The Speech

Chapter 10

Jackie's POV

Avery stares at us confused.
"I threw him in a cold shower to sober him up." I state, starting to shiver.
"And what he took you with him?" She asks. Dylan walks out between us, leaving a trail of water through his room.
"Can I borrow some dry clothes?" I ask Avery.
"Yeah just stay there while I get them, I don't want to try and explain why the carpet is soaking wet." She says and turns on her heels walking back to her room. Dylan emerges from his closet, now in slacks and button up shirt, only halfway buttoned. He doesn't speak but walks past me again, hanging his soaked clothes on the shower rack. He starts to button up the rest of his shirt, but his lack of sobriety seems to be making it difficult.

"Can I help?" I ask softly, not wanting to upset him more. He lets out a sigh, dropping his hands to his sides and turning towards me. I walk over and start doing up the buttons, neither of us saying anything. Once done I take a step back. He stares at me for a moment.
"Sorry for earlier. I'm not trying to be a douche. I just don't wanna talk or think about May. She's stressed me out in a relationship for so fucking long... I've enjoyed hanging out with you the past couple days, the circumstances were shitty but you are fun to be around. And I'd like to keep hanging out with you. And yes I know I'm not sober right now but I don't care. This isn't something I'm gonna regret saying tomorrow. I'm not trying to push you into something either, just letting you know where I stand since you asked. I promise to be on good behavior with you from now on if you're not interested in this." Silence fills between us after that. I don't know what to say, this is all such new territory and he's my best friend's brother. It all freaks me out. I don't get how he can go from being in a relationship with someone for over a year now, to wanting friends with benefits from me. And from me of all people? How does he not see the complication with that? Doesn't he get the spot that puts me in, or the risk I'd be taking if I even entertain the idea? I've already royally screwed up by kissing him in the shower. The first time he kissed me I could have written it off. It would've been a funny story I tell her about a couple years into college, but now that it's happened a second time in one day? It's not gonna be much of a funny story anymore...

     But I know he's hurting, and I know he's fragile. I don't want to hurt him by telling him all of what he's asking me to do. So I stay quiet, until Avery comes back into the room.
"Here." She says handing me a black cocktail dress.
"Do you not own jeans?" I sarcastically ask.
"My mom invited you to dinner. We leave in ten. Change, then meet me in my room and I'll do my best, to do your hair." She states.
"Dylan out, it's crunch time." She demands. He rolls his eyes and trudges out of his own bathroom. She shuts the door behind him, leaving me to change.

Avery's POV

     As I walk back to my room I overhear Jayden's voice echoing up the stairs. He's being greeted by my parents right now which should occupy him for a few minutes. They really like him and every time we do something as a family they ask me to invite him along. I'm happy they like him, it makes my life a lot easier. It helps that he's great with parents, I mean seriously he's a poster child for them. A straight A student, scholarships lined up for college, star athlete, and the charm of a serpent. He really has a way with them, and me.

I remember when I met him in freshman year and I had the biggest crush on him, every girl did of course. I watched the way he worked them, feeding off their attention and then leaving when he was bored. The difference between me and those girls was their interest in him was surface level. They didn't want to get to know him, they wanted to bone him. They got just as easily bored with him as he did with them. It seemed like he just started beating them to the punch. I wasn't gonna be one of the girls pining after him. I was gonna be his friend, and though it threw him off when I didn't return his flirty comments or smiles, he found it refreshing. After getting to know each other, and being friends for the year, he asked me out for the hundredth time. And for the first time, I said yes. In other words, I made him work for it.