campus. His chivalry had added over a mile to his walk.
I felt good as I walked up the stairs, almost happy. Maybe this weekend wouldn’t be so bad after all.
As always, I spoke too soon, because staring back at me when I entered my apartment were Jake’s stunning green eyes. He was sitting on the couch with Issy watching a movie.
“Hey guys,” I somehow managed to say as I walked in the door. The crushing pain from the other day returned, and I felt myself stumble back down into the pit. My heart broke all over again as I watched his cool confidence, empty of any feeling he used to have for me.
“Avery, hi!” Issy yelled jumping off the couch to give me a big hug. “I feel like I haven’t seen you in ages! We’ve decided to do a marathon of The Office this weekend since the nightlife before Thanksgiving is nonexistent.” She went to sit back down by Jake, who had made very little movement since I walked in the door.
The glimmer of joy I had started to feel, vanished, and my bitterness came rushing back. “Sounds like fun,” I muttered as I went to the kitchen. I refused to hide in my room just because Jake decided to show up at MY apartment. “If I made popcorn, would there be any takers?”
Issy put her hand up enthusiastically.
“Jake?” I asked coolly.
“Yeah, I’ll take some.” He didn’t move his eyes from the TV.
What a coward, I thought to myself, as I threw the popcorn in the microwave. I don’t know how I didn’t see that before. Every time there was an uncomfortable situation, Jake would check out.
I put my books in my room and then passed out the popcorn. An open seat was available on the couch, but pride alone was not going to let that happen. I sat on the lip love seat that had actually turned out to be pretty comfortable and started watching the show. The tension I felt between me and Jake was so thick, I couldn’t believe Issy wasn’t making some snide comment about it.
“So where is Danny tonight?” I asked, wondering how he would be missing when they had been inseparable for weeks.
“I wouldn’t go there if I were you,” Jake warned. There was a hint of amusement in his voice that a week ago would have sent flutters to my stomach. Tonight it just made me angry and even more sour then I was already feeling.
“Danny’s over,” Issy said nonchalantly, and then started hysterically laughing at something happening on the screen.
“Why?” I asked, concerned. I really did like Danny.
“He said the ‘L’ word.” She said the letter “L” with such disgust that I thought she might lose her popcorn.
“The ‘L’ word? Am I missing something?”
“Really, Avery? Jake, I’ve left her alone way too long. L-O-V-E. Yuk, I can hardly say it.”
It took me a second, but then it struck me. I did the same thing to Jake. Love must be a bad word in their family because both of them seemed to run for the hills at the sheer mention of it. I lifted my eyebrows, suddenly feeling like I was talking more to Jake, than to Issy. “Well, just give it time. I’m sure he’ll get over it soon enough.”
They both turned to look at me, dumbfounded by my lack of interest on the subject. I guess I understood. Up to this point, I had been the hopeless romantic of the group.
“What? Do you think you two have the market on being indifferent?” I asked rudely. I didn’t like how I was acting, but I couldn’t seem to stop myself. I was hurt and angry, and seeing him just sit there was making me want to scream.
They both turned back to the show, not saying much else. Issy looked at me one more time with a questioning look on her face. My response was a silent “What?” and she dropped it.
I lasted about an hour, but then excused myself saying there was only so much “Michael” I could take. The truth was, there was only so much Jake I could take without completely breaking down, and I had had my fill. The only positive thing…I didn’t throw up tonight. That marked three days now…and if nothing else, that was something worth smiling about.
Around two in the morning, I heard a knock on my door. “Avery, are you awake?” Issy whispered.
“I am now. Come in,” I answered, sitting up in bed and