Beach Boys
Avery’s P.O.V.
My shoes squished with every step as they slapped the sidewalk, and my short auburn hair was soaked due to the lack of a coat. The rain was pouring, but I kept my pace. Today was the final day of school for the Juniors at Bellingham High. Everyone was squealing and giddy over their summer plans, while I sat in the lonely back corner of the room feeling sorry for myself. I examined the banana slugs as they wiggled themselves up from the flooding ground, if only it were that simple to flee from problems. Soon, I saw my house in the distance, it’s brick stature was the only thing keeping it standing in the harsh weather, and the white paint on the front door was chipping away painfully slow. Either way, it was still my house. My dad and I lived there together all year round, well, that is until he has to leave. Four or five times a year, my dad goes to travel to big, bustling cities for his work. It’s come to the point now where I don’t even remember what he does for a living. I grabbed the golden door knob, and twisted it with all my might as the creaky door slowly opened. “Dad, I’m home,” I called throughout the silent house. No response. I kicked off my shoes, they made puddles on the wood floor.Walking into the kitchen, I cringed at the scene, plates piled dangerously high in the sink and dirty napkins littered the floor. Guess I’m the cleaning crew for today. I bent down to pick up a soiled napkin, when dad came sprinting in.
“Avery! Stop what you’re doing, and pack your bags!” He exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear.
“What are you talking about?” I asked, bringing the dirty napkin carefully to the overflowing trashcan.
“Well, Daddy has to leave for Hong Kong for work, and I don’t feel right leaving you here all alone this time-”
“Does that mean you’re taking me with you?” I interjected hopefully.
“Not this time dear, but I am sending you to LA!” He paused, waiting for my reaction.
“Huh?”
“LA, you know: sunny, glamourous, the beach is your backyard-”
“Yea, yea I know LA, but why are you sending me there of all places? Wouldn’t I be all alone?!”
“Well yes, but you have street smarts and pepper spray, a girl needs nothing more,” He explained pushing up his specs.
“What about somewhere to stay?”
“I’ll rent you out an apartment while you’re there. Come on Avery, live a little,” His eyes were hopeful and sure of his genius plan.
I sighed, “Fine, but I expect pizza delivered for dinner tonight.”
He raised his right hand, “Done. Oh and by the way, we leave tomorrow.”
In defeat, I trudged up the stairs, my wet clothes making me feel like I weighed ten pounds heavier. Why did I agree to this? I’ve never been anywhere but here. Street smarts? Please, I get lost on the treadmill. But still, LA. That could be fun, maybe I can actually get a tan for once instead of being so pasty white. This trip couldn’t be too bad, right?
Slowly, I lugged my weighty suitcase out from the dusty attic. It’s been awhile since I had seen it last because I didn’t recall it’s obnoxious color of pink, and neon blue. Carefully, I pulled the old, rusty zipper, unsure of it’s stability. When I had finally conquered my opponent, it was time to pack. Truthfully, I didn’t have anything suitable to wear. A girl from Washington doesn’t have beach clothes, I only own a heap of sweaters and jeans. Rummaging through my closet, I found a couple things that could suffice. Some shorts, worn out sandals, and my prized collection of soda logo tees.
“Avery, pizza’s here!” My dad hollered from downstairs.
“Coming!” I responded as I slid the zipper of the suitcase back into place, ready for my adventure.
~ ∞ ~
“Okay darling, my plane is about to take off for Hong Kong, but here is the address for the apartment you will be staying at, and here is a credit card for food and things,” My dad reminded me as he kissed my forehead quickly goodbye.
“I’ll be fine, and I’ll call you when I get there,” I assured him.
“No, no, don’t call. Much too expensive, but you have your computer, so e-mail me. Bye dear.”
I called after him as he ran off, but it was too late. He had already boarded the plane. With a sigh, I sat down at my terminal to wait for mine.
By the time I finally boarded, the plane had been delayed for almost an hour! I hurriedly found my seat amongst the swarm of people, and politely smiled at an older lady sitting on the aisle seat of my seating unit. The plane was just about to take off, yet the middle seat hadn’t been occupied yet.
