High Tide

Chapter 16 [Dress Shopping]

Chapter 16

Dress Shopping

September pushed on, relentless with its bipolar weather. Some days were hot, hitting temperatures of ninety degrees, while other days were wet and gloomy.

Marissa got to take it pretty easy the first week back home from the hospital, but Avery wasn't nearly as lucky. School was getting steadily more difficult and volleyball practices were really starting to kick her butt in gear. Homecoming was the last week of September so she had that to worry about too.

"I don't know if I'm even going to go," Avery told Lily and Kelsey regarding the dance on Friday. It was the week before and she still didn't have a dress or a date – not that she needed the latter, but the former was pretty much necessary wasn't it?

Avery just didn't do fancy dresses. Besides, she'd never owned one in her life.

"Oh come on, you've got to come!" Kelsey said giddily. "It's our first Homecoming!"

"Yeah," Lily agreed, popping a grape in her mouth. "We've got to go together! Come on Aves, if I have to wear a dress and walk around in those death traps they call shoes, then so do you," she smirked. Lily, too, wasn't the dressy kind of girl.

"I don't have a dress... or death traps..." Avery said lamely. "But I'll go to the game on Thursday," she added quickly.

While some schools were all about football, this one didn't even have a team. Boys' basketball and girls' volleyball were what this high school was known for, having won multiple state championships over the last decade; just last year both teams brought home to title and they were quite adamant on doing it again this year.

The Homecoming game everyone was so riled up about was the first basketball game of the season: The Panthers against the Patriots, the high school from a town over.

The funny thing is, Charlie was just as excited for it – apparently he was on the varsity team when he was a student all those years ago. He claimed he was pretty good, but Avery had yet to see any proof.

"I'm renting one from Gemma's Boutique in town; she's got some nice stuff for pretty cheap too," Lily said. "I'm not gonna wear it again, so no point in buying one," she added with a shrug.

Avery didn't know if she could afford to do even that... she didn't have a part-time job and the small amount of birthday money she made earlier in the summer was long gone at this point. She wasn't about to ask Charlie and Lydia either...

"I guess we'll see, I might go," Avery shrugged, finishing up her lunch. "I'm gonna go finish some of my homework for music, I'll see you guys later," she told them, excusing herself to dump her tray.

The music room was all the way at the other end of the school so it was a bit of a walk, but Avery didn't mind. She was getting used to all of the extra exercise with her volleyball coach breathing down her neck.

The arts section was a lot older than the rest of the school, having been neglected during a renovation about five years ago or so. Although she was advised against using the bathrooms here, Avery had to admit she kind of liked this part of school. It had a certain charm to it – the age-old graffiti on the walls told so many stories of students that had walked these very halls.

There was a C + L carved into a wooden window seat; the first time Avery saw it, she couldn't help but wonder if Charlie and Lydia were responsible for it. Probably not, but it was still fun to imagine.

The door to the music room was usually open so that students could go in during their lunch hour and hang out. Most of the time there was a decent crowd, but today when Avery walked in there was just one person... someone she didn't really want to talk to.