The two were inseparable when they first met, making them the best couple at Rice High School. They thought that they would never be apart...until Senior year when college was the next chapter in their lives. They broke up, went to college and never...
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CHAPTER FIVE.
↳ F.R.I.E.N.D.S.
• • •
"Ryan." Ava whispers, stepping back a little at the sight of him. She was hoping that he would be the last person she saw for the rest of the day.
Maybe it wasn't real. Maybe her mind was playing tricks on her again. But the more she stood there, and looked into his eyes, she knew that he was truly there.
"What are you doing in Tampa?" Ava asks, still not moving. Ryan puts his keys in his pocket and his hands.
"I moved here when I dropped out of college, with my roommate." he stuttered, awkwardly looking at her and then the floor. She just nods, slightly panicking.
It's been a year since they've seen each other, or been this close. The tension in the hallway was slowly rising.
"So you live across the hall?" Ava asks, coming closer to him to get to her door. He scratches the back of his neck. "We're neighbors." she continues.
"I guess so." Ryan laughs awkwardly.
"Well, it was nice to see you again." Ava just smiles, opening her door with her key.
"Um yeah, you too..." he smiles back, and watches her close the door behind her.
When Ava closed the door, she began to panic even more. Leaning her back on the door, she struggles to breathe. He was here, and for the past year Ava thought that she would never see him again.
Yet here he was, just outside her apartment, more shocked than she was. She quickly walks to her room, and digs through one of her jewelry boxes. She knew that she didn't throw it away. When she found it, she lifted it up, observing the old necklace that held many memories. The necklace Ryan gave her after a few months of dating. Ava holds it in her hand, trying to regain her sanity.
Beyond the door, Ryan was still standing there next to his door realizing what just happened. He found her and she lived across the hall. He lifts his fist up to her door to knock, but he stops himself. Biting his lip, he quickly walks away from her door before he did anything stupid.
• • •
"Hey, are you okay? You look like you're thinking awfully hard over there." Ava hears in her ear, making her jump. She looks over at Stephen, who was laying beside her in the bed. He laughs at her for jumping, and she realizes she was daydreaming and not paying attention to the show on Netflix.
She sits up and he does too. "Um yeah. Just thinking about that stupid essay, you know." she smiles.
Stephen rolls his eyes and scoffs at her comment. "You do realize you're super smart and I'm pretty sure you'll get a good grade." he smiles, kissing her temple.
Ava was certainly not thinking about the essay, cause she knew for a fact that she'll ace it. But it was Ryan who was filling her mind with thoughts. She needed to get him off her mind, she was happy and in a perfect relationship. Why would a high school relationship get in the way?
Ava quickly grabs Stephen face, and kisses him. Stephen, not arguing, but pulled away and looked at her. "What's that about?" he asks.
"I can't kiss my boyfriend?" Ava smirks, making him smirk back. He grabs her waist, and kisses her again, rolling her over on her back. He hovers over her, passionately kissing the girl. He travels down her neck, making her giggle softly. He plants soft kisses all over her face, and her smile grows.
"I love you Ava." he whispers, inches away from her lips. She looks from his lips to his eyes back and forth, smirking.
"I love you too Stephen." she says back, and she meant it.
Ava quickly turns him over, so that she was on top now. She kisses him again, and that's when Ava knew that Ryan Trahan wouldn't get in the way of her and Stephen. He just couldn't. She loved Stephen, not Ryan.
Well, at least that's what she told herself.
• • •
Ava wakes up to the bed empty, confusing her. Rubbing her eyes, she checks her phone to see a message from Stephen.
stephen ❤:
Hey, had an early class. I'll see you later, enjoy your day off school! Love you!
ava 💋:
Okay Also make sure to bring me lunch. I'm super hungryyy. Oh and love you too.
stephen ❤:
Okay, kid. The usual?
ava 💋:
Yesss. Thank you!
Ava gets out of bed and gets dressed for the gym. She always liked to exercise when she had the day off. Grabbing her phone and keys, she opens the door and locks it behind her.
But then she hears the door open behind her, and she cringes slightly. Please be Yerrow, please be Yerrow. Turning around, disappointed to see the wrong Ryan.
"Oh, hey." Ryan says, closing his door. Ava looks down at his clothes to see that he was too dressed for the gym. "Hey, you going to the gym too?" she asks and he nods.
"Then we can walk down together." Ava fake smiles, and starts to walk away from him. Realizing what Ava said, Ryan eventually catches up to her and to the elevator. They get in, and he pushes the button to go down.
They stand there awkwardly, not knowing what to say to each other. Ava rolls her eyes and finally says something.
"Okay, look. Last time we saw each other, we went through a rough time together. But, since that was a year ago, and we both have moved on and are mature young adults, friends?" she says facing him.
Ryan was overwhelmed from the sudden outburst. "Yeah, friends. That would be great." he smiles and Ava just nods. The elevator doors opens, and she walks out first, and he followed. He watches her walk to the treadmill and put in her headphones.
He shakes his head, and goes to the weights.
Every once in a while though, Ryan would look at Ava and admire how much the girl has changed in the past year. She was beautiful before, but somehow the year made her even more breathtaking.
And while Ryan did look two or three times at Ava, she had her fair share of glances at the boy. She watches him lift the weights over her shoulder, and couldn't help but stare. Stare at the boy who has definitely changed after a year.
She wasn't going to lie, he did get cuter.
Ava stops that thought in her head because she had a boyfriend who loved her. Turning back around to run some more, trying to get Ryan out of her head. But when she turned back around, sure enough Ryan was staring back.
