One•Shots

avery + keely

k e e l y *

"We need to talk," my best friend, Avery, said the day he told me he was being sent to live with his aunt for six months. Ten hours and forty-two minutes away.
"Yeah?" I say. "What's up?"
"So, as you know, there's been some family drama going on lately...well, my parents decided that it was best if I went to live with my aunt."
"Oh, well that's not too bad. Which one? Huntington Beach? Long Beach? Santa Clarita?"
He shakes his head. "Salt Lake City, Utah,"
"But--that's not even in California!! How am I supposed to see you from San Diego when you're in Salt Lake City??"
"I know, Kee, I know,"
"When are you leaving?"
"In two days,"
"No! No, you can't--"
"Ssh, ssh, it's okay," He leans his head against mine, 'ssh-ing' me. '

The two days fly by quickly.
Avery comes over before his flight to say bye.
"I'll miss you," I say into his shoulder, trying not to cry.
"I'll miss you too, Keely," he whispers in my ear.
I hug him tighter one last time until I see him again in six months, I guess. He gets in the car, turning and waving. He and his drive off, leaving me standing in my driveway, watching the car fade. Before I turn to go back in the house, I hear running footsteps. I look up.
"Wha-what are you—?? You're gonna miss your flight!" I tell him, looking at him.
"I forgot to give you something." He says softly.
"What?" I ask him. He smiles and presses his lips against mine. His hand rests on the small of my back and pulls me in closer. I stumble forward a bit in my haste to kiss him back. He grabs my face and pulls back, drawing a groan from my lips.
"I'll be home soon," he whispers, rubbing his nose against mine, brushing his lips against mine.
"Six months isn't soon—" I begin.
"It's not going to be six months," he says.
I look at him, feeling very confused, but he kisses me again. I wrap my arms around him, trying to savor every bit of the feeling of his lips against mine.
"I've gotta go. I'll call you when I land," he whispers. "I love you,"
"I love you too," I whisper, kissing him again for as long as he'll let me.

"Hey," Avery's voice comes through the speaker on my phone.
"Hey," I whisper, feeling the sudden urge to cry.
"Don't you dare cry, Keely, I'm in the middle of an airport Starbucks, and if you cry, I will cry, too,"
"I miss you," I say, the teensiest fragment of a sob escaping my lips.
I hear him sigh. "I wish I could hold you right now, baby," he whispers. "I miss you too,"
I sniffle. "Wha-what did you mean you'll be back before six months?"
"I just have a feeling,"
"..O-okay?"
"Trust me, Keely,"
"I am, I just--I really miss you,"
"I miss you too," he says and I hear the faintest wobble in his voice.
Avery and I talk for a little while longer.
"I love you, Ave," I say before Avery and I hang up.
"I love you, Kee," he says back.

ღ ღ ღ

Avery has been gone for two weeks, and yesterday, Wednesday, my mom surprised me with tickets to Salt Lake City for the weekend. I'm leaving tonight at 8:00 PM. She texted Avery's mom, who texted her sister who is going to pick me up from the airport so that I can surprise Avery.

I just landed in SLC and I'm getting ready to collect my luggage.
Heading to Avery's Aunt Laina's car.
Getting in the car.
"Avery has not stopped talking about you since he's been here!" Laina tells me. "He's already got a ton of photos of you two on his wall. I feel a rush of emotions.
"I can't wait to see him," I say softly, a few tears welling up in my eyes.
"Me either," Laina says. "Now, be forewarned, I have five kids. Julia, she's sixteen, Bailey, she's eight, Riley, he's six, Carly, she's two and a half, and Amara is six and a half months old."

