the last of our lives

Chapter 10: The Love Triangle

"So... what happened this morning with your date with aVeRy?" Moriah says 'Avery' in a sing song voice.

Tana nods. "Moriah told me about the note you left her."

"Well, we ate pancakes and potatoes at this restaurant and the weather was nice... and we kissed." I say nonchalantly. I know this will make them go insane.

"Oh my god! Oakleigh that's so awesome!" Tana and Moriah whisper excitedly. Since we're inside of the MOMA they're not allowed to be loud, but I know they really want to. We're a few paces behind the group so we can gossip while we're heading to a different wing.

"Was it good?" Moriah says.

"Oh my god it was the best thing that ever happened to me. It felt like I was going to melt inside. He was SO good at it. Oh god I hope I was. I hope I wasn't awful at it or something." I say worriedly.

"I don't think you were. I mean, did he act weird afterward?" Tana asks.

"Well it was a little weird, but more like 'we just kissed oh my god' kind of weird than 'ugh that was awful I'll never see her the same way again'" I say.

"Then don't worry about it! You should try to kiss him again. Make a move yourself!" Moriah says.

"Exactly. Show him what he could have all of the time if you guys were dating." Tana says. "Like play with him. Leave him hanging. Make him want to be with you."

I laugh. "I hope you know that sounded really weird but I get your drift. I will do it."

We enter Wing B and the group starts moving slowly so we speed up a bit and mingle more into the group.

Kaelyn is busy flirting with Avery as usual. And as usual he's letting it go on, but this time, I'm going to intervene for real.

I weave through a Ben and Quinn talking in order to get to Kaelyn and Avery.

I stand next to Avery, right across where Kaelyn was. She's forced to move a bit because Avery moves to let me in.

"Hey Avery." I say batting my eyelashes in what I hope is a flirtatious way.

"Do you um, have something like, stuck in your eye?" Kaelyn says snarkily.

"Do you um, have something like, stuck up your ass?" I say. It just pops out. I have no idea where that came from or how I even managed to say it, but it feels great.

Kaelyn opens her mouth in shock. "Wow I didn't know you had it in you to say mean words. I thought you were too innocent." She flounces away (as usual.)

Avery also looks shocked. "Wow Oakleigh. That was a little harsh."

"Yeah but she's always rude to me and I've never actually stuck up for myself so that was really satisfying." I say.

"Still. But it was funny to watch." Avery shrugs.

"What do you think of the art so far?" I ask him, changing the subject.

"Amazing. I see what you meant about liking art history." He says. He gestures at a statue. "That is amazing." We go over to look at it. "Wow."

"Yeah I know. It's so cool." I say.

We rejoin the group and I grab Avery's hand, partly just for kicks, partly to claim my man you know?

Avery walks with us for a bit until he lets go of my hand. "I'm going to go to the bathroom. I'll be back in a bit."

"Okay," I let him go and he slips away.

I join Ben and Quinn. "Hi y'all, what's up?"

"Nothing much. Just talking about what happened last year with Isobel in science." Quinn says.

"When she asked Elijah to Junior Prom?" I ask.

Ben nods. "She had that sign and everything. I feel like she set a high bar. I want to ask Moriah to Senior Prom when we get back but I don't know how to do it. Do either of you have any idea?"

"Honestly, Moriah's a hopeless romantic. She'll most likely say yes to anything because I think she's definitely into you but I like that you're trying to figure out something nice to do for her. " I say.

"I'm thinking maybe a sign with flowers or something?" Ben says. "Oh wait! I know what I'm going to do but I'll need your guys' help."

"Okay sure. What do you want to do?" Quinn asks.

"Okay so I'm thinking that it will be at the football game so you'll have to make sure Moriah will come, but basically, I'll get the football players and the cheerleaders to lay down and spell out PROM and then I'll have flowers and I'll stand up and ask Moriah to prom." He says.

"Oh my god Moriah will go insane when you do that, but that sounds like a lot of work. Are you sure you could do that?" I ask.

"I think I could." Ben nods. "I'd just have to talk to the cheerleaders and the team when our practices happen at the same time, which they do a lot, so then we practice a bit and then badabing badaboom."

Quinn nods. "That sounds like it could work. I'll talk to Kaelyn also, she has some friends on the cheer team so I bet they could help."

"Definitely." I say.

"Thanks you guys." Ben says. "I can't wait for Moriah to see it."

We continue through the museum planning and talking until Moriah joins us and we change the subject.

After a half an hour or so Moriah says "Hey, where's Avery? I feel like he's been gone for a while."

"Yeah you're right." I nod. "I'm going to go look for him."

I start heading toward the bathrooms closest to Wing B, walking past the statue where Avery first broke off from the group, I get to the bathrooms.

"Hey can you check if Avery's in there? He's been gone a while." I say to Elijah who's walking by right now.

"No problem." He says. He goes in. "Nope nobody's in there."

I open the door to the girls so I can have a quiet place to text Avery and if needed, call him, but when I open the door, there's a couple inside, kissing. That's when I realize with a sinking feeling in my stomach, that the couple is Avery and Kaelyn.

Kaelyn's arms are wrapped around Avery and he's holding her waist. I feel tears pool in my eyes.

Avery notices me there. His eyes grow wide. "Oakleigh!"

I wipe tears from my eyes, my jaw hardening. "Don't." I say, my voice cold and hard as stone. I run out of the bathroom right as Avery says "Wait!"

And to think I actually thought Avery liked me.