See You on the Other Side | ✓

25 | Don't Make Me Do This

"Hit like a sucker punch that you knew would come." - Local Natives, Megaton Mile

~~~

On that Friday, I was set to attend Avery's competition. She gave me my ticket on Tuesday. She was spilling with excitement when she handed it over, giving me another reason to push off talking about Uncle Jack's event. When Avery was happy, she had my attention and made me forget about what I was supposed to be doing.

When she was happy, it felt like she could make the world smile. She just had that kind of joy in her heart. At times I wished I could feel even half of what she felt; half of her magnitude.

I tried to expunge the A-list event from my mind. I was at the competition to watch and support Avery. My family's obsession with superficial power could wait. A true talent was about to come.

I sat down, choosing a seat that was kinda close to the stage. A woman in a pantsuit introduced the competition. First, the eight-year-old groups performed. One of the moms sitting next to me pulled out her phone and filmed who I assumed was her daughter.

I think I started to understand choreography. Unlike the other competition where I dozed off, I actually looked at the dancers. I began to decipher what story they were trying to convey.

As the ages of the groups got higher, the gravity of the stories increased. One of the duos was about a mom and daughter grappling with the mom's terminal disease diagnosis. Of course, all of that was said without words. It was all on the movements.

Not gonna lie, these groups were good. As Avery's time was approaching I was getting nervous for her. With the teams being this good, if I were her, I'd be happy to even place in my category.

Her group's time came and I didn't see her on stage. I was about to text her, but I didn't want these can-I-speak-to-the-manager looking moms to be down my throat. I left my seat and walked to the hallway. I pulled out my phone to see she'd already texted me.

Avery💕: I'm not performing

Avery💕: I'm just so done with dance

Me: wym? don't say that

Avery💕: come outside. I'm by your car

I read it and locked my phone. I thought how long had she been next to my car? How long had she been alone out in the parking lot? Why didn't she tell me earlier? The soft side of me that was getting more territorial with each passing day wondered how bad she was hurting.

I walked over to my car and like she said, she was laying against my car. The light I'd parked under shined on her, highlighting her features. Her brown eyes had reddened whites. The bags under her eyes had grown in volume. Tears stained her cheeks.

"How long have you been out here?" I asked. My voice was low and dry from my attempt at gentleness.

"Not very long. Five minutes max," she responded, sniffling.

"You wanna go somewhere? Maybe get a bite to eat?"

She nodded. I knew this was going to be another one of those scenarios where I'd say a lot and she'd be quiet. Where I'd try to help her and she'd wish I'd just shut the hell up.

She got in and stared off into space. I could tell she was drained.

"I don't know why I thought today was going to be any different," she mumbled as she messed with her nails.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

She exhaled, allowing herself to breathe. "I feel like I have to. I need to tell someone or else it's never gonna get better."

"If you really don't want to, don't say anything."

"My mom is a bit of an ass. She never goes to any of my competitions and I mean it when I say never. This time, I actually thought she was going to go. She bought tickets and everything. Then, right before my team is supposed to go on, she says she can't make it. I'm just so over it."

"Okay, but that shouldn't stop you from dancing. Dancing is what you do. It's what you love to do."

She turned to look at me. "I know. Dance is all that I am. It's just sad to know that my mom doesn't like what makes me me."

"Maybe she just doesn't have the time."

"I call bull. Someone can't be busy for years. Someone can't be busy enough to completely ignore their kid's hobbies."

I finally started up the car, as I could see that the conversation wasn't going anywhere. It was one of those situations where I opened a can of worms and wished I hadn't.

"Are you on her side?" She questioned, her arms crossed.

"No. I was just listing the possibilities as to why she doesn't come."

"You seem to have forgotten the possibility that she doesn't care."

"Well, I was hoping that that wasn't the case. You don't deserve that."

Tears returned to her eyes. "Sometimes I feel like you and Brielle are the only ones that care about me. I know how you feel about her, but she's still there when I need her."

"Maybe I should be a little nicer to Brielle."

"I promise she's just a little defensive. She's actually a nice person."

I rolled my eyes. "Haven't seen it yet."

She squinted her eyes at me before relaxing in her seat again. She stayed quiet for the remainder of the ride. She decided she wasn't in the mood for food and wanted to go straight home. I agreed obviously. As I approached the house that Avery fretted, I looked at her.

She was nearly passed out with her eyes blinking like it hurt her to be tired.

The house itself was dark. It seemed like not a single light was turned on as I continued to look at all of its nothingness.

Once I got there, I got out and opened her door. And they say chivalry is dead...

Bad timing? Okay.

Moving on...

She continued to look lifeless, but I knew she was awake. I poked her, hoping I'd get a reaction.

"If you don't get up, I'm gonna have to carry you," I said. "Don't make me do that."

She turned to look at me and smiled. I picked her up with all of my strength, which I have to admit wasn't a lot. Still, I listened to her chuckle as I opened the door.

Once again, asking her out got put on the back burner.

What really mattered was right there in that moment; helping the girl who didn't know she helped me.

A/N

Would just like to thank everyone for the support really quickly. School will be out a month from now I hope that I get the majority of this book done by the end of May.