chapter two
you're not so bad, harrington

Avery's parents were weirdly okay with her blonde hair when Avery arrived home that night. Lorelai loved it, noticing it straight away and making a comment about how much better Avery looked with it already. Theo told her that she looked too much like her mother and that scared him because in his words 'he did not need two Lorelai's running around'.

Avery was not completely sure about the blonde, it was the most impulsive thing she had done in her lifetime. It was not until she woke up the next morning and took her hair out of the braids, the curly hair complimenting her blue fared jeans and brown jumper, that she finally felt like her. She knew she had made the right choice because suddenly she felt complete, the one thing in her life that had been missing was clearly the colour of her hair.

She met with Robin, the girl instantly complimenting her before they walked down the corridor, smiling at people they passed. Many people told Avery that they liked her hair and she thanked them graciously, Robin rolling her eyes every few minutes at the attention her friend got. Avery was handed a flyer for a party, the girl immediately scrunching it up and throwing it in a nearby bin.

"You don't wanna go to the Halloween bash?" Robin asked her.

"I'm working tonight so I can't go." Avery shrugged. "Anyways so I was talking to Lucas last night."

"When you were baby sitting his little sister?" Robin wondered.

"Yes, when I was babysitting Erica I was talking to Lucas, and he told me about this new girl, Max, and I'm like pretty sure he has a little crush on her." Avery explained to Robin, who pouted slightly.

"Aw, how adorable." She smiled. "I remember my first crush."

"I remember your first crush too." Avery laughed slightly. "It's why we're friends."

"Fun times." Robin nodded, the two girls laughing as they stood in front of Avery's locker.

"Hi." A voice spoke from next to them. Avery turned to the voice, seeing the new boy, Billy Hargrove, leaning on the locker next to the blonde. Billy Hargrove had transferred over the fall break and had already made quite the impression around the school. He already had made a public enemy out of Steve Harrington and seemed to want to have sex with anything that had a pulse.

"Hi." Avery greeted him with a polite smile.

"I don't believe we've met." He smiled flirtatiously.

"That's because you've been here for like three days." Robin muttered, making Avery laugh slightly.

"I'm Avery." Avery held a hand out for him to shake.

"Billy." The boy turned her hand, bringing it to his lips.

"And I'm gonna be sick." Robin mumbled, grabbing Avery's arm. "We've gotta go to class."

"Bye." Avery smiled at Billy, who waved at her, smiling.

"Don't go near him again, he's trouble, I can feel it." Robin told Avery.

"Yes ma'am." Avery saluted. Avery didn't mind Robin's seemingly rude exit from the boy and demand of the blonde. Avery knew that Robin had a bit of a sixth sense when it came to people, especially ones that tried to speak to her best friend, for all Robin wanted was to protect Avery, to keep her safe from all things that could hurt her. And Avery was grateful for that.

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Later that night, Avery waved goodbye to her mum as she walked out the door, leaving Avery in charge of the diner. The blonde sighed as she sat behind the bar, watching the workers move swiftly around the place, the faint shout of the kitchen staff in the background. It was Halloween and the place was swarmed with people dressed it all kinds of outfits.

The diner staff was also dressed up but they had their aprons on as well. They didn't look too out of place though considering they were all dressed up as characters, who spent their time working or simply in a diner like Lorelai's. Avery herself was wearing a light yellow dress with white polka dots on it. It came down to her mid shins and had a bow on the top, and was also inspired by the dress that Sandy from Grease wore on her secret date with Danny in the diner.

Avery smiled as the bell rang above the door. She looked over, ready to greet customers, only to see Dustin, Lucas and a red haired girl walking in, bouncing across the diner, sitting on the stools opposite Avery while they laughed.

"Hey guys." Avery greeted. "Where's Mike and Will?"

"Mike took Will home." Dustin explained as Avery nodded understandingly. She knew that Will had been having episodes for the last few weeks and that Mike had been caring for the boy.

"Oh, and who's this?" Avery gestured towards the red haired girl.

"This is Max." Lucas smiled.

"Max? This is Max." Avery smiled, a sparkle in her eye that all three kids completely missed.

"And Max, this is Avery. She's like the coolest person we know." Dustin told Max, who smiled at the blonde.

"Nice to meet you Max." Avery greeted.

"Nice to meet you too Avery." Max smiled.

The girl gave the three some milkshakes before she continued doing her actual job, greeting people, serving them with a large smile and thanking them profusely when they'd tip her a generous amount mixed with some of their Halloween candy. She was positively exhausted when she closed the doors at eleven, her mother allowing her to close early since it was Halloween and she had to get home alone.

Avery was the last person left in the diner, simply finishing cashing up and wiping the sides down before she could leave to go home. The bell above the door rang, Avery's head shooting up to see who was there. She furrowed her eyebrows when she saw Steve Harrington huffing, and walking towards the bar, slumping on one of the stools.

Avery sighed, walking over to the sad boy, placing her chin in her hand so she was level with him, "What's the glum face for, Harrington?"

"Nancy doesn't love me." Steve pouted.

Avery sighed, standing back up, and taking a breath. She didn't hate Steve, no Avery didn't really hate anyone, not even James. Avery knew that Steve had helped Nancy and Jonathan all those weeks ago and she knew every deep detail of his relationship with Nancy... except the fact that she didn't love him, but Avery wasn't an idiot, she knew deep down Nancy didn't love Steve, she loved Jonathan and needed to admit it to both herself and Steve.

"Well there's nothing I can do about making Nancy love you but I do have the cure to heartbreak, Monroe's special sundae." Avery smiled at him, knowing exactly how to cheer the boy up. The Monroe's sundae doesn't cure heartbreak, nothing truly can, but making and eating ice cream with a friend while listening to uplifting music can definitely make a person feel a lot better.

