Take a Picture, It'll Last Longer

“Yes. I have a wonderful body and no shame in showing it off,” she claimed, smirking at the other. She laughed at the idea of finding something sluttier for next time. “I don’t know about that. I want to enjoy myself, not have to fight off guys thinking they can touch me or flirt with me because I’m wearing something slutty. That’s only fun when you want the attention,” she argued. Kenzie laughed at the other’s description of making the costume. “Were you screaming at yourself or the material? Just curious.” She did a little spin so Avery could see all her handwork before putting her hands on her hips, adopting a hero pose. “I feel powerful! Now you need to get ready.”

☆ﾟ*·ﾟCHUCKLING, AVERY NODDED just looking at her for a moment. How did the outfit fit her better that it did Avery? But she wasn’t complaining. This would be a night to remember. “If you ever wanted to war something like that, I’d be there with you. I’m a master at fighting off men like that,” she explained, laughing lightly. That was something Avery was good at, and proud of it. “The material, mostly. It’s a bit temperamental,” she explained, before grabbing her own outfit and headed into the bathroom. “You really do look beautiful.” Closing the door behind her, Avery pulled on the outfit of the villain and grinned to herself. As she opened the door, she looked over at Kenzie. “What do you think? I was so nervous about this one.”

-

Piper couldn’t help the light snort that fell from her lips. “I feel like there were Facebook pages made about you in high school,” she said. “With quotes and everything. Probably inspired countless Regina Georges in your wake.” She couldn’t help the grin that came to her face as the other girl spoke. “You know what, fair enough,” she said. “As long as it’s not my hair.” 

☆ﾟ*·ﾟSHE JUST STARED at the girl in front of her and let her talk, comparing her to mean girls. If there were pages made about her, well, it would only please her. It was no secret that she liked knowing people knew who she was. “There could’ve been. It’s possible.” Tilting her head to the side, she shook her head. “Don’t worry, I’d never cut your hair. That red hair is far too pretty to lose.” Avery crossed her arms over her chest, now incredibly curious about this girl. “I wouldn’t dare.”

-

Carew waited, eyes following the individual she’d been threatening. He waited until they were just out of sight before pulling the scissors back out of his pocket and handing them over to her. “Fine but please use these for good. And if you’re going to use them for evil be smart about it.” He said sternly as he set them back in her hand. There was a shake from his head, chuckling lightly at the suggestion that he’d be of any use. While he wasn’t completely disconnected from bringing harm to others, murder was not apart of his 5 year plan. Nor was being an accessory. “If you ever need any help count me out. I can be muscle for a lot of things but not that.” He corrected, raising an eyebrow at her genuine interest in carving up a watermelon. “It absolutely could and they’re quite delicious afterwards. See there we go. Seems you’re feeling better already.” 

☆ﾟ*·ﾟA SOFT SIGH slipped through Avery’s lips as he handed her back his scissors. She hated that he was right, and hated that she knew if she did anything, it’d land her back in juvie. “Fine, you’re right. I don’t need a reason for my mother to be more pissed off with me than she has been for a while.” Placing her scissors back in her bag, she leaned up against her locker, looking him up and down. “Okay, how did you do that? Seriously. How did you get me to calm down so fast? Not a lot of people can do that,” Avery explained, now very curious about the person standing in front of her. Laughing, she nodded, “I am feeling better and now I really just want to eat a watermelon with my bare hands.”

@ofaveryswood​

“I would get up and keep going,” Libby mused from her position laying on the bed, “but I’ve kind of already resigned myself to the fact that we’re gonna fucking fail.” So that was a resounding success for her study session with Avery, not that it hadn’t been for lack of trying - in fact, it felt like they’d been struggling through for hours, and maybe it had, she could see it was already getting dark outside. “I guess it’s just one exam,” she said, letting herself slump further down the bed, although the words were more an effort to reassure the other girl than herself. “No harm done.” 

