The Promise Path

~ Chapter Five ~

Authors' Note: We hope you like our story! Feel free to voice your opinion, ask any questions and point out any mistakes we make.

A WEEK LATER

Avery sighs as she stares down at the bandage still wrapped around her arm, debating whether she should wear it to school or not. She doesn't know what would be worse: her peers seeing the bandage, or what it's hiding. She pulls at it anxiously, weighing the pros and cons in her head before she eventually decides to keep it on. Better to have it on and not need it than not have it on and need it.

Finally ready for school, Avery reluctantly makes her way into the kitchen, dragging her bag behind her. She sits down at her usual seat at the oak wood table, and moments later, her father places a plate piled with warm breakfast foods onto it. Avery's stomach gurgles with hunger at the smell, but still Avery's inner demons are reminding her of what the others say to her.

Fat.

Ugly.

Waste of space.

Suddenly, the thought of eating makes Avery feel nauseous, the aroma of the food making her feel sick. She pushes the plate away and is about to stand up from the table when suddenly, her father's hands slam down into the back of the chair. Avery immediately sits down.

"Avery, you are not leaving this chair until I see you eat. I don't care if it makes you late for school, you are going to eat." He orders in a harsh tone. Avery's aversion to eating greatly annoys her father, which makes her feel guilty for causing him to feel those negative emotions.

"Yes Father." Avery mumbles and pulls the plate closer to her again before picking up her silverware and starting to take small bites of her food. Jason nods and takes his hands off of the chair behind Avery. He backs away slightly, wanting to give her some personal space. As much as he hates doing it, he also doesn't trust Avery to eat the food of her own volition as of yet.

Jason hears a knock at the door and ponders whether to answer it or not. He doesn't want to leave Avery alone. When the person knocks again, Jason sighs and decides to answer it. To his surprise, he sees Lucy standing on the other side of the door. She puts on a fake smile, cheerily greeting Jason,

"Hello Jason! Is Avery ready for school yet?"

"Nearly, she's just finishing off breakfast." Jason informs Lucy, "Come in, you can wait for her inside."

"Thank you." Lucy replies, still smiling. But now, her smile is more genuine. It makes her happy to know that Avery is eating. Lucy cares deeply for Avery, and doesn't want to see her suffer. Lucy stays standing by the front door, patiently waiting for Avery. A few minutes later, Avery appears in the living room, walking in from the kitchen. She grabs her bag up off of the floor and swings it onto her shoulders, smiling widely at Lucy.

"Hey Lucy, what a pleasant surprise. Usually I'm the one at your door." Avery greets, briefly hugging her friend. Lucy grimaces slightly and replies,

"Well, I thought it'd be best to keep my parents away from you for awhile, to cool down from what happened a week ago. I'll probably be here every morning from now on." A pang of guilt hits Lucy at the white lie. It's true, she wants to keep Avery away from her parents. But that's only because her parents forbid her from seeing Avery, but Lucy wouldn't let that stop her. She's an expert at lying to her parents, she does it all the time, especially when it comes to Avery.