Popularity Rules

Chapter XVI

So, here is chapter 16 I guess. I know I should be posting daily because it's summer time but I can't! It's insanely hot where I live and I can't function properly and is summer 2014 moving really quickly for anyone else too? Gosh!

P.S. Huge thank you to MonsoonB for her continual supoort throughout the time I've posted this story. It is so amazing to have people still reading this after my insane ability to not post regularly.

Chapter XVI

 

        I could barely hear my thoughts over the loud torrential rainfall. It couldn’t have been later than seven. But, I couldn’t get back to sleep; I spent half of the night worrying that Avery’s ex would come busting through the walls with some weapon of mass destruction. That didn’t happen, of course, but a very over-active imagination was toxic.

        I sat up and rubbed my head lethargically. It turned out that I wasn’t the only one who couldn’t sleep. Avery was staring at the ceiling. I cleared my throat and her eyes flashed to mine, it was unnerving how she wouldn’t start like I would.

        “Can’t sleep either?”

        Avery sat up and shook her head sadly. “I thought they’d come in and take you away.”

       I pressed my lips together to hide my smile. A caring Avery was way better than the other facets of her personality.

        “Jason, listen, I’m not going to beat around the bush, I want everything out in the open.”

         I nodded solemnly, with no protest; I entangled myself from the cocoon of sheets and made my way over to the desk chair in the corner of the room. The rain made it impossible to see anything outside, I sat and faced her, propping my hands under my chin like a therapist saying, ‘Tell me more.’

      Avery grabbed the pillow and flung it as hard as she could at my head; I ducked just in time and chuckled lightly. “Stop joking, this is serious.”

        I tried to put on a serious face, but I could tell it wasn’t working. Avery ignored me though and tucked her feet underneath her. I decided to play her words out in my head and tried to see it from her point of view.

       It was her first time at some rundown high-school, much like my own, apparently her parents enjoyed moving around quite a lot. But, anyway she wasn’t as hostile as she is now, as strange as it is to believe. She was the quite one as we all expected.

       “Hey are you having a running commentary about this?” Avery called from atop the bed.

        I bit my lip guiltily and gestured to her to continue.

      So, Avery had a normal hair color which wasn’t at all surprising. Her parents had promised her no more unnecessary moving and she was thrilled to be able to settle down in one place after all that time. Although no one was interested to talk to her, she was happy, finally she could be normal.

      The first person to speak to her was a very nice, very handsome under his nerdy composition – according to her words – boy. I don’t know but that sounded a lot like Dylan. At first she wouldn’t give him the time of day because as we all know nice guys have the hardest time suceeding0. But after a while they started to hang out and they eventually became friends.

      Apparently her friendship was noticed by bigger fish because while studying at the park, Elijah the most popular guy in school –

        “Hold on,” I interrupted. “How can he be the most popular guy in school?”