Consequences

What Is Wrong With You?

What Is Wrong With You?

Getting back from the tattoo parlor, Rae was surprised to see that Avery was home, perched at the kitchen island stool. “Guess who I got to see?... Bruno, he was at the shop today... What are you doing home, I thought you were meeting up with Xander tonight?” Avery looked up her, with puffy cheeks, and reddened eyes, as though she had been crying the whole afternoon. “What happened? Are you okay?” She rushed over to Avery and gave her a huge hug, holding on to her tight as she could. Avery rested her head on Rae's shoulder, and started to cry again. Trying to mumble words, “Something bad happened.” Rae felt her body tense up, the first thought in her mind was that it would halt any future relations with Xander altogether, but she still held Avery tight in her arms. “Do you think your pregnant? I thought you have been careful with Xander? I thought you said that he wears a condom, and that your on the pill? I'm not a genius, but I'm pretty sure that there is one way to have children, and one of them is not spontaneous combustion.” Avery smirked and giggled briefly, but the look in her eyes meant that there was more involved to this story then what she was saying. Rae pulled up a stool and sat down next to her. “What happened to you then?” Becoming quite stern with Avery, like a parent would be with their child. Avery broke eye contact and lowered her head, “It happened.” That's all she said, but Rae couldn't wrap her head around what “it” would be. “What happened Avery?” Rae had started to rub Avery's back, trying to calm her nerves until she was comfortable in talking about it. “We were closing up the bar, and went to this all night place right after. I went with a few people from work. I walked away from my drink for a few minutes, and coming back after I took a sip... I don't remember much after that. I woke up this morning in someone's bed, and I have no idea how I got there.” She started sobbing again, “Look, grab your s**t we are headed to the hospital to get you checked out.” Rae started to grab her keys and a change of clothes for Avery, and they made their way to the Wildcat.

The emergency room was a bit busy. Looking around the room, there was a gentleman sitting with a towel wrapped around his finger and a zip lock bag with ice in the other hand with a finger in it. A woman was sitting with her son, who was in a wheelchair, tears swelling in his eyes, as he looked down to his foot. His mom kept moving the chair, and bumping his hurt foot into the table and other chairs in the room. Two guys sat in the corner of the room, bloody and beaten, looking like they had just come from the boxing ring. After grabbing a clipboard and paperwork I sat down with Avery in one of the chairs. “Rae, I can't do this. What if something did happen? What am I going to tell Xander? What is he going to think about me?” Rae was concentrating on filling out the paperwork, and was only catching every other word that Avery was saying. Rae had never experienced anything like this before. She had a million things running through her head on what to do after they left the hospital, although it was a unanimous decision with the voices in her head that they would be making a trip to the police station. “This is not your fault. I don't want you to think that. Stop it. We are here, they are going to check you out, and determine if you are okay. Then we are going to go to the police station to file a report.” The demand in her voice terrified Avery, who now had a guilty look in her eyes. “Rae, I have to tell you something...” Continuing to fill out the paperwork, “What's that?” Avery took a gulp and with a little bit of fear in her eyes, she finally said, “I lied.” Rae stopped writing on the form, and slowly turned to look at Avery. She was looking at with fear in her eyes knowing that Rae was going to erupt. The heat was starting to crawl up Rae's neck, her cheeks turning red, her eyes blazing with anger, and her breathing had started to quicken. “About what exactly?” She started to tap the pen on the clipboard, waiting for an answer. Avery took a moment, “Everything. I just f****d up.”

Rae stood up and threw the clipboard at her. “You just f****d up? What the f**k is wrong with you!?!” Rae's voice echoed through the waiting room, and every eye had directed their attention to the two of them. “Why would you even... you can't tell the god damn truth for once in your life! You are so f****d up in the head Avery!” The nurse had started to make her way from around the station, “I'm going to have to ask you...” Rae didn't even let her finish. “No worries, I'm already gone!” She grabbed her bag and her keys, and headed for the exit. Avery took a moment seeing that all eyes were on her before getting up and running after her, screaming her name. But Rae was like a freight train getting to her car. “Rae, let me explain!” Rae stopped in the middle of the parking lot, and turned to face her. “You know what, I'm so tired of having to deal with your s**t. This has to be the worst f*****g thing that you have every done to me. I've put up with so much bullshit from you over the decades that we've been friends, but this is the last straw! You are a selfish, conniving, cheating f**k up! I have felt all of these years that this had been a one sided friendship and today you've proved that to me. I've always been there for you, I've always stood up for you, and I have... I was there for you every time you needed someone, but when I needed help, you were never around. How could you do this to me? To Xander? Again because you couldn't keep your f*****g legs closed. I'm tired of your s**t Avery!” Avery just stood there, with tears running down her face, watching as Rae got into her car. “Rae, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for doing all of those things. Why don't we go to lunch... my treat,” Avery thought that she would make everything better by buying lunch and apologizing for putting Rae through all this stress. Rae just slammed her foot on the gas peddle and left Avery in the parking lot.

