Fighting For Ava

*18*

Gavin wrapped his arms across his chest, earnestly waiting for Jethro to start speaking. If he had missed his favorite TV show to visit Jethro and ended up helping him scrub a toilet, then having a full interesting story of all he had been starved for would be welcome compensation, aside from taking his cakes.

"Why the silence? Thinking of where to start, anywhere dude. Anywhere." Gavin prompted excitedly while Jethro just rolled the curtain up in response like he was going to reveal a stage where the storyteller would emerge from.

"Did I tell you about a letter I saw from Jessy?" Jethro asked when he was done with his needless task.

Gavin squinted at him, trying to remember if he had been told that, "No." He finally shook his head and added sharply, "See, I think you shouldn't ask if you've told me anything or not. There're lots of them you haven't. So just say them as they come. Spill everything." Gavin sang those words out and Jethro grunted at his antics. Gavin should be Rose's brother. They would jell perfectly well. Both were always eager to hear gossip and could run their mouth for hours.

"On the first day of school resumption, I saw a letter dropped from Jessy on the bus." Jethro disclosed and as expected, he was given some sound of interest from Gavin.

"What's in the letter?"

"Ava wrote it and.." Jethro paused, giving a shiver when a cold breeze surged through the window, "I think she sent Jessy to deliver it to Finn."

"Really?" Another eager input from Gavin.

"Yeah," Jethro scratched his head, "She was explaining what led to those pictures to him and made a statement about her soul dying. That's why I decided we go see her earlier."

Gavin hummed understandably at the end of his narration, "Did she write that she was unaware of how those pictures came to be?"

"Yes." Jethro nodded, giving him an acknowledging look that he had guessed so right.

"Jessy also said the same thing." Gavin stated with some conviction in his voice, "She said Stan was behind all that happened that night."

"That's a lie." Jethro retorted.

"Really?" Gavin's eyes rolled at him, "Two people are saying the same thing here."

"And the two people are friends. Trust me, they both lied." Jethro remarked in a harsh tone.

"Ava?" Gavin asked indistinctly, hinting at his surprise at hearing Jethro accuse Ava of lying.

Jethro's face broke into a small smile on seeing his friend's reaction, "Yes, Ava lied. I confronted her and she said the truth."

"So what's the truth?" Gavin cocked his head keenly at him, the story was reaching a climax now.

"I told you about meeting with Stan right?" That was entirely not a question. Jethro could remember vividly when he told Gavin that. That was the fateful afternoon he had a wild fight with Finn in school.

Gavin only nodded mutely in response, too engrossed to utter a word.

"Yeah, Stan told me the truth." Jethro revealed and saw a shock flickered across Gavin's face, "He told me exactly what happened even though I was hostile to him that night. I never believed all that he said until I confronted Ava."

Gavin took in a sigh responsively and slumped on the bed, "Wonder why Ava would lie. That wasn't helpful for her, was it?" He said to the ceiling rather than to his friend.

"That was the best explanation she could give Finn. Yunno, Finn warned her against coming to the party that night because Stan was coming too."

"The reason Jessy lied too?" Gavin mumbled, spreading wide on the bed.