CHAPTER SIX: STAYING INSIDE DIDN'T SOUND TOO BAD
May 22nd, 2020
Despite Marcie and Olivia telling Gemma she was being dramatic, she was going to do whatever she could to avoid Avery and Rowan.
Thankfully, the dining room of Clementine's grew in the time the three were in the restroom, so when Gemma planned her escape, she was able to easily sneak past the table she was supposed to be sitting at. Rowan and Avery's backs were turned towards Gemma, so if anyone did see her escape, it would've been Gayle and Jax. Gemma couldn't help but cringe as she snuck past, as her eyes immediately landed on Rowan and Avery's hands, which were laced together. The thought of how the hell they ended up together was going to eat away at Gemma for the rest of the time she was in Michigan.
"Can we change our flight, please?" Gemma begged as Marcie and Olivia followed her out of the restaurant. She knew her father's birthday was the next day, and she didn't want to have to miss it. But after seeing Rowan Taylor for the first time in two years, she wanted nothing more than to be on a plane flying back to New York.
"I want to say no," Marcie sighed, knowing how badly Gayle wanted the girls to stay in Michigan for the rest of the trip, as well as the rest of the summer. It didn't make sense to Marcie, why exactly Gayle was pushing for them to stay for the wedding.
"It's for the wedding!" she told Marcie, only this morning.
"Yeah, I get that, but -- " Marcie sighed, though was quickly interrupted by Gemma's persistent mother.
"Avery is sorry, I know she is. When she reached out to me and asked me to help in planning the wedding, she begged me to try and have Gemma to attend. Avery really wants Gemma to be there, and I think it will be good for the girls to make amends on the falling out they had all those years ago. They were good for each other."
Marcie didn't know how to reply. She was silently begging that Liv and Gems would be back from Dunkin' soon, because she no longer wanted to be having this conversation with Gayle.
There were a number of things Marcie wanted to say:
"Gemma and Avery don't need to rekindle their friendship, considering their falling out was four years ago."
Or --
"Gemma doesn't need to rekindle her best friend status with Avery, she has me now."
Marcie didn't say either of those, though. She felt it wasn't her place to try and change Gayle's mind. She really wanted to though, somehow, because she didn't understand why Gemma's mother was so persistent on her daughter attending her ex best friend's wedding.
So instead, she said: "I'm sorry, Gayle. I just don't think Gemma wants that. If she doesn't want to go, then we can't make her."
"Marcie, that wasn't apart of our deal!" Gayle laughed, her loud laughter piercing through Marcie's ears at this early time of the morning. She wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep, instead of talking to Gemma's mother about pressing topics, this early in the morning.
"Our deal was for me to get Gemma back home for your husband's birthday, and try to convince her to attend the wedding. But it's clear now, she doesn't want to go. I did what you asked of me, Gayle. I brought her here. But she wants no part in this entire thing." Marcie explained.
She wished she didn't get so caught up in this entire thing. It was just a wedding -- a wedding that Gemma had no interest in attending, so Marcie didn't understand why Gayle kept pushing for Gemma to be there.
"If you don't mind me asking, Gayle -- " Marcie picked her words carefully. "Why are you so persistent on trying to convince Gemma to go to the wedding?"
Gayle laughed, again. But this time, it didn't sound so genuine.
"Family stuff, dear. You wouldn't understand."
"But I'm going to say yes." Marcie gave in to Gemma's wishes. As much as she wanted to stay for the entirety of the summer, to let loose before adulthood officially began, she knew that wasn't going to happen. Marcie was beginning to want to return to New York herself, considering this entire wedding situation was just too weird.
"Thank god," Gemma laughed. "I never thought I was going to be able to convince you!"
Marcie didn't say anything -- she didn't want to tell Gemma about the weird interaction with Gayle. Gemma knew that Marcie was in on trying to bring her back home, to try and convince her to attend the wedding, though Marcie felt as if she didn't need to tell Gemma anymore than she already has.
It didn't matter anyway -- because within the next twenty-four hours, the girls would be on a plane back to New York. That's what Marcie and Gemma thought, at least.
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Gemma practically busted through the front door of her childhood home, with one mission. She waved to her father on the way in, who was in the garage working on his car. Gemma hadn't seen much of her father in the few days she'd been back, given his hectic work schedule as a hardware store owner. It didn't bother her, though, considering she saw him only the week prior for her college graduation.
As soon as Gemma reached her childhood bedroom, she grabbed her laptop and immediately started looking for flights for the next morning.
Though to her surprise, the screen was coming up blank.
"What the hell?" She muttered, refreshing her computer screen. Despite refreshing her screen two, then five, then seven times -- it was still coming up empty with zero flights back home.
"What's going on?" Marcie asked, joining her best friend on the floor. Gemma refreshed once more, only to once again find a blank screen.
"I don't know if my connection is just shitty, but I can't look for flights."
"Let me try," Marcie offered, pulling up the same website Gemma was on, on her phone. "Shit."
"What?"
"There's supposed to be a really bad storm tonight and into the morning. Flights for tonight and tomorrow can't be booked."
Gemma groaned. She slammed her laptop shut in frustration, earning a chuckle from Marcie.
"This isn't funny,"
"Look," Marcie rolled her eyes playfully, at Gemma's dramatic demeanor. "Our original flight is booked for Monday. We'll just have to wait it out."
