Wrong Quarterback | ✓

38 | super bowl sunday

          Caia tucks her dark blonde hair behind her ears as she sidles up next to Avery by the kitchen island, her fingers tapping against the condensed glass of homemade peach iced tea in her hand. The ice cubes inside clink softly against one another, a slice of lemon perched on the rim of it.

Resting her hip against the marble counter, she turns sideways as her lips slip into a charming smile, the kind of apologetically friendly she sported back when they were kids and she accidentally ripped the leg of Avery's Ken-doll off.

"So, I haven't actually brought this up because I figured you do you, you know. But this boyfriend of yours–," Caia's mouth falls into a thoughtful pout, ocean blue eyes narrowing ever so slightly. "Isn't he the one who sort of sent Luke to the hospital last year?"

Mouth in an upward tilt, Avery steals an appetizer off one of the plates crowding the countertop – yet having made it out to the guests beginning to crowd the house. "He had nothing to do with that."

"Are you sure? Because I need to know which level of an icy stare I'm settling on once he gets here."

"I'm very sure."

"Okay," Caia's tapping slows, one finger at a time. "If you say so. I trust you."

She's about to step away as Avery reaches out, hand cupping lightly around her elbow. "Caia?"

"Yeah?"

"Maybe aim for sunlight instead of ice?"

"I'll try," Caia's smile softens into one of sincerity. "For you."

"Don't worry," Townes appears behind them, having come down the staircase leading straight into the kitchen. She places her palm on the small of her girlfriend's back. "I'll make sure she behaves."

"Thank you," Avery says as she watches the two leave for the living room. "Both of you."

Running a smoothing hand over the hem of her high waisted black skirt, Avery forces a circle of breath through her nose in an attempt to fight off her nerves. The tradition of Tammy and Harold's Super Bowl Sunday is a pretty low-key event. A day of food, football, friends and fun. And that's exactly what it's going to be she tells herself – fun.

She twists her hands together, palms clammy against one another as she attempts to let yet another circle of unstrained air make it to and from her lungs, exhaling through her mouth this time.

"You okay?"

 Glancing up at the sound of Nic's voice as he walks into the kitchen, she catches sight of his parents over his shoulder where they're already busy in conversation with another pair of guests in the dining room.

The chatter drifting their way hints of how the house has begun to properly fill up – laughter slipping through the murmur of voices.

Most of the guests know better than to step into the kitchen. It's a room reserved for Tammy, Harold and their unspoken communication. Right now though, neither half of the pair is anywhere to be seen – leaving Avery and Nic alone among the many platters of food.

Though her friends have adjusted surprisingly well to the idea of Ethan and her, Avery can't help the way her breath doesn't quite reach the deep of her lungs; neither how she continues to tap her hands restlessly against the countertop as a way of distracting herself.

School events are one thing. Events nurtured by the town's atmosphere of baseless, reckless rivalry – not to speak of loyalty, is far from what she's in for today. This is her inviting Ethan to join them for something completely unrelated to the upheld rivalry. This is her merging two parts of her life together, hoping maybe one day her wishful thinking will become true. Hoping one day they can truly come together as one.