Rays of Hope

Chapter Six

Chapter Six: Avery’s POV

Work was absolutely horrible. It was the place where I felt so uncomfortable that I was always looking over my shoulder. I made sure I never wore shorts, or low cut shirts, and I never started a conversation with a stranger. My boss would always yell at me for this, saying I needed to be more outgoing, especially with the customers. This angered me. I’m not going to flirt with a bunch of strangers just to get money. I’d rather get fired. Except I don’t think anyone else would want to hire me. This is my first job and I barely have any experience to do anything else. I try so hard to sell my art, but so far, I’ve only been able to sell one of my paintings for a measly ten dollars.

Throughout my whole shift, I can’t help but keep thinking about Ray. He’s so annoying but something about him is interesting. It’s like whenever I begin to hate him, he changes my mind and stops being such a jerk. He had different sides to him. A kind side, that was sweet to me, held my hand, and helped me put the groceries away. Then there was the rough side, that forced me to go out and eat with him, sat around while I cooked for him, and wouldn’t hold a door open for me. These two sides almost makes me unsure about if I knew who the real Ray was.

Maybe I should look him up. He is famous and is bound to be on the internet. Although, now that I think about it, I might need to pay my wireless bill. If I didn’t get that check into the mail soon, my laptop would stop working. It’s a good thing I don’t have a phone anymore. Not only was it expensive, but it just reminded me how all my friends had left me all by myself after my parents’ accident. I remember when they implied that I was being “too sad” to hang out with. They stopped inviting me to stuff and we eventually stopped talking. Even my best friend at the time, Rhiannon didn’t want anything to do with me. She acted as if I didn’t exist. As if I didn’t have feelings of my own.

Since work was over, I gather up my belongings and put on my jacket. I step outside and shiver from the chill that hits my spine. Looking around, I spot Ray’s car, and am thankful that he is there to pick me up. I was tired, and just didn’t have the energy to walk home today.

I open the car door and smile at Ray. He looks up at me and smiles as well. He looks tired too and I hope that he didn’t stay up just to come and get me. His jawline is covered in a small amount of stubble, and he has dark circles under his eyes. There is a small notebook casually thrown onto the floor of the car, along with a pencil and a ball of wadded up paper. He must have been working on his “upcoming book.” The one I keep hearing about. I hope that him picking me up in not an inconvenience to him. Hopefully I did not interrupt his writing process. I know how that was, with me and my art that is. I hated the be interrupted while I was working on anything.

“How was work?” he asks me, and I see that it is his sweet and caring side that is greeting me.

“It was fine,” I answer tiredly. I see him glance over at me, as if he knows I am lying. However, he doesn’t say anything, and respects my privacy.

We arrive back at my apartment and Ray pulls the car over to the curb. He cuts the engine and looks sheepishly up at me.

“Hey,” he starts. “Would it be okay if I slept here? I am too tired to drive home and I just need somewhere to crash.”

I pause, halfway through stepping out of his car and look at him. Finally I shrug and agree and lead him into my apartment.

****

Ray’s POV

I follow Avery into her apartment and watch as she goes fumbling in a hall closet for supplies. She pulls out an extra pillow and blanket for me and leads me to the sofa.

“I’m ready sorry you have to sleep here,” she explains. “It’s all I have available.”

“Maybe I can sleep in your bed instead,” I smirk, causing her to roll her eyes.

“One more joke like that and you’re sleeping outside on the curb.” she says with a laugh. Her laugh is beautiful. I have only heard it a couple times, but I want to hear it again.

“I’m off to bed now,” she tells me with an adorable little yawn. She chucks a pair of oversized pajama pants and a teeshirt at me. “You can change into this,” she says, thoughtfully, before she leaves the room. I can tell that they are men’s clothing, but I know that she bought them to wear to bed.

“Thank you!” I call after her retreating back, before heading to her bathroom.

After I change, I flop down onto her couch, which is surprisingly comfortable for something so beat up. I flick off the light on the table next to me, and shut my eyes.

****

I wake up to the smell of food. I roll off the couch and get up, eager to eat more of her delicious food. Avery is standing at the stove, flipping an egg and I decide to scare her, probably not a good idea since she’s near a stove but I am interested in her reaction. I stand behind her, then before she notices anything, I quickly poke her at her sides. She screams and drops her spatula. I begin to laugh, holding my stomach as I do so.

She turns around and begins to hit me in the chest lightly with the spatula she was holding.

“What the hell were you thinking?” she yells at me.

I shrug, “I don’t know, it was funny,” I stifle another laugh.

“Not for me!” she says, sounding annoyed.

I just grin, and open the refrigerator to retrieve the orange juice we bought yesterday. I find a cup in the cupboards, and pour myself a glass. I glance at her, questioning with my eyes if she wants a glass, and she nods. I then pour her a glass as well, before taking a sip of mine and sitting down.

“So why are you awake so early?” I ask curiously.

“I have to head to my ceramics class then I have pottery class at noon,” she explains, yawning sleepily.

“Oh, well I’ll leave once I eat some of your delicious breakfast. Are you sure you’re not majoring in culinary?” I tease her, picking up and chewing a piece of bacon that was sitting on a plate on the table.

“Nope, just art.”

“You know,” I tell her. “Art won’t land you any good jobs.”

“Neither will writing!” she tells me, anger on her face.

“You know you’re saying this to a guy who’s rich and famous all because of writing, right?” I reply, getting defensive.

“It’s all a phase!” she tells me. “Soon you will be a nobody again and your book will be history! It will be so old, that if I were to take an ancient history class, I would learn about it!”

“Wow, is that another one of your tries to insult me? Besides, I’m working on another book. At least I’ve been a somebody, you’re still a nobody. All I’m saying is that you should try studying something else,” I say, getting up so I’m towering over her.

She puffs up her chest, trying to seem bigger than she is. 

“Get out of my house!” she yells at me.

“House?” I scoff. “This is a tiny apartment, that you can barely afford! If you listen to my advice, you’ll probably be able to afford something almost as big as my penthouse.”

“Leave!” she screams, pouting at the door. I can see her lip quivering.

“Gladly,” I say, grabbing my things that I had by the couch. I don’t bother changing out of her clothes or cleaning up my mess. I just leave.

I slam the door on the way out.