An Online Soap Opera
Episode 676: That's What Friends Are ForA knock at his door woke Xavier with a start. He’d fallen asleep with a library book in his lap even though it wasn’t that late in the evening yet, such was the excitement of his life these days, not that he would really complain, excitement hadn’t generally been good to him.Xavier walked the short distance to the door. The closer he stepped, the harder his pulse pounded, and the more he thought it might be Avalon. But when he opened the door, he found a girl, shorter, blonder, and younger than his ex. "Hi," he said, fighting to keep the disappointment out of his voice, he didn’t want to hurt her feelings. What had he been thinking anyway? It was stupid. Ava wasn’t going to just show up. She didn’t know he was there and even if she did, would she even want to see him? Probably not after the way he’d left her. Not when she had a life with another guy. It would have been a huge shock to find Ava at his door, Tansy, was only a minor shock. He’d become friends of sorts with Quentin, her father and his boss, they hung out sometimes. "Did you race up the stairs ahead of your dad?" He didn’t know why they would visit him spur of the moment, but he was glad they had. His life tended to be a bit lonely, and he wasn’t as okay with that as he used to be, not since that perfect little while he’d shared with Ava. Tansy breezed past Xavier, her chin up, determined to look like she belonged, so maybe then Xavier might not question her the way adults do. Xavier wasn’t really like an adult; anyway, he was more of a friend, her only friend. Tansy grimaced as she recalled day camp a few hours earlier. Her parents thought it would be good for her, but all summer long, the few friends she had were dropping away like flies, convinced she wasn’t someone you want to hang around. "My dad’s not here," she explained to Xavier and he shut the door with a puzzled look on his face. "Your parents can’t be okay with you coming here on your own." "They don’t exactly know, but it’s okay-" "No, it’s not. You have really great parents, Tans, you’re lucky to have them; they’ll be worried when they don’t find you at home." "They won’t know I’m gone. They’re at their anniversary dinner. I’m staying overnight with my Aunt Tal. It’s her book club night. They just sit there and gossip. I even overheard stuff about my mom. I hate it, and I hate my cousins, so I came here instead." "I’m happy to see you, and I really like having you around, but you can’t just run around the city without your parents’ permission, you’re just a kid. I don’t want them to be mad at you or me. I need to call your aunt." "But she won’t even notice I’m gone. Can’t I just hang out here for a little-?" "I have to call her. I think I still have her number from all the emergency contacts your parents shove at me when I’ve babysat you." Tansy scowled at him. "Thanks a lot, tattletale. I thought you were my friend."
|
 Custom Search |