Yeah, I Hate You Too, Sweetheart.

Chapter 15 - Laila (part 1)

 Laila

   My phone was ringing. I rolled over with a groan, my hand scrambling around fruitlessly on the night stand to try and find it just to stop the annoying preprogrammed ring-tone.

 "Hello?" I groaned, flipping the phone open.

"Why, good morning."

  I sat up straight, a hand at my forehead. "Avery?"

Avery laughed over the line. "The very same."

  I blinked profusely, trying to get the confusion and sleep out of my mind. "How did you get my number?

 "Justin gave it to me," Avery answered.

I blinked again. "But how did he get my number?"

 Avery laughed again, sounding highly amused. "Should I call back at a more convenient time?" 

 "No, no," I said quickly, now running my fingers through my hair. "It's okay. What's up?"

"I heard you finally found out about the 4th of July party," Avery said, sounding like she was trying to hold back more laughter.

 I flopped back against the mountain of pillows with an eye roll. "Yeah, I did, unfortunately."

 "What?" Avery said, sort of mockingly. "You didn't like the last party you went to?"

 I grimaced. "No, not really.’Cause the last one I went to was such a big hit."

 "Well, I'll be here for this one, too, so you shouldn't have to worry," she said reassuringly. "I'll make sure the big bad boys won't do anything to hurt you."

 As much as I wanted to continue to pout in a grumpy silence, it was just no use. Avery's voice sounded too ridiculous for words.

  "All right," I sighed once I'd finished laughing. "Why did you really call?"

 Avery got straight to the point, not messing around in the slightest.

  "How goes it with Justin?" she asked bluntly.

 I gagged a little. "Come again?"

  "Come on, I'm not stupid Laila.” Avery giggled. "I know there's something going on between you two. I can wait patiently until you tell me what it is."

  I sighed, running my fingers through my hair again.   

"We got into a fight the other day," I admitted, wincing.

  "I thought you two always got into fights?" she asked confusedly.

"Well, yeah, but not like this one."

  Color rushed to my face as I remembered the more than unpleasant argument that had occurred between Justin and me the other day in the kitchen. What I really wanted to do was to forget the entire thing and act like nothing had ever happened. But the pained, torn expression that had been on Justin's face made that entirely impossible.

 It turns out that my best friend in the entire world, Lissa Meyers, wasn't the only person that I could confide in. Avery Rodriguez was just as good as an alternative, and offered her thoughts on my situation with Justin, which was beneficial considering she'd known him for almost as long as I had, if not more. I spent what felt like hours talking with Avery. We traded back secrets and laughs and what we'd thought of the guys and how they'd acted at Nick's party last week. When my stomach started grumbling, I figured that it was time to say goodbye. We disconnected with the promises of texting each other with updates daily until the party on the 4th and signed off.