Something Unexpected

Avery’s POV

The time seemed to speed by as I watched the minutes fly by. Next thing I knew it was already six and I was getting in the shower and grabbing a fancy cocktail dress for where we were going to eat. The shower was as painful as my thinking session, all I thought about was Lucas and how tragic tonight was going to be. Then when I stepped out I straightened my hair which was very unusual during the summer, did my makeup, put on some jewelry then slipped on my dress and heels giving an approving smile in the mirror.

Diana had specifically picked out this dress at the mall. Pretty simple black dress, just like a spaghetti strap dress, the only difference was the straps were thicker. I wore a simple silver heart necklace that Diana had also bought me for my seventeenth birthday, and then some of my favorite black heels.

As soon as I stepped out of the bathroom I made my way downstairs to see Diana and Adrian talking about the dinner, and about the reservations and that hopefully all worked out fine. But as soon as I stepped on the first floor Lucas came out of the kitchen and stopped dead in his track glancing at me.

“You look...gorgeous” His eyes looked me over and a small flush came onto his cheeks, then the smile he put on pained me. He was smiling for real...

“Thanks” I stated emotionless brushing it off, even though it was the best compliment any guy has ever said to me. Diana glanced up and basically squealed hugging me tightly.

“Oh Avery! You look beautiful!” Adrian smiled from behind her shaking his head in agreement.

Lucas on the other hand wasn’t paying attention to what was happening, he was still thinking about the way I had responded to his compliment, and now he looked confused. As we made our way out the front door Lucas fell into step beside me and soon grabbed my arm stopping me.

“Avery, are you ok?” I looked at him putting on a confused expression even though I knew exactly what he was talking about.

“Yes I’m fine” Then I abruptly pulled my arm away and walked away quickly following my aunt wanting to get in the car as fast as I could, but that was quickly killed when Adrian smiled at Lucas throwing him his car keys.

“You and Avery take my car, Diana and I will take hers, just in case we end up staying out longer, so you kids can go out and maybe catch a movie or something” My heart strained and I wanted to kill myself. Why don’t you just call it date night? Dinner, maybe a movie, we all know where this was going, this was going to make Lucas like me more, and make me like him even more then I already did. This was going to be a disaster!

“Sounds good dad” Lucas smiled and took my hand before I could object taking me to the car and we got into the sports car and I couldn’t even help laughing at the irony. Date night, dinner, movie, and sports car, this was a guaranteed make out session, screw my life! Before Lucas turned on the engine he glanced at me lifting his eyebrows.

“Did I do something wrong?” I slowly turned my head to stare into those confused blue eyes, he was being sincere, he was confused, and he honestly didn’t get what was going on.

“Look, Lucas, before things get out of hand, we can’t- we can’t take this further, we have to just be friends I guess, or something, please don’t make this harder then it has to-“ Lucas cut me off by taking my face in his hands and starring straight into my eyes with the most determination I have ever seen. Then instead of saying anything, his lips crashed onto mine and I almost died in complete bliss. The way they felt against mine, the warmth spreading through me like a flame had been lit. The feeling of his hands on my face and making their way to my shoulders, I could have died happily. My heart was getting the best of me, but my brain kept screaming no, begging for this to stop before I became attached, before I wanted more of this.

“Lucas” I managed to whisper when he pulled away still close to my face, we were breathing quickly and my brain was yelling at my heart telling it to fix things, to rip that carpet that was under us away, and fix things, now! But my heart objected and before reality caught me, I grabbed his face in my hands and kissed him again. I caught him off guard and before I knew it he had pinned me to the door and we were kissing deeply and my head was spinning round and round and round, I never wanted this to end, I wanted this to be like this forever. The happiness spread through me like a forest fire, I have never felt this way before. Then we heard it, a loud honk behind us causing a disheveled Lucas to shoot up starring at me and me jumping slamming my head into the window of the car, and then we both blew up in laughter. I looked at him noticing his messed up hair, loosened tie, unbuttoned shirt and a little bit of lipstick on his face.

“Jesus, thank God for tinted windows” He sat up straightening himself at the steering wheel turning on the car and clearing his throat before he looked in the mirror and began to wipe away the lipstick and brush down his hair. He then fixed his shirt and adjusted his tie smiling at me, causing my heart to flutter wildly. I then sat up adjusting my dress and brushing down my messed up hair. Then I reapplied my lipstick while Lucas drove toward the restaurant. We didn’t say a single word to each other, but it wasn’t awkward it was nice.

