Decemberunderground

"So you're sure you and Davey are just friends?" Jade asked, looking over at Avery, still holding on to her hand tightly.

"Pretty sure." She responded, not even glancing his way.

Jade let go of her hand. "I need you to be entirely sure." He said, looking down at the ground and then back up at her. "Davey can be fragile and I don't want to do anything that could hurt him."

"You already did." Davey spoke up, and Jade's head snapped in his direction.

"Davey, I--" Jade began but Davey stopped him by holding up one hand.

"Go ahead." Davey said. "Kiss." He paused. "And control all of our broken hearts..." He turned and began walking away.

Jade deserted Avery at the balcony and chased after Davey. "Davey stop." Jade caught him in the hallway. "What is going on with you? Are you still into me or something?"

"And what if I am?" He challenged.

"Davey..." Jade shook his head.

"It's not you, Jade." Davey said, turning his back again.

"Don't walk away from me." Jade spoke sternly. "Do you love her?"

Avery pressed her body against the wall and struggled to listen to the conversation happening just around the corner.

"Do you love her?" Jade asked again.

"I don't know." Davey said. "But if you're going to be with her, she's not all that you think she is."

Jade was growing increasingly frustrated with Davey. "What does that mean?"

"Ask her what happened to her brother." Davey said, and turned, walking into his room and closing the door.

Avery could hear Jade's slow footsteps coming down the hallway, and she hurried to her place on the balcony where Jade had left her.

"He loves you, Avery." Jade said when he stepped next to her, placing both hands on the rail. "He won't admit it, but I know him well enough."

"I don't know if I love him back, Jade." Avery admitted. All this time she had thought Davey was mysterious, and that's what drew her in to him. But he was slowly coming apart and revealing himself. The mystery was disappearing, and now she wasn't sure she liked him anymore.

Jade gripped the railing tightly. "Tell me something, Avery."

"Anything." She touched his arm with both hands.

"What happened to your brother?"