Girl Meets Season 5

Episode 3 - Girl Meets Auggie and Ava

If there was something that Auggie Matthews was sure of it was that he had his family, the second thing he was sure of was that Ava Morgenstern was going to be his wife in the future. He was in the fifth grade now so he did what he knew he was capable of as the brother of a sixteen-year-old sister, he looked out for her. Over the years he watched as Riley and her friends talked and went through so many different kinds of problems. He didn't understand most of them but he was certain that if anyone hurt his sister they would have to answer to him.

What else had he learn? Well math got harder as he went up in grades, he no longer got his snacks in class, and Ava was always nearby to keep him happy. There was a reason why he always had cheese in his lunch box, and that's because in her own way his mom had warmed up to the idea of Ava being around. He was also growing taller and he let his hair grow longer, because he liked when Ava touched his hair even for just a short moment. It was comforting in a world full of grade school bullies, and no pudding cups before lunch time.

So, when he got the part of the Mad Hatter and Ava became Alice, the two of them filled their time with rehearsing and hanging out at his house. There were days when Ava didn't want to go home, her mother had started dating someone and she felt weird being in the same room with the other man.

"He's not my daddy," she said when Auggie had asked why she didn't want to go home. "Sometimes he tries to be nice, but then my mother acts differently and I realize that my home is not the same."

"It's okay Ava, I'll protect you," he had said to her holding her close.

"You'll protect my heart forever and ever," she said with tears in her eyes.

"Forever and ever, I'll always be your Auggie Doggie," at the mention of the word Doggie, little Artemis walked over to them and sat down at their feet. Auggie scooped up the small dog that Riley had found and placed her on Ava's lap. They sat there petting the small animal while watching Cuddle Bunnies on the television.

Ava always stayed over for dinner on nights that her mother went out on dates with her new boyfriend and Auggie worried about how the relationship between the mother and daughter was being broken apart. Ava wanted what Riley and his mom had, a close relationship where the mother always had her child's best interest at heart. But Ava didn't get that, her home was broken, and she sometimes cried into Auggie's arms while they hid away in his bedroom.

Auggie didn't have a bay window like Riley, but he told Ava how to get to his room if she ever needed him. On nights when her mother didn't come home, Ava would often hide in Auggie's room. Auggie tried really hard to keep his parents from finding out but they knew because they would always set an extra plate of food at the breakfast table.

"Ava sweetheart," his mother had said one morning. "I talked to your mother about what's been happening, and she says that she's sorry about how she's been acting."

"Your father is coming over to stay with you for a little while," his father had said and that's when Auggie knew something had happened.

Once Ava had gone to her apartment Auggie pulled his parents into the living room and stared them both down.

"I want to know what is happening," he said his face as serious as he could be.

His father sighed for a moment before speaking. "You remember how I told you about Shawn and how he grew up, that his parents were always gone and he needed to rely on others."

When Auggie nodded his mother turned to speak with him. "Well Ava's mom, she ran off with the gentleman she's been seeing, she doesn't want to take Ava with her, and that's why Ava's been so hurt recently. We talked to her father and he's agreed to move back into the apartment until Ava's mother realizes what she's done."

"So she's alone?" he said scared for the girl who has had his heart since he was five.

"No," his father said smiling. "She has her father, and you, and us, she has Riley and Maya, and all of these people who care about her."

Auggie hadn't known that he started crying, but his mother had pulled him into a hug and held him until he stopped. "You have to be strong for her Auggie, no matter what she can't lose herself."

"I'll take care of her, she's going to be my wife after all."

So, in the weeks since Ava's father moved in Auggie went over for dinner twice a week. Her father was a kind man, and whatever had happened between him and Ava's mother had not diminished the love he has for his daughter. Ava began to smile more often, and she only snuck into Auggie's room on nights she had nightmares, or when she just wanted to talk. Eventually they started talking in Ava's bedroom, because it had its own bay window, and Auggie knew that she was searching for what Riley and Maya had built in Riley's room. A place were friends can talk.

The days where it was his responsibility to walk Artemis, he took Ava with him because Lucas had told him that animals helped people heal their own hearts. He liked Lucas the most out of Riley's friends, even Maya, because Lucas always found ways to include Auggie and sometimes Ava into what he and Riley were doing together. They'd go to the Central Park Zoo together, or a museum, and lately the four of them began to volunteer at an animal shelter

It was because of Lucas, that Auggie realized what he wanted to do when he grew up, and that was to help people heal. So, where Lucas was going to be a veterinarian so that he could help animals, Auggie wanted to help people get stronger in the same way. Lucas suggested that he could be a physical therapist or a psychologist, depending on how he wanted to help, and if he were interested he could even become a doctor. But that was still years away so he worked on helping Ava heal her heart.

She had been sad for too long because too many things continued to happen. So, when her father talked about dating again, he went to Ava first and talked to her. He told her that if she wasn't ready that he wouldn't try, but Ava said as long as whoever it was made him happy and understood that the father and daughter duo were a packaged deal then she would be alright with it. Auggie was there the night her father introduced his girlfriend to Ava, he watched her because he knew she was scared of being abandoned again by someone who was supposed to take care of her.

It didn't happen, because Ava's father was dating of all people, Ms. Harper Burgess, Riley's middle school English teacher. Ava thought she was cool, so Harper started coming over more often hanging out with Auggie and Ava and telling them stories and giving them books to read. They talked about comic books and how Ava's father was getting a teaching license to teach in the city.

Auggie finally began to relax knowing that Ava was going to be taken care of, especially when he had found out that Harper had been dating Ava's father for a while now and they had constantly talked about the day Ava would meet her.

Auggie was a good husband to his wife.

"So Auggie," Riley said sitting next to him a week after Harper had moved into the Morgenstern house. "Ava's dad is dating Harper?"

"Yup, and they're happy," he said smiling at his sister who was petting Artemis.

"You're a very good person Auggie Matthews, and I'm glad Ava has someone who cares about her so much."

"I'm glad you have someone who cares about you so much too Riley," he said smiling at his sister. "Lucas is very lucky to have you in his life."

"And I'm very lucky to have you both in mine," she said pulling him in for a hug.

That afternoon, Riley had taken him and Ava to the movies, while Lucas held Ava's hand on one side, and Riley held Auggie's on the other. Auggie knew that they were old enough to see a movie that wasn't PG rated but he also knew that sometimes you just don't want to grow up especially when there was too many grown up things happening around you.