Right In Front of Me (Finished)

Chapter 19: Your Wish is my Command

***Greyson's POV***


        On Tuesday before school, I hear tapping on my window. I know it's Avalon, and I so desperately want to walk over to the window, but I ignore the urge. I am still furious. I am gonna explode if she says anything remotely snobby to me. After ten minutes, the tapping is slower and less constant. I walk over to my window to see if she's left yet, but see her sitting there, shivering.  I open the window, the cool breeze slapping me in the face. She is sitting up against the side of the window, with her knees about a foot away from her chest. She has her school bag slung over her shoulder, and she turns to look at me, shivering and with wide eyes. I mumble for her to come in, because it's cold outside. She hesitates, but climbs inside. I wonder if she wore a thin jacket on purpose, to get me to let her in, but I don't say anything.
        "What are you doing here?" I ask without meeting her eye. "I... I, uh..." She stutters. "Have I rendered you speechless?" I ask, which could have been a joke, if I had said it in a less cold tone. "Huh? Uh, no, I just... I, um, just wanted to deliver a message from Hallie." She said, wearily. "Why couldn't Hallie text me the message?" I question. "Uh, her ph-phone died." Avalon replies. After a few moments of silence, I demand, "So?" She looks up and just stands there. "The message?" I clarify. "Uh, oh, right. So, Hallie just wanted to know if, um, you were available for a... a..," She trailed off, and I motion for her to get on with the message. "A d-double... date. With Hayden and... I. Tonight," She finishes. "I don't see why that was so hard to finally finish saying. Why are you stuttering?" I ask. "Well, part of it is that I am still c-cold, and also, 'cause th-this is a little... awkward..." She stammers. "It's only awkward if you make it awkward." I correct her. Her shoulder's slump. "Could we please not do this? Please?" She stares at me.
        "Do what?" I demand. "Act like this. Like the opposite of who we are." She answers. This makes me angry. Me? ME? I am acting like the opposite of me? Are you kidding me?! This is me! This is an angry version of me. You? Well, you are the only one pretending to be something else! You have been for three months! The way you are right now is the most of the real you I've seen in quite some time. And you think that's the opposite of you? REALLY?! Oh, you don't know how wrong you are. I yell that at her in my mind. And then for real, too. She just widens her eyes and is silent for a few moments.
        Then she says, softly, then growing louder, "I'm sorry if you don't think this is me, but it is. This just goes to show that you don't know me at all. Yeah, I admit, I am different than I was before. But I changed. And that happens. I'm sorry if you don't believe in change, but it is real. And the way I was before... that wasn't me. That was a worse and shy version of me. This is me. And you know what? I like this new me. She got me a boyfriend. That's all I've ever wanted, was Hayden. And you are the one who told me that I had to become this to get what I wanted. So if you don't like the way I am now, that's your fault. Don't blame me. You did this. And if you don't like what you did; it's too late. I like it. That's all that matters now. So you need to figure your shit out before you blame me." There is a pause. Then she says, quietly, "So I'm sorry you are mad. I am. And I guess I'm sorry for whatever else you think I did. Whatever it takes... now I need an answer for Hallie. Yes or no for the date?" She finishes. I am blown away by what she just said. She's right. It is my fault. I say, dumbfounded, "I don't want to let Hallie down, too, so... yeah. See ya tonight..." She doesn't answer. She just climbs out of the window and into hers.

***

        Later at lunch I sit with Stephanie Turnblat. Missy Cercy is pouting over at her table while her boyfriend tries to cheer her up by rubbing her back. She slaps his hand away. I feel bad for her boyfriend, Colt Donovan. I look at Avalon's table where Hayden is helping her take her jacket off. Hallie is walking through the cafeteria holding her tray, glancing around for me, wondering why I am not sitting at our usual table. She doesn't see me, so she sits down with Avalon and Hayden, and says hi, distracted with finding me. She spots me and gives me a confused look. I just shake my head.

***

        I am getting ready for the date, and I glance at the clock, which reads: 5:46. I'm not sure what we are doing on this date, so I dress nice anyway. I get dressed and head out the door, after dabbing on some cologne by Tim McGraw. I arrive at Hallie's house, and knock on the door. When she answers I say, "Hey, beautif- ," I cut myself off at the sight of her. I Finish, "-ful... You look... well, beautiful." She smiles and examines her own outfit. Then she looks at me. "Thanks, Greyson. And, man do you clean up well! You look great." She hugs me. When she pulls back a little, she says, "And you smell even better than you look." She leans into me, And we kiss, a sweet, simple kiss. Then her mother shows up at the door. We talk for a little while, then we get in my truck waving goodbye at Hallie's mother. At a stop light, we kiss a long kiss, then she puts her head on my shoulder. The light turns green, and I kiss her head, then press on the gas pedal.
        We are all meeting at a fountain in the park, and when I get there, Avalon and Hayden are waiting. "Hey, man, looking good," I say to Hayden. I say softly to Avalon, "Hey, Avalon. You look nice." Then the girls gaga about how they look. While Hayden and Hallie are talking about something that we all should be listening to, Avalon and I look at each other. She half smile, and I do the same. Then she looks down, back up at me, then over to Hayden who just asked her if she heard about some gossip thing. She says yeah with a slight laugh, but a fake one. Hallie says something to Hayden and Avalon glances up at me again, and then at Hayden, who asks if we are ready to go. I ask, "Go where? No one has told me what we are doing on this date," Hayden informs me that he was not included in the planning, either, and that the girls planned this one. Hallie announces that we will be going to a murder mystery dinner. I have never been to one, but it sounds like a lot of fun. Hayden asks what that is, and Avalon informs him that a murder mystery dinner is where you are served dinner, but while you are eating, actors are trying to investigate a pretend murder. Then she expresses how awesome it is. We all pile into vehicles, the girls in the Jeep, and us guys in my truck, so we can follow the girls, who know where we are going. On the way there, Hayden and I discuss what type of truck this is, and other car types. We get there 30 minutes later.

