The Perfect Awakening

Chapter 3

“Two tickets to dream house.” Aiden told the cashier at the ticket booth. Aiden decided that he and I were going on a ‘date’ also and that he was paying for everything. I didn’t object to that. If tonight was going to be free for me, that’s quite alright.

“I could never imagine you two dating.” Lily said beside me. Ever since Aiden announced that we were on a double date with Lily and Rob, Lily has been trying to imagine us dating.

“I honestly couldn’t either.” I told her as Aiden came over and put his arm around my shoulders. I rolled my eyes and couldn’t help but smile at him. “You’re really enjoying this, aren’t you?”

“Actually, I am.” He said smugly as we walked into the theater. I just laughed at him as we approached the guy who pulls the stubs off of your tickets.

“Theater 10 is on your right.” He told us as he looked at our tickets. When his gaze traveled up to my eyes, I had to hold in a gasp. It was my ex-boyfriend, Greg. He was dating me when the incident happened. He wasn’t the least bit understanding about what happened and started beating me for it. I ended up calling the police on him. Last I had heard he was still in jail. I guess not anymore. “Avery?”

Aiden made a disgusted face at him and pulled me along with him. “Don’t talk to her, you abusive douche.” I tried to ignore the fact that I just saw my abusive ex-boyfriend, but I just couldn’t shake the feeling in my stomach. “What do you want, Ave?” Aiden asked when we got to the snack bar.

“Mike and Ike’s and a Slurpee, please.” I replied.

When we entered the theater dream house was playing in, I still had that uncomfortable feeling in my stomach, but I tried to shake it off as I sat down. Aiden and I were sitting in the very back row at the top, while as Lily and Rob were sitting dead center in the theater.

As the movie started, Aiden and I realized it was going to be really boring so we started throwing Mike and Ike’s at other people, but mostly Rob and Lily. Aiden had really bad aim, though so he ended up hitting these little girls with their moms who were sitting in front of Lily and Rob. One of the mom’s went and reported us, so we got kicked out. The sucky part? We couldn’t leave because we gave Lily and Rob a ride.

“This sucks!” Aiden said as we sat outside the theater on a bench. It was starting to get chilly so Aiden had his arm slung over my shoulder. I started giggling. Aiden smiled and looked at me. “What?”

“That’s what she said!” I said and started cracking up. Aiden rolled him eyes at me. I was about to say something else when my phone vibrated in my pocket. I looked down at it and smiled. “We can leave!” I yelled, jumping up. People around us looked at me like I was crazy.

“I thought we had to wait for Lily and Rob?” Aiden asked, standing up.

“Lily just texted me saying that her sister was going to pick her up after the movie’s over.” I smiled.

“So where to, miss?” Aiden asked as he opened the passenger door to his truck and helped me in.

“Definitely not home; hmm, how about we go eat? I passed on the dramatic family dinner at my house.”

“Sounds good. I haven’t eaten either.”

10 minutes later we arrived at a small diner that we loved to eat at. It was run by our friend Perry’s parents, so we usually got a bit of a discount. We walked in to see a lot of our friends sitting at a table, laughing, including Perry. He looked up at us and smiled.

“Avery, Aiden! Get your butts over here and join us. Suzy, can we get 2 extra places for our friends?” Perry asked the eldest and sweetest waitress, Suzy. She smiled when she saw Aiden and I.

“Of course, Perry. It’s nice to see you, Avery and Aiden.” Suzy said as she walked past us. I smiled at her and went over to Perry. I surprised him by attacking him in a hug.

“Hi Perry!” I told him as I hugged his neck tightly. Aiden chuckled behind me.

“Hi Avery. What’s up with you?” Perry asked as he looked at me like I was crazy.

“Oh, just in trouble; the usual, you know? I’m just glad to be here though, instead of home.” I told him as I sat down in the chair Suzy brought me. “Thanks Suzy!” I told her as she walked away. She smiled at me.

“Or the movies.” Aiden pitched in.

