"So is that it?" Avery asked as she checked the stuff on my list. We got it all. Milk. Bread. Eggs. Some juice. Meat. Some vegetables. And crackers.

"Yeah, that's it," I said as we walked to the cashier at the front. Then suddenly she picked out a few more things from the aisles as we passed, but I said nothing, maybe she wanted to get them for herself.

"Which you prefer?" she held up two packets of chips and I froze. Me?

"I uhm.." I didn't answer and just shrugged shyly. Why is she asking me? She hummed and dropped one, took another and walked to the counter. I followed her and took out my money to pay and suddenly she was holding my arm.

"It's fine, I'll pay for them," she says and I froze.

"What? No way. No." I said confused. Why would she wanna do that?

"It's fine, keep that and go get some food for yourself. I'll pay." she insisted. I shook my head.

"No, please Avery, I have money. Don't do this, please. You don't have to." I whispered pleadingly. Why is she doing this? We don't even know each other. She wanna pay? It was not cheap. And I have money.

"Okay but these I'm paying and they're for you, no excuses," she stated and merely nod.

"I don't need these," I mumble as the cashier rings up the chips, some biscuits, a small cake, and some juice boxes.

"It's fine, I wanna get them for you," she says softly looking at me, there was something else in those eyes. Why does she want to get me these? I'm so confused. I just nod at her words, still confused.

"Come on." We paid for the stuff and left, she beside me again. I felt so nervous being out here again, it's so scary. I don't even know why.

"You heading home after this, beanie girl?" she asks and I nod.

"Yeah, uhm thank you again, you know for all this and you really don't have to get those for me," I whisper embarrassed again. She chuckles slightly, god, it made me blush even more as if she was teasing me.

"I want to, please. Besides you look so small next to me, beanie girl, people are gonna think that you're my younger sister and we can't have that can we?" she winked then continued making my heart do a dip and she continues, "I just, you need to eat more. I just want you to eat okay?" her expression completely different now, concerned, and slightly pained.

"Okay," I whispered again. Why does she care?

"I'll walk you home. Is that okay?" I nod at her question and we were silent again. I really wanted to ask her something, but I'm such a coward. Jesus. Speak!

I bit my lip. Say. Don't say. Say. Don't say.

Just ask. It's not a big deal.

"Uhm, how old are you?" I voiced out and she smiles slightly. Have I mentioned that she's beautiful?

"I'm nineteen, you?" I tensed slightly.

"Sixteen." She tensed.

"You're sixteen? Like actually sixteen?" she asked and I nodded, my cheeks getting red.

"Oh, I didn't know. You're young, really young," she says muttering other stuff and somehow I felt her take an unconscious small step away from me, creating that little gap between us now and my heart dimmed.

"Is that a problem?" I asked peeking at her. She shook her head and smiled.

"No, not at all. I guess I see why, childlike eyes, and innocence all over you. It's adorable." she says and I flamed looking away. Adorable. She called me adorable. I smiled slightly.

"Do you go to school here?" she asked, her hand wrapped around my wrist as she pulls me across the road again. I almost forgot to answer her question.

"No," I mutter and she froze turning to look at me.

"You don't go to school? Why?" she inquired. And I shrugged.

"I did. I just didn't go this year." I said not wanting to explain further. She nods softly and we continued walking again. I sighed internally. She must think I'm a spoilt brat or that I'm stupid.

"So they're your parents? From that day?" I nod.

"I'm adopted. But yeah." I say and she hums. And that's when we stopped talking. She didn't ask me anything else. I frowned. Did I say something wrong? Should I ask her something? Uhm.

"What about you? Do you go to school or something?" I say softly peeking at her. She smiled slightly looking at me.

"Yeah, in business school. I work here at the coffee shop during my free time with my best friend, Jake. He goes to the same school too. We stay together too so we're practically stuck together all the time." she says and I feel uneasy at what she says. They stay together? Like together, together?

"Oh, that must be nice?" I ask and she chuckled.

"Quite the opposite actually, we fight a lot, he's annoying, he teases me, and pranks me all the time but you know he's my best friend, I love him, and he is family," she says and I nod merely.

"I'll introduce him to you someday," she says after a while. I nod softly. And one day...meaning this will continue? We continued to walk in silence until we reach my home. Mum is not back yet.

"This is me," I say stopping at the gate. She nods and her eyes scan through the whole place, hmm that was funny.

"Alright. Here you go. Will we see each other again?" she asks passing me the bag.

"Uhm, thanks. And uhm, I'll come by the shop maybe." I say looking at her and she frowned a little, her eyes in thought.

"Not maybe, you will. Friday? I wanna give you something. And do you have a phone or something? So I can text you." I shook my head, her words shocking me a little, making a blush grow on my cheeks.

"No, I broke it, a while ago. But I'll come over on Friday." I mutter shyly looking down. She beamed.

"Okay then beanie girl, I'll see you Friday. Eat this okay. And take care." she says referring to the food.

"Okay. Bye." I say to her and walk up the steps to my house. She waited for me to enter and waved before walking off. I slumped against the door after shutting it tight. Oh my God.

"Who was that?" I jumped hearing dad ask. He was at the stairs.

"An old friend." I lied. He just turned away and walked upstairs. I sighed and place all the food back into the fridge and the cupboards. I took whatever she got me and brought it to my room and hid it. I don't want them finding it. I smiled softly to myself. Why was she so nice to me? Does she and Jake have something going on? Why do I feel this way? Like I just want to be with her, near her?

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I entered the coffee shop again and walked up to Jake. It was quite busy today, I sighed knowing I had to work. All I wanted to do was go home.

"Thanks for covering for me," I say as I put my apron back on.

"No problem. So who was she?" he asks slightly curious.

"No one, no one important."

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