***

        The dinner was a lot of fun. The actors, who were pretending to be detectives, decided it was Hallie who killed the victim, who was a man they picked from the crowd who was about 57 years old. Hallie's sentence: a free dessert.
        When I got home after driving Hallie home, I was glad I had no homework. It was 11:10. I changed into pj's, and right as I was about to get in bed, I heard, "It's 11:11; make a wish." I look at my window to see Avalon standing there in her pajamas. She smiles a little. "I made my wish. Can you help make it come true?" She says. She climbs inside, shutting the window behind her, locking out the cold air. I just sit there, looking at her, trying not to say what I am thinking; Avalon looks completely hot in her pajamas. I have a girlfriend, and she has a boyfriend, I remind myself. Plus, liking Avalon? That's crazy. We're friends... I think. Plus, I should not be thinking about how hot she is when she is so angry at me.
        "I don't know, can I? I don't know if it'll come true if you tell me what it is, you know, 'cause that's the wish-making rules." I say. "Actually, it's 'those are the wish-making rules'," She corrects. I look at her. "You said 'that's', when you should have said, well, ya know, I already told you." I can't help it. I snort-laugh at that, and I bury my face in my intertwined hands, then look up and say, "I guess this new version of you is the real you." She leans against the window frame, and tilts her head in confusion. "You correcting me? That's something you would have done, even before the transformation." Then I add, "I don't recognize that top." She peeks at her outfit. Her shirt says 'Stressed, Depressed, But Well Dressed'. She replies, "Oh, that. Yeah, I had this pre-makeover, but I never wore it, because it's sorta a crop-top, and I didn't have enough confidence to ever wear it... you know," she walks over to my bed and sits down next to me, "I really am thankful for the makeover. I mean, I don't hesitate to wear something like this now, because I am confident in myself to wear it. I got my boyfriend, which I never dreamed possible, and I have friends, and- and people who actually know my name. For real. People that know I exist. And that's why I was- that's why I was so mad that you hated the results of the makeover. Because, I actually like myself now. Other people like me. And they never did. So, if you still hate the way I am now... well deal with it, I guess."
        She looks at me. I say, "Let's call it a truce, alright? I had a reason to be mad at you, and you had one to be mad at me, so let's just call it a truce, okay?" I propose to her that idea, and she just nods. "Good... Oh! Your wish! What can I do to make it co-" She cuts me off, saying, "You already granted it. No need for me to tell you what it is now. Thanks," She pauses, and hesitates, but then she asks, "Remember when we did that whole 'stage kiss' thing?" I nod. "Well, it wasn't a stage kiss. Why wasn't it a stage kiss? Why did you kiss me?" She wondered. Oh, crap, I don't know! I'm a guy! We do stuff like that! I think of a safe cover and say, "It was a practice kiss for Hayden. So you could practice for when you would kiss Hayden." She blinks, then says, "Well, thanks." She hesitates to do something again, but then leans over, toward me, and our lips almost brush, and just when I think she going to kiss my lips, she turns her head and kisses my cheek, softly, pulling away slowly. Then her lips are right in front of mine again, but she looks down and turns her head away to check the clock. "W-what was that for?" I ask her. She shrugs. "Everything." I really wanted to kiss her, though I shouldn't. All of a sudden, she winces and covers one of her eyes. "What's wrong?" I ask. "Ah, nothing, it's just that there's something in my contact lens. I better go to bed; it's already 11:20, and I am wiped. Well, goodnight. Oh! And... can you drive me tomorrow?" She lowers her hand. I nod once, and say, "And every day after." She says, "You sound medieval when you say that." I laugh, then say, "How... how did you get to school yesterday and today?" She sighs and answers. "Monday, Hayden drove me, but today... I-I, uh, walked." I tell her I'm so sorry for not driving her, and that she must have froze. Then I ask her if she still has her glasses that she wore before the makeover. She says, "Yeah. In their case under my bed. Ugh, I just want to forget those horrific things." I tell her that I think their cute, followed by her telling me to shut up, and goodnight.
        Yes, it was, I want to tell her. WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME!? I call Hallie, just to remind myself how much I should like her, but after three rings, I remember that her phone is dead, but then she answers, "Hello?" I am startled, and say, "Hey, Hallie, you charged your phone!" She replies, confused, "What do you mean? My phone was never dead." I can't believe this. Avalon lied. She probably made that up for an excuse to come over to talk to me this morning. Now, was her intention of coming over here to yell at me the way she did, to turn my anger at her around to make it all my fault? Or did she want to apologize, or what?