INVISIBLE STRING, jack hughes ⋆ ★

thirty-two

✧˖*°࿐ WHY'D YOU HAVE TO GO AND MAKE THINGS SO COMPLICATED?
avril lavigne

"I wanna punch him." Bella groaned, her jaw tight as she stared at Aven in the mirror. She turned, facing her. "Would you ever do it?"

"Do what?" Aven asked, pulling down the red sweater dress as she coked a brow.

Bella rolled her eyes, leaning back in the chair. "Take him back. Would you?"

"I don't know." Aven shrugged, avoiding her best friends gaze as she sat on the bed, staring at her rings. "If we could work things out but it doesn't matter anymore."

"Why? Oh, yeah...the girlfriend." Bella threw her head back with a small laugh. "But he's still obsessed with you. I mean, a whole beach confrontation? I'm surprised he didn't show up as Santa on Christmas."

Aven rolled her eyes, shaking her head with a smile. "You're so annoying!"

"What if she's there tonight?" Bella asked blatantly.

Aven swallowed with a slight drop of her shoulders. "There's nothing I can do. It's not like we're together. He deserves to move on I can't hate either of them."

"Well, I do." Bella scrunched her nose at her, glancing down at her phone. "Ubers here!"

The two girls hurried to the uber, Aven shuffling through her bag before handing her a lanyard, the vip pass hanging around their necks.

The drive to the Prudential Center was at most fifteen minutes as the car rolled to a stop, Bella handing him a twenty as they sauntered over to the side entrance.

"Aven?" The security guard cocked his head, his skin seeming more wrinkled from the last time she'd seen him.

"Hi." Aven greeted with a grin, the guard scanning both of their passes before opening the door for them, the two walking in.

The sound of a ball hitting the wall made them both furrow their brows as they walked towards the curtain, pulling it to the side.

"Heads!" Nico yelled, watching Nate duck as the soccer ball nearly beheaded him.

Dawson threw his head back laughing, Nate shooting Nico daggers before his eyes fell to the curtain, his expression growing brighter. "Aven?"

"Oh, hey." Aven chuckled awkwardly, moving to stand beside Nico as Bella trailed beside her.

Nico furrowed his brows, smiling softly as he wrapped an arm around her. "Long time no see, huh?" His accent made her nod, tapping his back as she had missed him.

"Yeah, she left us." Marino pouted, his eyes flickering to Jack before switching back to her.

"Stop that." She raised her hand to shush him. "Well, I thought i'd come support you guys. Consider it your late Christmas present."

Nate placed a hand on his heart, his head leaning on the brick wall. "You're so sweet."

"Yeah, yeah." She mimicked. "I got a tour to give but good luck out there. Make me proud, yeah?"

Aven began to walk in the middle of the circle, the ball rolling as it hit her foot, she furrowed her brows, kicking it up into her hand as she turned her head.

Jack leaned against the wall, nodding at her as he clenched his water bottle tightly. "Uh, sorry. Didn't mean to drop it."

"All good." Aven tossed it back to him, quickly clearing her throat as she dragged Bella along.

She took one look over her shoulder, her eyes immediately meeting his gaze as she shook her head, staring back forward.

"He's actually obsessed." Bella couldn't help but laugh. "All, like, my bad, blah blah. He knows what he's doing."

"It doesn't matter." Aven shrugged, leading Bella towards the conference rooms. "Let's just drop it."

"Oh, my. Aven!" A girls voice from behind her captured her attention. Zoey's face beamed with excitement as she was quick to hug the girl.

Aven smiled from ear to ear as the two embraced, pulling away as Zoey frowned slightly. "I'm so sorry. I heard about what happen."

"You did?" Aven cocked her head with a short chuckle.

"Yeah." Zoey nodded, trailing off slightly. "What, did you just think you could leave and no one would talk?"

Aven tucked her hair behind her ear. "I guess I didn't really think it through fully. I'm sorry I didn't say goodbye."

"I figured I'd see you again." Zoey licked her lips, playing with the straps of her camera.

"Oh, sorry. This is Bella." Aven placed a hand on the brunettes shoulder.

Zoey shot her a warm smile, nodding towards her. "Nice to meet you. So, you guys go to college together?"

"Yeah." Bella hummed, her hands in her back
pockets. "We've been best friends since we were kids."

"That's cute." Zoey pouted slightly. "How is it? Umich right?"

Aven nodded, her hands coming to fold over her stomach. "Yeah, I love it already." She look towards Bella who nodded in agreement.

"Well, it was really nice to meet you. And, catch up." Zoey looked between the two. "But, we've got ten minutes till we hit the ice."

"Good luck!" Aven breathed, feeling the ping of jealousy in her chest.

"Oh, and by the way." Zoey turned back around. "The Hughes family is sitting directly behind you. Just a little fair warning."

Aven parted her lips, looking to Bella with panic. "Great. Just fucking great.

here
we
go
baby