Late October. No more secret nights with Ari. He attempted to redeem himself by starting conversations with me in class and in the hallways smiling at me and trying to ask me questions about my weekend or homework, and I always answered him politely and walked away. Not that I had gotten over him, oh no! Truth be told, I didn’t think I would ever get over him. He was on my mind all the time . . . and talking with him any longer than necessary made my heart hurt.
I took to eating lunch with Emily and Rory, sitting at the big table in the cafeteria. Surrounding myself by others, I decided, would be my best defense. And anyway, they pushed me hard to join them, and I did find that having company beat eating alone in my lit classroom. Once Ari sat in the open seat next to me, but with great effort I ignored him and refused to glance in his direction. He turned to me and tried to talk. I grabbed my books in an attempt to look pre-occupied and walked to class early without giving him any acknowledgment.
He tried to talk to me later in lit.
“Hey, Ava.”
I looked up at him, then back down at my MacBook.
“Are you going to Rory’s party on Saturday?”
“No.”
Actually, I had been considering going to the party but hadn’t made any real plans yet.
“Well, maybe we could go together.” His statement sounded more like a question.
My heart stuck in my throat and my palms were so sweaty I had to give them a quick wipe on my jeans to dry them. I caught my breath but continued to look down at my computer screen. If I looked up at Ari, I would crack, swoon and accept the offer.
“No, thank you.”
“Oh. Well, I hope to you see you there anyway.”
Ari took his seat and I put my face in my hands, mentally screaming at myself for not accepting his invitation. Not a single word of the professor's lecture made it to my brain.
Later, Rory and I were walking back to the dorm from the library when he brought up his beach party.
“So, yeah,” he said rubbing the back of his head, “I've been wondering if you plan to be there.”
“Yes, of course I’ll be there. I haven’t done anything fun in weeks.”
A break from school and the dorms would be a relief, and Rory was one of my best friends here in California – not going would be rude.
Rory looked relieved and put his arm back down.
“Great! I’m going to be at home all day helping out, but I’ll come back here and pick you up at seven.”
My mouth went dry. I hadn’t realized he was asking me to go with him.
“Uh. You don’t have to pick me up. I can drive – just give me the address.”
“Absolutely not. I want to pick you up – no big deal at all.”
Crap! “Um, Ok,” I agreed, sincerely hoping that by doing so I was not implying that I saw us as an item.
We arrived back at the dorm and he stopped in front of my room. I watched as Ari walked by, and was momentarily spellbound. I shook my head, clearing my thoughts, and agreed to meet Rory in the downstairs foyer at seven Saturday evening.