Avery's POV
"Do you want one?" Theo asks, but he might as well be speaking in a different language. I can't focus on anything besides the wintergreen tic tac that just entered his mouth.
I'm envious of it.
"I'm good.... thanks." I finally choke out, my mouth suddenly dry.
Maybe I should've taken the tic tac.
Jackie returns, arms full of drinks and snacks. "Okay, I think I got everything. Water for you, Sprite for you, and Coke for-" She pauses in front of Dylan.
"Thanks. Let's get going. Don't wanna miss anything," Dylan says, grabbing the Coke and leading the way to the theater. She hands me M&Ms and follows after Dylan, leaving Theo and I in the back of the pack.
"So..." Theo starts.
What I hear is: I kissed you last night, and you didn't stop me. What does that mean for us?
"So?" I echo, way more uncertain than he is. The theater door swings shut behind Dylan and Jackie.
"Do we need to talk about it?" He asks.
"No!" I shut it down too fast, watching his expression drop. I immediately soften. "Not no. Just... not yet. I haven't even talked to Jay-"
"Right. Jayden. Got it," he says, walking ahead. I hurry to catch up.
"You don't seriously think I can skip that conversation, right?"
"No, I just— that's not what I meant." He responds sharply.
"Then what did you mean?" I persist.
"That I should've known you'd want to talk to Jayden first instead of me."
We stop just outside the theater.
"He's my boyfriend, Theo. We're not broken up. We're fighting. I need to know where we stand." I say.
"Right. Well, it's good to know that even after how he treated you yesterday, he still gets priority." He remarks, heading into the theater. I follow, grabbing his arm before he gets far.
"I'm trying to figure out my relationship before I even dare to unpack what happened with us last night Teddy." I explain.
"Avery, all you need to know is: do you want to stay with Jayden? After everything- will an apology fix it? Do you want to be with him?" He asks, but I know what he's really asking: Do I want to I want to be with him?
"I've spent two years with him, Theo. That time meant something."
"And what, two years of standing by you meant nothing? I've always been there- how is that not worth more than someone who keeps disappearing on you?"
Jackie's POV
He has coke. Dylan has coke. Right right under our noses this whole time...
Well, under his.
I ended up stuffing the Pez dispenser back in the draw when I got back downstairs. What was I supposed to do—hand it back to him? Confront him? Tell Avery? Would Dylan even admit to it if I did ask him?
Maybe he's not the one using it. He's hung out with Pez before so it's not like their being around each other is weird. Pez could've just left it there by accident.
Or am I just choosing blissful ignorance?
"What're the odds we ditch those two before they even notice?" Dylan asks, pulling me out of my spiral.
YOU ARE READING
Secrets Look Different in the Light
RomanceTwo love stories, one friend group. A new school year has started and changes are well on their way. Avery has been in the public eye for as long as she can remember. Being popular in school due to her stunning looks, and being the daughter of some...