☆ﾟ*·ﾟAVERY CHUCKLED SOFTLY as she looked down at Libby from her position. As she spoke, she wondered why she was standing. Flopping down onto the bed, she grabbed a pillow, resting it underneath her arms as she leaned on the pillow. “You know, for the first time in a while, I’m going to agree with you. I just can’t study anymore.” A small smile rested on her face as she looked up at her. “Maybe we could find something else to do, to distract our brains so that the information can slide in there when we’re not thinking about it,” Avery suggested, wondering what Libby might say. There was a lot they could do, but Avery’s brain was tired and she really didn’t want to have to think anymore. “Who made exams so hard?”  she asked, pouting. 

While Nova had initially felt irritated with the dark-haired girl, the more she talked to her, the more she was starting not to mind her. It was a rarity to meet someone who shared her love for destruction. Whether that be destruction of property or the destruction of someone’s soul, which could be equally as fun, if they angered her enough. “Right? That’s what I’m saying. Bats can be fun, too. They work wonders on glass. Specifically, breaking glass, of course,” she mused, a sort of wicked grin forming on her lips as she recalled the time she’d smashed one of her ex’s car windows. “Well, maybe I overreacted, a little. I’m a hothead. It’s in my nature, but you may not be so bad, either.” 

☆ﾟ*·ﾟAVERY WAS WEIRDLY pleased with the conversation the more and more she heard of it. She hadn’t expected the two of them to agree on anything, but here she was, intrigued by her words. “Bats? I hadn’t thought of them, but they’re beautiful creatures.” A smirk grew across her face as she looked back up at the girl. “That sounds like a story that I’d love to hear.” Any story that involved destruction was a story that Avery wanted to hear. And now, she was incredibly intrigued by this girl. “I’m a bit of a hothead as well, and I can get defensive. but perhaps we’re just two sides of the same coin.”

“Almost. I was testing out something in my room and it fell off of me. Literally. Too bad no one was there to see it. I look hot naked too,” she joked with a wink in Avery’s direction. Kenzie followed her to her dorm, heading inside. She checked out the costume when it was handed to her. “This is so cool! It looks just like they describe in the book,” she said, turning the material over in her hands. With a grin, she ran into the bathroom and quickly pulled the outfit on before heading out. “So what do you think?”

☆ﾟ*·ﾟA SOFT CHUCKLE slipped through lips at the thought of that. “Is that right?” Avery asked, looking at the girl. “We may need to find you a sluttier costume next time,” she explained, curious if they could actually find a good one. Once they reached her dorm and she’d handed the costume to Kenzie, Avery found herself even more excited for her to wear it than she ever had been. “Thank you! It took forever, and there was lots of pain, screaming, and scissors involved, in some not so good ways.” Avery plopped down onto her bed, waiting for Kenzie to come out. As she emerged from the bathroom, her jaw dropped. “You look perfect! Even better than I ever would! No one will be able to take their eyes off you!”

Esmeralda raised an eyebrow when the girl stopped suddenly. “oh no..please. tell what you want to do to me.” she egged her on. “honey i don’t care if you’re scared of me or not.” she rolled her eyes, trying to contain a chuckle. “you’re the one making threats and waving around a pair of scissors. like we get it Edward Scissorhands.” 

☆ﾟ*·ﾟAVERY SHOOK HER head. “No, I don’t really feel like it. You’re not worth it. You don’t need to know, and now, the more you speak, the more I really just don’t want to continue this conversation,” she responded, a glare taunting her, begging to darken. “The fact that you’re calling me Edward Scissorhands just makes it worse. You don’t know what he did, who he is, or who I’d much rather be compared to and I’m not even going to tell you. Like I said, not worth it.”

“Suddenly got no problem with me? I thought it might have that effect,” he mused, grin remaining prominent on his face. “All I’m saying is, it’s not just the ass. Your tits are pretty fine too. Wouldn’t wanna give you an ego, though…”

☆ﾟ*·ﾟ “WHEN YOU SAY it like that, maybe not, or maybe I’m willing to forgive you because you’re recognizing beauty when you see it,” Avery stated, a sly smirk playing at her lips. She knew she was attractive, and knew guys enjoyed looking, so why not indulge a little bit in the pleasure of watching them flirt? “I’m aware. Happened in 8th grade,” she stated, chuckling softly, knowing there was a joke in there she liked to use on occasion. “An ego? Honey, I’ve already got one. Don’t flatter yourself. You’re not the only guy that compliments these tits.”

