"Dinner will be about half an hour," Kellie said, as Avie drifted into the kitchen.
"Cool, did you need any help?" Avery asked, pulling a bottle of juice out of the fridge.
"Nope, all under control, thanks love," Kellie replied.
Avery nodded, poured herself a juice, then headed into her new room. She closed the door and sat down on her bed, pulling the phonecard out of her pocket.
She took a deep breath and reached for her phone, then dialled in the numbers and waited for Taylor to pick up.
Taylor
Taylorhesitated when he thought he heard his phone ringing.
Yep, that was his phone.
He put his guitar down and untangled the headphones from his neck before going over to pick it up.
"Hello?"
Avery
"How's it hanging, big bro?" Avery asked, laying back on her bed.
Her door opened and JD stuck his head in.
"Hey... oh, you're on the phone. Nevermind!" he said cheerfully, then closed the door.
Taylor
"I should be asking you," Taylor replied.
"Who was that?"
Avery
"Oh, that was just JD."
Avery twiddled the phone card between her fingers.
Taylor
"And he is...?" Taylor expected her to elaborate.
He found a chair and slumped down into it.
Avery
"Oh, he lives here. I'm staying with his family. I work for his mom."
Avery let the phonecard fall down onto the bed.
"He's like my Taylor away from home."
Taylor
"Oh really?" Taylor couldn't help but chuckle.
"So I have some competition, huh?"
Avery
Avery giggled.
"Yep, major competition."
She kicked her shoes off.
"So, what've you been doing?"
Taylor
"We're recording," Taylor shrugged, "but not right now. I was working on a B section that didn't sound quite right in the studio. And I think Natalie's calling this afternoon sometime."
Avery
"Yeah, Natalie, good friend of mine."
Avery scratched the top of her head.
Taylor
Taylor chuckled again.
"I meant Natalie my girlfriend," he amended, "she's bit older than you. In fact she's a year younger than me."
Avery
Avery grinned.
"Ooohoooo, a younger chippy, I see."
She cracked her knuckles.
"Well, I hope that works out for you. Better than uh... the last girlfriend, I mean. How's the telepathy?"
Taylor
"It's an Adige thing so far," Taylor explained.
"So nothing happens on Earth. I haven't actively tried to use it on the station yet. It makes me more than nervous."
Avery
"Why?" Avery asked.
"You know, it's not a bad power. Well... I mean it's intrusive and sometimes you end up with more headaches than anything else... ok, so it sucks."
Taylor
"But it's something I've never done before," Taylor shook his head uneasily.
"I mean, telepaths are born pretty much knowing what to do. I'm 22. It's a case of teaching an old dog new tricks or something. And... telepathy isn't something I ever expected to have."
Avery
Avery shrugged slightly.
"Well, if... when I come back to visit, I could meld our minds slightly. So you could telepathically watch what I do."
Taylor
Taylor shivered.
"Sounds... interesting," he said carefully.
"I don't know what I'm going to be able to do yet though."
Avery
"It's ok," Avie said, smiling.
"It won't hurt. I've done it tonnes of times."
She rubbed her stomach.
"It'll start slow. But you know, we don't have to try anything until you're ready. I'm probably not going to be home anytime in the next month anyway."
Taylor
"Ok," Taylor relented.
"Thankyou. It's not really something Tanya can help with, you know. She couldn't even tell what it was at first. But my treatments with her are almost done so I've been told, so maybe after that..."
Avery
"Yeah. Telepathy doesn't usually jump up really suddenly anyway. Just... let me know if there's a change."
Avery paused.
"You'll never look at people the same way, you know."
Taylor
"I don't expect to," Taylor screwed his face up a little.
"In all honesty I don't want telepathy. And everyone who I know that has it pretty much doesn't want it."
Avery
"Yeah, people don't stop thinking. And at first, it'll be loud and you can't pick one thought out from another, but once you can control it..."
Avery didn't mention all the negative thoughts she'd heard from her family over the years. Towards her, towards each other. Thoughts that happened in the heat of an argument, after bad moments, but thoughts nonetheless. It was hard to forget sometimes.
