Something Unexpected

Avery’s POV

The morning was bright and different then what I had gotten used to at the Boarding School. Usually I woke up to a stormy day with drizzling rain, cold winds, and lightening. But instead today I was welcomed by the warm refreshing California weather, the bright sun shining in through the windows, the seagulls swooping outside the house, flying over and over again in circles. The shore was so close I could watch the blue water rise and fall over and over again and never get tired of it. I missed my home, I liked Washington, but California was my place.

This wasn’t technically my house; it was my aunts, the person who took care of me since my mom’s death six years ago. My dad had left when I was little, and since then I haven’t seen him, and preferred it that way. My mother had battled Leukemia, but unfortunately lost the war and died a few years after she was diagnosed, I was eleven then, I’m seventeen now. Those were the darkest days of my life, I thought I’d never be able to be the same, to feel loved or welcomed, my dad left, my mom died, it was miserable until my Aunt Diana took me in and cared for me when no one in my family stepped up to the plate, she was my mothers sister.

“Avery!” I looked up for the first time since I began walking down the steps. My aunt sat at the far end of the dinner table shining the brightest I had ever seen her, she was engaged, it was only natural to look that happy constantly during this time. And now that she found out her fiancé Adrian would be staying at the house with his son, the women was basically glowing with excitement, and radiating with happiness.

“Morning Diana” I smiled politely walking next to her, I always called her by her first name, and since she was a young adult in her early thirties, she was nice enough to understand that no one could take my mother’s place. Diana like my mother was beautiful, with her thick brown curls that hung loosely to her shoulders, those bright green eyes, pink full lips, and tan skin, Adrian was one lucky guy to have my aunt on his arm. I watched her stand up and put down the gossip magazine and wave me over just like a girl my age would. I couldn’t help but let out a small laugh, I loved my aunt. As I walked over I caught the cover of the magazine from the corner of my vision rolling my eyes.

“What do you think of him?” She lifted the magazine showing me the cover, Lucas Kane, the famous young actor who was seventeen was stamped on the cover in every embarrassing picture possible. One where he looked piss drunk, the other where he was with a blonde girl that looked like a Hollywood bimbo with one too many surgeries and in the other he was caught in a car making out with her. What a loser. Who understood him, he was young, he had a life, too bad fame contaminated him, the guy was just your typical egotistical jerk, I hadn’t even met him yet and I already felt like I knew exactly who he was.

“I think he’s just another selfish celebrity” I shrugged looking up at my aunt who for some reason looked heartbroken and shattered, all the joy quickly faded away and I watched her face whiten.

“I mean what do you expect he wasn’t exactly raised right” I attempted to cover up by laughing nervously but I watched as her expression saddened even more, what was wrong?

“Diana, is there something you want to tell me?” She simply shook her head giving a faint smile and resting her hand on my shoulder.

“No sweetheart, it’s not important” Her eyes wandered around the room and the tension that had rose grew thick enough to be cut with a knife. Suddenly almost unexpectedly she glanced and grinned at me.

“So how are you enjoying California, now that you’re finally home and done with high school?” The smile that crept onto my lips was almost forced, I could tell she was hiding something from me, what it was? I don’t know, and honestly I rather not stress about it now, I’ll find out eventually...right?

Lucas’ POV

“Lucas...Lucas!!!” I raised my head to glance over my shoulder past the few groups of girls hanging around the pool. I was sitting on one of the rafts rolling my eyes under my sunglasses, just my dad, back from work.

“I need to talk to you about something” I didn’t even bother to get off of the raft; instead I looked over my shoulder taking off my sunglasses and frowning.

“Is it really that important?” I watched the frustration grow on my dad’s face, and I knew that was my queue to get out of the pool and talk with him. So getting off the raft I walked through the water laughing and smirking at a few of the girls who hung around me smiling and giggling. I walked out of the pool grabbing a towel while my dad led me into the gigantic house.

“What is it?” He starred at me as we entered the kitchen and he grabbed a bottle of wine out of the cooler and grabbed a glass.

“I’m engaged son” My eyes widened and I let a loud laugh escape. I watched him pour himself a cup of the cold burgundy liquid into the crystal glass.

“Wow dad, congratulations you finally found a women who’d put up with your crap” His eyes rolled and then a playful smile pulled onto his lips.

“Why thank you Lucas, I also found a woman who’d let us stay at her house for the summer, so clear up your schedule” This is when all the joking faded and my eyes narrowed. The towel I held in my hands was now being used as my stress ball as I deliberately twisted it watching my fingers whiten.

“I’m too busy” I stated with no emotion, the smile on his lips didn’t move instead he shrugged.

“It’ll do you some good to get out of the city”

“It won’t do me any good, I’m fine where I am” His eyebrows jerked up and all the lightness faded from his face.

“Lucas Kane, pack your stuff, don’t argue with me because we all know who is going to win, I’ll call Roger and make sure your free for the next three months, now for once in your life act like a young adult instead of a snobby teenager who has had everything on a silver platter...like it or not we’re leaving today” Then I watched my dad turn around in his fine suit and walk away and out of the kitchen all seconds before I grabbed the wine bottle and threw it against the fridge watching the green shards of glass fall and sprinkle to the ground covered in wine.