-

“Arseholes like that always do.” Carew assured her as he took the scissors that were now in his possession and slid them into his back pocket. His eyes shooting daggers into the other individual who now appeared to be walking away from them. Not that he was really in the business of saving lives, but he could only imagine how inconvenient it was going to be to have to be a witness to a murder. “Yeah? You’re gonna clean up your mess? You got bleach? saran wrap? Gloves? Going to clean up stabbing a kid on the sidewalk?” He teased as he tried to imagine her carrying those things around with her. “See that’s the spirit. May not be in season anymore but makes for an excellent alternative. Or you can use like a watermelon or something.” 

☆ﾟ*·ﾟHER EYES FOLLOWED the scissors, pouting slightly. “Can I have those back?” Avery asked, holding her hand out instead of reaching for them. She adored her scissors and didn’t like when others took them, let alone touched them. Shrugging her shoulders, she realized she hadn’t thought about it like that. Any time Avery had actually thought about enacting revenge, she hadn’t actually thought about physically causing violence. At this point, it was all talk, and no game, aside from chopping off a ponytail. “I could if I wanted to. Sounds like you’re all ready to, it seems. Good to know, if I ever need any help,” Avery stated, whispering slightly as she leaned forward. “Ooh, a watermelon could be fun. Think of the mess, and how incredibly fun that would be.” She laughed, like actually laughed. It felt good to laugh, like really good. 

Through the few seconds of altercation, his preparation of the paper came to a gentle halt; almost feeling as though he should be keeping his guard up, prepared to scramble to his feet if things got too out of hand. One would think that with how much turmoil he had been repressing since his re-exposé, that witnessing any conflict outside of himself might feel as though he had been brought back to some kind of equilibrium. Instead there was a feeling of relief when Avery spoke again. He couldn’t blame her for feeling on edge lately, the confession feeling almost neutral with what had been expected of everyone at campus anymore.

He didn’t speak, even a few seconds after her follow-up question, he found himself on pause, still processing everything he had just witnessed. After a few beats of hesitation and the confirmation that the person she had been fighting with would settle once she did, he flicked his attention back down to his paper, beginning to cut another piece. “I dunno, I saw these cacti lanterns and was gonna have everyone make them.” Mentioning everyone, Jackson, of course, only meant everyone in art club. He spoke somewhat distantly for a couple seconds before finally allowing his thoughts to fully return to the task at hand. Quickly taking his fingers over the stack of paper that had yet to be cut, he flipped through the paper at the edge, trying to get a feel for how much was left. “I’m hoping to have enough, but it’s pretty common my own projects to end up looking botched on behalf of everyone else’s.” A low chuckle escaped and he found himself fading out again, unable to fully shake the things that had been said between Avery and the other person, while he and Avery had simply been trying to work. After a few seconds, he shrugged off his explanation, finding it to be an afterthought at this point. “Are you okay?”

☆ﾟ*·ﾟTHE BEST WAY to distract yourself from your own head was to find something else to occupy your mind with. Helping your friend was always a good way, especially something that would occupy her hands as well. The scissors in her hand were a comfort, and right now, in that moment, more of a comfort than they should’ve been. She wanted to turn around and cut their hair off, reminding them that they shouldn’t speak to her like that, but she couldn’t bring herself to do this. It wasn’t the right time, and causing problems like that would only get her into even more trouble. Picking up another piece of paper, she cut it like she did the others, and miraculously, a small smile rested across her face. Avery felt strange today and she couldn’t explain it in the slightest. 

