Along came Avery

1 7 . h i d e a n d g o t o u c h

Just as I am about to shut the door closed, I feel it push back towards me and in comes Avery. I instantly back away from the door and shake my head at him but he only closes the door ever so lightly behind him.

"You followed me? We can't both be in here—"

"Why? Are you scared Natey-boy will find us in here?" He walks towards me as though a prey he's been eyeing for a while.

This boy is out of his mind. We both can't hide in the store room of the cottage. Not only will he get us caught, but because we're alone, he'll for sure take advantage of this and— "Avery, I'm being serious this time."

"I'm not? Come on, Bubbles. Weren't you complaining about me avoiding you? Here I am, now. I won't avoid you." He smirks. He then reaches over to the string hanger, the switch for the only big bulb providing light in this tiny room, and then the light goes out.

Even despite my heart racing with anticipation, a bit of the sunset lighting peeks through the very tiny window. It's enough to see him clear, eye the tiny room momentarily before glancing over at me. I suck in air and look away.

"Oh, they've got a mirror here? How convenient."

I glance to where he's looking at and indeed, just before the darkest corner of this room, right after the big shelf holding the random objects, stands a body length mirror. Kind of dusty from what I can tell, and a huge crack splitting the top and the bottom end.

"I say we let it be of use."

Huh? "How?"

No verbal answer comes from him, but I zap my head towards him when he now comes at me. Instantly I back away from him in panic, only him to chuckle and shake his head in my despair. Not today, any day but today.

"Don't make this worse for yourself Zeze, hmm?" When I can't go any further into the dark corner, when my back presses against the wall and I hope that all this is as over as quickly as it's starting, I feel him take hold of my hand and pull me forward, enough for him to wedge his arm around my back and again, tug my forward.

Gently. Because all his actions happen gently, but torments me mentally.

"Come on, step forward." He gets up behind me and now places both hands on my non-existing hips, before pushing me forward, enough for the both of us to see our reflection in the mirror. Not that I couldn't see from where I was, against the wall, but I know it's to emphasize us. To get a clear view. To play with me emotionally. "Look. Just look how beautiful you are."

My hands fold over my chest in refusal to touch him. My jaw is clenched and my eyes painfully take us in. I can feel my body slowly starting to shake, so I take a gulp of air and remain quiet.

"You know, Nate kept looking at you throughout. He makes it so obvious, hmm? Almost like he wanted you to be aware of his lurking eyes." Avery blinks at my reflection and lowers his head to the right side of my shoulder with a slowly forming smile. "It's such a shame I have to crush his dreams. No guy wants to do that to another, unless they know the finer detail."

"You just don't want to see him happy."

Heavy, violent shivers skate inside and out my spine when he chuckles just above my ear. "No. I want him to be happy. I wouldn't have cared if he was crushing on any other girl. But he's crushing on you. And I don't want you to be happy, so unfortunately he won't get to be happy with you."

My hands are at fists and my eyes drop from his hazel eye contact to my trembling legs through the mirror. I don't know if it's because of fear, or because this store room is actually quite cold.