"I don't want to wait it out," Gemma complained. "I want to go home, now. I've seen enough of Michigan, and it's time to leave."
"Well, sorry to break it to you." Marcie laughed. "But we don't have a car, so we can't drive back. We're unable to book any flights. So, sorry hun, but we're stuck here."
Gemma groaned once more, knowing Marcie was right.
"If it makes you feel any better, we won't go anywhere. That's what you wanted to do anyway, remember?"
"Yeah," Gemma sighed. "But what if Avery randomly stops by again?"
"We stay in your room, lock the door, and pretend to be asleep."
"Okay. Sounds like a plan." Gemma agreed. Given the amount of the past she'd seen in less than forty-eight hours, staying inside didn't sound too bad. It would be easy.
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May 23rd, 2020
Gemma awoke the next morning to the sound of thunder outside her bedroom window. Glancing at the time, she groaned and tried to drift back to sleep. It was nearing seven o'clock, though no matter how tight she squeezed her eyes, and no matter how many sheep she counted -- she couldn't fall back asleep.
Sighing, she glanced over at Marcie, who was sound asleep with her head shoved into her pillow. Gemma debated on waking her best friend up, though decided against it. It was early, and Marcie likely wouldn't stay awake.
Tossing her blankets off her now wide awake body, Gemma quietly tiptoed out of her childhood bedroom and down to the kitchen, to make some coffee since there was no way she would be going back to sleep anytime soon. Though to her surprise, the basket which typically held k-cups was empty.
"Looking for coffee?" the sound of Olivia's voice frightened Gemma. She frantically turned the light on, only to see her sister laying on the couch in the living room.
"What the hell are you doing awake?" Gemma asked her, holding her hand over her heart which was beating very fast due to Liv scaring her. She was not expecting anyone to be awake at 6:49AM, so the sound of Olivia's voice scared the shit out of her.
"It's the beginning of summer vacation. My body is still on an early schedule."
"Makes sense," Gemma shrugged. "Are we out of k-cups?"
"Yuuuup," Liv shrugged, turning on the TV.
"Well, I'm gonna go to Starbucks. Wanna come?"
Olivia pondered on the idea for a moment. "Nah. Too comfortable. I thought you didn't want to leave the house anymore though? Not until you leave for New York on Monday?"
Yesterday's conversation with Marcie immediately flooded back to Gemma's brain. She sighed. She didn't want to risk venturing out into the public, and possibly running into Avery yet again. But at the same time, it was early in the morning -- and Gemma was not likely to fall back asleep, so she needed caffeine.
"It's early," Gemma tried to justify her decision of making a coffee run, as she grabbed the keys to her mom's car. "I doubt Avery will be at Starbucks this early. Besides, we saw her at Dunkin'. I doubt she even goes to Starbucks."
"Whatever you say," Olivia laughed. "Hey, get me a tall caramel cold brew while you're there."
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Just as Gemma suspected, the line to the Starbucks drive through was nearing the road, despite the stormy weather. Although, the parking lot was empty, meaning she could be in and out with her order.
"Please, please, please, please." Gemma whispered to herself. "Let there be no siting of Avery today."
Putting her mom's car in park, Gemma rushed into the coffee shop with her hoodie up to refrain from getting wet and thankfully, it was empty of any other customers. She was quick to order her drinks, though as soon as it came time to pay, her card declined.
"That's weird," her eyebrows knit together in confusion. Her card never declined. "Can I try again?"
"Sure," the worker, who looked as if he did not want to be working at 7AM, shrugged.
Swiping her card once more, Gemma was met with the same screen: DECLINED.
"What the hell..." she sighed, reaching into her wallet to search for cash. Though unfortunately, she didn't have enough.
"Here," a voice -- a familiar voice spoke from behind her. "I got it."
The customer behind Gemma, who she did not even notice walk in, handed the Starbucks worker a ten dollar bill.
Gemma bit her tongue, hoping the voice of the random customer behind her didn't belong to the person she was thinking of. She hoped that for once -- she could go out in public in Michigan, and not run into a piece of her past.
She spun around slowly, her breath stuck in her throat as she turned around to see no one other than Rowan.
"You have got to be kidding me," she mumbled, a little too loudly. Rowan, and the worker, had definitely heard her.
"I think you meant to say, thank you, Gemma."
The moment her name left his mouth, for the second time in the past twenty hours, Gemma felt her heart pound against her chest. She swallowed down the nerves brewing in her throat, watching as the Starbucks worker handed Rowan his change.
"T-Thank you." she stuttered, feeling her heart beat even more, the longer her eyes stayed locked with Rowan's.
Before Rowan had the chance to say anything else, another Starbucks employee called Gemma's name, indicating her drinks were ready.
"Gemma - " Rowan sighed, though was quickly cut off by Gemma who wanted nothing more than to get the hell out of there.
"Thanks again, Rowan. See you around." she nervously mumbled as she walked away from him, grabbing her coffee as quickly as she could, and rushing out of the building.
She swore she could hear Rowan say her name again as the door was closing behind her, but she ignored the possibility as she got into her car.
For the rest of the time Gemma was in Michigan -- no matter how long the line was, she was going to use the drive through.
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a/n: how ironic that avery goes to dunkin... and rowan goes to starbucks lolol