A small laugh left her lips as she looked up at Jackson. “Cacti lanterns? Alright. Is there a reason for them? Some kind of theme or something?” Avery asked, trying her best not to make fun of him. She’d do almost for her friends, even if that meant cutting out paper cactus lanterns that she wasn’t even sure how to assemble. As weird as it felt to cut up paper like this instead of something else, she did it for the distraction. “Well, we’re going to make them and they’ll look fantastic. I’ll stay up with you until odd hours to make sure these look fantastic, okay?” Avery explained, opening up her piece of paper. “Ideally, this should look pretty cool.” She seemed alright, until Jackson asked her that question. Once again, her hands were clammy, and her heart was beating out of her chest. “Okay? That’s such a strange word to describe what I’m feeling, but sure. We’ll go with that,” Avery practically whispered, not looking up from the new piece of paper she’d grabbed. 

Maia quietly listened as Avery explained what it was and Maia felt herself relating to her friend. Remembering the days where she felt conflicting about who she was because she believed that her excellence at sports, school, etc. was a big part of who she was. Just completing everything she ever laid her hands on perfectly and getting the acknowledgement for it. But one day, she had to let go of it because she couldn’t control who acknowledged her for her good work and it got to be too hurtful. “Find something else.” Maia suggested after a brief pause. “Try to find something in you that isn’t reliant on other people. You have a lot of things that make you… you. Being scary… well I at least don’t think it’s what stands out about you.” Maia admitted with a slight shrug. Sure, people were scared of Avery and that was a common thing but Maia wasn’t drawn to her because she was scary but because of what she got to see underneath that. “Well, I’m not leaving.” She reassured her. “Your loyalty.” She randomly said after another pause. “That’s a big part about you. From where I stand at least.” She said as the corners of her lips pulled upward, her lips pressed together.

☆ﾟ*·ﾟAVERY’S HANDS FELT like they were covered in sweat, and her lungs felt like they couldn’t catch all of the breaths she wanted. She hated not being sure of herself, or being sure of who she was or what she wanted. But lately, she worried that she wasn’t really herself anymore, you know? But she knew that Maia would be one of those people that would always have her back, no matter what. “Something else?” She took a deep breath and ran her hands through hair. “I do want to become a good surgeon, but I know people doubt me because I’m gothic and that...that’s annoying.” As Maia continued talking, Avery’s heart filled up with an almost bright light, thankful for her friend. She had no idea what she’d do without her, despite the fact that she’d met her in juvie. “Loyalty, yeah, I am... I’d do anything for you, and for the rest of my friends, even if it meant getting into trouble. You all keep me sane, you know that, right?” Twirling her hair around her finger, she sighed, “Sorry about all of this. You know I’m not usually so dreary.”

“That’s one way to do it. I suck at fashion and stuff, so I either crappily make stuff or buy them off the internet. At least if it’s the latter option, it’s less likely to fall apart and leave me butt naked,” she joked. “Yes! I would love to try on her costume!” she agreed, bouncing up and down as she got up. “She’s awesome too. I love all badass female characters. They are the best ones.” Kenzie got out her phone as they walked, pulling up pictures of the sword and handing it to Avery to look at. “It’s awesome. Makes me feel like a warrior goddess. You’re welcome. You don’t have to thank me so much. I am always down for books.”

☆ﾟ*·ﾟGRINNING BRIGHTLY, AVERY was overly excited to know that she actually had someone else as excited about this. She couldn’t help the small laugh that slipped through her mouth. “I’m sorry for laughing, but has that actually happened?” Raising her eyebrows, she looked at the girl, really needing to know if there was a story behind it. Avery tried to keep herself from bouncing out of her skin as she guided Kenzie back to her room. She hadn’t thought about how incredibly gothic her whole room was, but she didn’t care. “Damn, that’s amazing! Maybe you can get it back soon!” Unlocking her door, she guided her into her bedroom and handed her the costume. “I think it’ll fit you really well! Go ahead, try it on!”

“If I told you, I’d probably have to kill you. Since I had to change my name and everything, after what I did,” she said with a straight face, before breaking character and smirking. “No, but seriously, nothing too illegal. Just… kinda illegal. Like, destroying personal property and all that. I like to use them for fun, too, though. Not just violence.” Her smirk deepened a bit. “Eh, could be that, or maybe it’s just that I’m not easy to scare but it’s always fun watching people try.” 

