Shout

Chapter Two - Fourth Wheeling

"Mac's Sushi?" Avery questioned.

"No," I shook my head.

"Emerald Palace Chinese?" She pressed.

"No," I crossed my arms.

She huffed, "Thai cuisine?"

"Of course not, Avery!"

We were currently trying to decide where to go for dinner, but we had to filter through all the potential places Aaron and our old friends could be eating at. He really liked to eat out. I wish I could have put a tracker on his phone before we broke up. That's a healthy mindset, Olivia.

"I got it. We drive thirty minutes on the I95 to get to John Street to that BBQ and grill place," she looked proud of herself.

"That's perfect! See, I knew we'd figure it out." I stated proudly.

"Yeah, we sure did a lot. You know this is totally dysfunctional right? This is not the normal way people go through break ups." Avery looked at me with concern.

I was fully aware that this wasn't the ideal way to go through life - avoiding every single potential meeting place, but the alternative was even scarier. Facing him in person.

"I'm fine, Avery. I just don't want to see Aaron. I don't think that's insane." I reasoned with her, trying to appear like I had a handle on my mental well-being. It didn't always feel that way if I was being honest.

"Fine, fine." She raised her hands up to me in surrender. "We should get going if we're going to have dinner before midnight."

"When's the last time you saw Nathan?" I asked changing the subject. Avery and her new boyfriend, Nathan, had been inseparable since they first got together a few months ago. They were seeing each other constantly until my drama with Aaron happened. Avery had dropped everything to be with me for the last couple weeks, supporting me in anyway she thought she could, including going along with my insane restaurant plans apparently. I was so grateful to have such a supportive friend in her. But I also knew how much it was killing her to be away from Nathan for so long.

"Oh, not too long ago. It's not a big deal." She shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly as she grabbed her keys.

"You should make plans to see him later," I encouraged. It didn't make sense that she had to put a pause on her life because of my drama. When I told her this much, she told me to let her love me the way she knew how - suffocatingly, apparently.

"I will. I just don't want it to seem like I'm abandoning you," she analyzed my expression as she spoke.

"Avery, I'm fine. I appreciate what you're saying, but I know you miss him. You should hang out, you've got your own stuff going on too."

"I'll consider it." She stated heading out the door to her car.

"Consider it like you'll meet up today?" I prodded.

"Consider it like I'll do it when I feel like it." Well, nothing summed up Avery better than that sentiment.

Avery had always been stubborn. When she felt like she knew what was best for someone (which was often), she was a moth to a flame. A well intentioned, loyal moth. "I can call him if you're worried the spark is gone?" I teased.

She hit my shoulder, "oh we've got sparks all right," she sighed wistfully.

"Just call!" I interrupted, not wanting to hear anymore about the sparks she had with her boyfriend.

"Okay. I'll call and hang out but on one condition." She waited, eyebrow raised.

"Yes?"

"You come with me. Nathan usually asks his friend to come along anyway. I've met him a couple times. They're super close. So it'll work perfectly!" She clapped her hands together gleefully.