“Why the movies?” Our friend Katelyn asked from across the table.

“Oh, well Aiden and I went on a ‘double date’,” I used my fingers to make quotes around double date, “and when we went inside we saw Greg, then the movie was really boring so we were throwing candy at Lily and Rob, but Aiden kept missing and hitting little girls with the candy so we got kicked out. Then, we had to sit outside in the cold because we had to wait for Lily and Rob to get a ride home. So it was just all bad. Thank god Lily’s sister said she’d pick them up otherwise I would have just left them.” I said with a giggle. It was silent for a second before the whole table started cracking up.

“Wait, let me get this straight, you and Aiden on a date?” Perry asked.

“You saw Greg?” my friend Mike asked, though he wasn’t laughing, he looked mad.

“Aiden, you threw candy at little girls’ heads?” Amanda giggled.

“I still can’t get over the date thing.” Perry pitched in.

“I can’t believe you saw Greg.” Elizabeth added.

“Yeah.” Tyler agreed.

“Agreed.” Mike added.

“Did he try anything?” Justin asked.

“What did he say?” Katelyn asked.

The whole table got quiet by now and was looking at me. “I don’t really know, I was trying to ignore him. Aiden said something to him, though.” I looked at Aiden. “Do you remember what he said?”

“Yeah, all he said was ‘Avery?’ and then I pulled you towards the snack bar and I told him ‘Don’t talk to her you abusive douche’ and that was it.” Aiden said.

“He didn’t try anything after that, did he?” Justin asked again.

“Not that I know of. I just kept walking, because I didn’t want Avery around him anymore, since…” He trailed off looking at me.

“Since?” Katelyn prodded.

“Since my mom’s best friend Mary just got in town and my mom told her everything about the incident.” I said. The girls gasped.

“Everything?” Elizabeth asked.

“I don’t know for sure, but the look she gave me when she mentioned was like a ‘I-know-everything’ type of look.” I said.

“Wait, she mentioned it?” Mike asked.

“What did she say?” Perry questioned.

“Well, they arrived, and it was my mom, Jere, Mary, her three kids Devon, Blake, Kat, and I in the kitchen, and Devon gave me a hug because he’s just friendly like that, and I flinched. So Mary was like ‘Devon, that’s enough’ and I thought that she thought I didn’t like him, so I said ‘No, it was okay’ and she said ‘Oh no, sweetie, I know that. I just also know that you don’t like to be touched after the incident’. So then I sort of yelled at my mom, then I drove to Lily’s house.” I told them.

“That’s messed of your mom!” Amanda said, and everyone muttered their agreement.

“Yeah, well I left after that, then when I got home I found out Paige and Rachel were in my room, and Paige broke my Daisy by Marc Jacobs perfume, and Rachel ripped the blue dress I was going to wear for prom. So now I have to go buy a new bottle, and get my dress fixed.” I said.

“So why are you in trouble?” Justin asked.

“Because I basically told off the brat’s mothers, yelled at my mother again, then went
upstairs. Then, when I passed by Blake, he said it was rude of me to talk to my mother how I did this morning, so I basically told him to fuck off. So then I went and cried my eyes out, Jeremy came upstairs to talk to me, and suggested I go to the movies. So he called Lily while I got ready. Then, I went downstairs and grabbed my keys; my mom asked me where I was going, so I told her. Then she told me I couldn’t go, so I gave her my keys then went outside and hopped in Aiden’s truck, and you know the rest.” I told them.

“Damn, Ave, you sound like a bad ass.” Elizabeth said and I laughed.

“Yeah, well, I’m pretty pissed at her for being so uncaring about the incident.” I said. Everyone at the table nodded, and the table went into a comfortable silence.

I was checking my phone when the bell above the door rang, signaling someone walked in. I was the only one at the table who didn’t look up at the newcomer. It was like a tradition to look at everyone who came in. Aiden gasped, so I looked up to see no one other than my mother standing in the door. I groaned as she angrily walked over to me.

