May 3, 2011

[Tiff]

"Can I ask you a question?"

Avery turned his head in Monte's direction and nodded.

"You leave in a couple of days and instead of being with your girlfriend and your two beautiful girls in your brand new house, you're laying across my bed staring at the ceiling with me as if you have the entire summer to do what you should be doing...is there something wrong with you? Because you know we're practically the same, if there is something wrong with you, then maybe there is something wrong with me too."

Avery chuckled and turned his eyes back to the ceiling. "I don't think there's anything wrong with me." Monte sat up. "And before you ask me why I'm here instead of with Gracie, I have to say I think you know the answer already." Monte opened his mouth, closed it, and laid back down.

"Have you told Serena?" Avery asked. Monte remained silent. "Aya?" Again silence. "Mom? Dad? Zane? The new neighbors? Anyone? Cadence?"

"Cadence..." Monte chuckled. "Sure..." He moved uncomfortably. "No, I haven't told anyone, except you."

"Well you don't have to, you could stay, I'd want you to stay. I'm sure Serena would want you to and Aya and everyone..."

"Yeah, except..."

"Except nothing, you can't just up and leave..."

"I can..."

"You know what. I didn't come here to argue with you. I came here to spend time with you before I leave for Basic Training, hoping maybe you might just get it through your thick skull that I need you here..."

"I plan on being here until you come back, Avery, I wouldn't just up and leave without you being here...but once you come back and get settled into your life, you won't need me to watch out for Gracie and the girls..."

"Fine, you're going to do whatever you want. You want to go get something to eat? Watch a movie? Go for a run? Might be my last time." Monte got up. "Yeah let's go for a run."

[Tiff]

Avery and Monte returned to Monte's room after a quick shower and continued their vow of silence they'd taken up while out on their run. Avery was simply upset that Monte would just simply disappear from the face of the earth with no sign of returning even if he wasn't happy about doing it himself. He was thoroughly convinced Monte wouldn't be happier separated from his family, his new nieces, and the two girls he'd managed to fall in love. There just wasn't much out there, he knew Monte wouldn't stick long at Tulane University, he wasn't big on attending class, or listening to anyone with authority. He wanted Monte to stick around, maybe attend Riverside if he wanted to test out college life, figure things out around home and family. A small part of him was convinced he was being selfish, but he knew he was right. Monte could still go out and do the things he wanted, go on an adventure across the United States or around the world, but Avery had always hoped Monte would want someone by his side, maybe his twin brother, regardless of the new family and career.

Monte wasn't mad at Avery in the least, annoyed that he was right, but not mad. He hadn't exactly made up his mind, he liked the idea of being on his own without any ties to anyone or anywhere, where he could just walk into a place strike up a conversation with some random and start new and then the next day, pack up and move on and never see that random stranger ever again. But despite how attractive that sounded to him, he knew he'd always want to see his nieces, he'd always want to see Avery again, Lexington he could probably go without for the rest of his life, but Avery was a different story. And he also had Serena and Aya to think about, Serena more than Aya of course, but only because Aya had made her intentions crystal clear and there was no sense trying to pursue someone who was no longer interested, no matter how bad it hurt.

The silence continued all the way through a card game of War and would have lasted longer had Zane not popped his head into the room. "You'll never guess who wants to meet your two little girls." Avery glanced at Monte and shrugged his shoulders. "Garret Walker?" Monte asked, though it sounded more like a direct answer to the question. "That's right, he actually wanted to take you out to get a beer, but the whole age limit thing put a stop to that." Avery chuckled, but still didn't break his silence. "Like that would stop Garret." Monte tossed his remaining cards onto the bed and got up, slipping on his shoes. "It's not going to stop me."

"Is there anything else we can do?" Avery asked, he wanted to spend some time with Monte without fighting but going out to do some underaged drinking would get him in big trouble even if he didn't actually take part in the drinking himself. He hated that he had to be the responsible one of the group or even just the party-pooper, but he had two little girls and a girlfriend to think of and getting in trouble with the law a handful of days before he was to go off and start the rest of his life wouldn't be smart. "Anything else?"

Monte gave in, put his arm around his brother's shoulders. "Sure, Garret might frown upon it, but might as well do something that won't get you court marshaled. "So, milkshakes?" He suggested. Zane shrugged. "Sounds good to me, Grady might even partake in the festivities, it'll be like having most of the baseball team back together. "Zane you going to call Tally or is she busy?" Zane shrugged. "Not entirely sure, but we could always bring Tally and Gracie a milkshake after the boys hang out."

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