“She won’t be there, remember that”. Avery kept repeating this to herself as she walked through the crunchy snow to Johns house for his birthday party. Earlier in the day she had told him she wouldn’t go b/c Chris and his girlfriend Ainsley would be there, and she knew she couldn’t handle that.
But John and his girlfriend convinced her Ainsley wouldn’t be there b/c Chris wanted to have fun and as he put it he counldn’t have fun if he brought her. This convinced Avery to go. She hadn’t seen her friends in a while, and seeing Chris without the bitch would be fun. They were still sleeping together, but more and more people were finding out, and Avery knew Chris held her responsible. She reached Johns house and went inside. Down in the basement were all the friends she hadn’t seen since they’d all moved to go to university, but since it was christmas break, they were all back. Then out of the corner of her eye, she saw her. He had actually brought Ainsley to the party, and immediately she felt sick, and knew the night wouldn’t go anyway as planned.
She sat on the couch against the wall and did her damnedest to ignore the pair in the corner. It was actually working too. She talked to wesley and Steven, argued with John, had a few drinks and a generally good time. The more she drank, the more Ainsley ceiced to exist. Everything was going so well she thought. Her and Chris had just had a nice disscussion with everyone (Ainsley didnt say too words and just sat there) and know all the guys were disscussing NIN. Avery decided to give her opinion. “I like the song Reptile, I think it’s sweet.” She’d always liked that song, and so had Chris. LAte at night when they would sit on the phone and talk, that was always what she had on. ” It’s not sweet!!” Chris seemed slightly angry at this part, “It’s about a guy who used to really love this girl and now he fucking hates her b/c shes a fucking whore!!” As he said these words he glared at Avery. Suddenly the room got really quiet. Over in the corner Ainsley gigglked. “Gee, it sure got quiet in here fast” John looked at Chris.”Just stop it, K man? you promised.” Avery didn’t know this, but John had asked Chris to be nice to Avery tonight. He knew they were sleeping together and couldn’t understand how sat times, Chris could be so mean, and at others so nice to her. Plus, he really didn’t like Ainsley. Conversation shortly resumed, and Avery decided the best way to end the night would be to get plastered. The more she drank, the more comments Chris made. Finally at one point, Chris turned to her as she opened another beer and Avery braced herself for another comment. “So what is this therapy for you now? You get drunk to escape your problems??” “I have no problems” Avery slurred back and got up to leave, stumbling slightly as she did this. But before she left the room, she got to here Ainsley ask John for some kool-aid or juice b/c she didn’t believe i drinking, and felt Chris shouldn’t drink either. Avery just laughed to herself as she walked down the hallway to get her shoes. Mellissa (johns girlfriend) came out and followed her to the door. “You’r not leaving yet are you? Please stay!” Avery told her she would just go for a walk and then come back. She left out the front door in time to see Chris leave with another guy togo get high. Gee, wonder what Ainsley would say if she knew she thought as she walked down the street.
******
After her walk, Avery went back downstairs and kept talking with everyone. She had people laughing and was satisfied with how it was all going, yet she could see Ainsley glaring at her, giving her the dirtiest look ever, and Avery had received many dirty looks before. Finnally everyone, well almost everyone, was drunk, and John wanted to goto bed, so everyone started getting ready to leave. All her friends offered to give her rides, but it was only a 10 minute walk for Avery, so she declined all offers and went to say goodbye to John and Mellissa. They hugged her good bye and John apologized for Chris. “I’m really sorrry, I asked him to just chill tonight, but he won’t when shes around” Avery started crying and hugged them goodbye. She turned to open the door, and as she turned the knob, Chris opened it from the other side. She walked past him and out the door on her way home. ******
The minute she left, Chris asked John what had happened and why Avery had been crying. “Maybe it’s because you’r an ass to her” Mellissa said, feeling bad for Avery. She knew the whole story and knew how Chris treated Avery. “You don’t like me much do you Mellissa?” Chris asked.” I don’t respect you is all” she answered, and walked away as John sorta explained why Avery had been crying, and he noticed the concerned look in Chris’s eye.
Later that night, Avery got home yet it took her 41 minutes to get there. She didn’t remember what happened, but the next morning she was covered in bruises, and could barley walk. She saw Mellissa and she told her about Chris’s concern. Yet later on in the day, she heard Chris had been telling everyone how Avery was trying to start stuff with Ainsley. Avery left town, and went home in tears, more confused then ever. Not quite sure where she stayed with Chris, but she promised herself it was over…..