Steve looked up, hope in his eyes. "Really?"

"Yep." Avery told him. "You have to help make it otherwise it doesn't work."

Steve jumped up, walking behind the counter so he was now next to Avery, "Let's do it."

Avery laughed slightly, grabbing everything they needed before walking over to the record player in the corner. "And what goes best with making sundaes." Avery pressed play. "Abba."

The sound of dancing queen echoed throughout the empty diner, making Steve laugh slightly as Avery made her way back over to him. She grabbed two sundae glasses and placed them in front of the two. Steve quickly grabbed the ice cream she had put down minutes prior, taking the ice cream scoop from Avery and spooning five large scoops of chocolate ice cream into both cups.

Avery laughed as she dumped Maltesers on top of the chocolate ice cream, throwing a few at Steve in the process. Steve sent her an offended look before throwing chocolate buttons at her in retaliation.

Avery laughed. "You better be picking them up."

Steve shook his head, Avery nodding hers. "Also you need to tie your hair up."

"Why?" Steve asked.

"You might get stuff in it." Avery handed him a hair tie. "Tie it up!"

Steve huffed, putting his hair into a tiny ponytail on the top of his head, making Avery burst out in laughter. Steve looked confused, turning to the microwave and looking at his reflection.

"Truly Abba worthy, Harrington." Avery complimented, putting buttons in their sundaes. "Let's do this dancing queen."

Steve pretended to dance, Avery continuing to laugh at him as he sung badly. "You're in the mood for a dance. And when you get the chance."

Steve gestured for Avery to join, her laughing as he grabbed her hand and spun her around, the two singing in sync. "You are the dancing queen, young and sweet only seventeen."

Steve spun Avery once more before grabbing the marshmallows and dumping them on their sundaes, Avery putting chocolate sauce over the two. The continued to dance and sing until the song ended and they had finished their sundaes, the two sitting opposite each other in one of the booths.

Steve took a bit of sundae before smiling at Avery, "You were right, I do feel better."

"I told you." Avery smiled smugly. "You know, Harrington you're not so bad."

"Thank you?" Steve furrowed his eyebrows.

"That's a good thing, I thought you were an asshole so..." Avery shrugged.

"Well you're not so bad yourself, Monroe." Steve told her. "And we have one thing in common so I like you."

"What's that? Our love for Abba and sundaes?" Avery furrowed her eyebrows at the boy.

"No, we both have awesome hair." Steve looked at her like it was obvious. "Yours looks much better blonde by the way."

"Thanks." Avery nodded, although it was a bit of a weird compliment.

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The next day, Avery sat in the gym, doing homework as she watched the boys playing basketball, Billy winking at her every few moments. Avery narrowed her eyes when Nancy walked in, calling Steve over, the two walking outside for some privacy.

The basketball game continued, Billy beating the other team easily. The Hargrove boy threw the ball, it going in the net, once again causing him to turn and wink at the blonde. James watched the exchange, narrowing his eyes and scrunching his nose up in disgust before stealing the ball from the other team, running past Billy and easily getting a basket.

Billy spun to face James, who smiled smugly at the boy, high fiving another one of his teammates. Steve then walked back into the gym, anger radiated off of him.

"Hey dancing queen." Avery called, standing up on the bleachers and walking over to the boy, who rubbed his forehead. "Hey, Steve, you okay?"

"Nancy doesn't love me." Steve huffed. "She couldn't say it, she couldn't say it drunk and she can't say it sober, she doesn't love me."

"Yeah but that's fine. It's one girl, Steve." Avery told him. "There'll be others."

"You think?"

"Seriously. You're King Steve, Steve 'the hair' Harrington, and you're worried about one girl. Use your fantastic hair and get another." Avery scoffed, shaking her head. "You need to get your confidence back, man. Go play some basketball and kick that new kid's ass, he keeps winking at me and I don't like it."

"Yeah, yeah." Steve nodded. "I'll definitely kick his ass for you."

Avery pushed Steve towards the court, smiling as he ran on to it, fist bumping James as he did. Avery went back to her work, watching as Steve got a basket. The blonde quickly jumped up, smiling. "Go Steve!"

Steve bumped Billy on his way past him, narrowing his eyes at Billy's angry face.

"You got lucky." Billy sneered.

"If you keep flirting with Avery, you'll need the luck next time." Steve threatened.

James furrowed his eyebrows, listening to Steve before he walked over to Avery, sitting down next to the girl. "What you up to blondie?"

"Studying so I can kick your ass in our next test." Avery spoke nonchalantly.

"I didn't know your life was so revolved around me." James smiled.

"It's not. Beating you only takes up a portion of my time." Avery told him. "You made a nice shot earlier."

"Avery Monroe, complimenting me, has hell frozen over?" James asked her, a smile on his face.

"Don't make me take it back." Avery turned to him.

"You can't." James stated.

"I can, I take it back, it was a rubbish shot. A shit shot." Avery shrugged.

"No, you said it, it was an amazing shot. Your words." James smiled.

"I did not say it was amazing." Avery denied.

"Yes you did."

"No I didn't."

"Yes you—"

"Oi, Parker, stop flirting and get your ass over her and play." One of the boys shouted, catching the twos attention, James' eyes widening at the statement.

"I gotta go." James pointed to the court. "Have fun studying. Oh and your hair is pretty."

"Thanks." Avery smiled with a slight furrow in her eyebrows. "Um, have fun getting sweaty."

( 💌 ) isobel's notes
a pretty boring chapter but we get the beginning
of steve and avery's beautiful friendship
and some cute james and avery
and obviously avery meeting max 🤭