Our reality //m.g.c//

Seven

PHILOPHOBIA
noun

"The fear of falling in love or emotional connection."

"So what university are you going to in the fall?"

"I'm not going to any. At least not this year."

"What?"

Green haired Michael widely opened his eyes, clearly shocked. Ava started biting in her lower lip and the boy sat down next to her.

"Yeah, I'm taking a gap year I guess."

"Out of all the people in the universe, I'd thought you'd be the most excited for uni."

"Don't give me that crap, my mom did that enough when I told her. She said that all of my schoolmates are going and blah, blah, blah so on."

"Aren't you gonna miss your friends?"

Ava let out a chuckle.

"What friends?"

"You have some friends for sure."

The blonde shook her head.

"I don't know if you noticed yet but usually I'm pretty hard to talk to. Even more so when you first meet me so people gave up after one talk with me."

"I didn't."

Their green eyes met and a smile crossed Ava's face. No, he didn't which shocked Ava. What shocked her even more was that she didn't want him to give up. She wanted to talk to him and it was actually pretty fun. Well most of the times. Then Ashton broke the talk with his daily question. He had been doing that every day since we talked almost two months ago on the beach.

"What is the first thing that comes to your head when you say the words 'this makes me happy'?"

Ava looked at his hazel eyes and patiently waited for his answer while she contemplated hers. She knew what she'd say two months ago but that day...something was changed and she didn't know what.

"I'd say music. It makes me...well me. "

"You said music for what makes you you also."

"True. But it does make me me and it does make me happy."

His positivity was nearly contagious since Ava couldn't help but smile at him. He wasn't just a ray of sunshine, he was a full on star.

"Books. Books make me really happy."

Ashton nodded and jogged away but he didn't know, he didn't get the truth for the first time. The more Ava thought about it, the more she knew how wrong that answer felt and she felt pretty awful for lying. But what was she supposed to say? The truth made no sense to her and yet, as she looked on her right and saw rainbow next to her, she saw her answer. The talks with him made her really happy. The kind of happy she wasn't since...well she couldn't remember since when but she just knew it was a long time ago.

"Books? Really?"

Michael scoffed at her and she rolled her eyes.

"What was I supposed to say? They are my happy place."

"I don't know...a person?"

"Not fair. Ashton said music."

"Okay true. I'd say a person though."

"Who?"

"Doesn't matter. I just would."

She knew better then to poke in the things Michael didn't want to say. They had a silent understanding in that way. He never poked her she didn't poke him in return.