I begin to feel nervous as we get closer and closer to Laina's house. When we pull up in front of her house, my heart starts to pound. It's 10:30 PM here, but it's 9:30 back home. I carry my luggage into the house with help from Laina.
"I'll go get him," Laina says, beaming. "Jules, how were the kids?"
"They were good," Julia says, looking over her mom's shoulder. And something tells me that she doesn't know I'm dating--or at least, kissing--her cousin. She waves shyly at me. "They're all in bed now,"
"Hey, Avery!" Laina calls down the hallway. "Can you come here for a minute?? Julia has a homework question that she thinks you might be able to help her with!" Laina pulls her phone out and starts recording at this part.
"Yeah," he calls. "I'll be right there!" His voice and the door shutting gets my heart pounding faster than it already was.
I tuck myself behind the wall so he won't see me when he comes down the hall.
"Whatcha need help with, girlie?" He says when he walks into the room.
"Hey, look over there," Laina says, pointing to me. I've stepped out from behind the wall, but Avery hasn't seen me yet. He turns his head and sees me.
"KEELY!" He shouts as he comes running to me, pulling me into his arms and lifting me off of the floor. He sets me back down but doesn't let me go.
"Oh, my Keely-bug," he whispers softly, nuzzling his nose in my neck. "I've missed you,"
I cuddle into him as he holds me tightly.
"Come on," he says, releasing me from his arms. "We have so much to talk about!"
He grabs my hand and pulls me down the hallway.
"My luggage--" I begin.
"I'll get it," Julia says.
Avery pulls me into his bedroom, which indeed does have pictures of us all over the walls, and presses his lips to mine. He wraps his arms around me and holds me tightly against him. I think Julia catches the end of our kiss when she opens the door with my luggage.

"My mom surprised me with tickets," I tell Avery as we sit on his bed. "I'd been pretty down, so she thought she'd surprise me. She's even letting me stay until Monday! My flight home is Monday at 4:00 PM."
"I can't believe you're here," Avery says, leaning forward and kissing my lips.

Avery pulls my body up against his that night when we lay down for bed.
"I love you, Keely-bug," Avery whispers in my ear, nestling his face in the crook of my neck.
"I love you, Ave," I tell him, moving my face to press my lips against his.

"Who are you and why are you in my house?" Bailey asks me the next morning at breakfast. The kids are about to leave for school; Avery still goes to our school but he's doing it online. Avery snorts into his cereal.
"Bailey!" Laina says.
"Bailey, and everyone else who didn't know, this Keely, he's my boyfriend! He lives in California, where I used to live!" Avery says. Julia scowls at her toast.

After eating, we head back into Avery's room, where he starts his school work. I cuddle up against him, pressing my lips against his neck.
"I need attention!!" I say, kissing his shoulder. "Give me attention!"
Avery turns to me, smiling brightly and grabs my face in his hands, kissing my lips. He grabs my waist and pulls me onto his lap.

Friday is spent cuddling, kissing, and eating. Avery decided that he would just make up his school work later-on. Saturday morning, I wake up to Avery kissing my neck. I turn my head and press our lips together. We take a selfie, both of us post it to our social media's, and I change it to my iPhone wallpaper; my lock screen is a picture of us from yesterday that Laina took.

We spend Saturday and Sunday much like Friday.
"I don't want you to go," Avery says on Monday morning.
"I don't want to either," I whisper, trying not to cry.
"Hey, no crying yet, Keely-bug," Avery says, cupping my face and kissing my lips softly.
I nod and kiss him again. And again. And again. Over and over and over.

Avery and I are standing in the airport parking lot. He wipes away a tear as it falls down my face.
"My beautiful, Keely-bug," he whispers, leaning his head against mine. I let out a sob, not bothering to keep it in.
"I'll be home soon, baby," he whispers. I nod.
"Hey," he whispers. "Hey, hey, Keely, look--look at me, look at me, Keely. I love you, okay? I love you, and I'll be home soon,"
I nod. He leans in and kisses my lips.

ღ ღ ღ

It's been about a month and a half now since I've seen Avery. I miss him SO much, but my mom says it's too soon to fly down to him again.
"Keely!" Mom calls to me up the stairs.
"Yeah?" I call back.
"Come down here for a minute!"
"Be right there!"
I take the steps slowly.

"Hey, Keely-bug," a voice says when I reach the bottom.
I look up. "Avery!!" I call.
I run to him and into his arms. He holds me tightly.
"I'm home. I'm home for good, baby boy," he whispers in my ear.
"Really?? How??" I ask him.
"My parents and your parents agreed that I can stay here with you until we graduate."
"REALLY!?" I turn to look at my mom, who's smiling and nodding.

I drag Avery up the stairs to my bedroom where I close the door and immediately kiss him.
"I've missed you so much, Ave," I whisper in between kisses, leaning my head against his.
"I've missed you too, Keely-bug," he replies, kissing me again.
And that was the start to our forever.

3/28/2020