Wrong Quarterback | ✓

20 | don't cry over spilled chai

"You've spoken to your dad lately?"

Avery's brows knit together, lifting her eyes from the letters spelling out Beans & Bagels across the tray already holding half of their order to glance over at Luke where the two of them are stood waiting by the counter.

"No. Not really. Why?"

He shrugs, flickering his eyes towards the seating group in the corner of the room where Callie, Nic and Lea have already made themselves comfortable. "No reason."

Lifting her iced chai off the tray, she regards him – eyes narrowing ever so slightly. "What?"

"You just seem..." He trails off, hesitance crossing his face. "A little out of it."

"Thanks for that. I'm fine," Tapping her fingers against the glass in her hand, Avery too lets her eyes flicker across the room. She is fine. At times. "It's just been a lot lately – school, starting our senior year. All that. You know."

"I've seen you carry the same book around ever since I got back to town. That freaks me out."

A silent chortle leaves Avery's lips but it's followed by an inward sigh. "As I said – school."

She hasn't been reading much lately. Every time she opens up her book to read, to escape reality only for a little while, she doesn't manage to get through more than a few sentences before her eyes drift off the page. She usually finds herself staring at nothing in particular for a few seconds or hours – there's no in between – before giving up and setting the book aside again, vowing to try another day. It hasn't been going well.

    "It's not just me – okay?" Luke takes the tray off the counter with a 'thank you' as the barista sets the last of their drinks onto it but neither he or Avery moves an inch. "Last night, Caia said so too."

Last night – when their two families went out for dinner at the Neapolitan pizzeria. Upon his parents' request she had recounted her experience at her internship and while it had been a challenge to not accidentally give away too much details of her summer, she'd managed to delicately and swiftly weave through it unscathed. Well, she'd sort of managed.

    As he mentions last night, Luke too seems to recall their dinner and the multiple branches of conversations they got through during the two hours. "I can't believe you were working for Ethan Taylor's mom."

    Avery lifts the glass of iced chai to her lips, steering her steps across the room towards the far corner table. "Yeah me neither."

"Did you see him at all?"

Just having taken another sip, Avery coughs as she chokes on her drink. Ungracefully clearing her throat, she aims for nonchalance as she lifts her shoulder in half a shrug.

"Some. I guess."

She sets the tray down upon reaching their table and her friends immediately shift in their seats, reaching over to grab their things and Callie lifts her gym bag off the spot next to her in the couch, allowing Avery to sink into it.

    Leaning forward she grabs the plate holding a chocolate cupcake and hands Callie the teaspoon she grabbed on her way over to the table. "Will you do the honors?"

Callie smiles, splitting the cupcake in two and motions for Avery to choose which half she wants before taking the other for herself. On the other side of the table, Luke kicks his backpack to the side and sits down in the armchair across from her. Nudging her knee with the sole of his Adidas sneaker, he catches Avery's attention.