Not the Same

Chapter twenty-seven

"What the hell did you say to my girlfriend?"

"Girlfriend? Wow finally putting a label on it I see. Now leave me alone, Adam."

After leaving my building, I just started walking around in hopes to clear my head. However, it seems like nothing good was going to be on my side today because Adam of all people had to show up.

"Avery, stop walking away from me!"

Ignoring him, I continue to walk further away from him.

"You know if you weren't such a brat mom and dad wouldn't hate you so much!"

I stop dead in my tracks and slowly turn around to face him.

"What did you just say?" I ask him, trying to stay calm and stoic.

He takes a confident step closer to me, closing the gap between us. "I said if you weren't such a brat mom and dad wouldn't hate you so much."

I feel my eyes getting glossy and angrily wipe the tears from my face.

It appears that our argument has drawn a crowd of nosy college students because everyone within a fifty-foot distance is listening to our conversation.

"What? Can't take the truth?" Adam says arrogantly.

"Mom and dad hate me because I refuse to be a sheep and go along with everything they say," I bark back, trying to stay calm, but failing miserably. "They hate me because I don't agree with their slanted views and I refuse to be silent and conform to their thoughts and beliefs if I don't agree with them. I refuse to let them define me."

"Refuse to let them define you? Are you kidding me?" Adam laughs sarcastically. "How is developing an eating disorder so you don't have to hear their comments about your weight not conforming to their views and beliefs?"

Feeling a deep pang in my chest, I freeze, almost as though I am unable to move from the stab he just inflicted on me.

"Oh my god, wait Avery, I didn't mean-"

My vision starts to blur as tears form in my eyes. I don't even know what to say, but I don't have to. Cameron emerges from the crowd, narrows in on Adam and punches him straight in the jaw.

Livid, Adam goes to fight back, and the two very quickly are down on the pavement punching each other.

Dan and Eric step in and pull the two apart. Keeping the two far away from each other, Dan turns to the crowd.

"Well, what are you still doing here? Go home."

The crowd quickly dissipates, no one trying to make eye contact with me. As the crowd starts to disappear, I notice a crying Hailie standing a few feet away. Of course she's here.

After Eric lets him go, Cameron makes his way over to me, a look of concern plastered over his face. Without even saying anything, he gently pulls me into his arms, letting me rest against his chest.

After a few seconds of just resting there, appreciating the comfort and protection Cameron provides, I pull away slightly so I can stand up straight.

He gently takes his thumb and wipes away the tears from my face. As he does this, I take in his appearance and notice a black eye forming and bruising on his cheek from his fight with Cameron. Cameron then moves his hands to my waist as if to steady me. In response, I take my thumb and run it over it his cheek as if it'll magically take away the bruise that continues to grow.

Hearing, shuffling, I turn around to see Adam taking Hailie's hand to help him stand up. Slowly, I remove his comforting hands and walk over to the two of them. Cameron follows me closely while Eric and Dan look at me wondering what I'm about to do.

Standing in front of Adam, I look at him and muster up the most stoic, unaffected look I can, and finally speak.

"I'm done."

"Avery –"

"He wanted us to remain close, do you remember that?"

A pained look makes its way across his face.

"Avery –"

"He said he hoped that we would stay close, and that we needed to stay together."

"Avery –"

"It was his last wish, Adam, and we failed him."

This time Adam doesn't try to speak, but just looks at me with a pained look on his face.

"I tried to stay close to you," I continue. "You were my best friend, but you shut me out. You wanted nothing to do with me." Taking a deep breath, I continue, knowing that if I don't say it now, I never will.

"At first, you became distant, but pretty quickly, you're lack of interest towards me turned into hatred. And now here we are."

"Avery." He stares at me, looking as though each word I say breaks his heart a little more, and then drops his gaze to the ground.

"I don't hate you, Adam."

He looks up at me, almost as though he has gained a little bit of hope for us.

Nothing breaking eye contact, I say as stoically as possible, "I want nothing to do with you."