Mindblown

Chapter Twenty-Three

A/N: I finally have internet again, like it's actually fixed this time, yay :D So to celebrate, here's Mindblown! I'm so excited to have finally updated this and I hope you guys like it :)

Also it's been a while so if you feel you need to take a step back and re-read the last chapter (this one picks up right after it so...), all good :)

The two men have broken into more of a brisk walk now and Kevin is still trying to get a reply from his best friend.
     "Why a ring? Just try calling her, give her that kind of ring!" The music producer argues as they turn onto the long street lined with all kinds of shops, including those that sell rings.
     "This is a little fast isn't it? How long have you two even been together? As far as I know she hasn't even been to your apartment! This is barely a relationship, one vacation!" He calls after him, though trying to stay a little quieter now that they were on the main road.
     Avi keeps his pace up, glancing in a window if the store looks like a jewellery one, and if it is, he'll slow a little, taking a good look. Kevin has caught up to him but doesn't know what else to say. His friend is clearly a mad man.
     The bearded man finally speaks, "Do you think she'd like that one?" He points to a ring.
     Kevin barely glances at it, "Are you asking me because I've known her longer than you have?" He snarks.
     "No, let's go inside," Avi opens the door, there are two ladies behind the counter and one of them is occupied by a customer. The free lady is way too friendly, so Avi keeps back from the counter as far as he can while still looking at the rings.
     "He's looking for an engagement ring," Kevin announces to the saleslady and her eyes light up at the prospect of a big sale. Kevin glances down at the pillow of rings Avi is situated himself in front of. "And if you are set on proposing then a hundred dollar ring isn't going to cut it," he taps the glass in front of his best friends face.
     "For god's sake Kevin I'm not proposing," Avi finally snaps, but he isn't mad, only a little frustrated.
     "That's Avi Kaplan," they hear from behind them, and Avi stiffens, not now, of all times to be recognised it has to be now. He keeps his eyes down; if they don't approach him then he won't acknowledge them, simple.
     Someone that isn't Kevin taps Avi on the arm and he wants to yell, why can't he just get Kirstie a ring in peace?
     "Um hi, Avi, hey, Mr Kaplan, Avi, hey, hi," the lady who tapped his arm speaks. "Ahh, so... are you really dating Kirstin Maldonado?" Her nerves almost seem to disappear as she asks the question.
     "Well that'd be my business wouldn't it," Avi says, knowing it wasn't polite, but hoping it doesn't sound as bad as he thinks it does.
     "Oh right, right," the lady replies. "Well if, um, if you are buying her a ring," she points at the cabinet, "She likes that light blue, she's gushed about it before. And flowery jewellery that's big but not huge, like that one," she points to another. "Or if maybe your, you know like, maybe willing to pay a little bit more, that's a mix of the two," she points at the next pillow of rings. "Sorry, I'm a really big Kirstin fan and I just really want her to be happy," the girl smiles.
     "Well that's really nice of you," Avi nods with a small smile as he turns to her.
     "Having been a fan of Kirstin since the beginning I've seen so much of her life, probably too much and I actually like that she seems to be chilling with the social media a little. Like she's actually spending time with someone outside of it, away from the public eye, like that has to be good for the soul right?" She asks with a small giggle.
     Avi nods with a widening smile, a kind fan, who understands it, who would have known.

