When We Were Still Human by Vaughn Foster (best ereader for textbooks .txt) 📕

“Avia.”

The word was short. Cold. With a curt nod, Rachel crossed the hall and entered the condo. Avia watched her take in the space. She’d obviously been there before, but it had been months since Avia had last invited guests over. Rachel stepped over the displaced cushions and glanced over the wreckage that Avia had sent to the floor. She sighed and finally turned to look her in the eyes.

“So…” Avia stared back, trying to search her friend’s blank expression. The world was still fuzzy around the edges, so she leaned back against the island for balance. She ran a hand through her hair and realized brown was overtaking the gold highlights. That meant another trip back to the salon— next payday, of course.

Avia blinked and tore past the sleepy haze to focus on her friend. “Not all of us wake up at the crack of dawn to get swol, Rach.” She forced a small smile, expecting a similar expression to mirror in Rachel. It didn’t.

“How was Immortel?” She crossed her arms and stared expectantly. Her voice was even, but anger was evident beneath the words.

“I—” Avia went still, eyes not leaving Rachel’s. She took a breath and tried to imbibe a casual approach. She laughed and threw her shoulders back in a nonchalant posture. “I’m guessing there was a video?”

Rachel held out her phone. Avia leaned forward to see herself on the stage, grinding against DJ Muskrat. Video-Avia then slid between his legs and began a solo-routine that fell somewhere between breakdancing and the sinuous allure of a stripper. Present-Avia was just realizing that she was killing it when her eyes went below the stage. There was Lorne, engaged in a seductive, almost serpentine movement with the brunette she had pointed out. Good for him.

Rachel pulled back her phone, and this time, hurt was clear in her face. “I…” She looked away, swatting a tear that started to well. “I’m done, Avia.”

Avia stared back, dumbfounded. “Rachel,” she said slowly, “I know I bailed on the movies. I wasn’t planning on going out. But some stuff went down when I got back and I needed to blow off steam and—”

“You always need to blow off steam!” Frustration flushed her pale skin red. “You’re always having a bad day. Me, and Danna, and Jack, and everyone else have been there for you and never once have you called. You hit the bar. You started hanging out with Dereck’s sketchy brother.”

“Come on, Nico’s not that bad.”

“He’s a white-collar drug dealer!” Rachel stormed to the refrigerator, pulled out the apple juice, then began top pour herself a glass. Where most people needed whisky, Rachel went to sweets and high fructose.

She took a long gulp then set the glass down. “This isn’t about the club,” she spoke quietly. “It’s not about you sleeping with the guy Tiff liked because you ‘really didn’t know.’ It’s not about you missing my birthday because you were hungover. This isn’t even about you blowing us off every time we make plans. This is about you being self-destructive with no regard for yourself or anyone else.”

Avia slammed her palm on the table. “Rachel, that’s not fair!” They both turned at the sound of the cat jumping from the couch and watched as he slunk off towards the bedroom. “Sorry, Ches,” she said with a whisper.

“Avia…” Rachel took a deep breath and pushed back the golden strands that slipped from her hair-tie. “I think that cat is the only living thing you care about.”

“Rachel, please.” Avia crossed to the kitchen and took the other girl’s arm. “Wanna get coffee? How about lunch? Just give me fifteen minutes to shower and get dressed and we can go.”

Rachel flattened her lips to a cold line. “I thought you had a student that rescheduled for this morning.”

Avia paled. “He um—that’s not ‘til nine. We have plenty of time.”

Rachel shook her head and pulled away. “Your mom called me last week.”

“What?!” Avia shot upright, tension winding down her limbs like a constrictor. “Wh—what do you mean?”

The other girl looked her over. The anger was gone. This time, it was just sadness. “I don’t know how she found me. She was just asking a ton of questions about how you were doing, if you liked your job. If you were happy.”

“Of course she did,” Avia growled before looking away.

“See?! This is your problem!” Rachel slammed the counter, exasperated. “Whatever happened with you and your parents, they are trying to do better. And what are you doing? Getting high, drinking on weeknights, and slutting around with every guy that so much as looks in your direction!”

“You have no right to bring up my family! Who are you to come into my house at six in the fucking morning to start preaching about my life?!”

More tears escaped Rachel’s eyes, but she didn’t fight them. “Avia, I think you’re hurt. I think something happened that took something away and left you hollow. Whatever you’re doing to yourself, it’s not working. I- I hope you can get the help you need.”

The world went still. Avia barely heard Rachel leave, or the door slam behind her. That one word kept repeating in her mind.

Hollow.

Hollow.

Hollow.

Hueco.

“I said no!” She stomped her foot down on his.

He reeled back in pain, cursing. She lunged away and fumbled for the handle on the bedroom door, but his hands were already on her shoulder, spinning her around. Before she could even see him, the back of his hand struck her face. She stumbled back into the bookshelf  before falling to the floor.

He knelt before her, then lifted her chin so she could look him in the eye.

Despite the blow he’d just delivered, his composure was calm. No matter what, he never got upset. He was Señor