Love's Complicated.

 Avery on the side ---->

The santuary of skyrise buildings and cities grew farther and farther away as Avery Woods sat sullenly in the back of her only aunts car, contemplating how many options of running away she would have when they got to the place her Aunt Fiona called home. Avery fought back a snort as they turned off the highway and headed East, towards the place Avery would have to call home again for atleast another year, until she was by law, an adult.

As they neared the small, coastal town of Rocky Cove, Avery's feelings turned from anger to slight curiousity, not that she would ever admit it to Fiona, who was glancing at her occasionally through the rear view mirror. It's not as if Avery didn't know the town, she had lived their until she was six. From what she remembered, the quaint buildings of the main street and the beach that stretched out in front and little houses peppered around the town, the sea could always be heard from where ever you were in the township. Rocky Cove got it's name by the massive rocks at the end of the beach, they rose up, daunting and beautiful all at once. It wasn't a bad place, it just wasn't her idea of paradise.

Avery stayed silent as her Aunt pulled into her driveway an hour later. The double story beach house was a half a minute walk from the beach, and from the centre township. The outside was an off white and the shutters were a dark blue.

"Welcome back, Avery." Fiona smiled, and she couldn't help but smile back. Her young aunt was taking her in, opening up her home for her. She was truly grateful for it, even if it didn't seem like it.

"I hope everyone's so welcoming," Avery replied as they lugged her bags upstairs and dumped them into what was her room. Fiona's blonde hair whispered in the breeze as she opened a window and peered out, her stormy blue grey eyes so much like Avery's fathers it was creepy.

"I'm sure they will be, you're a very like-able person, Av." Fiona smiled gently, touching her arm reassuringly.

"Do you think I'll recognize anybody?" Avery asked, biting her lip. A habit that normally rose when she was nervous or unsure.

"You will, dear. Little Tally's been asking about you non stop since I said you were coming back." Fiona replied, and Avery felt her face brighten at the thought of her old childhood best friend. "Except, she's not so little any more. Grew into a little beauty, that one, just like you. You never know Avery, you might even find yourself a boy here." Fiona smiled more cheekily this time.

Avery groaned. "Aunt Fi! I doubt it." She giggled along with her aunt. "There is some very attractive young men here, though. If I were a few years younger..." Fiona trailed off, and Avery laughed harder.

"I'm sure you would, Aunt Fi."

"Just call me Fiona, Av. Aunt makes me feel old." Fiona shuddered at the word old, and Avery decided against telling her that a 28 year old woman was not old.

"Thanks for this, Fiona." Avery said in a quieter tone, and Fiona nodded, knowing her niece wasn't ready to talk about her mother. The girl was putting on a brave face, but she saw the hurt and anger, buried under her incredible strength. To have her father, Fiona's older brother, pass away and then be rejected by her mother, which was the reason she was with Fiona now, Avery should seem more torn up. But Fiona saw straight through her act because her brother used to do exactly the same thing. Grin and bear it. She really had grown into a beauty though. Brown almost black curls and mocha brown eyes, plush lips and complexion girls got envious over, Fiona had no doubt in her mind that those traits were from her exotic Mexican mother, her blonde father passing on his spirit and personality instead of looks. If it weren't for those things, hardly anybody would imagine her father and her were father and daughter.

"You're welcome, sweetie. Dinner will be ready soon, I'll yell out when." Fiona smiled before walking down the stairs to the kitchen and sighed. What ever was going on in that girls head was bound to come out sooner or later.

Avery watched as the waves crashed against the shore before they lapped at her feet gently. The sun was out, the water was warm, and yet Avery felt cold. The realisation of what her mother had done was just starting to hit home now, but she wasn't prepared to think about it. Not now, not yet. The one thing she knew for sure was that apart from her aunt, she was alone. She walked slowly walked along the edge of the water, deep in thought. So deep in thought she didn't see the giant dog launch itself at her.

"Omph!" The sound escaped her mouth as Avery stared up at a giant Husky, and it barked, wagging it's tail excitedly.

"Storm!" A girls voice screamed, and Avery saw the hand rip the dog off her by it's collar. "I am so sorry about him! He never listens and it's gets so annoying..." The girl trailed off when Avery stood, wiping her back and bottom free of sand best she could. "Avery, is that you?"

She glanced up and surprise settled on her face before Tally laughed and launched herself at her, much like the way Storm had before she pulled away, grinning.

"I can't believe you're back! Fiona said you were coming but I didn't know if you really would! Look at you!" Tally rambled, and Avery giggled, putting a hand over her mouth.

"Hey Tally, nice to see you too." They were silent for a beat, then a grin as big as their faces could handle spread. Tally had grown up into a beauty, Avery thought. Her brown blond hair was thick and straight, her heart shaped face pale bronze and her hazel eyes sparkled as her grin still was on her face.

"I still can't believe it you moved when you were what, six? Who would've thought, you in Rocky Cove again." Tally started speaking again, walking alongside Avery, Storm bounding ahead chasing a seagull.

"This place hasn't changed that much, has it?" Avery asked, and Tally shook her head, a grin still evident on her face.

"No, Dee Dee's café may have had a slight change in the menu, the mayor's handed the roll to his son and Brittany's gone from slut to whore. Other then that, no." Avery frowned at the mention of Brittany. She had always been mean to Tally and Avery, but that was years ago, she couldn't still dislike them.

"Why did she hate us so much?"

"Something about you playing in the sandpit with Aden and me eating her crayons." Tally mumbled.

"Ah," Avery sighed, then laughed again. They walked towards the end of the beach and up to the start of the main street, when Avery heard high pitched laughter. Turning slightly, she spotted a group of people sitting on the pier, and one was draped right over the lap of some guy. At closer inspection, the hair was too unnaturally blonde and the skirt was much too short. Brittany's head moved slightly to the left, and Avery's breath almost caught.

As Tally pulled on her hand to keep walking and Storm barked enthusiastically, a pair of eletric blue eyes shot down to hers, and stayed there.

"C'mon, Av, I don't really feel like running into them today." Tally said quietly and Avery nodded, following her towards the DeeDee's cafe, but not before she stole one last look over her shoulder at the guy. His eyes locked with hers again, ignoring Brittany sitting on his lap, and she turned quickly, catching up to Tally.

"I forgot to ask, Tally. Why do you have a husky at a beachy town? Aren't they snow dogs?" Avery said , trying to distract herself from the boy and Brittany.

Tally grinned sheepishly. "Well...I don't really have an answer for that."

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Okay, so I'm new on here and this is my first story...so I would REALLY appreciate feedback and so on... I hope it's not too boring! Please tell me what it's like :) Thanks for reading!

:P