###

Avi doesn't explain to Kevin why he is getting a ring; he just buys it (with the help of that kind fan) and goes back to K.O. Studios. And he only goes back there to get his bike because Kirstie's house is not within walking distance.
     He pulls up to her front gate with the realisation that he has left his phone in Kevin's office. What is he supposed to do when she inevitably ignores his buzz at the gate? He presses the buzzer anyway, and looks up at the window she always looks out when the buzzer goes; apparently the intercom part is broken. He sees the curtains move and he swears he sees at least a little of her face before they snap shut. Just as he'd expected, so he buzzes again, if he keeps doing it she's going to have to let him in if she wants him to stop, genius.
     He buzzes.
     And buzzes.
     And buzzes.
     And buzzes.
     How many buzzes is too many buzzes?
     He buzzes.
     And buzzes.
     And buzzes.
     The dogs are barking and if he can hear them then they must be driving her mental.
     And yet, he buzzes again.
     And again.
     The gate finally buzzes back, then clicks, then starts to slide open. He pushes his bike through and it closes behind him. Pulling out the stand for his bike he waits for Kirstie to come to the front door.
     The door opens on its chain and half of her face comes into view, "Do you not understand the concept of being ignored?"
     "Do you not understand the concept of telling someone what they did wrong?" Avi rushes up the steps to her door only for her to slam it on him, not that he could have gotten in with the chain anyway.
     "I'm not speaking to you!" The door muffles her voice.
     "Yeah well you've spoken twice, you're already not winning this," he stands in front of the window in the door frame.
     She looks up and sees him waiting there, "I'm really mad at you."
     "Yeah Kirst, I've gotten that much, but why?" He just needs to double check, just in case he and Kevin are completely off the ball.
     "You should know what you did," she scowls.
     "But I don't Kirst," he sighs.
     "Then go away because I am really fucking mad!" She gets louder.
     "Kirstie please can we have a proper conversation?" He presses his face against the glass.
     "I'm not talking to you, and don't dirty my window," she turns away from him.
     "Kirstie please! Please, I think I know what happened, I just need you to tell me why y- Kirst! Kirstin!" He gets louder as she walks further into the house. "Damn it," he back away from the glass.
     Avi walks around the side of the house looking for an open window, he's not going to climb in, that'd be creepy, he just wants to talk through it. He is stopped at a smaller fence that must be there to keep the dogs in the backyard. He doesn't want to be creepy but he is going to climb over, he's been here a few times now and she always seems to have her back ranch sliders open all the way. And as he gets to the back of the house he finds it true again today. He doesn't want to enter her house without her permission but this is important. So he steps over the threshold, he is pretty sure she went towards the lounge, so he does too, at least he thinks it's the lounge, lucky guess.
     "Kirstie-"
     "The fuck!" She jumps up off her couch, she'd had her back to him, so yeah she'd gotten a fright. "Avi you can't just come into people's houses, especially not when they're really mad at you," she points angrily, she'd shove him but then he might try and hug her and then she'd melt.       She has to stay away from him.
     "Can you just hear me out Kirstie please?"
     "No, get out!"
     "Why are you mad at me?"
     "Well right now you're in my house and I didn't say you could be!"
     "Yeah and I'm not leaving until I get a real reason," he drops his helmet onto the couch and folds his arms defiantly.
     "Why can't you just let me be mad at you Avi!" She complains.
     "Because as far as I know I didn't do anything wrong, but you seem to think I did. So tell me what that is so I can explain what really happened and then you'll have no reason to be mad at me," he takes a deep breath as he finishes.
     "You didn't come over the other night when I asked you to."
     "Because I didn't get the message."
     "How did you not get the message?" She scoffs.
     "Well Esther knows my passcode, I think she deleted it," he explains.
     Kirstie's eyebrow shoots up, "So she deleted it out of her brain too?"
     "What?" Avi is confused now.
     "I called you, I mean I texted you first but then I remembered it was you and you probably don't know how to text, so I called you and Esther picked up. You were in the shower and she said she'd tell you."
     "But Kirstie, she didn't."
     Kirstie's anger fizzles, "What? Why?" She asks quietly.
     "Kirst, don't you remember what I told you? Remember what you promised? You're not supposed to let my sister get to you, but she got to you, she was never going to pass on that message," he runs a hand through his hair, slightly massaging his scalp. "This is what she does, she fucks with my relationships."
     "She's kind of a bitch Avi," Kirstie mumbles. "I'm sorry I was mad at you."
     "No, no, you didn't know but I forgive you anyway," he holds his arms open and waits for her to step into the hug. He kisses the top of her head. "I have something for you by the way, but first I have to hear that song," he smiles against her hair.

A/N: Is Esther a bitch? Why do you think she does what she does?