Unexpected (Avi Kaplan)

Brave

Ivy's POV

After we went downstairs and told the trio and Kevin that we were leaving, Avi led me outside and to his car. I climbed into the passenger seat without a sound and buckled up, tucking my legs underneath me. The ride back to his place was silent, but it was a comfortable silence. I didn't want to tell my story, but it was only fair if he told me his.

When we arrived, I got out and straightened my dress as I followed him inside. "You can sit on the couch. I'll be there in a minute," Avi said, his deep voice laced with concern and nervousness. I nodded and turned, heading into the living room, taking a seat on the couch.

Once I was comfortable, I looked down, playing with the hem of my dress as I patiently waited for him to return. The longer he's gone, the longer I can go without facing the truth. As if on cue, I noticed a hand in front of my face holding a spoon. Looking up, I noticed Avi holding a bucket of ice cream and a spoon in the other hand. "I hope chocolate and peanut butter is okay. It's all I had at the moment," he said with a small smile.

"It's fine," I finally said, taking the spoon he was holding out for me. I watched him sit down next to me, though he was careful not to get too close. He opened up the tub and I immediately dipped my spoon in and brought it to my mouth, savoring the familiar taste.

"I guess I'll go first," he said, setting the bucket between us and taking small bites. "To make a long story short, Catherine is the sole reason why I didn't like you when we first met. You looked too much like her and it just brought back memories."

"Like what?" I asked, never taking my eyes off him.

"She was...very independent to say the least. She always had to do things on her own. It was either her way or no way. For someone that she dated, she didn't really show me the kind of attention you would expect. As stupid as it sounds, I missed the attention so I let her get by with a lot because afterwards, she would always try to make it up to me or something." He took another bite of the ice cream while I sat silently, licking the spoon thoughtfully.

"What kind of things did you let her get away with?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"She cheated on me several times. But I always let it slide. And when I first saw you on that stage at the talent show, it just brought back those feelings and I hated it. Therefore, I wasn't your biggest fan. Then you showed up here that one night looking like you had been crying. You looked so weak and fragile. I wasn't used to seeing it and I knew in that moment that I shouldn't have been comparing you to her because you weren't her," he said, looking down at the couch nervously.

"What what happened? Why did you two finally separate? What was so different?" I asked quietly, being careful not to push him too far. The last thing I wanted was to lose him again.

"Kevin happened."

I furrowed my brows in confusion, not quite understanding.

"She tried cheating on me with Kevin of all people. And before you go wondering why I'm still friends with him, he didn't do anything. I walked in just in time to hear him trying to get her to stop. After that I kicked her out. I told her I didn't care where she went but she needed to be out within an hour. She refused so I threatened her with a restraining order. That did nothing so myself and Kervy went upstairs and threw her stuff downstairs. After that, she left. Tonight was the first I had heard from her since then," he said, never looking up from the couch. I picked the tub of ice cream up and scooted over, setting it to the side. Wrapping my arms around him, I pulled him into a hug, burying my face in the crook of his neck.

"If it makes you feel any better, I know exactly what you mean. She had that same mindset when we were toddlers," I said with a small laugh, trying to lighten the mood. Then I realized it was my turn. I pulled back slightly and let out a small sigh, trying to decide on where to start.

"When we were still babies, she was always jealous of me because I was the younger one between us. She wasn't an only child anymore and she hated that someone else was going to get the attention. When I was three and she was six, she started telling our parents that I was talking to myself. They never thought anything of it because I was still a toddler and it was normal. Then it escalated. She drew these pictures of her in some kind of injured position and made it seem like I drew it when she showed our parents."

"I knew she was evil but damn. I had no idea."

I took a bite of the ice cream and continued. "Our parents started worrying and when I turned four, she told them I was planning on setting the house on fire with a candle from my birthday cake. The day after that, they told me to pack everything I had and took me to an orphanage. It was so long ago, but I can still see the smirk on her face as they left. I may not have even been five, but I knew then that she meant nothing to me and there was nothing she could do for me to forgive her. I was lucky enough that my foster parents believed me when I told them I never said anything like that or drew any of the pictures. But there was also nothing I could do. I never got adopted so when I turned eighteen, my 'mother' told me that it may not be official, but anytime I needed them, I could call them. I've been on my own since then. A couple weeks ago, I found my boyfriend cheating on me with my best friend that was living with me so I kicked her out two days before I started at the studio. Even though I haven't seen Catherine since she was seven, I still knew her face and when she told me that I meant nothing to our parents, I kind of lost it," I admitted. "That's my story."

"I'm sorry about yesterday when I snapped at you. I just wasn't ready to tell anyone and I took it out on you," Avi said softly, finally turning his bright green eyes up to look at me.

I kept silent, unsure of what to say before I glanced at the tv screen. "How about we watch some more movies and finish this off?" I asked suddenly, unaware of the tears coming down my face until I felt a hand on my cheek.

Looking over, I closed my eyes when Avi wiped the tears away and leaned over, kissing my forehead. "I like that idea," he said softly and stood up, putting on a random movie that I would later recognize as Saw. He sat back down, this time closer to me and wrapped an arm around me, pulling me closer to him. I leaned forward, grabbing the ice cream and set it in my lap as I rested my head against his chest, my eyes focusing on the movie. We sat there watching movies and eating ice cream, occasionally talking almost all night, and honestly, I wouldn't change a thing.

A/N: And there are their stories!!!!! YAYYYYYY!!!!! I may or may not post again depending on how I feel. This coldness is getting to me right now. OH! And happy New Year's Eve!!!! The last day of 2016! New year new start?? Maybe??????

~*~*~Ash~*~*~