Our Deal

Chapter 29: Coffee Break

Avery's P.O.V

"Ava did you just come out of the janitors closet?" A voice that I recognized as Alex's made me turn around to find his olive eyes staring back at my blue ones.

"Yeah, I had to take a call and this was the closest private place that I found." I lied. Alex knew very little of my past and current life and if I said that I was with my ex in a closet he'd probably get the wrong idea.

As I walked towards him I wiped away the traitorous tears that had spilled from my eyes hoping that Alex wouldn't notice.

"Why were you crying?" He asked softly as he placed an arm around me and snuggled me to his side.

"Oh it's stupid..." I tried to shrug it off.

"If it hurt you, it isn't stupid. What happened?" He insisted.

"Just another fight with my mom. I told you, it's stupid." I lied again and it was starting to scare me how credible and easy it was becoming.

"If it makes you feel any better our friends are all here. Once I got the chance to talk with Cami everyone came over with her." He said as we walked back to the room.

"Hey where's the other one?" Alex asked the shorter guy in front of the door.

"Bathroom break." He said shortly. I guess Mason had his bases well covered.

"Mhm... He's been there a while, wasn't here either when I first stepped out." Alex gave him an unconvinced look with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm sure it's going to be okay, Alex. At most he clogged the toilet." I said trying to hide a smile.

He snickered and kissed the top of my head. "You're something else Ava." He then seemed to forget the matter and stepped in the room without arguing much more.

Wheew! Crisis Averted.

"Avery!" Cami whispered as she came up to me and hugged me.

At first I was a bit taken by surprise but in a heart beat I wrapped my arms around her and closed the embrace.

She seemed to really need it.

After a few seconds she let go of me which permitted me to see the streaks on her face. That and her red eyes were a clear indicator that she had been bawling her eyes out.

"How about we get you some coffee?" I suggested.

"Sure..." She said as we walked back out.

We walked out to the waiting area where Chris, Dave, and Emma sat tranquily.

"Ry!" Chris was the first to notice my presence.

They all looked my way as I walked over to them and waved.

"Hey guys, we're going down for some coffee, wanna join?" I asked.

"Sure, why the hell not." Dave said and they all stood up and walked with us to the elevator.

After a silent trip down the lift we reached the caf.

"So what are you guys going to get?" I asked Dave and Emma.

We went ahead as Chris and Cami were a few steps behind.

"Defintely a mint chocolate latte. By far the best I've ever had." Emma declared.

"Mint chocolate is disgusting, definitely the worst. It tastes like the darkest chocolate ever created with a punch of Listerine in it." Dave said, "Definitely not getting that."

"Why must you always hate what I love?" She nagged.

"It's my job to do that Emma." Dave declared as a smug smile laid on his features.

"Anyway, I'm getting a french vanilla hazelnut latte." Dave said, "by far the best ever created."

"I'll never get your tastes..." Emma muttered.

I simply chuckled at their antics.

Once we reached the cash register and ordered we waited for our coffees to be made. Finally with our cups in hand we settled in a secluded table.

"So how are things back at school?" I ask to no one in particular, but I am genuinely curious. It's been almost a month since I've been there, and I was fearing the fact that I'm very much behind on everything. So much for keeping a normal life...

"Painfully boring, tedious, annoying, grueling, would you like if I went on?" Chris said as he settled the cup he'd taken a sip from on the table.

"It's not that bad, babe." Camilla countered. "Really Ave it's just boring if anything. Don't worry about it though we took care of it for you and you'll be completely up to date when you come back." Cami assured. Took care of it?

"Oh. Okay. Then how's Stella? She looked so sad when Alex and I left for the hospital."

"She's well, I think. She keeps to herself a lot, but I know that this affected her. My dad has known her for quite some time and they've been under the same roof for years. I'd be surprised if she would've reacted any other way." Cami said in a soft tone. In her usual melodious voice.

Then right then and there my phone started ringing. After excusing myself from the table I stood up away from it and answered.

"Hello?"

"So you thought you'd get away from me... Big, big mistake. It's funny really, I don't like to beat around the bush much so I'll simply come right out and say it. You're one naïve idiot." The person who, by his bass-y voice I identified as a man, spoke boldly.

"Who are you? How did you get this number?" I question.

"I have my ways princess..." He said and it became clear as day. It could only be Grayson Clark.

"Grayson." I said with contempt. "What do you want?" My jaw hardened.

"I want you to come back to me and come trough with our deal." He spoke confidently.

"What deal? I don't have a deal with anyone."

"You know what deal, stop playing dumb. It's not cute, sweetheart." He started to loose his patience.

"Look, I don't have time for your stupid games and manipulations. I'll talk to you again when I come back to school. In the mean time don't ever contact me again!" With that I ended the call, but I knew this was far from over.

I excused myself to go to the bathroom. I truly wasn't feeling my best. My forehead became cold with a sweat and the room seemed to be spinning around. My head hurt badly and I felt nauseous. If anything I was close to feeling the worst I ever had.

I lifted my shirt and looked in the bathroom mirror. My bruises looked worst than before as they turned into a purple and red mess. They were swollen and I couldn't understand why. I had taken all my medication, I haven't done any heavy lifting, I've followed the doctor's instructions to a tee.

I couldn't exactly pin-point what was making me feel like this but I had no time to do so since I was sucked into a pitch-black nothingness.