Rumored Nights

"God, you two are just impossible!" Melanie exclaimed, throwing her hands up to the heavens.

Skye nodded zenly right before she shoved a whole pink frosted cupcake in her mouth, leaving Melanie to continue.

"I mean, he is an asshole, I'll give you that, but that doesn't change the fact you love him, I know you do."

Alice sighed but nodded, settling her head in her hands.

Both Melanie and Skye had followed her back to her house, a mini bakery in itself, where they munched on frosted and baked delights and discussed the afternoons events.

Now as they sat in the kitchen reliving all that was said, Alice wished she hadn't just walked off toward home, that conversation feeling more like a hit and run than an actual confrontation.

Meanwhile Melanie continued. "When are you two going to wake up and stop being idiots about each other?"

She then proceeded in silence after her outburst, patiently picking up two muffins and a knife.

Once she had cut a slit through the side she turned them back to Alice with a serious gaze.

"Alright Alice, take notes here. This is what needs to happen. You, the blueberry muffin, will go up to William, the banana nut, and be like 'Okay, so, I'm madly in love with you, let's get married and have babies and grow old together'. And then William will be all like, 'oh my god, I was thinking the same thing, okay!' and then you can kiss and make up and all will be happy."

Both Skye and Alice looked at Melanie like she was crazy, not for her great summarizing of what should be, but because she proceeded to make the muffins make-out like.

"Alice I hate to say this," Skye started, still staring at the crumbling carnage. "But Melanie is right, and you look really delicious by the way."

Later, when Alice's mother arrived home with Hailey in toe, she found all three laughing and cooking in the kitchen.

"Wow, here I was thinking I'd have to cook." Her mother laughed, setting the grocery bags in her hands on the counter.

"Child labor at your service." Skye laughed with a half hearted flourish.

Her mother smiled, glancing to see her daughter turning the oven off looking so much like her when she was that age.

Alice saw the softened nostalgic look of her mothers, but became distracted by Hailey's high pitched squeal and the thump that followed it.

"Alice, uh, is this yours?" Melanie asked, looking so much like William from where she lay on the floor with Hailey proudly sitting on her stomach.

Alice's mother sighed and reached down to pick Hailey up off of her. "Hailey honey, we don't tackle people, especially ones you don't know."

Melanie laughed, getting up off the floor.

"About that... sorry, I'm Melanie, one of Alice's friends." She explained, outstretching her hand.

"What she said, only I'm Skye." Skye added, waving from the table.

Smiling, her mother caught Alice's gaze for a second to show her happiness at seeing her friends over.

"It's nice to meet the both of you. I hope Alice has been spoiling you rotten with all the desserts." She laughed, turning her attention to the dinner her daughter was making.

Seeing all the food she remembered Thanksgiving next week and something she had found out only today.

"Oh honey Luke called me this morning and he's going to be out of town for Thanksgiving and Hailey's mother wanted her this holiday so it'll be just us four. I hope that's okay?" She asked, an eyebrow raised in anticipation.

Alice nodded, grinning. "It's perfect, it'll be just the Hale's this Thanksgiving."

Her mothers smile fell slightly as she added holding up her ringed hand. "And one Jenson if that's alright..."

She nodded, keeping a smile on her face.

And then the moment was broken by a squeal and a thump, Skye disappearing from the table.

"Hailey, what did I just tell you?"

.<^>.<^>.<^>.

"So I've been thinking about going into journalism but I'm torn between these two colleges for it. I mean, this is my future! You think they could make it easier..."

Avery's afterschool small talk kept at a constant level over the radio playing background music.

William kept his eyes to the road, focusing on his hands on the steering wheel rather than delve into his newly stirred thoughts.

"William are you okay?" Avery asked, attempting to regain his attention.

He nodded but said nothing more, wanting to be left in silence and be rid of his girlfriend's voice.

He shouldn't have felt this way.

Gauging from the outsiders point of views he got from every man at the parties she took him to, William should've been proud of having her as his girlfriend.

Avery was smart, ranked top in her graduating class, with a great body on top of it from playing soccer.

She was not the ditsy backstabbing bitch that was usually found in a situation like his, shallow and conceited.

Perhaps if Alice had never been in the picture William would've treated Avery better, more of a girlfriend and less of a distraction when convenient.

William was a screw-up as a friend and now the same went for him as a boyfriend, from the present to his whole basis for going out with Avery.

With Alice now with Mike at her side, William made a promise to himself as he stared down the road.

He would be a better person, and if Alice wouldn't have him, he would be the best boyfriend he could be to Avery.

Glancing from the road he looked over at the girl beside him, her long blonde hair falling in her eyes.

So wrapped up in his own life William had never truly paid attention to hers, never looking at the reason behind a frown or giggle, or even the thoughtful expression gracing her features.

As the homes passed by, William finally pulled to a stop in front of her house.

Filled with a new purpose he turned to Avery.

She seemed to have the same light in her eyes with her one glance, as if the sun coming through the window was her epiphany.

"Uh... well your home." He stuttered, not sure quite where to start.

Avery gathered up her bag and books without once glancing at him, tucking her hair back while doing so.

"So, uh, I'll see you again tomorrow?" He asked nervously. "Or we could do something tonight and-"

"Look William," Avery interjected, cutting him off with a level stare. "I don't know why you ever asked me to be your girlfriend, though I'm not going to pretend I wasn't ecstatic when you did. But I just don't get why..."

The car was silent as she paused.

William could hear his heart pounding away, counting the passing painfully empty seconds.

"I've tried being a good girlfriend but it's pretty obvious you're just not that into me... and to be honest I don't need to waste anymore of my senior year on someone who doesn't want to be with me."

Popping the car door open Avery turned to William with one last look.

Leaning over, she kissed his cheek. "Goodbye William."

And just like that William was single once more.