The Badass

Chapter 2-Backlash

I stared after Avery for a bit, until she was gone.  What was her issue?  Yeah, she had anger problems, but that was no reason to treat me like crap.  She had so much anger, it was like dealing with a mousetrap no one dared to even  prod with their foot. 

Despite her vicious attitude, she would be good at sports.  She was sort of small, but most of that was because she was a girl, and I was freaky tall.  "Gangly", as my mom put it.  I could easily see her playing girls' lacrosse, or girls' soccer.  She'd be good at it, it'd be a decent outlet for her anger. 

I decided to follow her up to the roof, but only to suggest that she try out for sports.  Then I'd do as she demanded and leave her alone.

I made sure no one was around, then made a mad dash up the stairs to the roof.  Once there, I forgot that Avery didn't want me around her and opened the door quite loudly.  I almost tumbled back down the stairs, though, when I found Avery sitting cross-legged on the concrete, facing the door. 

Once I righted myself and closed the door behind me, she rolled her eyes.  "I knew you'd come up that way.  Really, you should use the ladder.  That staircase is too public."

"Avery," I said.  "This is your first day here.  HOW do you know where everything is?  I didn't even know there was a ladder."

"Simple," she said.  "I used my lunch period to figure out where everything in this insane maze of a school is.  I saw the ladder in the old east cafeteria that's unused.  No one was guarding the doors, and they weren't locked, so I checked it out, and found it led up here."  She rose to her feet, standing a little over me in her heels.  "Now beat it, kid.  I told you not to follow me up here."

"I just have a suggestion for you, Avery," I said, following her to the bench near the edge of the roof.  "Just let me say my piece, and I'll meet your demands and leave you be."

She rolled her eyes at me.  "Fine, fine.  Talk."

"I just thought you should try out for sports, lacrosse or soccer maybe," I explained, and she raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow at me.  "It's a great outlet for stress and anger, and-no offense intended-it could help."

She stared at me with those fiery eyes.  "How do you know?" she asked after several heartbeats of agonizing silence. 

"I play football, and it not only helped with my depression, it felt good if I was angry."

"Huh...I'll take a look at the sign-up sheets on the bulletin board."

"I'll meet your demands and leave now," I said, standing. 

"What I said was never a demand, just a suggestion," she said softly, sounding gentle for the first time since I had met her. 

"Then why did you make it sound like a demand?" I questioned, sitting back down.  She laughed with no humor and crossed her ankles.  Leaning back on her palms, she stared at the sky for a minute while she pondered her answer.  Looking up at the sky, her face lit, she could be a model and I wouldn't even know. 

"Because I just don't get along with people," she said finally.  Closing her eyes, she tilted her head back even further, as if to let her soft skin drink in the sun's rays.  "I never have been one to be able to put up with others, but I guess it was years of harboring that irritance that caused my anger problems to arise."

"There are ways to get along with people, Avery," I said gently.  "It just takes patience."

She blew a stray strand of hair out of her face.  "I guess I was born without that patience.  I just didn't want you around me, Blaine, because pushing you away was better than having you as a friend and eventually losing you because I can't stand others."

I stared at her.  Despite the thick eyeliner that made her look fierce and angry all the time, her perpetually angry look had vanished, replaced with a soft, almost sad look.  Yet when I reached out to touch her, comfort her in some way, her arm shot out and she twisted my arm back. 

"OW!" I yelped.  She let go, and I rubbed my wrist.  Despite her confession, she was still Avery Callicks, the hair-trigger temper new student. 

"Sorry," she muttered, "I hate being touched."

"It's fine," I said, and we both jumped as the bell rang.  We bolted down the ladder, her almost falling a couple times.  I guess it was hard to climb ladders in wedge heels.

As we parted ways-she went towards the bike rack, me towards the buses-I couldn't help but want to see her again. 

Looks like I finally had a reason to look forward to school.