The Speech

Chapter 35

Avery's POV

In the coming weeks after the infamous Lake House party, the school halls were ablaze with stories and rumors. I remembered there being talk after Dylan threw his 1st one, but nothing compared to this. The stories ranged from Jenny Larson letting her puke rain from the rooftop, to a coke party in the driveway in someone's black sedan. I didn't know which things were true or not, but I did know that no one had mentioned me and Theo or Jackie and Dylan.  And that was relief enough. 

Our parents were up and by the pool, mimosa's in hand, by the time Dylan and I got home that day. I still don't know how we managed that car ride back without killing each other. We've always bickered, but we've never been at each other's throats like this. It doesn't help with our parents being home, they always have a way of isolating us, and with Dylan and me not talking, it feels even worse. He seems to have no issue staying mad at me though, making sure I know every time he has Jackie over, stringing her past whatever room I'm in, holding her hand.

I tried to talk to her at school that Monday, but she wouldn't budge. Only responding with, "I don't have time for the Avery show." before slamming her locker in my face. I know I was harsh and hurt her feelings that morning, but I didn't know how else to say it. Dylan's using her, and she refuses to see it. And until he abandons her, she's not gonna talk to me, because she thinks she's right.

"She'll come around." Theo suddenly says, bringing me out of my thoughts, and tearing my eyes away from her. I suddenly hate having a locker near her.

"I don't want to talk about it." I retort bitterly, trying not to watch my brother lean against the lockers next to her.

"Okay, then let's talk about Homecoming." He says, catching my full attention. Theo and I have been really good since the party. We've also been keeping our relationship pretty quiet. I figured since no one heard we got together that night, it would be easier to go public once more time had passed from the breakup.  I think that's when we should make our public debut." He continues. 

"Really? That's pretty soon, do you think it's enough time?" I ask, worried. 

"It will have been a month, I think most people think that's a fair amount of time." He reassures me.

"I just don't want people thinking bad of us." I tell him. I don't want Jayden to know we're together yet.

"They won't. And even if they do, there will be another party, where something else happens that will inevitably distract them from us." He says.

"Okay. Homecoming." I agree, clutching my books to my chest. Jayden will be fine, he didn't want me anyways.

Dylan's POV

I'm not gonna lie. I didn't jump into this thing with Jackie with the right mindset. I mean before she caught me doing coke with May, I was prepared to break off the friends with benefits deal, cause I could see she was getting hurt. Then she saw me and I panicked, everything I'd been hiding for months was about to spill out into the world, and I had to stop it. I didn't know what else to do, but I don't want to be a shitty person and just date her to keep her quiet. I like Jackie, she's fun to be around, she's smart, and she cares about people. She cares about me. It's nice to have someone care. She deserves to be in a real relationship, and that's what I'm trying to give her. I haven't done coke since that morning after the party, which has been harder than I had expected, but I've been managing. Sometimes I'll go smoke with Haley to help soothe the itch, which Jackie seems to be okay with. Not that she knows there's an itch to soothe, considering she believes that night was the one and only time I've done coke.

    She never mentioned the coke incident again, though I'm sure it's cause she's had more Avery related things on her mind lately. I on the other hand have tried to block out everything Avery. With Mom and Dad home lately she tends to spend most of her time in her room or out with Theo. She hasn't told them about her breakup with their golden boy yet, but I won't rat that out either. Just because she's pissed at me for dating Jackie doesn't mean I will turn my parents on her. It's still us against them in that house, no matter what we're fighting about.