"There won't be trouble here." - computer science, There Won't Be Trouble

~~~

I woke up the next day, prepared to not do anything. My phone notifications suggested otherwise. Beside the ones from YouTube, I had one from Avery.

Avery💕: You going to Sylvie today? I'll b there so come if u want

That was sent an hour ago. I wondered if she was still there or if she'd left. There was no purpose in leaving the comfort if my bed if she wasn't even there anymore. I missed Sylvie though, so a visit would be nice.

Me: u still there? I'm just now waking up

Avery💕: yeah I'm still here. U should come

So, my day was set. I prepared myself for the lifeless air of the building with its peeling paint and old-fashioned views. Sometimes, I thought about how I stuck up for Avery back in December. It was hard to believe that Avery had only been in my life for a month considering how infatuated I was.

I got on my feet and headed toward the bathroom. I did my routine before I came across my grandma.

She looked at her watch. "It's only 11 am. Don't get the wrong idea here, but why are you up?"

"What, I can't be up at 11?"

"No, not on weekends. The earliest you wake up is 1 pm."

"I'm going to the old folks home," I informed. "I'll be back in about an hour."

"Tell Sylvie I said hi. And if Avery's there too, tell her I said hi."

I scoffed. "Like Avery knows you."

"She knows enough of me. Remember she carried your drunk ass in here and I talked with her." She laughed at the memory. All that came back to me was deep regret and embarrassment. Drunken me might've been even more numb than average me, but drunken me was a nuisance.

~~~

I walked toward the room that held my two favorite dancers. Well, one formerly. Avery and Sylvie were chatting up a storm when I approached them. I decided to wait outside the room for a bit just to eavesdrop because why not?

God, that sounded creepy.

"You know I think you and Adrian would make a good pair," Sylvie commented. My heart skipped a beat.

"I know. I went out with him yesterday."

"How was it?"

"It was good. He paid," she mentioned. "Honestly, I wish it were longer."

So, she suddenly liked when I paid. Interesting... I contemplated walking in the room at that moment, but ultimately decided to wait outside a little longer. I never stopped to think that Avery would talk about me, especially when she was talking like this.

"What was the best part of it?" Sylvie asked.

"I don't know," she chuckled. With that giddy tone in her voice, I already knew she was blushing. I didn't even have to glance at her.

This was the time I decided to make my appearance.

"Hello, Avery and Sylvie," I greeted, attempting to hide my inflated ego and smug expression.

Avery smiled and didn't seem startled or caught off guard like I thought she would. Sylvie looked a little lost for words at my presence. Hmm, I wondered why?

"How nice of you to join us," Sylvie remarked. "I was starting to think you'd forgot about us."

"Even if I tried, I probably couldn't forget..."

"Isn't that sweet?" Avery gleamed.

"...unfortunately," I finished, earning a playful push from the girl sitting beside me. I artificially winced in pain. She laughed, gaining the satisfaction that she had wanted.

"I didn't think I'd have to tell teenagers to act their age. Hands to yourselves!" Sylvie advised. "If I could, I would get up and slap both of y'all."

"Not trying to say you should get up, but why can't you?"

"I suffered a fall and can barely walk. The nurses say my hip is hurt. It might need surgery. I could try to walk, but -"

"There's really no need for that, Sylvie. I wouldn't want to see you hurt," Avery stressed. Sylvie sat up in her bed, making the girl tense up. Wait, I was tensing up too. Why was I tense?

"I second that," I voiced. Still, Sylvie sat her feet on the ground, preparing to leave her comfort of a bed for danger. Jeez, being old really must've made someone stop giving a fuck.

She stood up and took a couple steps toward us before she staggered and began to fall. I rushed over and she fell in my arms. Avery left her seat as well and helped me keep Sylvie off the ground.

"Should we get a nurse?" Avery asked. I didn't know who the question was directed at, but I started to think it was me.

"Maybe. I don't know. They already know her hip is bad."

"Yeah, but she might've just aggravated it even more."

"Okay, we can get a nurse after we get her back in bed," I resolved. Sylvie seemed to get stiffer and stiffer in my arms as time passed.

We got her back in bed and Avery went off to find a nurse. While I was still in the room, I watched Sylvie's eyes close in what could've been pain or exhaustion. Either way, she was in relief now that she was transitioning from reality to slumber.

Was she gonna be okay?