Wallflower

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Chapter 15: Quelle Douce Fille

  "Avery Carine Toussaint!" Avery heard as soon as she stepped through her front door. She looked up after she wiped her boots on the welcome mat. The light snow from the weekend had somewhat melted and turned to sludge on the streets, leaving her boots dirty and wet. Her mother stood in the doorway of the kitchen, hands on her hips in her traditional scolding style. 

"Maman?" Avery's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, removing her boots and coat so she could step towards her mother. 

"Why did I get a call from your school saying that you left campus this morning and never came back?" her mother's eyes narrowed as she looked at her. Avery's heart rate quickened and she looked to the floor. She and Alex had gone out for frozen yoghurt and the brunette drove her to a scenic spot on a hilltop where they just sat and talked.

And kissed.

But only a little. 

 They had never meant to miss the whole day of school, only a class or two, and now Avery was left wracking her brain for a reasonable excuse. 

" Dîtes-moi," her mom pushed. Her tone was stern and the freckled girl couldn't bear to look her in the eyes and face the disappointment that could be there. She wasn't one to get in trouble regularly- if at all. {Tell me}

In order to get her mother off her case, she felt herself blurt out, "I had an anxiety attack at school and I wasn't feeling so well afterwards. I left school to try to calm myself down. I just couldn't go back, maman. J'suis désolée." {I'm sorry}

  She had never lied about her anxiety before and she almost felt horrible about it, but she was somewhat still walking on clouds from her time spent with Alex. Her mother's stance relaxed and her facial features contorted to one of concern and she rushed forward and enveloped her daughter in her arms. 

  "Oh Doux-Doux, why didn't you just come home?" 

"I was with my friend. She was concerned for me so she stuck with me," Avery's lie continued. She seemed to be doing a lot of lying lately. 

Her daughter's confession brought Mrs Toussaint to lift her head and look at her daughter, "Which friend?"

"Alex. Remember you met her when we got Milo."

"Oh. The tall, pretty girl with the very long hair?"

 Avery fought the urge to blush and instead rolled her eyes; Alex's hair really was amazing. It was a pity she didn't wear it down more often. She couldn't help but wonder if Alex would wear it down if she asked her to. 

"Maman, you've only met two of my friends."

"You have others?" Her mother half-joked. 

"Yes," the freckled girl said, but it came out more like a question. She wasn't sure if she'd consider Marigold a friend and she had only just met Kaden and Jason. Mrs Toussaint only rolled her eyes and decided to change the subject, "Je ne t'ai pas vu prendre tes médicaments ce matin. Take them and then go shower." {I didn't see you take your medicine this morning}

   If there was one thing that Avery's mother was good at, it was disciplining her child. It came as second nature due to her Congolese upbringing but unlike her own parents, she knew where to draw the line between dictator and confidant. Avery was able to grow up knowing not to get herself in trouble while also knowing not to fear her parents. 

"D'accord."

The curly-haired girl headed up the stairwell when she felt her phone vibrate. She bit the inside of her cheek when she read the name of the sender and almost tripped on the way to her room. After closing her room door and greeting Milo, she flopped down on the soft bed that seemed to have been waiting for her, the small dog jumping up as well to lay on her chest.