms around my frame and cried softly into my chest. I was finally starting to get through to this girl. I could only hope she'd let me save her before it was too late.
First, it started off with making Avory feel unwelcome in our school. Lisa had broken away from our usual group, which consisted of Rian, Cass and Jack. Instead, she decided to cling to a group of gossips who had always wanted to be her friend. Together, they sneered their nose at Ave, said hurtful things and made her feel isolated from the rest of the students. At least it hadn't spread to the entire school yet. Honestly, I think Cass was the only one of our group who really knew what happened, and she'd been kind enough not to mention it to either of us. Not until she told me what happened with Lisa, that is.
Still, the issue at hand was starting to break Avory down. She could handle not talking to the rest of her classmates, and she could even handle the cruel words Lisa threw at her, but it was the fear that CPS would hear about what happened and rip her away from my home that broke her heart. The tiny girl was terrified that she'd end up in an orphanage.
Because of this, I decided to gather everyone at my house on Friday evening. My mom and dad declared this their date night, since I asked for everyone to come over, and ordered us pizza before they left. They assumed we'd be having band practice, since Zack was included in this. We all sat around my living room: Rian and Cass were curled up on the loveseat, Jack was sitting in the middle of the floor and Zack joined Ave and myself on the couch. We all remained silent- Afraid that we'd inflict more damage on Avory.
"Someone has to tell me what's going on," Zack broke the silence. "I'm as much of a member of this band as any of you. The fact that we go to different schools makes it hard enough for us to connect."
"Well, some rumors have been going around that can get Avory in a lot of trouble," Cass mumbled, sending a frown to the brunette with a broken heart. It amazed me how sweet Cassadee had been to her. If Ave would open up a little more, they could be best friends. "So it's our job to make sure they don't reach any ears that they shouldn't. No matter what, we have to stand firm and deny any claim against her."
"What kind of rumors?"
"I-" Avory's voice was small and weak, making all of us stare at her with concern. It'd been so long since she willingly spoke to any of us. "I had sex with Alex. If CPS finds out about this, they'll take me away. My social worker always keeps a close eye on me since my other homes were a disaster. I can't be taken away again.. I just can't."
"Why would you want to be taken away?" Jack smiled, reaching over to put a comforting hand on Ave's leg. To my surprise, she didn't pull away. "Alex has the coolest family ever. Not to mention, his friends are pretty great, too."
"I do love it here," Avory admitted. "Even if things have been rocky between Alex and I. There's no where else I'd rather be."
"Then we'll do everything in our power to keep you here," Rian smiled. "We'll say that Lisa walked in on him with someone else.. But we need someone who can agree to that if people come looking for answers."
Everyone fell silent. I knew all the girls I'd been with before Avory would turn up their nose to my request, and those I hadn't been with were now following Lisa around like a lost puppy. If anything, Zack would have to bring someone in from his school, though I doubt any of them would ever go for it.
"Say it was me," Cassadee's voice shook as she spoke. "I'll take the fall. Rian knows I didn't really do anything and there's a lot more at stake here than my reputation. We'll say Lisa was still drunk the next day so her memory can't be trusted."
"You would do that.. For me?"
"Of course. You're a part of the group now, Avory," Cassadee smiled brightly, trying to hide the fact that she was honestly scared for her reputation. She knew this single lie would be a heavy weight on her relationship with Rian and that a lot more damage could come from it, but she was such a kind-hearted person that she couldn't handle the idea of Ave going to an orphanage when she could have helped. "So it's settled. Lisa walked in on Alex and I naked. End of story."
The smallest girl in the room let out a sharp breath. She'd never had real friends or a real family before. No one had ever gone to such a length to protect her. I could only hope that now she understood that we weren't trying to harm her and we weren't trying to be cruel with anything that we did. Not even when I stole her virginity. Maybe this is what it took to open her up.
About an hour later, after Avory had thanked Cass a million times and made herself smile in response to the comments my friends made, everyone decided to watch a movie. All of my friends were curled up in blankets as the lights went out, a scary movie startingn on the screen, but Ave had excused to herself to go get some water. I dragged myself from the couch and followed her, a small pang of hope in my gut.
"Ave?"
"Don't start, Alex," Avory frowned, taking a sip from her glass cup. "I get it. You have good friends, but that doesn't mean I belong."
"My friends are willing to lie to CPS just to protect you," I defended, the hope quickly crushed. "You have to understand that we want you to love and trust us as much as we love and trust you."
"You do not love me, Alex."
"Yes I do. I'm not in love with you, or anything, but I do love you. You're a part of my family now, Ave. The daughter my mom and dad always wanted. A girl for Cass to depend on. A new friend for the guys to protect. I love you in a way that means you made us all complete when we didn't even know we were missing anything."
She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Instead, a single tear slipped down her cheek. I half-smiled, extending my arms to her frail body. Without a second thought, she wrapped her small arms around my frame and cried softly into my chest. I was finally starting to get through to this girl. I could only hope she'd let me save her before it was too late.
Ughhhh... this story is so good. I really love it, and I'm bummed to see it hasn't been continued. :(
I see you were contemplating coming back to it in the comments below, so I'm leaving a comment to let you know you would have another reader if you do. It left off on a cliff hanger, so I think it deserves more of a conclusion if you're ever able to come back to it.
It kind of reminds me of The Fosters and how I ship Callie and Brandon, lol, idk if you've ever watched that show but they are so cute together just like Alex and Avory are.
But yeah, you're seriously a great writer and I really hope you consider coming back to this and finish it. :)
11/16/16