"But yeah... how's everyone at hom... in Tulsa?"
Somehow, it wasn't right calling it "home". She wasn't really there anymore.
Taylor
"They're... ok," Taylor nodded, glad she'd changed the subject.
"Considering the circumstances, they're ok."
Avery
"What circumstances?" Avery asked, her eyebrows knitted together in confusion.
Taylor
"Well considering one of the family is living abroad and won't contact let alone tell anyone where she is?" Taylor frowned.
"I haven't told them you're overseas. I'm not sure they could handle that. I told them you were still in the country."
Avery
"Thanks. I just... I can't handle talking to them right now."
Avery rubbed her nose absently.
"They'll ask too many questions... questions that I don't even think I have the answers for."
She paused.
"I'm ok. JD's mom is looking after me, and he takes me out just about every night to get my mind off it. I'm gonna be fine."
Taylor
"Good," Taylor forced a smile, even as he felt like doing anything but.
"They miss you alot. And you know if you want me to talk to them at any time, I will."
Avery
"I... would it make you feel better if you knew where I was?"
Avery bit her lip slightly.
Taylor
"Of course it would," Taylor shrugged.
"It's not like I'm going to stalk you or anything. I'm a little incapable of doing that right now."
Avery
"I know you're my biggest fan, Taylor," Avery said seriously, but she was grinning.
"I'm in England."
Taylor
"Nice choice," Taylor's smile was real this time.
"I bet it's raining a lot though."
Avery
Avery laughed.
"Yeah, is right now, actually. JD and I went outside, splashing about in gumboots."
Taylor
"Sounds fun," Taylor nodded.
"How old is this JD?"
Avery
"He's 17, turning 18 soon," Avery replied.
She giggled.
"Do you want a background check done on him?"
Taylor
"Don't think I don't," Taylor raised an eyebrow.
"And hey, I can track him down now."
He grinned.
Avery
"Don't be mean, JT," Avery said, then burst out into laughter.
"Awesome. JT and JD."
Taylor
Taylor rolled his eyes.
"Oh don't think I won't either. I like to know who my little sister is fraternising with."
Avery
"And sleeping with."
Avery snorted.
Taylor
"Yeah, that too," Taylor rolled his eyes.
"What are you doing at the moment?"
Avery
"Right at this instant? Laying in bed, talking to you. Or if you meant in life... then I'm working in a cafe, living with this family and... just hanging out, I guess."
Avery shrugged.
Taylor
"I meant over the next few days," Taylor sighed.
"Are you going anywhere? Doing any sight seeing or anything? It's been a while since we've been there and we didn't really get to do much."
Avery
"Went half sight seeing on Saturday, but ended up shopping."
Avery rubbed her eyes.
"We're both working all week, but I think Rara is talking... oh that's JD's sister. She's talking about maybe taking me properly sight seeing next weekend."
Taylor
"Sounds cool," Taylor nodded.
"So are you set up financially?"
Avery
"I'm so-so in that department. I still have my savings from when I got pocket money and stuff, and now I'm working, so yeah, I'm doing alright. Cheaper now that I'm not in the hotel."
Avery shrugged.
"But yeah, I'm alright in that department."
Taylor
"If you need anything, I can send it over," Taylor offered straight away.
"Be it money, or if you have clothes at the house that you want... anything."
Avery
"Yeah... I probably need clothes."
Avery thought for a moment.
"But I should be right for now."
Taylor
"Well... let me know when you want something, ok?" Taylor rubbed his face.
"And you know, give me specifics."
Avery
"I will, thanks."
Avie paused.
"So, when would you like me to visit?"
Taylor
"As soon as you can," Taylor said carefully.
"I mean as soon as you think you can. Not before."
Avery
"I could probably do it in a few weeks. Maybe 2 or 3 weeks."
Avery scratched her chin.
"I might even... go see mom and dad."
Taylor
"That'd be great," Taylor breathed a little easier.
"Let me know if you need money for the flights if you don't take a teleporter. Oh and... would you... would you want to meet Natalie yet? You don't have to."
Avery
"Yeah, sure, that'd be great. I'd love to meet your latest slampiece."
