In Another Life

16 - "Life goes on when the lights go out"

16 - "Life goes on when the lights go out"

Four months was a long time. Four months could also pass in the blink of an eye. It all just depended on whether you were waiting for something or enjoying something. The saying 'time passes when you're having fun' hadn't been said for nothing.

The thing was that Ava was in her second year at SCU and it was fun. She loved her friends, her studies were interesting and she had it better than most, what with not having to hold down three jobs while still trying to do homework, study and have a social life. Tina could attest well to that horror.

When she didn't feel like being a person, there was always someone in the house to just be around and Haley was really the best roommate, even when she herself was glowing with happiness because her relationship with Jemma was going so well.

"Casual is best, my Ava. You should try it sometime. You're so serious about Adam, declaring the freaking love of your life before you've even turned twenty. I mean, I'm younger than you and I can tell you that it's a bit premature."

Ava sighed and dropped her head over the edge of her bed, her hair hanging down to the floor. "When you know, you know. But that's beside the point. I was supposed to use these four months away from him to get over him. Leave my feelings behind at that airport so that when he comes back, I wouldn't be feeling like I was complete again." She waved her hand around her until she felt her phone and grabbed it, unlocking it and flicking through until she found what she wanted.

The blood rushing to her head started to make her dizzy so she pulled herself up, grunting and thinking that she needed to stop skipping her workout because her upper body strength was sorely lacking.

"Look at this shit! It's like, why can't he be a horrible man and just like let my heart go?" she asked, waving her phone in front of her.

"You know, I can't see anything if you're waving your phone like that. So help me out and actually read out or show me what you're talking about," Haley groused, falling back against her pillows after her unsuccessful attempt at trying to see what Ava had been trying to show her.

"Well, he doesn't message me often because the area that they're working at has terrible reception but whenever he goes into town for anything or when they get back to where they're sleeping, he messages right? And he takes pictures the entire day and takes notes of things he wants to talk through with me. Then I get like novels every night. He tells me what he saw that made him think of me or what I'd enjoy. He'll send these stupid adorable group photos and ask me if I saw this or that when I visited the country. Then he'll send food reviews of new stuff he's trying out, like in these dumb videos he takes when they're eating. They'll take forever to come through from his side so I'll get them randomly in the day, when they finally come through, so just when I have some respite from him, bam! There he is again."

Haley was watching her very intently and it was making her uncomfortable. "What? Just tell me. If you aren't, who's going to?"

Haley got off her bed and joined Ava on hers. "I have a few things to say. I don't know. I'm just going to say it as is." She ran her hand through her hair, the pixie cut now coloured a shade of green that was really gorgeous to look at. Her nails were painted in splashes of yellow and green. Crazy colours but done really artfully. She was so f*cking gay, it hurt sometimes. She also managed to pull off looks that others could only dream of.

"First of all, I don't know what's wrong with that man. He has a girlfriend and he spends an awful lot of time messaging some other girl about his life. Okay, it could be seriously innocent. He could see you as an extremely good friend and that could be it. For all we know, he messages Zoey just as much or maybe they have a different relationship. Whatever. It's still weird to me. I think if you're with someone seriously, they should be your best friend. Not someone else. Wait. Does he complain about Zoey to you? Or like asks you stuff about their relationship?"

Ava thought back and shrugged. "Sometimes? He doesn't complain much though. Just when he's contemplating and asking if I think he does know how girls think, which I think he does, and like what I would like in a certain situation or what I would think or say. Then he says that whoever ended up with me would be the luckiest guy alive."

Haley shrieked. "Oh my f*cking god! This guy! What is wrong with him?"

Ava looked at her friend in concern. "Are you okay?"

Haley shoved her hand in Ava's face. "Shut up. I'm still working things out here."

Ava nodded. "Okay, you said first of all. What's second?"

"Second is-

The door burst open and three girls came pouring in, giggling and a little wobbly.

Ava's eyes widened. "Oh my god. Are you guys drunk?"

Rada stared at her, her Russian accent thick as she spoke. "Shh, what are you saying? That's not legal."

Ava turned incredulous eyes towards Polly who was examining the roof thoroughly.

Haley looked at them for a second then shouted, "Boo!"

Ava herself jumped but the three intruders screamed then burst into a fit of giggles that lasted way too long, Amy clutching her stomach and stumbling towards the bathroom. "Need to pee, laughing is making me wanna pee. I'm gonna mess up my pants." Stupid girl was still laughing in between saying this causing Rada and Polly to burst into fresh bursts of laughter.

Haley shook her head. "Not drunk. The idiots are high."

Ava sighed. Sometimes these girls were too much.

Rada waved her hand in front of her and then stared at it before saying loudly, "Did you know that I have five fingers? But when I try to drop this one," she was staring at her baby finger as it bent, "then this second one wants to go down with. That's ridicu, radicu, riri" she started laughing again, "I said Riri." She looked at her hand for a few seconds of uncontrolled laughter before remembering what she was saying. "This second finger is too codependent."

Ava stared at her before turning to Haley and mouthing 'what the freak?'. Haley just shook her head and shrugged.

Amy eventually stumbled out of the bathroom and declared that she was hungry. That seemed to remind the other two that they too were starving and they stumbled out giggling, leaving the door open.

Ava groaned and stood up to close it when Vania came walking in, wide-eyed, thumbs pointing behind her. "Did you see that?"

The roommates nodded and Vania looked around before saying, "Is it a private convo or can I join?"

Haley looked at her for permission and she shrugged. What would be the point in keeping things private? Everyone knew about Adam already.

Then Haley turned back to her. "As I was saying. My other theory is," she paused, took a breath and said, "I think he's in love with you and he either knows and is scared to do anything about it. Or!" she exclaimed, seeing that Ava had been about to interrupt. "Or. He just doesn't know. No, he is but doesn't know!"

Vania had already caught up with what they were talking about and was nodding violently. "I completely agree. Look honey, we all talk about our man or women problems in this place but lemme tell you. The relationship that you and Adam have, I don't know. Your'll be really close but like more than just best friends. It's something else and it's not only from your side."

Haley looked at her pitifully. "I have one more thing to say."

Ava sighed. Haley would say it whether she asked or not.

"I don't think you really want to get over him."

Ava gaped. "What? I do! I said I did."

Haley rolled her eyes. "Then you'd make an effort. You wouldn't entertain his messages, you'd actually start going out with someone else, you wouldn't spend your every moment allowing yourself to think about him and talk about him and moon over him. You indulge a lot, padawan, and you need to stop."

Ava groaned out loud. They were right. She was doing nothing to help herself. It was time to do something about that.

That night she texted Jace to meet up.