Page 49 of Under the Influence

I didn’t know Avery sees a therapist, and I didn’t know she is on antidepressants or has chronic insomnia. Something tells me there is a whole lot more that I don’t know.

I wanted to talk to her today and tell her that we both need space. Separate identities. Separate lives.

I feel really guilty as I think back on our phone conversation this morning before school and the last thing I said to her.

They are strangers, Avery! They don’t love you, and neither do I.

It’s confusing because I do love her, though. I love her enough to let her find someone else that can make her happy.

CHAPTER

SEVENTEEN

MADDEN

It’s not like Avery to skip school. I didn’t have any classes with her this semester, but I still liked knowing she was here. Today, both Avery and Carson were missing, and it was strange.

Carson always has perfect attendance. The dude is never sick. He gets some stupid plaque at awards day every year for showing up. So something is definitely up.

“What’s your problem?” Cori asks, scooting closer to me.

“Nothing, just off today.”

“Anything I can do?”

“Nah,” I shake my head. “I don’t think so.”

She hesitates a second before cautiously speaking, “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“What should I do about Nash? It seems so easy for you. You don’t let them control you, but they leave you alone.”

“Honestly, I just don’t feed into anything. Everything they do is to get a rise. They try to use their power to influence everyone around them to obey. It’s simple if you see through their shit.”

She growls, “How do I win? How do I come out on top?”

I sigh, “If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.”

“Is that what you did?”

“No, I play the game.”

She smiles, “So is that what I do? Play the game?”

“No, Chicago, you have to play better.”

Lainey walks up, practically glued to her phone, but looks up to comment, “So are ya’ll gonna start kissing now? You’re practically sitting in his lap, Cor.”

She laughs, running her hand down the back of my arm all seductively and whispering in my ear, “Nah, just playing the game.”

I realize what she means when Nash appears only seconds later. Lainey makes a gagging sound as he approaches.

“Come on,” he demands, grabbing Cori by the hand. “This show has gone on long enough.”

I think about cussing him out but decide better of it when she hops off the wall without complaint.

“Cori, you can’t seriously be doing what he says,” Lainey scoffs.