Avery fiddled with the phone cord.
"I'll come back for Easter, how does that sound?"
Taylor
"It'd mean the world to me," Taylor insisted.
"Just don't rush yourself. If you need more time, take more time. Where do you plan to stay? Here, home or... we could book a hotel or something?"
Avery
"Home, I guess. I hadn't thought about it, but... I guess at some point I have to face everything."
Avery sighed.
"And I do want to see mom and dad and everyone, so home. Or with you guys maybe. I don't know."
Taylor
"Well if you stay with us it's not like you're plunging in head first, so to speak," Taylor offered.
"And we do have the extra room."
Avery
"And you miss me so much?" Avery teased.
She thought for a moment.
"I'll give it some thought. And if I start freaking out about staying with mom and dad, I guess... I won't do that then. Haha."
Taylor
"Good plan," Taylor agreed.
"And you know you don't have to see them straight away if you came here either."
Avery
"I know," Avery replied softly.
"Maybe I should pierce my nose."
Taylor
Taylor chuckled.
"That could be cool. I actually think that would suit you," he nodded.
Avery
"It would take away from the huge nose I inherited from Zac."
Avery made a face.
"For the rest of my life, I will never forgive him."
Taylor
"Why don't you try blaming the person who actually gave it to you?" Taylor suggested.
"That would be Dad."
Avery
"Yeah, that is true."
Avery sighed.
"I wish my nose was like yours."
Taylor
Taylor rolled his eyes again.
"Let's not go there," he practically pleaded.
"Will you be coming before or at the beginning of Easter?"
Avery
"Whenever you want me to, T-dawg."
Avery cracked her knuckles.
Taylor
"Before, then," Taylor decided.
"Come a few days before. Just let me know when your flight gets in and I'll pick you up."
Avery
Avery nodded.
"Cool."
She sighed.
"Do you think I'm being selfish?"
Taylor
Taylor hesitated, cringing a little.
"Ave... I've been there. And you know I've been there. I can't exactly call you selfish when I practically did the same thing. But I do know that what I did was wrong."
He hesitated.
"You just need time. I of all people understand that."
Avery
Avery smiled in spite of herself.
"You know, even if things hadn't happened, I probably would've done this eventually anyway. I love being out here, everything is so different from home. And I like the challenge of finding my place here."
Taylor
"But you can still do that," Taylor shook his head.
"And you can do it with people knowing about it. No one's going to stop you if that's what you really want to do with yourself. You just have to make sure that it's really what you want. When you've made that decision, we'll do everything you need us to to help you out. It's what family does."
Avery
Avery bit her lip.
"Yeah... but I need to do it this way right now. I just need to."
She looked around for a pair of socks.
"Thanks Tay."
Taylor
"That's the only part I don't understand anymore," Taylor shooked his head.
"And... you're welcome. I guess your card's about to run out again."
Avery
"I have a few more dollars on this one," Avery said.
"What don't you understand?"
Taylor
"Why you need to isolate yourself to the extent that others are sick with worry," Taylor said straight out.
"I never did that."
Avery
"I don't know."
Avery was silent for a moment.
"I need to be far away. I want to be this far away. From the family, from the station, from... from who I used to be, I guess."
Taylor
"As the cliche goes, you can run but you can't hide," Taylor said.
"You'll never escape who you are or what you've done. The sooner you realise that, the easier your life is going to be. And no one can help you with that."
Avery
"I know I can't, but I can't... or rather... I just don't have that courage to face life yet."
Avery sighed.
"I'll call mom and dad tomorrow. I promise."
Taylor
"Let me know how it goes," Taylor went on, softer this time.
"When will you call next?"
Avery
"Next weekend probably."
Avery rubbed at her neck.
"I'll call mom and dad sometime this week, and let them know where I am."
Taylor
"Great," Taylor nodded.
"I will talk to you then."
Avery
"Catch ya, Tay."
Avery put the phone down and stared at the ceiling.
Taylor
Taylor hung up as well, glad at the turn the conversation had taken.
He glanced up at the clock, before getting up and grabbing his guitar and heading back for the studio.