Unwritten Pages

Arianna seems startled by the voice. She must have not been paying attention too when Avery had been passing through the kitchen. I understand that—she's an intense gamer. I mean foosball player. If she loses even once match in that game, she'll go insane for days.

That's why her being startled is so...unusual. She lets nothing distract her when she's playing foosball. During her concentration break, Chris scores a goal. She glares at him and says, “that doesn't count!” before facing us.

“Hey guys,” she says, smiling at us. “I thought I just heard someone...” I frown because Arianna doesn't just break concentration just because she hears someone talk. She'll usually tell them to 'shut the hell up or I'll shut your mouth for you!' instead of stop playing her match. I point in the direction of Faithella and Avery. Avery is staring at Arianna with his mouth wide open and Faithella is just checking her nails, looking bored and annoyed.

Arianna turns to look at Faithella and Avery. She frowns at Faithella first and then her eyes land on Avery. She freezes, staring at him. There's a moment of silence as they stare at each other.

“Um, hi,” Avery says sheepishly, finally breaking the silence. “Long time no see?”

Desiree and I exchange looks. Avery and Arianna know each other? Since when? I don't recall meeting someone named Arianna when we were younger... Maybe they had met on some other occasion. But no—Desiree and Winter would know Avery. They had went to the same middle school for the most part.

For the most part...

“Robert!” Arianna says loudly, looking surprised and a bit panicked. “W-what are you doing here? I mean—”

“Oh, yeah. Um...well...” he trails off and I take the chance to cut in.

“You know each other?” I ask. Arianna looks slightly embarrassed and Avery looks at the floor, not meeting our eyes.

“Andrew, don't you remember?” Avery asks, still looking at the floor. “You know...restraining order... Yeah? You were mainly in the background when it happened—no offence.”

“Are you telling me that she's—”

“Obviously.” Avery finally looks up at me. “The Avery. The real girl. Not just me. It's the real girl. Like, that's extreme.”

I look at Arianna. She's not saying anything. She's just eyeing Avery warily. “Her name isn't Avery,” I tell him. “It's Arianna.”

“What?” Avery looks surprised. “I-I mean she's there and all! In flesh!” I catch a grin from Chris and I know he has something to do with this. I've never heard Avery so...flustered before. Unless he's around the real Avery, of course.

“Andrew,” Desiree says, tugging my arm, “aren't your friends...um, delirious?” I see Faithella glare at Desiree at this point but she refuses to acknowledge the glare. Desiree's saying that Avery can be lying. But seeing the look on Arianna's face... And she does look a little like the real Avery... I've never really thought about it before. The whole Avery scandal didn't seem that big at the time and I never even talked to the real Avery.

“I'm not lying,” Avery says, staring at Arianna. “I swear on my life.”

“Your life isn't worth much anyways,” Faithella says nonchalantly. Chris laughs at this but no one else laughs along with him and he stops.

“Avery—I mean, what's your name now? Arianna?” Avery looks at Arianna. “Come on, you've got to remember me. I kind of humiliated you, remember? I changed my name in honour of you too!” Avery says. “Or at least, I have your name as my nickname.”

Arianna finally speaks. “That restraining order still stands,” she says. “God, you are a sick stalker.” Arianna backs away from him as he moves closer. She hits her back on the foosball table and Avery takes another step forward before stumbling back like he wants to help her.

“I wasn't stalking you! Anymore...” he adds in the end. Arianna takes another big step away from him. Her expression is somewhat horrified.

“Anymore,” she repeats. “God! Andrew, Desiree—let's get out of here.”

“But the party just started!” Chris says, blocking our exit. “You can't leave now. You have to stay. You came here. Don't be the killjoy.”

“That's Robert,” Arianna says, narrowing her eyes at him. “Or Avery as you all call him. That God I changed my name. You are sick.”

“But I loved you!” Avery says. Faithella gives a laugh at this confession. I know Faithella couldn't care more about romantic emotions. Everything is a game to her and I'm grateful that I hadn't ever confessed anything to her.

Arianna flinches from Avery as if he had tried to strike out at her. She makes a disgusted face at him. “Gross,” she says. “That is completely wrong in every single way.”

Avery looks like he doesn't even know what to say to that. He just looks desperate to stop Arianna and tell her how much that he had loved her. I'm not sure if Avery still feels something for Arianna. It's been years. If he still feels something for her, I'm sure it'll be obsession instead of love. In fact, I'm almost sure that it was always obsession.

“Robbie, dear,” Faithella says to him, “are you honestly that stupid? She's not even worth your time. Your younger years are over. There's no such thing as love.” Faithella looks in my direction and a nasty smile appears on her face. Desiree grips my hand tightly.

“Come on,” Arianna says, giving Avery another disgusted look. Let's get out of here before he rubs off one of us and we start stalking people too.”

Arianna walks towards the door where Chris is standing. “Move out of my way,” she hisses at him. Chris steps aside without arguing. Desiree hurries after her.

Avery looks as if he wants to say something but is thinking against it. He then focuses on me.

“Look, Andrew,” Avery says, almost pleading. “Just try to convince her that I'm the good guy, okay? That can't hurt, can it? Won't you do something for your friend?”

“You're not my friend,” I say, “and you never helped me when we were friends. Why should I help you?” Avery has no response to this and I take this as his defeat. I turn around and start to walk away.

“You know,” Faithella says, “you don't have to be such a bastard about it, Andrew.”

I don't answer her and I'm almost out of the room when Chris speaks.

“And to think,” Chris declares loudly, “that this party was going to be mild. Avery and his long lost love. How perfect.”

“Chris,” I say quietly though gritted teeth, looking at him. “You planned this, didn't you?” I'm almost positive that he did. He's as bad as Liane Chau.

But Chris only grins at me and says, “Enjoy the scandal while it lasts.”