Burning Desires

Ch. 48: I Won't Mind

I won't mind
Even though I know you'll never be mine

Avery steps off the school bus, wishing her mother would've just picked her up from school with Adam in tow but whatever, she's home now and that's all that matters. She grabs her key from the handle of her Lakeside High themed lanyard, her school ID right behind the key.

She slips the silver key into the key slot of her house door knob and pushes herself inside, calling for her Mom as soon as she closes the front door behind her, dropping her bookbag on the floor.

"In here," Donna calls back from the kitchen, Avery smiling to herself because now is the perfect time to ask her mom about Teacher's Cadet, knowing if her Mom is cooking then she'll be too preoccupied to really consider what Avery is asking for.

"Oh, hey Avery," she hears someone yawn from the left of her, not noticing that someone was on the couch since the couch's back is facing the front and the person must've been cuddled into the couch, no doubt sleeping. That is until she walked in and called for her mother.

They lean their body up and goes to stretch their arms to the ceiling but remembers that their shoulder is still wounded and wouldn't be the best idea to make it worse when it just started getting better so, their arms fall to their side in a bit of defeated way.

"Harry, what are you-?" She questions with confusion in her voice, her chocolate eyes squinted at her Community Health teacher, wondering why is he even here. She looks towards the kitchen then back to Harry who's smiling at her.

"How was class? Was the substitute nice?"

She opens and closes her mouth like a breathing fish, putting her finger up in a 'hold on' motion and quickly trots into the kitchen, leaving a head-tilted Harry behind. "Mo-Mom! What is Harry doing here?" She whispers harshly, pointing her thumb back towards the living room.

Donna looks over her daughter's shoulder while standing in front of the stove, finding Harry in the process of attempting to get off the couch. "Harry, no, stay on the couch," he looks towards the kitchen but his light green eyes are not necessarily on her since in his spot he can't see her but apparently she can definitely see him.

He huffs softly like a small child who got denied his favorite snack in the grocery store, falling back on the couch cautiously. "I'm not helpless you know," he mutters under his breath while Donna just rolls her eyes and turns her attention to her daughter.

"Now, what were you saying?" She turns the knob on the stove since the pot of soup is ready to get poured into a bowl.

"I was saying why is Harry-," she cuts herself off when she watches Donna reaching up out of the cabinets to grab a bowl, pushing glasses to the side to get to the specific bowl. "Mama! I know you not making that man soup!"

Donna tries to peer down at Avery from her position, giving up when it begins to conflict with the staying position of her neck. "Obviously I'm making chicken noodle soup for Adam since he's sick," she shakes her head, finding the Scooby Doo bowl and showing it off to Avery as if to clarify herself while falling back down carefully on her true height.

"Oh, uh," Avery trails off, not knowing what to say as Donna just shakes her head. She begins pouring the chicken noodle soup in, opening her mouth to give her daughter a small and quiet speech.

"Avery, baby, I get it, okay? I totally understand that you don't want any more changes like what your father and I have thrown at you. So yeah, you don't have to like Harry. Your Mom is dating your teacher or just the simple fact he's your Mom's boyfriend but I will say this. You will respect him," she turns her body around to face Avery, giving the girl a menacing look that only moms that don't play could give.