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15. The Quinceañero

[Avni: It's been two weeks of avoiding EJ and pretending that I'm happy to have Nini back, but the good news is, I finally have a plan. I have decided to get over EJ. Which is every bit as dumb and difficult as it sounds, so Gina's been helping out. She keeps EJ and his over-the-top apologies away from me, and I get Ricky to keep a safe distance from her. It's been working. Sort of.]

"Don't tell me there's another one," Gina laughed as she walked up to Avni, who was standing at her locker holding a single yellow flower- a tulip this time.

Avni discreetly tucked away his note when she saw Gina, and sighed, "I wish he'd stop." She thrust the flower into a corner of her locker, where at least a dozen more flowers lay in a pile.

Gina grinned, "I can't believe you keep them all."

Avni gave her a look. "Only because I love flowers and I hate throwing them away," she paused. "Maybe I should make them into a bouquet and give them to Carlos on Saturday, just to be petty."

"Yes, of course, there's nothing a guy who's waited for a Quinceañero his whole life loves more than used apology flowers."

"I wasn't going to actually do it," Avni grumbled.

"Weren't you?"

Avni looked up at her, "He wouldn't be able to tell."

"Its Carlos. Of course, he would."

Avni didn't reply, just fidgeted with the stuff in her locker. She didn't even need anything, she just wanted to see if EJ had sent her a note and a flower again.

"This is a lot," Gina said, still eyeing the pile of flowers.

Avni shrugged, "He's a people pleaser."

"Right."

Gina's tone caused Avni to look up at her quizzically.

"I'm just saying, he's trying too hard. I feel kinda bad for him." Avni frowned at that. "Just talk to him," Gina continued.

"You aren't talking to Ricky."

Gina sighed, "Look, this guard thing isn't working. EJ keeps finding ways to get to you, and I'm forced to spend time with Ricky and Nini anyways. The next time Ricky says something un-friend-like, I'll call him out. Only if you agree to talk to EJ."

"I'm not ready to forgive him yet."

"I'm not saying you have to. Just tell him to give you some space."

"Can I be Team Avni on this?" Ricky came up suddenly.

"How much of that did you hear?" Avni asked.

"Just the last bit," he said. "Avni talking to EJ is a terrible idea," he said, mostly to Gina. "Her anger is like chicken-pox. It hits you once, makes you feel like the worst person on the planet, and then never hits you again. At least not for the same thing."

"Terrible example," Avni said. "But he's right. I hold on to every emotion other than anger. And once I yell, it goes away."

"Mostly overnight."

"Holding on to anger makes me feel like a burden to other people," Avni said, and the other two stared at her. "It's not healthy," she nodded.

"But it is true. If she talks to EJ, she'll just end up forgiving him, even when she doesn't want to. And he does not deserve it."

"You don't even know what he did," Gina said.

"I don't need to."

"At least he's trying. A lot harder than you ever did, actually."