A Midsummer Night's Dream ✔

The Blue Sweatband

"You WHAT?"

 Avery sighed. "You're over-reacting."

 "Am not! I can't believe it! For real?"

 "No, I am actually not for real at all," Avery's voice dripping with pure sarcasm.

 "Oh, good. You almost had me there! I mean, you li-"

 Avery raised her eyebrows in a mocking gesture. Eiyther's tone of relief was cut off abruptly, then her eyes grew as wide as saucers.

 "You. Are. Not. Serious," Eiyther enunciated each word in a staccato manner.

 Avery pressed her temples.

 "I don't know why. All I know is that after we danced, I can't stop thinking about him. I.... th-think I like him."

She groaned, and pressed her forehead against the cool marble table.

Eiyther looked at her for a moment, as if deciding what to do next, then settled with patting her back sympathetically.

**********************

The rain lashed down in sheets. Avery half-ran, half-walked to the shop-lined sidewalk.

'Just my luck to get caught up in this downpour,' she grumbled mentally.

Avery shivered in the cold. She ducked into a nearby café to avoid both the cold and the rain.

Turned out she was not the only one with this idea.

The cafè was packed. She was busy searching for an empty table when a voice hailed her.

"Hey there, Avery!"

She spun around, and was taken aback to see Peter and Thayu at one of the booths. Peter waved her over.

 "Hey, Peter, Thayu," greeted Avery. She did her best to control her nervousness at seeing Thayu.

 Slipping into the empty seat next to Peter's, she asked,"Where's Jerryl and Eric?"

 "They went to the CD shop. You know, we never got to repay your kind deed that other day. Do you want anything? Coffee? Pastries?"

 "It's okay," Avery refused. "I was just trying to help out."

 "But there must be a way to repay you-"

 Just then Eric and Jerryl came tripping and tumbling into the booth, interrupting the conversation.

 Their clothes were splattered with rain, and their hair was a wet messy flop.

  "Geddup! Geddup! Geddup!" hissed Eric.

 "Why?"

 The café door was pushed open, accompanied by flashes of cameras and a crowd of people pushing to get in.

 "There they are!"

 "It's Icarus!"

 "Icarus! Icarus!"

 Eric inhaled sharply,"That's why."

 "Oh, crap."

 "Not again!"

 The commotion had brought out the café owner, who marched up to the journalists demanding the reason of their presence. His burly frame blocked them from going further.

 "Quick, let's get out of here!"

 Icarus grabbed their belongings and made a mad dash for the back of the café.

 Avery hesitated,  not knowing if she should follow.

  The floodgates opened and the journalists poured in. Thayu turned and faced Avery.

 "What are you doing standing there? Come on!"

 He grabbed Avery's hand and ran.

 The five raced out through the back door and into the streets. Half-blinded by the heavy rain, they ran without knowing where they were going.

 They changed directions without warning, sprinting left and right, their only thought on escaping their pursuers.

 Finally, they found themselves in one of the wooden shelters in the park.

 "Did we lose them?"

 "We must have! Eric was leading us around in crazy circles!"

 The five sat down to catch their breath.

 After a momentary silence, the absurdity of the situation struck them, and they convulsed into helpless guffaws.

 "Oh, man! That has to be the best escape run ever!"

 Avery's laughter was cut short by a sneeze.

 She sniffled, and gathered her knees to her chest in a bid to keep warm.

  "Here." Thayu took off his leather jacket and placed it around her.

 His clothes were plastered to his skin, and Avery could easily trace the outline of his muscles with her eyes.

 She looked away, a trifle embarassed and focused on Thayu's hands instead.

 He wore a blue sweatband. A blue sweatband.

 Next thing she knew, she had gripped Thayu's wrist and was scrutinizing it.

 "What?" Thayu was shocked at her sudden movement.

 "N-nothing." She quickly let go of his hand.

 Could it really be him? First, the green eyes. Then, the blue sweatband.

 All she had to do was ask one question to confirm her suspicions...

   "Avery, did you hear me?"

 "Huh?"

 "I said the rain's slacking. I think we can get out of here."

 Avery stood up. She recognized the park, it was not far from her house.

 She needed time to think, time to sort out her thoughts.

 And it needed to be done away from Thayu. He will only distract her.

 "My house isn't far from here. I can make it home by myself. Thank you and good luck, guys."

 She leapt away, then bounded back.

 "Thanks for the jacket," she said, returning it to Thayu. Then, to the rest of Icarus, "See you guys tomorrow."

 Then she was gone.

 "What's up with her?"asked Jerryl, befuddled.