Rae didn't know where to go, she just kept driving. She knew that if she went to Markus's he would basically tell her “I told you so”, she couldn't go to the restaurant because she would snap at anyone and everyone at the drop of a hat, the only place left was... home. Pulling into the driveway she saw that Xander's car was parked, knowing that he was there. She was torn, and wanted to tell him, “She cheated on you. She slept with someone else, and she's not going to tell you.” But at the same time she wanted to keep the s**t to herself. Karma was a b***h, and if she were to say anything, then it would come back on her ten fold. She held a soft spot for him, and she didn't want to see him hurt by this and her, especially after giving Avery a second chance at their relationship. For Rae though, this was it. She was tired of having to clean up Avery's messes. This confirmed that their friendship was completely one sided and Rae had had enough.

Still with a rage and so much anger, Rae made her way into the house. “Avery?”, she heard Xander call out her name. “No it's me,” Rae said in callously. She slammed the front door, tossed her bag on the couch, threw the keys on the table, as Xander was making his way around the corner into the living room. “Are you alright?” Rae could only see red with fury, walking to the refrigerator and taking out a bottle of beer. “Okay, so your going to drink, at one thirty in the afternoon. Not a good sign.” Xander walked behind her as she made her way out onto the patio, plopping down on the edge of the pool and dipping her legs into the water. “Do you want to talk about it?” He kicked off his shoes, rolled up his pant legs and decided to follow her lead. “No,” she snapped back at him. Chugging more of her beer, within a matters of seconds she had downed it completely. She threw the bottle behind her and started to slip herself into the pool. Letting herself sink to the bottom onto the concrete. Her hair danced around her face, as she sat looking as though she was meditating, with her eyes closed, and just the last of the air bubbles leaving her mouth. There was peace and quiet under the gallons of water, that is, until she heard a splash from above, arms wrapping themselves around her chest, and the feeling of being lifted up above the water top. Being dragged through the water and over to the pool steps, she perched herself at the top step. “What the hell is going on? Why would you do that?” Xander sat next to her, breathing heavy trying to catch his breath. “Why couldn't you just have left me there! It was so peaceful and quiet.” She stood up and made her way back to the refrigerator, grabbing more then just one beer now, and heading to her bedroom.

She heard Xander calling Avery on his phone, and she wanted to listen in as to how the conversation was going to go between them, and she left her door ajar and eavesdropped. “Yeah, Rae is acting crazy. I know something happened... She won't say... Your not either?... No I... I just want to know what the hell is going on...” Rae shook her head, knowing it would have been a cold day in hell for Avery to admit that she f****d up and slept with another guy, and not by accident. Rae's focus was no longer on Xander in the living room, but now to the shower, as she stripped out of her wet clothes. She chugged another beer, turning on the shower, letting the steam fill the room completely. She stood in front of the wall mirror in her room, and just looked at herself from head to toe, her hand touching her shoulders, her breasts, her stomach, and her p***y. She zoned in on every imperfection that bothered her. Not understanding what was so wrong with her, that she couldn't get the same kind of attention that Avery would receive. Forgetting that she had left her door ajar, she heard a creak in the floor boards and saw a shadow move away from the door. Her attitude had changed, she didn't care. If Avery didn't give a s**t about how her best friend was, then why should she worry any more. She made her way into the steamy bathroom and was immediately relaxed when the heated water touched her skin. Losing all track of time, she hadn't realized exactly how long she had been in the shower, until she looked at her fingers and saw that they were all pruny. Grabbing a towel and exiting the shower, she was shocked to see Xander sprawled out on her bed.

 “Are you okay now? Are you going to tell me what the f**k is going on?” He sat up with his legs hanging over the side of the bed. He couldn't stop looking at her from her hair dripping wet, watching small droplets cascading down her arms, and the water glistening on her legs as she stood in the bathroom doorway. The expression on her face clearly showed that she was still fuming with anger inside. “I'm fine.” Rae started tossing through clothes in her drawer pulling out the first things she could get her hands on. “Are you going to get out of my room?” When he didn't respond, she didn't care, she slipped on her panties under the towel, and then let the towel drop to the floor, and continued pulling on her shorts and a shirt, all while Xander was still sitting on her bed. She didn't care, because she knew he wasn't going to slip away from Avery's spell she had over him, no matter how much he talked about wanting to be with Rae, he would never leave Avery. “Are you going to tell me what's bothering you?” He stood up and walked closer to her, putting his hands on her arms. That glare he received was all too familiar and burning through him, like it had done in the elevator. “Why don't you just talk to Avery about it. Or wait let me guess, she didn't tell you shit.” He furrowed his brow, and lowered his head. Rae shook her head, “I don't say this ever really, but when are you going to open your eyes and she how she treats you. She treats you like a damn dog!” Rae started to walk out of her room, but Xander wouldn't let go of her arms, pulling her closer to him, making sure she didn't leave the room. “It pains me to see you like this. I want to help you, but your being so difficult. Avery did hang up on me, and you're right, she wouldn't tell me a god damn thing. So... why don't we just order some food and stay here?” He pulled her into a hug, kissing her forehead, wrapping his arms around her tight. “I want to ease your anger any way I can.”