The Speech

Chapter 22

Avery's POV

      The beauty of a party at Lockwell's house is that it's so big that you can almost always find an empty room to decompress in. Even Jackie likes coming to party's here because she can always find a free bathroom, her favorite thing. This time I'm lucky enough to find that the empty room has a balcony overlooking the front yard that's littered with cars. And though I can still hear the noise and the music, it's quieter above it all here.
"Hiding out?" I hear Jayden say, startling me.
"Sorry, I lost you in the crowd down there and hid away to collect myself for a minute." I tell him. He makes his way over to me, and tries to slip an arm around my waist, but I pull away.
"Are you okay?" He questions and I just nod. I lean back into him, letting him put his arm around me this time, but after a moment I move away.
"Crazy party huh." I say, trying to change the subject.
"Too much for you?" He asks, concerned.
"What? Oh no, I'm fine."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes." He stares at me for a moment longer, a skeptical look in his eye.
"Then why are you pulling away from me?" He asks.
"I'm not." Liar.
"You are."
"I am." Better.
"So why?" He questions, desperate for an answer.
"Why did you get me pretzels?"

      The question is out there before I can stop it. And he just stands there, standing with the words I just gave him, trying to make sense of them.
"Pretzels? That's why you're upset?" He finally speaks.
"I hate pretzels, Jayden. For as long as I can remember, and I make it known to everyone. It is one of the easiest things to remember about me. And yet, you got me pretzels from the gas station." I explain to him.
"And that's an issue for you?" He ignorantly asks.
"Yes it's an issue for me!" I accidentally shout. I let out a sigh, trying to bring my voice back down.
"We've been dating for two years, Jayden. How could you forget that about me?" I ask him.
"I don't know Avery. I just can't believe this is something we're actually having to talk about." He states and it causes me to take a step back.
"I just need to know it was a mistake. An honest slip of the mind and nothing more. I need to know that it's not because I occupy so little of your mind nowadays that you can't even remember that I don't like pretzels." I spill. He shakes his head, and with an exasperated sigh turns past me, bee lining toward the door.
"This is so fucking stupid." Is the last thing I hear him say under his breath as he leaves the room.

Jackie's POV
 
       Up the stairs, and to the right at the very end of the hall is where we find Avery, passing Jayden on our way in. She's angry and upset and won't say much, just a word here and there. Dylan and I stand there for a few minutes, waiting for her to explain the source of her anger, but then his phone dings. He pulls it out reading, and rereading whatever is on his phone and then looks over to me.
"Are you good staying with her?" He asks and I nod.
"Yeah." I say as quietly as possible, but it's enough for him. He's quick out the door to whoever summoned him. I stare after him for a while wondering who he's run to, even though deep down I know who it is. May.
"What the fuck!" Avery suddenly shouts. I run over to the balcony looking for whatever she is screaming at and then I see it.
"He fucking left me??" She yells, while we watch his car drive off.
"Oh my god." Is all I say. Alcohol is still swimming inside me and I feel it when I see our ride pull away.
"What happened between y'all?" I ask her, hoping to understand why he left us here.
"Don't even get me started. Where the fuck is Dylan?" She asks, already leaving the room. I quickly follow after her, worried I might lose her.
"I don't know, I think he's with May."
"Call Theo."
"Why can't you?" I ask her.
"Because he hates me right now, please call him. We need a ride." Against my better judgment, I pull my phone out and call him.
"Theo? We need you." I say as soon as he picks up.
"We?" He asks.
"Me and Avery... Please Jayden abandoned us, we're desperate. We don't have a ride." I beg him. Because I will not go hunt down Dylan just to find him with May and beg him for a ride. I've had enough humiliation from him for one night.
"Okay. Lockwell's right?"
"Yes."
"Sit tight, I'll be there in a few minutes. I'm around the corner." He says and hangs up. Before I can tell Avery she is pulling me out of the house and to the lawn. She releases my wrist once we hit the sidewalk and starts to pace.
"Who gave him the audacity to just leave me at a party! I don't care how annoyed or pissed he is, he doesn't just get to leave me!" She rambles, and continues to ramble until Theo pulls up in front of us.