Chapter 5: 04: Enough of Avery

CHAPTER FOUR: ENOUGH OF AVERY

May 22nd, 2020

"Gemma! Liv!" Avery's loud voice boomed throughout the quiet lobby of the coffee shop. After Gemma's debit card was ripped from her hand, she stood there yet again, speechless.

"Hi, Avery." she croaked after a few seconds of an uncomfortable silence. The only thing that could be heard was the sound of fresh coffee brewing, aside from Gemma's nervous, and unsteady breathing.

"How ironic to run into you guys, yet again!" Avery smiled, breaking her eyes from Gemma's for a moment to look at the menu. There was no use in looking at the menu though, considering Avery's coffee order never changed. "Sorry to freak you out yesterday, I thought you knew I was coming."

"Nope," Gemma sarcastically smiled, hoping Avery could pick up on the fact that Gems did not want to be talking to her. "I had no idea."

"I really thought Gayle told you! I should have texted."

Too bad I blocked your number, Gemma thought to herself. Because I never would have responded to a message from you.

"Well," Gemma's sarcastic smile faded as Olivia was handed their coffee and food. "Nice seeing you Avery, I gotta go."

"Wait!"

"What?" Olivia rolled her eyes, turning back around to face the girl she saw as the devil. Avery's red hair only helped in Liv's vision of her as Satan, and to her, it was hilarious.

"We should go to lunch sometime, maybe catch up? How about today?"

"I don't think that's necessary - " Gemma quietly spoke, not sure if her former friend could hear her considering she was now standing by the door, ready to bolt out of the building and get as far away from Avery as possible.

"Gem's going back to New York in three days," Liv rolled her eyes once more, fully aware that Avery could sense the attitude radiating off her. Olivia once saw Avery as a sister, though after what she did to Gemma, Liv couldn't help but hate her.

"Oh - " Gemma's ex best friend spoke, though was cut off by the same employee who took Gemma and Olivia's order. Gems and Liv took this as their cue to leave. With car keys in hand, Gemma bolted towards her mother's car. Olivia was careful getting in, trying not to spill the coffee, though Gemma couldn't help but rush her sister so they could get the hell out -- before Avery came outside and tried to talk to them once more.

"Well," Liv laughed once they were on the road. "That was wild."

"From now on," Gemma sighed. "We're going to Starbucks."

♥♥♥

Immediately upon arriving home, Gemma packed her bags up to go back to New York. Though she technically was not leaving until Monday, she wanted to be ready for when the time came. Marcie watched, confused, as Gemma sloppily threw her belongings into her overnight bag.

"What are you doing?" she asked, her mouth full of the glazed donut from Dunkin'.

"Just packing early, so I don't have to do it later." Gemma shrugged, ignoring the knowing looks that her best friend was sending her.

"Okay..." Marcie's voice faded out slowly, as she finished off her sugary donut.

"I saw Avery, again." Gemma admitted as she continuously shoved clothes into her bag.

"At Dunkin'?"

"Yeah. And it was weird. I think I've had enough Michigan for now, it's time to go home."

"Gems - "

"No," Gemma frantically shook her head. The last thing she wanted was to stay here for any longer. She knew she had no choice though, given the flight back to New York wasn't set until Monday. Until then, Gemma wanted nothing more than to hide away in her childhood home. She'd seen enough of Avery during her time in Michigan -- so going out continuously was too risky. Gemma couldn't risk running into anymore of the people from her past. "Until we leave in a few days, I am not leaving this house. And if Avery drops by, again, I'm locking myself in this room."

"Gemma, you're being - "

"I know what you're going to say," Gemma interrupted Marcie. "I'm not being dramatic. You don't understand, Marcie. This place holds too many memories."

"Is seeing Avery really that bad?" Marcie asked. She didn't entirely understand why Gemma was so nervous. Though she didn't know the full story behind everything that happened with Avery, Marcie still thought that Gemma was being somewhat irrational.

"You don't understand," Gemma sighed, feeling her eyes water. Marcie tilted her head in confusion -- Gemma never cried. She only cried during extremely sad episodes of her favorite shows. Does Avery really have this much of an effect on Gems?  Marcie thought to herself as she eyed her teary eyed roommate.

"Then help me understand,"

Gemma sighed, covering her face with her hands. She knew she was going to tell Marcie eventually -- but never imagined herself telling the life altering story in Michigan. Gemma figured, if she ever was going to talk about it, it would occur when she was severely under the influence. Gemma had a habit of getting too drunk and talking about the past -- though each time she did, she was always competent enough to refrain from talking about him.

Gemma figured Marcie, who was her best friend, would find out about him eventually. It just wasn't a topic Gemma was comfortable talking about, and even two years later -- she still wasn't. She wasn't sure if she ever would be fully comfortable talking about him, though as Marcie stood in front of her, confused as to why Gemma was freaking out, she knew now was the time to take the trip down memory lane. Avery wasn't the only reason why Gemma dreaded coming home to Michigan, and only her family knew that.