It was when we walked into the restaurant that my brain basically bitch slapped my heart. What the hell had just happened, and why was it that just now I had realized it was bad? I had made out with Lucas Kane in a car, when I had told myself this night was going to be to make him hate me. I shook my head out of annoyance. That was the first time I made out with a guy, why did Lucas have this effect on me? He brought out a completely different side of me that had been hidden away, shoot! A side of me that I didn’t even know existed. As soon as we sat at the table my aunt gave me a confused look causing Lucas to glance at me and smirk knowingly. Then my aunt finally connecting the dots opened her mouth about to say something, but she quickly shut it and gave a small smile.

We sat at the table ordering our drinks first then some appetizers. Then the conversations started.

“So we know Lucas is an actor, but Avery, what do you plan on doing now that high school is over?” Adrian smiled at me, and Lucas glanced up interested in what I was going to say. I felt my throat close up as I took a bite of my salad and then I smiled letting out a nervous laugh.

“I actually want to go into writing and directing” Adrian let out a small chuckle as he gave a knowing smile to Lucas.

“Well that’s convenient; now Lucas don’t you know someone that could help Avery?” Lucas laughed and nodded drinking his soda.

“Actually I do” My heart almost flew out of my chest but my brain smacked it back into place before I got too excited.

“Oh I’m just a beginner, my stuff wouldn’t even make it to get published” I spoke modestly brushing off Lucas’s proposition. Lucas on the other hand just gave me a small smile.

“I highly doubt that” He spoke quietly focusing on the dinner now. There was a new Lucas sitting beside me, he was happy, laughing, joking around, and it made me feel bad. How was I going to tell him what needed to be done, when he was so...different? All because of me, then I was just going to tear him apart.

The dinner went by slowly, with a few conversations coming up. About how high school was for me, Lucas’s last movie, what my aunt planned on doing, and eventually it ended up on a few wedding plans all by the time we had finished eating dessert. Then it happened, Adrian glanced up at Lucas and cleared his throat as if hinting, alone time was needed between him and Diana, then me and Lucas happily excused ourselves and we headed out toward the car. Lucas kept glancing at me as we walked and slid into the car putting on our seatbelts. During the drive home Whitesnake, Aerosmith, Gun N Roses, any of the older bands came out of the speakers. Then we pulled up into the driveway, and trying to make my escape was impossible. Lucas had already grabbed onto my arm pulling me back into the car making my eyes widen, this was it, I had to do it now, be mean Avery, be mean!

“Avery, I wanted to talk to you about the kiss, and everything” Lucas started, go on Lucas, just say it, we aren’t meant to be, come on...

“Did it mean something to you? Because it meant something to me” One point for Lucas zero points for me, guess who was going to feel like bitch after tonight? Me!

“I-“ I honestly didn’t know what to do, I didn’t know what to say, I wanted to kiss him and tell him he meant the world to me, but I knew what needed to be done, no matter how painful.

“Lucas, it didn’t mean anything; I wanted to-“ I paused once I saw the hurt expression on his face.

“Maybe we can make it mean something, maybe all we need is time” Lucas forced a smile and I shook my head feeling my heart shatter and tears threaten to come out.

“No it won’t work, I-“ I knew what I had to do and I also knew I’d want to hang myself for this.

“I kissed you because I wanted to encourage you to act nicely during dinner, it was all an act Lucas” Somehow I knew that if we were working on a point system just for that comment I’d now have negative hundred then I watched Lucas’s expression harden covering up his sadness.

“You used me?” He asked disbelievingly, I wanted to object but I couldn’t this had to run its course.

“Yes I did, I didn’t think it’d mean anything to you” Then I slid out of the car and closed the door behind me turning my back. Then I walked to the doorway when I heard a loud car door slam. I glanced back hoping and praying to God Lucas couldn’t see the tears streaming down my cheeks.

“Don’t lie Avery!” He yelled angrily walking toward me but staying his distance.

“I’m not lying Lucas”

“Yes you are!” He yelled loudly, when I looked at him I saw the anger break and all I saw was sadness.

“No I’m not, you don’t mean anything to me” I opened the front door and ran to my room slamming the door and locking it before I cried myself to sleep. I heard a few crashes and frustrated yells before a door slammed across the hall, then more crashes, then silence. And silently feeling the warm tears spill out of my eyes I fell asleep. But before I drifted off I whispered hoping Lucas could hear me, but I knew he didn’t.

“Sorry Lucas...it was for our own good.”