The Final Project

Chapter 49

Ava

I remember being a kid, drawing with chalk on the sidewalk. I drew rainbows, and unicorns, and little hearts, and smiley faces. It would be all different colours, and I would spend hours on end making it perfect. Then, the rain would come, and wash my little world away.

I'm like that rain, anything I touch the sidewalk chalk. No matter how hard the chalk tries, and tries, and tries to stay, I make sure it washes away.

I wake up to an oddly comfortable mattress, and the sun shining too bright on my face. I'm still at Liam's apartment, and comes with the thought of him is an unwelcome wave of sadness.

"Hi." I walk downstairs, Jason using an obnoxiously loud blender to make some weird-looking concoction.

"Want some?" He screams over the noise. He offers me a glass of the green liquid, and I can't help but wince.

"No, thanks."

"Don't knock it till you try it." He practically inhales the drink, and does an over-exaggerated sigh of satisfaction.

"No one wants your fucking smoothie, J." Liam walks toward the fridge in his gym clothes, a plain white t-shirt, and black shorts. I guess we're pretending everything's normal?

"Oh, come on, man. You tried it once, in the earlier stages of the recipe, by the way," he says, looking at me. "And it caused mild diarrhea. Mild, Liam."

"Yeah, well, she's not drinking that." Oh, I guess he does know I exist. And he's deciding what I do. So, just to spite him, I take a glass, and chug it completely empty. I can taste the hints of garlic, and celery going down my throat, and it takes everything in me not to spit it out.

"That was delicious," I say with a gigantic fake smile. Liam stares at me, and smirks a small smirk.

"Yeah, take that you fucking asshole." Jason flips him off, walking backward, and toward the couch. "Wanna watch some TV?" he asks no one in particular.

"Yeah, let's watch some TV," I reply. He flicks on a random channel, his one arm around my shoulder, and the other holding the remote. I try to concentrate on the show, but I keep getting distracted.

I watch Liam as he makes himself a salad, his eyes sometimes finding mine. His sleeves are rolled up, his hair kinda messily covering his features. Since when did he start cooking? I force myself to look at the television again. "So...what else can you make?" I ask Jason.

"Dude, I make the best lasagna." He sits up. "I add this super secret ingredient that adds some tang to it. Family recipe. I'll make you some for dinner tonight." Suddenly, I'm extremely busy.

"I would try it," I lie. "But I have to go home...."

"Come on, Ava. You can go home right after." He looks genuinely distraught. Looks like I'll be spending a few more miserable hours in Liam's presence.