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 RANDOLPH WAS IN a slump. She sat in the cafeteria, leaned back in her chair, picking at the skin of her thumb. Max spotted Ginny in the corner of her eye. "Don't even look at her. Indifference is the best revenge."
The Randolph fished out her bottle of pepsi Max and vodka, taking a sip. It was blended well, but it wouldn't be ideal later, with the Lexapro and Xanax. Nor the blunt.
It felt like she was sinking and she couldn't do anything about it. Max grabbing her hand yanked her out of her head. "You guys, I'm gonna go home," she stated. Max and Norah frowned, but nodded.
So, she did.
Avery blinked the odd feeling of drinking away, as she approached her bike and got on. She turned the key in the ignition and then listened as it rumbled to life. Avery backed out of her spot, adjusting the helmet, a little.
But she immediately stopped when she saw she was about to hit someone.
Marcus.
He was standing behind the bike, a dull expression on his face. "You're ignoring my calls." It wasn't a question. Avery swallowed. The visor was down, so she put it up. "Get out of the way, Baker."
"I know I screwed up, okay? I'm - I'm sorry, baby." Marcus was bad at feelings. So was Avery, in every other feeling other than anger. And right now, she had a lot of anger for Marcus' actions. "I'm sorry, too." Avery's eyes narrowed, "I'm sorry for the girl who got involved with you in the first place. You, I have no sympathy for."
Avery revved the engine. "Now, move."
Marcus moved, almost reluctantly. The blonde whizzed past him, letting the dead leaves fall to the ground at the ricochet behind her.
She took the long way home, parking the bike in the garage and letting herself into the house. Avery was ready to let the day rot away until the results were in for the Mayoral election.
IT WAS ALMOST TIME.
Avery was walking around with Paul, shivering despite her thick sweater and coat. Georgia approached, smiling softly. "Hi, love." She hugged Avery, rubbing her arms with her hands. "Hey, Georgia."
"I just wanted to tell you that I was very disappointed when I found out about Ginny and Marcus and I do not condone it." Avery's lips twitched. "Thanks. Excuse my french, but Ginny was being a bitch. I mean, she fucked my boyfriend and she was fucking crying. And Marcus wasn't even mature enough to tell me himself."
Georgia tsked. "He doesn't deserve you, baby."
They soon found Paul, after he had wandered off and then looked toward the stage, as Nick went up, gripping the microphone. "Folks, the results are in." Avery crossed her fingers on both hands. "It is my honor and privilege to introduce to you our newly re-elected mayor, Paul Randolph!"
Nick's words made cheers break out all over the crowd and Avery jumped into Paul's arms, laughing with glee.
Paul walked up on stage, with Avery following close behind, staying by the steps. "Thank you! Thank you all very much! Wellsbury means the world to me. And throughout this entire campaign, I heard your voices loud and clear, and I agree with you. Wellsbury is an amazing place, but there is always room to make improvements, and that is what I am planning to do over these next two years. I want Wellsbury to be a place that fosters forward thinking and great ideas. I challenge us to do..."
The speech became a dull ringing in Avery's ears.
But she was ripped out of it, when she heard the loud pop of a firework. Avery held her hands over her ears, marveling at the colors.
Georgia approached her from behind, holding hands over her ears and together, they walked up the stairs. The eldest of the two blondes, gently kissed Paul, as Avery held her hands over her ears still. She had always hated loud noises.
THERE WAS A FACETIME call between the remaining members of MAANG, which was just MAN now. Max, Avery and Norah. They had their own group now.
Avery had sent them a message with the news and the fireworks, along with sending it to Chris. But as she was at home, in her room, she wasn't really happy. Paul and Georgia had talked about their next step, as they still missed Ginny and Austin at the election.
Paul knocked on her door, a cup of coffee in his hands. "Thank you for supporting me, honey." Avery smiled lightly. "It was my pleasure, dad. I'm happy you won."
Nothing else was said, as Paul stepped out of her room and allowed her to put some clothes away in a few boxes. She was aware that they would probably move in with Georgia and her kids.
She was mentally saying goodbye to her house, all the memories and the stories.
As Avery scrounged around her closet, she saw a small notebook, almost like a diary. When she opened it, she was met with a small drawing of an 'A' and an 'M' in a heart with an arrow through.
She knew what it was now. It was her old calculus notebook, where she had filled it to the brim of small love notes and hearts and whatnot. It was right at the start of hers and Marcus' relationship.
Avery was filled with a rage she had never felt before. She clenched her fingers around the notebook and sat down at her desk, carefully peeling out the staples and then closed it. She made her way downstairs and then to the lit fireplace in the living room, tossing it inside.
She stared as the flames devoured the book in a fiery hunger, licking the pages and burning them slowly, but surely, until there was little left but the beginning ashes.
Fire was dangerous, but it also held warmth that was needed to survive. Maybe that was why Marcus and Avery had worked out so well in theory. A Leo and a Capricorn. A lion and a goat. But it didn't matter now, because the goat had torn the relationship apart, beaten on the surface with its horns until it shattered, leaving the glassy shards in the lions way for it to cut.
It felt like Avery had gotten glass shards in her feet and she was bleeding, crying out as her outsides bled with her insides. The girl was hurt and hurt people hurt people.
It was mesmerizing to watch as the book turned to ash before her eyes. The flames shined in the reflection of her eyes, as her lips slightly parted.
Avery shook out of her trance and then walked back upstairs.
This week had been horrible.
A/N: We are finally done with part one and oooooh boy! I have been kind of dreading this, because I had no idea how I was going to do this (I have a terrible habit of just going into things without a plan and the scale is usually 50/50) but I did it!
Part two is going to be a lil bit different. . . I hope. And please remember that Avery is a teenage girl and that means she's going to make choices that'll make us want to tear our hair out from the root, but that's how it is. You've been warned.
