Chapter Twenty-Five: The Old Bat Was Evil.
THE SOLID SNOW crunched beneath my feet when I got off of the bus. A second later Aven came off the bus as well, his tall figure walking next to me as we made our way over to the building at a far distance.
As if on cue for our scheduled calls, my phone buzzed with a call from my sister. I was greeted with a loud bark and immediately, I grinned, recognizing who that was. "Cooper! My baby."
"He misses you too," My sister said, shuffling in the background. "Are you heading to another day with Ms. Green? Or grocery shopping?"
We talked way too often. At this point, she could predict how long it would take me to go to the store and what I would get. "Ms. Green. And I'm going with a friend."
"A friend...what kind of friend? Do mom and dad know about this friend?"
"What kind of question?" I adjusted the black hat on my head with one hand. "Do you want me to die?"
"They aren't going to kill you for having a boyfriend."
They weren't. But they were going to bother me about it. Over and over and over--"You didn't show up with a man until you were, like, 21." Aven glanced at me but didn't say a word.
"You're 19."
"Two years makes a difference," I told her and I felt Aven's eyes on me once again. We were two years apart. Not that it mattered. It didn't feel like it mattered at all.
"I wanna meet this friend."
"What friend?" I heard her husband say in the background. Michael. A man I was so happy she chose to marry. He was a great conversationalist. A great addition to our family. But just like my sister, he was nosy. "Jaime has a friend? What kind of friend?"
"Can you both just--" I took the phone off, raising the device to Aven. "Say hi to my sister and her husband but don't say anything else."
Aven narrowed his eyes at me, "Uh, hi sister. Hi, sister's husband."
I brought the phone back to me just as the two were speaking on top of each other with the intention of embarrassing me. "Nope, not on speaker," I told them and their teasing reduced to grumbles.
"You're holding out on us." My sister said.
No. I was not. Whatever the hell was going on here was going to be told to my sister and likely her husband at the same time when I went back to Port Yonge. A part of me, while annoyed, couldn't wait to be pestered by both of them on every detail and every question they could think of.
The call didn't last long, ending with a promise of me texting her when I got home. Aven didn't question anything further as we walked into Sheppard Valley.
When we entered the recreation room, Ms. Green somehow saw me from across the room with her beady eyes. The woman walked faster than I've ever seen her move as she made her way over to me and Aven.
She grabbed my arm, a gesture that could have seemed so light and so gentle but in reality, she was gripping the hell out of me. I glared at her, and she hid my expression as she gave me the fakest hug I've ever received from her. "Jaime!"
"What the hell?" I mumbled in her ear, hugging her back. She smelled like perfume, flowery and a hint of talcum powder, a scent nevertheless comforting wrapped in deception. When she pulled back, she reached out to squeeze Aven's arm. And hold. And held for longer than she should have.
She was feeling his bicep. I frowned.
"What's your name, handsome?"
Aven was fighting the laugh from the attention she was giving him. His eyes dropped to where her hands laid on his arm before looking up at her with kindness. "Aven. You must be Ms. Green. I've heard a lot about you."
Before she could say 'I've heard a lot about you too' and I could tell by the look in her eyes, I coughed into my fist, gesturing to the group of volunteers by the side. "Need to talk to the coordinator. We'll be back."
I all but pushed Aven in the direction of the group, shooting daggers at Ms. Green behind her back. I didn't miss the 'I told you so' she mouthed before she shuffled over to Joe where he was playing the piano.
The momentary pause between Mrs. Green and Aven didn't last long enough. By the time most of the exercises were over, she had found her way to my group. Fixing her sweater, she put her hands in her pockets and leaned into me. Her sharp eyes were twinkling when they met my own. "I like the man."
"Oh, so we're not calling him the boy, anymore? The man?"
"That is not a boy," She insisted. "I like the man."
"Okay, take him." Sarcasm dripped in my voice.
"I am much too old for him." No sign of humour was present in her tone.
I gasped. "Oh, God, you actually considered it!"
"I did not."
"Cougar," I muttered with a laugh. This was gold. "Poor Joe. He's going to have to fight men who are literally one-fourth your age for you."
"Are you calling me old?"
"You just called yourself old, like, two seconds ago so if the shoe fits."
Ms. Green's blinked once at me. The one blink made her expression go from neutral to complete malice. She turned around, "Aven!"
Oh my God.
