Enjoy :)
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Avery woke up to the sound of laughing. Looking at her nightstand, the watch said six in the morning. Only zombies are awake at this hour and now she was as well.
Weirdly enough though she remembered her mom telling her she wouldn't be home for a couple of days due to reasons that Avery was unaware of. So the main question here is who in the world was in the house and laughing as if the world would end on that same day. Something about that laughter though reminded her of someone with the same laughter.
After understanding what was happening she bolted from her bed and grabbed the first thing that popped in front of her.
Tiptoeing down the hall she reached the living room and as she approached the source of the laughter she held the object above her head tightly. All sorts of scenarios passed through her head.
She shook her head so she could stop thinking too much about it or else she would panic. Surely, believing that the house was under attack by thieves wouldn't be healthy for anyone's nerves. She calmed herself down by thinking that she had even dealt with a gang before so this was no big deal.
Then she suddenly jumped in front of the culprit with a high pitched "aha" and she was just about to hit him with the deadly object she was holding when she realised who it was. Ray.
Avery frowned deeply and dropped her hand to her side. Ray slightly moved his head to the side to give her a small grin "really Avery" he said and the way he said her name sent waves of warmth to her tummy, "a mic?" he concluded with a chuckle.
For a moment there she lost him but when she finally noticed what she was holding she frowned even more.
"Someone had a wild karaoke night" he added fully laughing now. Out of instinct and with a wounded pride she threw the mic at his chest, but with his really fast ninja reflexes he caught before it could even touch him.
That only got him a snicker from her. "What are you doing in my house at six in the morning?" she crossed her arms over her chest.
He leaned at the end of the couch with a smile on his face. "Your mother asked from my mom to watch you out while she's away. But my mom had to leave really early for her work so I got the keys that your mom left us and came to check out on you." when he ended his speech he was no longer smiling. A cold stare had replaced his previously amused gaze.
"Don't give me that look" she demanded, "nobody forced you to come here, you could have just lied to your mom". It bothered her to think that he was annoyed by her.
Ray sighed deeply and entangled his fingers with his hair. She noticed he always did that when he was frustrated.
"You just shouldn't be all alone here" he exclaimed softly. She was beyond surprised.
"Are you worried about me?" she asked with doubt filling her mind. He just nodded and stared at her waiting for her reaction.
She dropped her defensive stance and bit down on her lip to prevent a smile from creeping on her lips. That small nod he gave her with so much confidence made her think for a moment that she was a bird ready to fly and never get down on earth again. It made her happy.
"Well since you're alright, I should go." before he could take a step though he heard a soft mumble coming from her lips. "What?" he questioned her. "I said thank you" she repeated with a smile adoring her face. He smiled at her and left.
Then she wondered what had he been laughing at. Then she noticed something yellow on the chair beside her. She growled loudly and that's when she died again and again. He had been laughing at her bra with spongebob plastered on it.
She sighed and made a mental note to never leave the laundry on her living room again.
Five hours later and she was done with cleaning, eating breakfast and had even slept for an hour. Saturday morning and nothing to do. Jessica was on a date with Jack and she was in her room staring at the ceiling. Yes, indeed, ceiling therapy worked very well and her mind was freed from any sort of negative thoughts. Her mind became as white as the ceiling itself.
Then her phone rang making her curse loudly. Oliver was calling her. To answer or not to answer, to answer, she concluded.
"Avery come at my house right now" he demanded.
"Ah yes I'm gonna say to my GPS Oliver's home and puff I'll be there in no time. Dude, I don't know where you live" she exclaimed angrily.
"Someone woke from the wrong side of the bed. Being grumpy on such a nice day it's not cool so get your things straight woman". He yelled probably struggling to keep himself from laughing.
"I hope you get eaten by a penguin" she exclaimed and he simply continued to giving her directions for his home.
Half an hour later he was in Oliver's bedroom sitting on the couch with Dan, Alex and Austin. She noticed that Ray was the only one missing.
"We have gathered here today to talk over a sacred matter" Oliver announced as he kept pacing back and forth in front of them like a general ready to give orders to his soldiers.
"Did someone die?" curiosity getting the best if Avery. Austin and Alex both knocked on the wooden table three times as if to exorcise her bad words. "Someone is being prejudiced" Dan said unprovingly as he stared at the two of them.
"No" Oliver said sternly. "This is about Ray."
They all stated at him weirdly.
"Are you gay?" they all asked him simultaneously.
"Oh for God's sake shut up already." and so they did.
"I think Ray has a date today" he said while looking at each one of them.
"That's a crime!" Alex exclaimed while humorously placing a hand over his mouth.
"A dreadful sin it is" Austin added with a nod making Avery giggle.
"And it's our job as his friends to find out who she is" Oliver said and granted them a sly smile.
Dan seemed excited "so we will spy on him?".
And when he saw Oliver's positive smile he got up and high fived him.
Avery was just standing there, she wasn't sure if she wanted to take part in all of it. She felt a little sick as she imagined Ray acting all sweet and vulnerable around another girl. She didn't want to understand that feeling though as it made her uneasy and confused as hell.
They wouldn't let her stay out of it though. They put on glasses and wigs to disguise themselves but for some reason they were bound to attract more attention that way.
"We don't know where he is" Avery said and felt relieved that that was a reason good enough to stop Oliver's insane plan.
