Chapter 17
The next morning, Carter drove Avery back to her house. Seeing the dreary homes in her awful neighborhood made Avery realize that even though she may have gotten back at Ms. Downing and the basketball team, she’d done nothing to solve her real problems. Her home would be foreclosed on in a matter of days, and then she’d be living on the street without a penny to her name. It would be impossible for her to hide it, and she’d become the laughingstock of the whole school.
As they turned onto her street, they noticed a large truck in front of her home. Some men were loading large brown boxes full of their belongings. Candice and Lori were outside by the sidewalk holding each other.
“But I thought we had more time! We shouldn’t have to leave today!”
They pulled into the driveway, and Avery immediately leapt out of the car and ran to her family.
“Mom, what’s going on?” she asked, distraught.
“We’re leaving this place,” Candice explained. “And good riddance to it!”
“Yeah, I’ll be glad to be out of this dump,” Lori added.
One of the moving men passed in front of Avery, and she noticed some of her clothes peeking out the top. She stopped the man and started frantically pulling out her belongings.
“But I thought we’d at least be able to keep our things! Just because they’re throwing us out on the street doesn’t mean they get to take everything!”
“Avery, what are you doing? Stop that!” her mother demanded, causing Avery to look up. “We’re not going to be living on the street. We’re moving.”
“What?” Avery wondered, bewildered. How was that possible? She then realized that her mother and sister wore joyous smiles and were consoling each other out of happiness, not grief.
“That’s right!” Candice continued. “I actually think there’s a place for sale out in Carter’s neighborhood on the good side of town. I hope they don’t mind if I sunbathe nude in the backyard.”
“But we have no money,” Avery objected.
“We do now!” Lori cheered, and Avery glanced back to her mother.
“I finally sold my novel to a publisher. They sent me a six-figure advance. We’re rich!” she crowed, throwing her hands into the air.
Avery stared at her mother for a moment, trying to process what she just said. She burst out in uncontrollable laughter, clutching her knees to keep herself upright.
“Yeah, sure, mom. Whatever you say! Looks like you ran out of your medication and are having hallucinations.”
“No, they really did. You’ve got to believe me,” Candice confirmed, nodding solemnly.
Candice frowned as Avery continued to mock her accomplishment. Avery stumbled toward the truck, her mouth so wide from the laughter it looked like her jaw would fly off.
“You can stop lying now, mom. I’ll find us a good box we can use while we’re living in a Starbucks parking lot.”
“Seriously!” Candice pleaded. “They said the writing was terrific and the story about how your father ruined my life, destroyed my body with two kids, and fell asleep too quickly after sex will sell millions and millions of copies.”
It took another five minutes for Avery to stop laughing.
“That’s the most ridiculous thing of all,” she said, finally coming to her senses. At that moment, her phone started to ring. She picked it up and saw it was Kendra.
“Hey girl,” Kendra said. “You’ll never guess what happened. I opened my inbox this morning, and I got an email from a modeling company with a contract. They saw my stuff on Paul’s website and made me an offer. I’m going to be a model. Can you believe it?”
“No way! That’s unbelievable,” Avery gaped, turning to the others. “Kendra’s going to be a model!”
“I’m going to be super rich and all by selling my body, which I got for free!” Kendra exclaimed so loud Avery had to move the phone away from her ear.
Avery’s mouth hung open in disbelief. Everything seemed so surreal. Was this some kind of dream?
“Quick, somebody pinch me. This can’t be happening!”
Happy to oblige, Carter came over and pinched her on the butt, making her jump. She slapped his arm, and begrudgingly admitted she was awake.
“Guess what? I have a surprise too!” Lori piped up, twirling her pigtail in her finger. “I’m not really pregnant!”
Astonishment hit Avery like a fat guy and a buffet line. Even Carter staggered, barely able to keep his footing.
“Really? That’s wonderful! Oh, I’m so relieved. That was really going to ruin your life,” Avery sighed. She felt euphoric, free. Everything was finally getting better.
“Not!” Lori cracked. “Of course I’m still pregnant. You’re such a sucker, Avery!”
Lori held her stomach while Avery cringed. Ok, maybe things weren’t perfect, but somehow they would make it through like they always do.
“At least now we can take you to a doctor,” Candice said. “Come on. Let’s find out how much we have to pay one to look at you on a Saturday.”
Candice led Lori to the car and they drove away in search of a doctor. The moving men continued to carry large boxes from the house and load them into the truck. Other than that, Avery and Carter were alone.
“What just happened?” Avery asked, throwing up her hands.
“Looks like you finally caught a lucky break,” Carter declared, taking her into his arms.
Avery released another sigh of relief and put her head to his chest. The sun was shining, and she felt its warmth in her skin. There would be more problems later, more irritations to deal with, but for right now everything she wanted fit right in her arms.
“I caught a lucky break when I found you,” she said. “Life is shitty, but you make it worth it.”
The End
**About the Author**
Katrina LaCroix is a “party girl with a conscience” who currently lives in New York City. She enjoys hanging out with friends, talking about people behind their backs, and raising mice to set loose in her neighbors’ apartments. If you’d like to get in touch with her, her email address is [email protected]. Thank you very much for reading!
Loose Lips Sink Ships Page 33