"Don't," I said towards me, glaring at her but she ignored me, reaching for his arm when he approached us. Mrs. Green, while being wise beyond my years at that moment acted even younger than I did. While I did have my adjacent siblings that were younger than me, she reminded me of their trickery and playfulness, all wrapped up in the body of an 80 something-year-old woman.
"Now, do you play chess?" She asked him.
"I know the basics." He said, glancing at me. I gave him a tight smile but that didn't work out. I probably looked like I was smiling through pain. He was being set up. I was being set up, falling right into whatever the hell Ms. Green had planned. Puzzlement crossed Aven's expression, but the woman didn't give him a chance. She was already pulling him over to the table we typically sat at near the window.
Twenty minutes later, I was staring down the table between them as Ms. Green ignored the real rules of chess for the thousandth time since I'd known her. She was driving me insane, and she knew it. She was evil. The old bat was evil.
Aven being Aven didn't mind it. He answered each question she had, he let her play the game her way, allowing her to let her pawn take his bishop in a completely illegal move and even laughed at her jokes. Meanwhile, I kept frowning as time passed by, wondering what she was up to with this game.
I figured it out when she nudged my foot with her own, "Jaime, smile."
I deepened my frown at her.
She glanced over at Aven. "Tell your girlfriend to smile."
Jesus Christ. Jesus fucking Christ.
That's when my fuse lit. Lit and exploded. Mentally, of course. Not physically. Although, it was tempting to get up, walk away and lightly express my sudden anger and embarrassment onto a wall. "We're not—"
"We're not together." Aven cut in. His eyes were cast down on the board as he moved his rook forward.
"Really?" Ms. Green said in astonishment. I was seriously considering kicking her chair over with the strength and animosity I didn't have.
"Really," I said, my voice tight. She didn't look at me either, responding to his movement with a light smile.
"Shame. You two would make a wonderful pairing."
At the word pairing was when Aven glanced at me, his eyes barely holding onto mine before flickering back to the board in a rash second. Ms. Green just seemed pleased at both of our responses, knowing she had succeeded in making me uncomfortable.
When Aven got up to go to the bathroom, the sound I attempted to hold in my throat released and it sounded inhumane. I haven't made a noise like that since I was a kid. As if I was seven and Abisola had just yanked my DS out of my hands. Ms. Green made a face at the noise. "What the hell is wrong with you?"
"I should be asking you the same question," I said. "Are you nuts?"
"Yes."
"Are you insane?"
"Yes."
Her blank expression added to her blatant responses only infuriated me even more. "Why would you do that!"
She shrugged, lifting her bishop and twisting it in her hand. "Jaime--"
"No." I crossed my arms, looking directly out the frosty window. The winter weather outside wasn't helping my sudden mood.
"Jaime--"
"I'm mad at you," I announced. "Don't speak to me." But apparently, I couldn't stop talking. "Can't believe you got me invoking the silent treatment on a Friday."
Mrs. Green huffed and in a sarcastic drawl said, "Oh, yes, I forgot how much you love Fridays for some weird reason."
"Fridays are good days."
"And yet you're here."
"With you, yeah," Any form of argument flew out the frosted window by the grin on her face. She knew how much I appreciated coming by every week or few days to see her. How much I looked forward to it. The old woman had become one of the highlights of my week and I was beginning to realize I was the same for hers.
She shuffled closer to me as if about to tell me top-secret information. Her voice dropped to a whisper, "You don't see the way he looks at you."
"What are you talking about?"
"You don't see the way he looks at you." She repeated. "Do you? I was under the impression that you both were in denial but it's just you, darling. He looks at you like--"
"Like what? Like Joe looks at you?"
A short laugh spilled from her lips, and she shook her head. "Joe is just a game. A little flirtation. Aven is, Aven seems to forget there are other people in the room whenever you're nearby if I have to be honest."
My lips parted in surprise. Mrs. Green was a lot of things and blunt was one of them. To declare her honesty, with the sincerity in her voice left my heart pounding. God.
"And he looks at you with this wonder when you talk," her white eyebrows furrowed as she continued, the dent in her forehead appearing as she was pinched in thought. It was then she looked directly at me, her hazel eyes sharp, never cloudy. The clarity in them made me believe more than I wished. "As if he can't figure you out and won't stop until he does. But I think he does."
Ms. Green reached for my hands. We've hugged. She's poked me once whenever she was annoyed with what I had to say. But holding my hands like this reminded me of my grandfather. She was too much like the old man. And the thought brought tears to my eyes. I blinked the tears away, holding onto her hand. She must have known because she turned our hands and squeezed before letting go. "The line has been crossed."
