Letters To Ava

Eight: New Bro

Hey Ava,

Well, back to Monday. Grr. I have a math exam today and I totally crammed last night. But Mom assures me that I have photographic memory. I don’t really believe that, but I wish it would work this morning.

So where were we? Oh yeah. So for the first month of your relationship with Howard, I didn’t sit with you. I sat beside Sarah, and I think you noticed, but ignored it either way. That made me grimace, because some crazy part of me wanted you to demand that I sit beside you. But you didn’t.

Lunch had become awkward between us three. Since you’re (present tense…) a girl after all, you talked about Howard and how your dates go. Sarah listened attentively and laughs if necessary. I just snorted and tuned out, eating my lunch but not really tasting it. Eventually you ignored me completely, which was fine…sort of. I missed how we chatted about everything.

Which is why I was overjoyed when another guy entered our lunch life.

It was another usual lunch. I was thinking bitterly of you and Howard. I was wondering why you were still sitting with Sarah and I, when you can just strut over to Howard’s table and breathe his air. Ick.

Someone knocked softly on the table. I looked up. He was wearing a North Face jacket and was looking at me. I glanced at you and Sarah, but you were too engrossed in your chatter.

“These seats taken?” he asked, motioning to the three empty seats.

“Yeah,” I replied, and I wondered why he needed three seats, when he was just alone.

“Thanks, dude. Girls, over here!” he called over his shoulder. He sat next to me but he was looking behind him. “C’mon.”

I wondered who he was talking to. The air?

Then I heard the other two chairs scraping against the floor. There sat one blonde, and one brunette. They were awfully familiar…

I gulped. Oh God, no.

They noticed me looking and smirked. “Take a picture, why don’t you? It’ll last longer.” Lillie said.

Sarah looked up. She smiled politely. “Hi. Sarah.” Motioning to you, she added, “This is Ava.”

“Oh, so you’re the infamous Ava Woods,” Lillie said, smiling.

“I’m not really sure about ‘infamous,’” you said shyly, blushing.

Lillie stole a glance at me and introduced herself, Joanne (who told everyone to call her Jo), and the guy, who was apparently named Cody Ryan. “Rhymes with Kobe Bryant,” he added, chuckling. I thought about it and laughed with him. But then I stopped mid-laugh when Lillie punched him playfully and said, “You know that joke’s old.”

“So’s your mother but you still love her,” Cody countered, sending her a teasing smile.

“Like I love you?” she stared at him, love struck. I swear I saw her eyes glisten. He chuckled and kissed her nose. In. Front. Of. Every-freaking-one.

“Oh my God, get a room!” you cried. Sarah made a show of choking, Jo rolled her eyes at them, and I gagged, putting a finger into my mouth.

“Oh, grow up, will you,” Lillie said, sticking her tongue out at us. “You suck.”

“But that’s what she said,” I murmured, loud enough for everyone at our table to hear. Everyone laughed except her. She put her arms across her chest and glared at us.

I then felt thankful to those three, because they spared us a whole school year of awkward conversations and ignoring each other. Fate did well on that one.

So days passed and Cody, along with Lillie and Jo became a permanent member of our lunch group. (Once a group of jocks even high-fived Cody and I, and said, “Good job, bro! Four chicks at once? Rad!” We just grinned at them and ignored the glares we were receiving from the girls.) Cody spared me of the torture of listening to the other four girls talk about whatever girls talk about. Yessir, we boys talked about manly stuff. Namely, sports, hot chicks, race cars and the like. We even fought about which soccer team was better. We talked about collector’s items like hats and mini-flags. One time I wore my Red Sox cap to school so I can show him. To my surprise, he was wearing the same exact cap! Cool, huh?

On the days where you girlies would have a night out, we would have one as well. We would hang out either at my room, or at his game room. Their game room boasted a foosball table, a Wii console, and an Xbox Kinect. Sometimes we watched ESPN at my place, then after, head over to his.

But there were lonely times at lunch when I was the only guy again, alone with Jo, Sarah and you.

“Where’s the other two?” I had asked.

“They’re on their lunch date,” Jo replied.

And I would nod understandingly. Sometimes I feel like I’m stealing him from Lillie. When I mentioned this to him, he said, “Naw, man. It’s not like we have to be together 24/7.” And that was that.

Cody and I were—still are, actually—so close, I told him about my problem with you dating Howard.

“You’re just jealous, bro,” he told me casually. “But you’re gonna have to let ‘er go.” Which sounded cliché to me, but he was right. The day after that I made an effort to be pals with you again. When we started having an animate conversation, I heard Sarah sigh: “Finally.”  

Without wax,

Carter