“Goodness! You would not believe how hard it is to get through security these days!” A girl in a long sweater that covered her shorts sighed loudly. She scanned the plane, and looked directly at the seat besides mine.
“Oh! There it is!” She plopped down on the seat rudely besides me, and turned her attention towards me.
“Hi there, my name is Evan.”
“Hi Evan, I’m Avery,” I replied nervously with my hand out to shake, but she just slapped it and laughed.
“So, why you heading to LA?” She asked.
“Well, for vacation. My dad kind of just put me on the plane and left.”
“Oooh, that’s interesting! I live there. My boyfriend and I are renting out a beach house for the summer. I can’t wait to get back to it!” She explained excitedly.
“That sounds great. What were you doing in Washington, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“I was there for my cousin’s graduation from high school. I could have done without the rain though.” She scowled.
I laughed at her disapproval, “I know, the weather is horrible–be glad you don’t live there.”
“Well, fret no longer mi amiga, you’re going to one of the sunniest places in the nation.”
I smiled at Evan as she turned to ask the older woman besides her about her knitting techniques. Evan seemed to live life with a sense of outrageous humor, an outgoing personality, and open friendliness. Maybe, if I stick with her for a while, I can learn a bit or two about how to be so open.
“So Avery, what do you think about us becoming friends?” She asked with a bright smile.
“That would be really great, maybe we can meet up again in LA,” I offered.
“Totally, let me write down your number.”
With that our friendship blossomed, we laughed and joked our way straight to LA.
~ ∞ ~
“Call me when you’ve finished gettting set up, and we can plan a date,” Evan waved as I hopped into a nearby cab.
After giving some ridiculous directions to the driver and working my way through a significant amount of traffic, I finally arrived at the complex.
“Thanks!” I smiled at the driver as I exited the cab.
He scowled.
“Oh right!” I handed him twenty dollars and he drove off speeding. Shrugging my shoulders, I walked up the stairs to my apartment for the summer. This will be it, the end to my boring everyday life to the exciting life of an LA inhabitant. I was so thrilled by the idea of freedom and fun that I didn’t realize that I hadn’t obtained a key to my room. I was at the door, room nine level three, yet I could hear people inside it. I knocked on the door, maybe it’s the landlord setting up for my arrival.
The door swung open violently, “What do you want?!”
I stepped back in alarm, in the doorway was a man who looked like he had just gotten out of bed.
“I don’t want whatever you’re selling!” He hollered and began to shut the door.
“Wait! I’m supposed to live here, my dad rented out this apartment for me, what are you doing here?” I asked, astonished by his rudeness.
“I live here you twat, looks like your daddy forgot to do something- pay!” With that he slammed the door in my face and I was left outside it flabbergasted. What just happened? I started to move towards the door to knock on it once more, but stopped myself. Did my dad really forget to pay for my living arrangements? I groaned, it sounded like something he would do.
“Stop your groaning and get off my property!” The man yelled from inside the apartment. I scrambled to get my suitcase and raced down the stairs, far away from the nasty old man. What am I going to do now? I’m in a completely new scene, I’m homeless, and I look like a hitchhiker on the side of the road with my suitcase. My phone vibrated in my pocket.
From: Evan
Hey girl, how’s the move in going?
I typed away furiously at my phone.
To Evan:
Horribly, disastrous, I just want to go home!
My phone rang, Evan.
“Slow down there girl, what’s so bad about the place?” She asked calmly through the phone.
“Well, I don’t know. I haven’t stepped inside or ever will. My dad forgot to pay the landlord so I’m completely homeless for the summer!” I cried.
“That’s horrible! Can you call him? Maybe you can get something set up,” She replied comfortingly.
“Nope. No international service on the phone plan, and even if I did have it, he is still on his plane,” I sighed, this was hopeless.
“Hold on for one sec.” Evan halted.
In the background I heard some chatter, but nothing I could make out.