"It hasn't," I said, my voice thick with denial.
"Yes, it has. Whether you want it to or not. And I know you've been trying but do what you have to do, my Jaime," She said, patting it once before returning to her bishop. Aven returned to the table a second later, picking up their game. When he looked at me in question of my sudden silence, I avoided his gaze. But that wouldn't do me any good. He was magnetic, my eyes found their way to him whether I wanted them to or not.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dev and I made the signs I had promised Aven that afternoon before getting into the car. We had driven for an hour to the other town for the volleyball game. We were the only people in support of our team in that unfamiliar gym, holding up three signs: one for Herringway in general, one for Immanuel, and one for Aven.
We watched every hit, every serve, the long and seemingly excruciating rallies back and forth each set. For this game, Immanuel, although not a starter, got to stay on for a longer period of time. He flashed me a grin when he was substituted on for the second time and I returned it holding his own sign up high.
They won. The opposing team's supporters in the gym around me and Dev were not happy, but we didn't care. Dev was hollering, the most emotion I've ever seen in the man in my entire life as he cheered loud, making me cheer with him as the players shook hands. Ignoring the dirty looks shot towards us, Dev was quick to grab our posters, ushering me out of the gym with him.
As we walked towards the car in the parking lot and I was tying up the bristol boards with a hair tie, Dev's phone rang in his pocket. He stared at the phone for maybe two seconds before deciding that it was better to put it in his pocket.
I didn't question him, handing him the boards as he put them in the trunk of the car. He glanced at his phone once again, reading. When he shoved his phone back in his pocket again, he looked irritated beyond words and I knew if I asked what was wrong, he wouldn't be in the right headspace to speak.
By the time Iman and Aven had met us at the car, Dev was already in the backseat, hunched over his phone, typing vigorously on the screen. Iman glanced over at him. "What's wrong?"
"I don't know," I admitted.
Aven stared at Dev for a beat before gesturing for us all to get in the car, "C'mon, let's go."
We had settled in the car, Dev's mood evident but Iman wasn't going to bring anyone down. Dev had his earphones in as Iman spoke from the backseat throughout the hour-long ride back to Jasper Bay. Aven, who kept his eyes on the road, kept glancing through the rearview mirror at his friend when given the opportunity.
By the time Iman was dropped off and we had reached the apartment, Dev's phone rang again, and he opened the door to 704 without another word.
Aven kept his eyes where Dev disappeared, like into his room, while guiding me into the apartment with his hand on my back. "I'm gunna take a shower. Pick a show or movie, okay?"
I nodded, watching him disappear too. I gathered myself on the couch, my legs up and knees against my chest as I picked an old episode of Glee to watch for comfort. But the walls were thin in the apartment. Way thinner than expected.
The muffled sound of Dev's heated conversation with whoever he was having on the phone made its way to my ears. Luckily, I was unable to decipher any words. I didn't want to. It wasn't my business.
By the time Aven came back, the show was playing on a higher volume than it should have been, but he didn't make note of it, sitting down next to me in sweats and a black t-shirt. Like me, he put his feet up on the ottoman and slouched so he could see me eye to eye.
"What's Larine doing tonight?"
"Her sister came by town and she's spending the night over at hers."
"She doing okay?"
"She's doing better," I concluded. Although almost two days since the breakup wasn't enough to get her back to her feet.
"And you and Mariam?"
"What about me and Mariam?" I mumbled, shifting lower in despair. "It's still silent city. I'm tired of strained friendships over stupid reasons."
Aven shifted as well, an eyebrow raised. "There's another situation?"
"I have this friend. His name's Clayton. Blonde hair."
"The guy from Halloween who was with you and Mari?"
I nodded. "Long story short, roommates thought he liked me. He doesn't. Friendship awkward."
Aven paused. Then he let out a small laugh.
He fully sat up, placing his elbow near my head, his fist leaning against his temple. "Are you in high school?"
"Excuse me?"
"Just talk to him," He said as if it was so easy. It was easy. For him. Not for me. Or else I would have done it the second I was sober that night. "Do the confront and conquer thing."
"That's what got me here in the first place," I muttered, feeling my phone buzz in my pocket. Pulling it out, I groaned at the recipient of the message.
Aven put the show on pause, moving his fist from his temple so he stretched his arm out behind my head. "Who is it?" He asked.
