"Like the girl in Wonderland," Alice corrected politely. "Can I help you with something?"
"Yeah. My buddy and I were gonna go grab a coffee in a little while. What to come with?"
"I'm meeting someone, thanks."
"You sure? We're lots of laughs."
"Positive. Did you need something?"
"No, we're cool. Thanks anyway." There was a pause. "So, for real? Hot damn, my brotha!"
A few minutes later, Gavin appeared at Stan's side. He carried a Game Junkies bag and a soft pretzel.
"Where's Colby?" Stan asked him.
"I dunno. Hitting on your woman?" Gavin shrugged as he sat down. Taking a bite of his pretzel, he didn't notice Stan's glower right away. "I'm kidding. Lighten up, huh? He bought some game time for Avery and he's taking it to her. Just you and me, kid."
"Just me. I'm going out with Alice soon."
"Okay, but we can hang until you meet her."
"But you're not going with us."
"I get it! You've made it abundantly clear you don't wish my presence. You afraid I'll scare her off?"
"Maybe a little, yeah. You have this way of trying to take over and organize things. I want a nice, casual coffee with Alice, so maybe she'll go out with me again—and eventually I'll get laid."
"For the first time in your life!" Gavin clapped excitedly, laughing like a little girl. "I'm so proud!"
Stan punched him hard. "You know it's not like that. Just because you're twenty-two and a virgin."
"I beg your pardon. I've had more than one partner."
"Your left hand doesn't count."
Gavin chuckled. "You think Avery's still pissed?"
"Probably. We were shit to her."
Gavin was stunned into silence. Stan was the least perceptive person he knew, yet he'd just given insight into their relationship with Avery.
"She'll forgive us. She always does."
"She might," Stan said, glancing at his watch. Five more minutes. "I really hurt her feelings. What was I thinking?" He shook his head sadly.
"She hugged Colby."
"No, she didn't."
"She did." Gavin nodded, taking another bite of his pretzel. "He told us when he got back."
"Nuh-uh!"
"You have to work on that failure to pay attention problem. Speaking of which, it's two o'clock. Go have a nice coffee. Get laid, marry the girl, have babies...."
"It's just a cup of coffee," Stan protested.
"It seems like that," Gavin said. "But underneath the cappuccino and the latte, you're really saying I want to see you naked."
Laughing, Stan nudged him. Gavin chuckled.
"Have fun. Drink a cup for me, huh?"
Gavin watched his friend walk back to the Game Junkies store. The corridor had cleared now and only the usual cluster of patrons browsed in the store. Shaking his head in wonder, he walked toward his car.
Colby drove carefully on the icy roads as he headed to Avery's apartment. He'd bought her game time as an excuse to go over and see how she was. He knew that the events at Game Junkies had really upset her. How had they all been so blind to her feelings? He liked to think of himself as being observant, but he'd been just as bad as the others. They considered Avery a fixture, someone who was always there.
He parked in the guest spot for her apartment and walked up to the door. The complex was just a breath from being in a bad neighborhood. Small and shabby, the residents looked after one another. Avery had an extended family all around her. The single mother of three across the yard, that was her big sister. The elderly gentleman next door—her grandfather. The lady on the other side, whose blinds twitched when he knocked on Avery's door, her nosy aunt. She knew Colby and the others by sight. Her interest flagged when she saw who it was. Smiling, she waved as she closed the drapes.
The door opened, the chain on. Avery peered out. She'd been crying and her makeup was smeared. Black rivulets from her mascara and eyeliner cascaded down her cheeks. Streaks of eye shadow covered her hands.
Colby smiled down at her. "Hey, you left without your game time. Can't have my favorite Call of Duty buddy missing in action."
Avery tried to smile. Her lips twitched a little before trembling again.
"Can I come in, Ave?"
She shut the door so she could remove the chain. The door drifted open as she walked away. Colby locked the door behind him, setting the chain in place once more. He followed Avery into the living room. The tiny kitchen opened on the right, the single bedroom to his left. A shabby couch stood in the middle of the little, rectangular room. The only other piece of furniture was a handmade entertainment center that the boys had put together to hold Avery's flatscreen TV and game console. Milk crates were stacked nearby. Inside, in neat, alphabetical rows, were her games, CD's and DVD's. She had slowly collected these over the years, buying them from yard sales and thrift shops.
©2021 Dellani Oakes
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