Seasons Change

6.

6.
I met Will at a little cafe on campus. It was private enough that we could talk without being overheard, but public enough that hopefully, word would get back to Avery about us hanging out. I knew it was petty, but I wanted her to be jealous. I wanted her to feel as betrayed by Will as I did by Dylan. But, as soon as I walked into the cafe and saw Will seated in a corner booth, his black hair carefully styled, dressed in a fitted black t-shirt, my heart pounded uncomfortably in my chest. This was probably a bad idea.

Taking a deep breath, I forced a smile onto my face and made my way over to where Will was sitting, plopping down across the table from him.
"How's it going?" I asked, forcing a cheerfulness I didn't feel.

Will smirked, quirking an eyebrow at me. "Are we doing this?" he asked. "Are we going to pretend that everything is okay?"

When I frowned in confusion, he hurried to add, "I assumed when you texted me that Avery has dones something awful, and you needed to escape her for a bit."

My fake smile fell, and I couldn't help the hurt that seeped into my words. "You're right," I admitted. "Although it really says something about her character that you'd automatically assume she was being a witch as soon as I texted asking you to hang out."

Will shrugged. "I've known Avery since we were kids. I've never seen her hate anyone as much as she seems to hate you, but I know she's not always an easy person to be around. If it helps at all, she's normally a nice enough girl, as long as you don't get on her bad side."

I chuckled darkly, shaking my head. "I wish I knew why I was on her bad side. She's hated me from the moment she set foot in our dorm room. Before I even said anything to her." Pausing, I shifted in my seat before asking, "I don't suppose you have any idea what I did that ticked Avery off?"

Will shook his head, spreading his hands in gesture of ignorance. "So, what has Avery done this time?"

I fiddled with a paper napkin sitting on the table, carefully folding into a small square, then unfolding it, avoiding Will's eyes. After a minute, I managed to find the words to explain what had happened earlier.

"Avery is in fine form tonight," I sighed. "She's apparently dating my best friend Dylan, and the two of them came back to the room together and kicked me out so they could have some alone time."

Will exhaled, his eyes coloring with concern. "Ouch," he winced. "And your friend didn't stand up for you?"

I shook my head sadly, balling the napkin up into my fist and squeezing it like a stress ball. "He didn't even tell me he was seeing her. Apparently, they've been together almost a week, and he never told me. Even though he knows that Avery hates my guts."

Avery was cruel, but the real betrayal was Dylan's. I expected Avery to relish in hurting me, but I honestly expected better of Dylan. He was my best friend, and I had told him how much Avery's cruelty bothered me. Not only had he not stood up for me tonight, he had chosen her over me. And we had three years of friendship. What could Avery offer him that I couldn't?

"That sucks," Will admitted, shaking his head at me. He studied me for a minute, and I thought about what a pathetic picture I must make, the poor, pitiful girl who'd been cast out by her best friend and picked on by her evil roommate. His face brightened, his mouth curling up into a devilish grin, and the sudden change in facial expression threw me off guard. I had just admitted to having one of the worst nights of my life, and he was smiling like a kid in a candy store. Was he some kind of sadist or something?

Now that I thought about it, maybe that shouldn't surprise me. Avery was a real piece of work, and if Will was friends with her, more than friends even, what did that say about his character? Her attitude must not bother him too badly if he's willing to spend time with her.