"Ashton," I sucked in a deep breath, irritation already clouding my mind in mere seconds. "It's bad enough he's bothering me when school is on, but the break doesn't end until today. How is it possible that he can bother me, specifically me, by the way, not the other two? I know he's not bothering them about something that has already been completed or that I can look at tomorrow. It's a Friday night, does he not have plans?" I sat up, turning to Aven. "Go be your family. Go be with your friends. Don't be worrying about a biomethods assignment and stressing me out every time I see your name on my screen--"
I stopped when Aven's lips rose at my complaining and immediately cringed. I talked way too much. "Sorry."
He shook his head, "No, don't stop."
I groaned, rubbing my eyes as if that would take his amused face out of my point of vision. Nope, still there. Still looking at me as if I was the most interesting creature on this planet just because of another one of my ranting sessions.
I was about to turn to face the TV when he spoke up, "Your presentation's January right?" I nodded. "You need more of an audience?"
A gasp left my lips before I could seal it in, but Aven only grinned at the sound. "You want to come? Like for real?"
"For real. I want to see you kill it."
My phone buzzed in my hand but I didn't care to check. Aven had said that last sentence with sincerity. Such sincerity that made me hyperaware of my breathing the longer I stared at his honest face. A face that said that all he wanted to do was support me.
As if I voiced any doubts, he nodded, "I mean it."
I didn't get the chance to say anything more. The sound of a key entering a lock startled me out of my Aven fog by another one of his roommates. Aven blinked twice, head whipping to the door as a mop of blonde hair came storming through. "What are you doing here?"
"I couldn't take it anymore," Laurence muttered, kicking off his shoes.
Laurence dropped his luggage behind the couch, practically ripping off his jacket as he headed into the kitchen. "All the fucking fighting. The weird ass tension. Jesus. I had to get out of there."
Laurence returned without his jacket. Instead, he was holding three small cups and a bottle of gin. And the lack of chase that would usually accompany the drink. I could feel the burn down my throat just looking at the bottle and immediately cringed, clearing my throat as if I had already tasted it.
Laurence knelt on the other side of the ottoman, placing the glasses on there. He huffed, looking up at us. "You two have parents, right?"
"Huh?" I asked.
"Happy, nonfighting, non-miserable? You have those types of parents, right? Still in love with each other and all that?" Aven and I didn't answer. Laurence blew a raspberry. "Hold onto that, eh? My parents suck."
"Did you get on a train?" Aven asked.
"I got on the fastest train after the eighth fight of the week. I don't know how my sister does it. She said she's going to do something like run away. I told her I'd take her here with me if I could. God, I need to call her."
As he poured the glasses, I asked, "How is she doing?"
"She's doing a lot better than I am. She's at a friend's house more often than she's at home. I'm waiting for the phone call of them telling me they're going to get a divorce. The joke is that I've been waiting for that call, for that message, for eight years. I'm done."
Laurence shoved the glasses into our hands and was about to take a sip of his own before his eyes caught the screen. "What the fuck are y'all watching?"
"Glee."
"Again? You two have a problem," Laurence stared at the screen for a moment before his shoulders slumped as he eyed the glass in his hands. A few seconds went by before he said, "I don't want to drink anymore."
"Yeah, drinking wasn't really the plan tonight. Here." Aven told Laurence with a soft smile, grabbing the glass from his hand, taking my own and bringing the glasses and bottle to the kitchen.
I patted the seat next to me and like a puppy, Laurence crawled over, bringing his legs up like a kid. "I'm sorry, Laurie."
The 22-year-old leaned towards me and rested his head on my shoulder. I put an arm around him as he sighed. "It is what it is."
"Wanna watch Glee with us?"
"Do I have a choice?"
"Not really but we're almost done with the episode. And you can pick the next show to watch since we're almost done this one." It'd be best not to tell him I had given Aven a list of what to watch next.
Aven came out of the kitchen, ruffling Laurence's hair. "Yeah, you can pick next."
"Thanks, guys." Laurence looked around. "Where's Dev?"
'Girlfriend issues." Aven said.
"Fuck," Laurence sighed. "We're all just going through it today, huh?"
He lifted his head from my shoulder before staring at me. And my position on the couch. My comfortable position on his couch. "You're here often, aren't you?"
I didn't answer, pressing play on the television as Aven sat down on the other side of Laurence who slouched down between us and leaned his head back on the couch. "Haven't you heard? She's the fifth roommate."
A grin spread on Laurence's mouth. "That means she has to play Kings for the--"
"I am not cleaning your bathroom," I declared, turning to the television. Laurence chuckled and over his head, Aven shot me a smile. A smile that made me feel as if I was meant to be here. With them.