“Hey Avery, I’m back. I talked with Liam and he said you could come and stay with us for the summer if you wanted. I know we don’t know each other well, but I can’t leave you out on the streets. What do ya say, come stay with your good ol’Evan?”
My eyes teared up in gratitude, “That would be lovely. Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
“No problem, now listen closely. Take the number nine bus straight to Malibu, cross PCH, then meet me at the Johnny Rockets by the beach. When you get there call me so I can come and pick you up. You got all that?”
“I think so!” I cheered.
“That’s good enough for me, now I’m only a phone call away. See you soon my dear!”
With the standard goodbyes, I hung up the phone and looked for the nearest bus stop.
~ ∞ ~
After a lot of running around with my suitcase in tough, I finally found the number nine bus stop. It was starting to get dark, and I could only hope to meet up with Evan before then.
“Ticket?” The bus driver asked.
“No, but I have some money...”
“That’ll do.”
I handed the driver my crisp five dollar bill, and sat down on a surprisingly littered seat. Don’t these people take care of their public transportation? In moments the bus’ engine sputtered and I was off, yet again, for another adventure. However, this time it didn’t feel as glamourous. I was on a dirty bus, going to an acquaintance's house for the summer. This time the unknown was more so then before. During my time on the number nine bus, I must have fallen asleep because I woke up and it was pitch black outside except for some nearby stores and their flashy lights. Standing up with a jolt, I raced to the doors of the bus.
“I think I missed my stop, can you let me off here?!” I asked worriedly.
The driver shrugged, and opened the doors so that I could exit. I grabbed my suitcase again and raced to try to find whatever the PCH was. After a few minutes of dragging my luggage around, I stopped to figure out where I was. As I was running, I didn’t notice the amazing array of “excitement” stores with their ostentatious customers littering the streets. Did that woman just wink at me? Or is that a man dressed up as a woman...? Quickly, I checked my remaining surroundings. Lingerie Store Next Door, Candy Colored Wigs, Lila’s Fun House, and then I saw it, a beacon of safety, Tom’s Book Soup. I sprinted with all my might to the security of an ordinary bookstore and entered it hastily. It looked like a normal bookstore to me, except for the fact that it appeared to be vacant. That’s probably because this isn’t quite the most striking store in the line-up. I placed my travel bag down by the science fiction section, and began to explore the store for inhabitants.
“Hello? Anyone home?” I asked through the plentiful aisles of bookcases. An interesting looking book caught my eye on the top shelf of the bookcase, and I reached up to grab it, but suddenly I felt like someone was watching me. Spinning around quickly, I noticed a dark haired boy standing less then a hundred feet away from me. Promptly, I tried to remember where I put my pepper spray. It’s in my suitcase! ... the suitcase that’s on the whole other side of the store.
The figure approached me slowly, and terror and adrenaline coursed through me. This is it Avery, now remember what dad taught you. Kick, Scream, Run. Kick, Scream, Run. He was close, inches away, but I stood still, unsure of what to do. Fight or flight. Then, he reached up over my head and took down the book that had seized my attention.
“You know, I didn’t peg you as the type of person who read something like this.” The mysterious boy turned over the cover so I could see, 50 Shades of Grey by E. L. James.
I blushed, “I didn’t know what it was, the cover just looked interesting and all.”
“You mean the very monochrome cover with absolutely no color?” He asked, smirking at my embarrassment.
This deepened my blush further, but he continued, “You know, the ending sucks they break up pretty badly, and it’s all very predictable.”
Now it was my turn to grin, “So you’ve read it?”
He smiled back, “Ha, ha very funny. No I didn’t, just spark-noted it. Lots of customers like it so I have to be knowledgeable.”
The upper hand I thought I had against him diminished, “Oh, well that backfired a little.”
He laughed slightly, “If I could recommend a great book, I would say that you should read this one.” He touched each book with his fingers so gracefully as he searched for the one he was looking for, and I found myself taking in his appearance for the first time. His dark hair was swept over to the left side of his forehead and his tan skin coordinated beautifully with his features. In an instant, I felt butterflies in my stomach. He was gorgeous.
