Wallflower

5

Chapter 5: Une Erreur la Première Fois, Une Décision la Seconde

It was now the middle of autumn and Avery was more than excited. Today she had planned to go for a walk along her favourite walking trail. It was always beautiful this time of year, covered with brown, yellow, red and orange leaves. She would always return home with crushed foliage in her hair because she was never able to resist the urge to jump into a pile of leaves and start making angels in them.

She was in the process of putting on her cardigan and boots when her phone rang, vibrating in the back pocket of her jeans. A picture she had taken of herself and Carson presented itself on the screen of her phone when she took it out.

The party at Kaden's house had taken place two weeks ago and Carson had been upset at her the following day. At first, Avery had felt guilty when he told her about how worried he was and the lengths he went to just to find out she was okay and sleeping upstairs. But after a while, she didn't feel guilty when she remembered that it was Carson who had left her in the first place and she would've had an anxiety attack if it wasn't for Alex Rivers. So she stated her claim and the tables turned.

Avery's finger swiped the screen to accept the call. "Hey Aves, are you on your way?" Carson's voice sounded through the speaker. The phone was now nestled in the crook between her jaw and her shoulder as she bent down, tying the laces of her boots while folding her lips in concentration. She hummed affirmatively and said, "Yeah, I should be there in two minutes or so."

For once, Carson didn't seem to have football practice on a Saturday and was able to join Avery on her walk to admire the beauty of autumn. When she finished getting ready, Avery called out a goodbye to her parents before leaving the house.

The chilly wind greeted her as soon as she stepped outside and it ruffled her curls. A small smile settled on her face as she took a deep breath in and started down the pavement to the point where she and Carson were meant to meet. Upon seeing her best friend dressed in a sweatshirt, joggers and sneakers, she knew they were both on this walk for different reasons. He was obviously going to jog (most likely run) in compensation for his cancelled football practice.

"You have a problem," she rolled her eyes at him when she reached him. Carson was stretching and bouncing on the balls of his feet, warming himself up for his run. He paused for a while to give Avery a friendly hug. "You just can't give yourself a break, can you?"

Carson chuckled lightly, picking his water bottle up from the ground, "If I want to do this professionally, I can't just be taking breaks whenever I can."

"Well, I won't be jogging with you. I'm here for the scenery, not for exercise," Avery folded her arms, slightly whipping her head back to move the hair from her face. Maybe it wasn't the best idea to wear her hair out on such a windy day.

Carson observed Avery's attire, "Really? I never would've guessed." He smirked playfully, bumping his shoulder with hers. Well, his forearm, based on their height difference.

"You look cute though," he added as they both started walking towards the trail, "I might have to fight down a few thirsty boys."

"Oh yeah?" Avery snorted, her words laced with sarcasm, "Hope you can put up a good fight."

Carson shook his head as he laughed before picking up the pace, leaving Avery some way behind him. "Already?" she called out after him in disbelief.

A big gust of wind hit Avery, getting a few strands of hair in her eye. She groaned and halted her slow pace. She may not have been the best at planning ahead, but she always stored spare hair ties in the pockets of her clothing. This time, it came in handy as she bunched up her hair, fixing it into a messy bun. A few stray curls of baby hair fell out at the back, sides and front of her hair despite her attempts to smooth it down. Giving up, she continued on her walk.