"Avery isn't the only person I've been trying to avoid."

Marcie's eyebrows knit together in confusion. She didn't know of any other people from Gemma's past, though when she opened her mouth to speak, to ask the million questions that were forming in her brain due to this newfound information, Gayle walked into the room.

"Gemma, Marcie!" Gayle smiled as she eyed the two college grads, completely oblivious to the tension in the room. Despite Gemma's watery eyes, she had yet to shed any tears -- thus making her sadness fly completely over her mother's head.

"Hey, mom." Gemma choked back her sudden emotions, thankful her mom walked in the room. Gemma was not ready to talk about this, and although she knew that she would have to tell Marcie at some point -- she was glad that right now was not the time. Gemma sighed of relief as her mom walked in, distracting her from the trip down memory lane that she so desperately did not want to walk down.

"Your siblings and I going to lunch at Clementine's, would you two like to join?"

Before Marcie had the chance to interject, Gemma immediately jumped on the opportunity to exit the conversation she was badly dreading. Though she literally just said that she wanted to stay locked away in the house, Gemma was ready to retract her statement. Going out to her favorite restaurant in Michigan with her family, gave her the perfect opportunity to procrastinate her trip down memory lane.

"We'd love to." Gemma smiled, leaving Marcie confused.

♥♥♥

"You owe me an explanation later!" Marcie gushed as she exited the Perry family's mini van, following closely behind Gemma. Not only was she confused about who else her best friend could possibly be avoiding, though she was also confused as to why Gemma was so quick to jump on the opportunity of going out to lunch, when only minutes before, she was begging to stay home for the rest of the trip.

"Okay, okay." Gemma rose her hands in defense, swallowing down the nerves brewing within her. "Later, though. Like maybe tonight, and after a few drinks."

"Must be pretty crazy if you need to get drunk to talk about it," Marcie noted, the thought of alcohol only adding to her confusion.

"You have no idea." Gemma mumbled as she followed closely behind Jax, into the restaurant which scent made her immediately feel like she was home.

When Gemma was a child, every single one of her birthdays was spent at Clementine's. The bacon cheeseburger was to die for, and although she typically strayed away from eating meat, Clementine's had a burger that Gemma couldn't resist.

Just as Gemma was approaching the host stand to get a table, Gayle shook her head.

"We already have a table."

"You made a reservation?" Liv asked, skepticism clear in her voice. The family never reserved a table at Clementine's, given the restaurant was never busy to the point where they would need a reservation.

"Yeah, we're meeting some people here," Jax chuckled, though Liv noticed slight nervousness in his voice.

"Who?" Gemma asked, her mind full of questions. Though her questions quickly faded when her eyes spotted a table for eight. Three people sat with their backs facing Gemma, but it didn't take long for her eyes to lock with Avery's, once again in the span of a few hours.

"Mom," Gemma stopped dead in her tracks, though Gayle just ignored her as she kept walking, with Jax following close behind.

"What the hell - " Olivia spoke, her voice full of not only confusion, but disgust.

"Oh," Avery's high pitched voice perked up, filling the entire restaurant. Hardly any tables scattered the restaurant at this time of early afternoon, making Avery's voice echo throughout the nearly empty dining room.

"Let's get you out of here - " Marcie began, grabbing Gemma's arm. She had no idea what was going on. Gayle didn't tell her that they'd be meeting Avery for lunch, though if Marcie had known, she would not have let Gemma show. Just as Marcie was going to drag Gemma out of the restaurant, Avery of the hour spoke once again.

"The wedding planner is here! Time to start planning!"

"I'm not doing this," Gemma laughed sarcastically, throwing her arms up in the air in frustration.

"Come on, Gems. You haven't met my bridesmaids yet! Or my soon-to-be husband!"

"I have no interest in meeting - " Gemma scoffed, though as soon as the only male at the table (aside from Jax) turned around, Gemma's words fell flat. Her eyes widened, her face immediately turning white.

"Holy shit," Olivia whispered, her face pale, just like her sister's.

Gemma immediately felt her body go limp. If it wasn't for Marcie's grip on her arm, she would have easily fell over.

She locked eyes with the man she hadn't seen in two years. To no surprise, his eyes were just as wide as Gemma's. He clearly wasn't expecting to see her, either.

"Gemma?" the voice she hadn't heard in over seven hundred days mumbled. His voice was barely above a whisper -- his quiet words laced with shock at the sight of the girl who he believed he would never see again.

Gemma brought her hand to her mouth, to cover the quiet sobs only seconds away from leaving her trembling lips.

Looks like she was taking that trip down memory lane, right here. Right now.

♥♥♥

a/n: OH MY GOD HERE WE GO

THE PLOT IS THICKENING !!! AHHH