Buried Within II: Buried Without (Lockwood & Co Fanfic)

Night at a Friends

The moment she could, Avery got away from the source lurking in her kitchen, heading over to the friend's for the night even though she really didn't want to see Courtney.

"Courtney Thacker, after all, is quite the gossip, although that doesn't mean she can't keep a secret. However, she has a certain opinion regarding certain things, and I really don't want her telling me 'I told you so' regarding getting a job as a school librarian, that I was better off pursuing other things, such as—well men."

She quickly packed an overnight bag, heading to her friend's place, knocking rapidly even though curfew wasn't for a few more hours. Courtney opened the door, hair pulled up into a towel despite there being no signs of Courtney having taken a shower, though on second glance, it wasn't a towel. Still, a shawl or handkerchief was used to style Courtney's hair up as if she'd just gotten out of the shower, or so Avery thought as she looked at her friend.

"Aren't you early?" Courtney said, letting her in.

Avery hurried in, letting out a deep breath of relief as she plopped unceremoniously onto Courtney's sofa. "Early?"

"Curfew isn't for a while, you know?"

"I just wanted to get over here, you know, soon."

"Yes, but isn't it a bit early, given when the schools normally let out?" Courtney asked. "And you were there in the morning, even though I'd have thought you'd have left already for your job. It's why I don't work a nine-to-five, you know."

"You also have super rich parents, and you don't have to have a job at all," Avery said.

"So do you?"

"Not like yours," Avery said. "But that's really not the point."

"No," Courtney said, sitting on the couch beside Avery. "Look, I know back in high school I wasn't known for being the brightest bulb, but I do know something is up."

"That's because people confused being book smart with the only way to be bright," Avery said. "You certainly, I think, would have walked into the situation I did."

"What situation?"

"Well, let's start off with the fact I quit my job," Avery said.

"You quit your job? Your dream job?"

"Going to tell me I told you so about wasting my time studying to be a school librarian?" Avery asked. She waved her hand. "Well, come on?" She waited, expecting some form of chastisation from her friend.

"Why? I mean, even I can recognize that's a stable job," Courtney said. "And nothing like those agents who, when they lose their talent, have to retire and find something else to do."

"Ugh! Don't..." Avery let out a sigh, letting her head go back so she could look at the ceiling, not wanting to think of that book lying on the counter of her apartment, wishing she'd done more than get a home guarded with an iron front door, something she'd heard her parents and their friends discuss when buying a new home.

"What's the matter? Something is definitely the matter?"

"I quit my job."

"You already said that. Why?"

"Because the library is haunted."

"It's," then, "Wait? Did you actually make the mistake of staying behind after curfew? I warned you multiple times. The teachers warned you multiple times. I think even your parents told you not to do that."

"Yes, but not because the library at our school was haunted!" Avery protested. "It's not fair."

"Well, completely fair, at least for not heading my advice."