☆ﾟ*·ﾟA SOFT CHUCKLE slipped from her lips, incredibly pleased at her response. Avery appreciated that response quite a bit. “Perfect answer,” she responded, almost matching the girl’s smirk. The more this girl spoke, the more Avery’s face lit up with excitement. These were the kind of things she enjoyed. “I used to do that quite a bit, it’s entertaining, that’s for sure. Especially when you’ve got a really good bat,” she explained, letting her mind wander for a moment, going back to the days she used to break into places or for fun or attention. “Touché, but you may not be so bad. Perhaps that’s not the right word. But maybe I underestimated you.”

“Ah, but they usually give in to me, so it works out in the end,” she explained with a laugh. “Sounds awesome! The only good clothing options I make is when I take some paint markers to a shirt and write on it. Those aren’t so great for costumes though,” she said with a shrug. She mostly made those to support her friends in whatever they did. “The badass fighter chick of course! I love me a strong woman who can take down the guys.” It was the character she wished she was. And it didn’t hurt when they could still find love and be strong as well. “I bought a copy of her sword on Etsy, but it’s back in New York sadly. It’s a bit hard to travel with. I am so pumped to see what happens next!”

☆ﾟ*· AVERY LAUGHED LIGHTLY. One of these days, she’d have friends like that, but at this point, she hadn’t really told many of her friends about how much she adored this book series. “I’ve been teaching myself, because I want to make sure I stay true to the book.” Grinning, she gestured for her to follow her. “I have Valyria’s costume in my room if you want to come try it on before we go? It’ll look really good, I think.” Avery explained, hoping the girl would agree. She was absolutely thrilled about every second of this. “I’ll dress up as Aoife. She’s always been my favorite.” Avery pouts, huffing slightly. “I would’ve loved to see that! I made Aoife’s bow out of paper maché, but a real one would be amazing! And this is going to be an amazing night! Thank you, thank you!”

“You’re not kidding yourself. You’re working hard for what you want to do, so why would you be kidding yourself?” Maia asked, wondering where her doubts were coming from in hopes she could reassure her friend. As Avery apologized, Maia felt herself grow concerned. Hearing her friend share her concerns, she listened intently. “Why do you say that?” Maia asked, wondering where it was coming from, if something happened where she felt that way. A slight smile hinted at her lips as Avery thanked her and Maia shook her head softly. “You don’t need to thank me. Where else would I be?” She asked rhetorically. Her and Avery had been through a good amount together and even though Maia didn’t express it, she held Avery dear to her. 

☆ﾟ*· SIGHING, AVERY LEANED up against the nearest wall. Her hair fell in front of her face as she tried to wrap her head around what exactly she felt and how to explain it. “I feel like I’m losing my edge, Maia. I don’t know why. People aren’t scared of me, and it’s almost like I’m not scary anymore. That was such a big part of who I am, and now...” she stopped talking and stared off into the distance. Her head went every which direction and her thoughts couldn’t help but wander to places she hated. What if she did go soft? Would Maia still like her? Would any of her friends still like her? Shrugging her shoulders, she looked back up at her, a small smile resting on her face. She and Maia had been through so much, and to still have her there, meant the world to Avery. “I don’t know. You could’ve left by now.” What was the matter with her?

“If I beg them enough, then yes to the dressing up,” she joked with a grin. She could convince friends sometimes to join her in that sort of thing, even if they didn’t know about the series. “But I haven’t done much baking for them. And my costumes are often held together with hot glue and duck tape unless one of my fashion design friends helps me.” Otherwise, she would probably wear costumes that last an hour maybe. “That sounds awesome then! I am so ready for this!”

☆ﾟ*· GASPING JOKINGLY, SHE shook her head. “If you have to beg them, that’s no fun.” Avery always dressed up for book releases, enough to the point where people would stare at her. “If you like what I’ve made, you can share it with them.” Tilting her head to the side, a smirk fell across her face as she scanned the girl for a moment. “We’re roughly the same size. Who’s your favorite character? I may have an outfit for you!” Avery was practically bouncing up and down with excitement. She hadn’t expected anyone to like this book series as much as she did, and she most definitely wasn’t expecting anyone to go with her, let alone be this excited. “Me too! I’ve been waiting so long!”