"Of course we do. He is at the mall" he replied with a victorious grin.
That's how twenty minutes later they found themselves in front of the mall. "I'm not so sure about this" she exclaimed but the guys just brushed it off.
"What's the big deal anyway. I suggest we let him enjoy his date on his own" she said again. Alex and Austin turned to face her, "the big deal is that he didn't tell us about it and we're not supposed to keep secrets from each other." Alex pointed out while taking an angry bite at the hot dog he had bought on the way to the mall.
"Here take these" Oliver handed them walkie talkies (a/n I'm not even sure it's written that way o.O).
Avery gave him a weird look. He noticed it, "What?" he said defensively, "it's for your own sake and to add some mystery and fun" he smiled evilly.
After a few minutes of tiptoeing around and the occasional tripping from each other's feet and some profanities here and there "god Aves, for a girl you have a big foot" which gained Oliver a smack on the back of his head, they finally found Ray.
As expected he was not alone.
"Ew she's so out of Ray's league" said Alex with disapproval.
"I think she's very beautiful" Avery said and everyone turned to look at her as if she had said the stupidest thing in the world.
"She's shorter than you" Dan excluded with a duh look.
Avery raised her eyebrows "why am I being compared to her?".
"You're missing the main point" Dan retorted.
"Don't you guys like short girls?"
"We do! But Ray doesn't" Austin said and kept staring at the black haired girl who was sitting opposite Ray smiling at him.
"She's cute though, you have to admit" she sighed as she thought that she seemed like the perfect match for Ray.
"Not as cute as you" Oliver took her by surprise. The others nodded at his remark.
"Thank you, but I still don't understand what we're doing here?".
"I disapprove of her" Oliver said finally.
"He can do so much better" Dan concluded.
"And I am never ever but ever going to forgive him for not telling us" Austin said with a cute pout.
"He sure doesn't have my blessing" Alex pointed out.
"Now that you guys have figured out your true feelings through this really bonding time" she said mockingly, "let's go home".
They were about to do just that when Oliver stopped them, "guys why is she staring at me?" he asked curiously and when they all turned around they noticed that the black-haired girl had been staring at them and was smiling.
"Oh no" Alex shrieked "we have been discovered!".
"Evacuate the building!" Austin screamed but before he could start running Dan grabbed him from the back of his shirt and held him in place.
Then the girl started waving at them frantically. "Oliver" she called "come here". Due to the whole commotion Ray turned to look at them and he was beyond surprised and probably annoyed as well.
Avery was too scared to meet his eyes so she looked somewhere else, like the bookstore on the other side. She thought that she hadn't bought a book in ages. She started to march towards the bookstore to avoid any unnecessary drama when a hand tightened around her left arm.
"Where do you think you're going?" Oliver asked with a sadistic smile. It made her feel so small.
"Do you know that short girl?" Dan asked Oliver curiously.
"There is only one way to find out" he exclaimed and started walking towards Ray while dragging Avery behind him.
"Noooooooooo" Avery shrieked with a pained expression.
The guys soon followed them until they were standing in front of Ray and the stranger with the black hair.
"What are you all doing here?" Ray asked but he was staring intently at Avery who was refusing to look at him.
"And why in the world are you dressed like that?" he added with a scowl.
"It was Oliver's idea!" Alex and Austin replied simultaneously.
Oliver rolled his eyes and shrugged with a grin.
"Oliver I haven't seen you in a while" the stranger said with a toothy grin. Oliver blinked a few times and then as if he was having a flashback he recognised her.
"Sabrina" he nodded with a slight frown that was quite unfriendly.
"You know her?" Dan asked.
"Ray, Oliver and I, are childhood friends" the girl stated with a smile.
"You don't seem to like her very much" Alex told Oliver and he tightened his grip on Avery's arm angrily.
"When we were thirteen he confessed to me but I told him that I will always love Ray" the mystery girl said and silence fell upon them. Avery couldn't help but dislike her. Afterall she was the reason why Oliver was digging his nails on her arm. She couldn't help but feel sorry for him.
"You should learn to keep secrets and appreciate them. Otherwise you won't be trustworthy enough for neither Oliver or Ray" Avery exclaimed boringly. Her Saturday had been turned into an episode from a soap opera.
Sabrina glared at her and Oliver turned to look at Avery with a small smile. "We should go for ice cream" he said, "I know the perfect place".
"Sure" Avery exclaimed happily, "only if it's your treat" she added with a grin.
As they were about to leave Avery turned to look at Ray and she could have sworn she saw the tiniest of the smiles, an adorable movement on his lips and his eyes after finding hers lit up with the most bright of lights making her all excited and happy.
She was bothered though by the fact that he was left behind with a pretty girl who had publicly announced her love for him, she was dangerous.
Dan, Alex and Austin saluted Ray with big smiles but gave Sabrina a cold glance before they followed Oliver and Avery for ice-cream. Who could say no to free ice-cream?
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IMPORTANT
Ok so I like this chapter a lot.
My first thought when I began this story was to create a romantic atmosphere for Avery and Ray but after this chapter it just occurred to me that maybe, just maybe there could be anoyher road, another choice for Avery.
Comment and tell me because I'm dying to know which one you prefer:
Avery & Ray forever?
OR
Avery & Oliver?