“Oh here we go, Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. It’s a much better love story then that piece of crap.” He explained as he put the mortifyingly erotic book back in it’s place.
I nodded as he began to explain to me the basis of the story. I felt myself becoming more and more interested in it as he went on, or maybe I was feeling more in more interested in him as he went on.
He scribbled something on the inside front cover of the book, “Here, take this one on me, and call me when you finish. Maybe we can go, get tea, and talk about it sometime?” He suggested. I took the book from his grasp and looked at the inside of the front cover, on it was his name and his phone number. I flushed, was he asking me out?
“Yea, that sounds like a great idea, Zayn. I’m Avery by the way,” I smiled, “Oh the reason I’m here is because I’m kind of lost. I’m trying to get to a Johnny Rockets outside of the PCH. My friend is picking me up there.”
“Here let me talk to Tom, and see if we can get you some directions.” I nodded and followed him to the front desk of the store.
“Tom, you up there?!” Zayn yelled up the stairs to a building I hadn’t realized attached to the store.
“I’m coming, I’m coming!” An old husky voice sounded throughout the building. In no time, an old man with a walking stick came shakily down the steep stairs.
“What do you want now Zayn?” Tom asked annoyed, like he had just woken up.
“We have a lovely young lady here in need of our help.” Zayn explained.
“Lovely young lady? They still exist? All we get ‘round here are those drunk prostitutes.”
Zayn sighed, “Yea, she’s real. Now can we get some help, you know your way around this area better then anyone. Our friend Avery here needs to get across PCH, are we close?”
Tom stepped behind the counter of the front desk and took a deep breath, “Well, it’s only a mile or so away. It’s not too far of a drive.”
“So, when does the bus come back?” I asked. Tom and Zayn exchanged glances.
“The buses stop running right about now, it won’t be back until tomorrow,” Tom elucidated, “but Zayn can take you to wherever ya need to go. His shift is over by now anyways.”
“Thank you, that would be very helpful,” I professed.
“And if you ever need somewhere to work, we are a little short so-”
“Tom, will you stop promoting and go back to bed?” Zayn snickered.
With an irritated wave of his hand, Tom slowly mounted the staircase.
“Grab your case and let’s get going,” Zayn announced. With a nod we were both out the door, and I was yet again trusting a complete stranger. Maybe I should assess my common sense, but I’ll do that later. I ran to catch up with Zayn who was sauntering towards an older black Volvo. After stuffing my luggage into the back, I hopped into the front seat and smiled at Zayn, who started the car.
~ ∞ ~
In no time, I was out of the car standing in front of the Johnny Rockets with my obnoxiously bright piece suitcase.
“Well, I guess I’ll see you around,” I started, not wanting to quite say goodbye yet.
“Yea, don’t forget to call me when you’re finished with that book. Deal?” He asked again.
“Deal.” I beamed as I began to open my arms for a hug, then stopped myself. How do I do this, hug, handshake, wave?
Zayn chuckled at my gawkiness, “Come ‘ere,” He wrapped his arms around me, and snuggled me close. First it was a bit too close for comfort, but soon I felt safe in his arms, and hugged him back. I stepped away afterwards, thankful for the dark of night so that he wouldn’t see my blush for the millionth time. At that point, I turned around and headed into the burger joint.
“You work fast.”
I twisted my head to see Evan, standing with her back against the wall and her arms crossed, smirking.
I didn’t have time to explain so I just shrugged my shoulders. Evan put her arm around them and took my suitcase.
“Let’s get out of here.”
A/N: Hey everyone, thanks for reading the first chapter! I hope you enjoyed it! This is a summer series so I will attempt to finish it this summer, fingers crossed. I'm so excited for this one!! So, what are you doing this summer? Flying to Los Angeles only to realize you have nowhere to live, and then must move in with a stranger, but not before running into a very cute boy in a very odd place? I totally knew that. Yea, I'm a mind reader. Anyways, stay tuned for more of Avery's adventure.
Also you know who you are, @wildchild345 ;)
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~Jjmintyfresh