“Avery Michelle Stone! You are in big trouble, young lady. You are coming home with me right this instant!” She said. I grabbed my bag and stood up from the table.

“Bye everyone.” I said as I stood up. “Bye Aiden. I’ll text you later, if I survive.” I told him and gave him a hug. Everyone at the table snickered.

“Like hell you will! Give me your phone!” My mom said. I looked at her like she was crazy.

“No, I did nothing wrong to deserve you to take away my phone.” I told her as I walked past her to the car.

“You disobeyed me, Avery! Now give me your damn phone!” She ordered as we stood out front of the diner, by the car. I could feel my friends watching us. My mom looked pretty pissed.

“No.” I told her again. What she did next totally surprised me; she slapped me. I felt a metallic taste in my mouth and I spat some blood on the sidewalk next to me. My mom’s mouth formed an ‘o’ as tears formed in my eyes. I heard the bell above the door ring, and I felt Aiden’s arms around me, leading me to his truck.

“I think it’s best if I took Avery home.” He said. That seemed to snap my mom and I out of our daze.

“Avery, I am so—,” I cut her off before she could finish.

“Thanks mom! Thank you so much! You know, I saw Greg today! You probably did what he’s wanted to do for the last year in jail!” I yelled at her as Aiden pulled me away.

Once Aiden put me in the truck, I broke down. I just started sobbing. “Shh, Ave, shh. It’s okay, you’re okay.” He told me as he started up the truck. He rubbed my knee.

“No, Aiden, it’s not okay! My own mom just hit me! The woman, who put my ex-boyfriend in jail for hitting me, hit me herself.” I told him as I continued to cry.

Aiden whispered soothing words to me the whole way to my house, and when we got there, he turned to me. “Do you want me to come inside with you?” He asked.

“No. I should be okay.” I turned to him and gave him a weak smile. “Thanks, Aiden. You’re the best.” I told him and leaned over and hugged him.

“You’re welcome, Avery. I’m here for you whenever you need me.” I pulled away and sighed.

“Time to face the chaos.” I said.

“Good luck.” Aiden said softly.

“Thanks.” I said as I got out of the truck I waved at him once I reached the porch and I saw him drive off.

Once I got inside, my mom looked up from where she was crying on the couch next to Mary and Kat. “Avery, I swear, I am so—,” again I cut her off before she could finish.

“Don’t talk to me!” I yelled. I heard footsteps on the stairs, and I looked over to find Jeremy, John, Blake, and Devon standing there looking at me.

“What’s going on here?” John asked.

“What’s going on is that mom hit me!” I yelled. I heard my mom sob. Jeremy and John looked at her, shocked. I turned to face her. “I wasn’t kidding when I said I saw Greg today.

That must’ve been what he wanted to do for this whole year. How does it feel? Did you like it? Did you like hurting me the way he did?” I yelled at her.

“No!” She yelled back.

“Well, too bad! You hurt me just like him, and for that, I will never forgive you!” I yelled at her before pushing past the guys on the stairs, tears streaming down my face.

“Avery, wait!” My mom called after me.

“Just let her go.” I heard John say.

“Mom, I can’t believe you did that.” That was Jeremy. I heard my mom sobbing even harder.

“Why are you blaming your mom? Everyone can see that it’s your fucking sister’s fault any of this is happening.” I heard someone gasp. That got my blood boiling. I ran back down the steps.

“Get out! Get the fuck out of my house!” I screamed at him. I shoved him all the way down the stairs, catching him off guard. I pushed him all the way out of the house and slammed the door in his face, locking the door. “I don’t care if he is Mary’s son, I don’t want him near me!” I yelled before running back upstairs. I locked my door behind me and dropped to the floor and sobbed. I looked up from the floor to see the picture of my dad and I smiling when I was a little kid.

“Dad, why couldn’t you have taken me with you?” That was the last thing I remembered before falling asleep on my floor. What started as a good night, ended up worse than before.