Avery Randolph looked like a typical, small town girl. Smart, pretty, soft. She was anything but, proven by going on joyrides on weekends, smoking pot and drinking when she had the chance.
But her domain is challenged when new girl Ginny Miller move...
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AVERY BIT HER LIP as she stared onto the Freedom Trail. It was ten in the morning and she had parked her bike. The girl was wearing a pair of dark blue flared jeans and a red sweater. Her coat had initially not been her first thought of jacket choice, but since temperatures were often unsteady in the fall, she had decided to say 'screw it' and just wore it, along with grabbing a small satchel in a black color and putting a notebook and pen in there, along with her airPods and phone, house keys and wallet.
It was amazing as always. The leaves were falling down and were varying in colors from yellow, to red and then brown.
Avery could truly say she turned her brain off as she walked the trail she knew so well. She even stopped shortly to sit on a bench and make notes.
In the end, she felt like she got a good enough experience out of it and even made a start on the essay, which she had on one page.
'When I imagine the place where I feel I most belong, I see the Freedom Trail in Boston. The 2.7 mile walk is filled with a time frozen for us to see and experience. The leaves are scattered on the ground, varying from yellow, to red, to brown. The wind is blowing gently, sweeping strands of hair into my face and cooling me down. My phone has been silenced, because nothing else exists, but me and the path I'm taking. I'm letting myself get lost in the history and imagery that reaches as far as the eye can see. It may not be much to anybody else, but as I feel the cool wind and smell the lingering waft of dirt and moist leaves, I let the place soak my senses. . .'
Avery was satisfied when she got back to Wellsbury and typed it into her computer, sitting at Blue Farm. Joe trudged by, placing a mug of hot cocoa down with a chocolate chip cookie and the blonde smiled, before breaking the treat in half and gently blowing on the cocoa before taking a sip.
A person sat down in front of her and the girl took out an airPod when she saw it was her boyfriend. "Hey," she greeted. "Where've you been?" asked Marcus. He noted the light bags underneath her eyes.
The girl shrugged. "Just. . . in my own head. You know how it is."
Marcus took one half of her cookie and then spun her laptop around to look at her writing. "Wow," he mumbled. "This is great, babe. Is this for that competition?" Avery smiled with a nod, feeling the way her cheeks flushed. "Yeah. I was in Boston earlier, walking the trail and I got inspired. Chrissy encouraged me to go."
The Baker boy read it over again, before letting her get back to work.
THE RANDOLPHS WERE IN foreign territory. Avery and Paul were having dinner with Ginny, Georgia, Austin and Ginny's dad, Zion. The tension was weird and Avery was glad she had left a bag with Marcus so she could excuse herself after dessert.
Avery was picking at her food, sharing looks with Ginny, dreading the awkward attitude that Paul decided to break. "Well, this all looks great," he stated, chuckling lightly. This dinner made Avery want to step off a cliff. But the blonde simply smiled. "It does look great. Zion's a great cook," mentioned Georgia. "So is Paul."
The aforementioned just looked to his daughter with a small smile. "I don't know about that. Avery makes a mean spaghetti carbonara." The blonde blushed. "Dad," she scolded, before turning to Zion. "So, Zion, you're a photographer?"
"Among other things," replied the man, causing the teen to raise a brow. "I hate to define myself by what I happen to be doing just on one day."
"Sometimes it's okay to be wearing just one hat," commented Georgia. "Some people prefer it if your job's important enough." The woman placed a hand on Paul's arm. "So, Paul, what's it like being mayor of this, uh. . . progressive utopia?" asked Zion, looking to the blonde's dad.
Please, Earth, open up and swallow Avery whole.
Ginny coughed and Avery snorted into her fist, coughing lightly to cover it up. "I love it. I just, uh, hope I get to keep doing it after the election." Avery looked to her dad. "Dad, relax. Just because Cynthia's being a bitter, old," a glance at Austin who was eating, "mop, it doesn't mean you'll lose. You're a good politician."
Paul smiled at his daughter. "Thanks, honey."
They kept talking back and forth, eventually leading to Zion talking about a book deal he got that Ginny didn't mention to her mom. The silence that briefly followed was a bit tense.
"Uh, what's the book about?" asked Avery then, sipping her water. Zion sighed and looked at her. "The Raute people of Nepal. They're the only nomadic group left, never spend anywhere over a month. Fascinating culture. I lived with them for five months."
Paul nodded lightly, chewing still. "I know the area. It's Far West Nepal, right?" he asked. Avery sighed. Her dad was nerding out and it showed. "You've been there?" asked Zion.
"Yeah. I did a Himalayan trek. Avery was about. . . four at the time."
"No way! Which trek did you do?"
Ginny and Avery shared a look. Great, Zion and Paul were both being nerdy.
"Annapurna."
Zion's fist lightly hit the table as he sat back inn his chair. "Snowman."
"You did Snowman?" Paul was astonished. "Holy sh. . . That's badass! That's twenty five days on the Himalayan spine. That's-"
"Cool!" supplied Georgia.
"Yeah! Wow!"
All the women at the table shared a look. Georgia and Avery locked eyes and the girl mouthed 'help' as Austin asked Paul if he wanted to see the blanket fort that Zion had helped build. The guys left the table as Avery pinched the skin between her eyes. "Oh, my god," whispered Avery, "the nerds are herding together."
The rest of the evening flew by and all of a sudden, Avery was hugging Austin goodbye and telling Ginny she'd see her later, before heading across the street and to Marcus' house.
Max opened the door and pulled her inside, hugging her tightly before letting her go to her brother. "Hey," greeted Avery, sitting on the couch and curling up into him. "Hi," he mumbled. He kissed her hair and then they watched as Max practiced her dance routine.
Eventually, Avery could see the energy fizzing out of Marcus and then coaxed him upstairs and into getting changed for bed, getting underneath the covers. Avery changed as well and crawled underneath next to him, letting him curl up and rest his head on her chest.
