Present day | June 7th, 2019

Recapping the wretched memory made my stomach churn. Tears of frustration and embarrassment streamed down my face as word after word slipped from my tongue.

The desire to lie overwhelmed me. I would've, if I hadn't known I'd crack under the observant stare of Officer Hudson.

Goosebumps scaled my skin, and the inside of my lip had gone bloody from obsessive biting. This was what I had been scared of, explaining this moment.

"What happened on New Years, Miss James?" Officer Hudson finally questioned, possibly noticing my fidgety state.

"A lot. And nothing at all." I purposely gave a vague, smartass answer. I hoped that he'd let it go, although I knew for certain that he wouldn't.

"Miss James, please."

I rolled my eyes, wiping away some dripping mascara. "We went to Times Square. Nothing seemed wrong, or off, until he asked me a question. It was harmless, but somehow it made something click inside me. For the first time in three months, I realized that there was something off with Kaden."

Officer Hudson scribbled down notes as I spoke, which caused me to inhale shakily. "I asked him why I could never tell what he was thinking. He strategically dodged the question, I'll give him that, but I know for a fact that he knew his excuses didn't sit right with me. Somehow, he could see it."

"How do you know?" The balding man questioned.

I shook my head, and looked to the wall besides me. "I was a fucking naïve seventeen year old girl." My words unintentionally came out in sobs.

Officer Hudson gave me a dreaded look of pity, and I immediately pulled myself together. "I know, because after that, he did the one thing he knew would take my mind off of our conversation. The one thing that'd distract me."

In my mind, I pleaded that Officer Hudson would piece together what I was trying to say. Hopefully he'd make an inference, I really didn't want to say it out loud.

"And what was that?" He spoke, much to my dismay.

I hesitated, than eventually spit out my response. "He kissed me. He kissed me, and then the only thing on my mind after that was why he did it, and what would happen now. Kaden kissed me because he knew damn well that I'd forget all about my previous suspicions."

The middle aged man's eyebrows shot up, which caused his face to morph into an expression that I couldn't stand anymore.

"Listen. I promised you that I'd sit here and tell you everything. We made a deal, and I'm honoring my side of it. However, you need to stop looking at me like I'm a monster, like I had something to do with this. You're not fooling anyone when you say you don't suspect me, because we both know you do. You think I'm just like Kaden." I leaned forward when I spoke, my tone laced with fury.

"Let me tell you something. I'm nothing like Kaden Wells. Not in the slightest. Trusting a monster doesn't make you one, and you, and your little Officer friends who have been watching me like I'm about to explode, can fuck off. I'm a senseless, rash teenage girl, but I'm not a beast. Stop watching me like I am one."

Officer Hudson sat speechless at my outburst, but I think it's the first time he's looked at me like a human being since we had started talking. It allowed me to let out a breath I wasn't aware I'd been holding.

"I apologize, Miss James. It was never my intention to make you feel like a villain."

The guilt present in his eyes made my heart sink.

This wasn't me, I'm not like this.

"I don't want to talk about December anymore. You have your information. Can we just move to January so I can get out of this God forsaken room in the near future?"

Officially Hudson inhaled. "Of course."

❦ psychotic ❦

January, 2019

"Avery! I missed you so much!" Kendall exclaims, wrapping me in a hug as I entered Mugs for the first time in a long time.

I returned her embrace. "I missed you too! How was your New Years?"

Kendall huffed. "Boring. I watched New Years Rockin' Eve with my parents."

From behind the counter, I heard Cole laugh. "Sounds exciting, Ken."

"Shut up, Cole!" Kendall snapped, turning in his direction.

I tried to suppress my laughter, but failed.

Cole smiled. "This is why I missed you Vree! You're the only one here that has a sense of humor."

"I missed you too Cole, but I still think Kendalls funnier." I rolled my eyes playfully, earning a dramatic exhale from Cole.

"See! I have a sense of humor, your jokes just suck." Kendall exclaimed, glaring at Cole.

Before Cole could reply, I interrupted. "So, how was your New Years, Cole?"

"Yeah, Cole. Was it as exciting as last years?" Kendall spoke with a sarcastic, sweet tone. I recalled what happened between the two and furrowed my eyebrows.

I thought she never told him that she showed up at his door?

Cole's expression dropped, he bit the side of his lip with an annoyed roll of his eyes. His expression returned to normal when he looked in my direction. "Thanks for asking, Vree. It was great! Dawson threw a huge party, and like every teenager in Runswick was there. It's a shame you couldn't make it."

"Party's aren't really my thing anyways." I shrugged. When the conversation faded, I immediately felt awkward. The tension between Kendall and Cole was strong enough to make me feel uncomfortable.

"Oh, I almost forgot. I got you guys something!" I grabbed my purse as I spoke, opening the latch.

First, I grabbed a snow globe for Kendall. "Sorry it's cheesy, but I thought it was cute."

She smiled widely, taking the gift appreciatively. "I love it! I needed something to put on my nightstand, thank you."

"It's not problem at all! It's not much, but I thought you'd like it." I returned her expression as I spoke.

Next, I pulled out a tacky pen, with a huge apple at the end of it. "Here you go Cole."

He laughed. "Gee Vree, you shouldn't have."

"Oh wait... I forgot something." I smirked, grabbing a bag which held twenty of the exact same pen. "Now you're never allowed to ask me for pens in Physics again."

Cole took the bag and smiled. "This is exactly what I needed, thank you."

I shook my head with a laugh, then stepped behind the counter.

Ten minutes went by in peace. Mugs was busy, therefore Kendall and Cole didn't have time to argue. Order after order came through, and it was clear we were going to make good tips tonight.

"Sorry I'm late, guys." Kaden announced, rushing through the door and trading his jacket for an apron in seconds.

Involuntarily, my stomach dropped. Ever since we got back from New York, Kaden and I haven't talked a whole lot. Things weren't particularly awkward, just forced. We ended up heading back to Runswick on New Years day, and things had been weird since then.

I wanted more than anything to avoid the awkward conversation to come, and I'm sure he did too.

Perhaps we could just... forget about it?"

"I'm sure you are big guy, but you're always late. Why didn't you just ride with Avery? You two are basically attached at the hip anyways." Kendall scolded, keeping her voice harsh enough to prove a point but quiet enough not to attract customers.

Kaden rolled his eyes and slipped behind the counter, tying the back of his apron. "I didn't think about it. I won't take tips tonight, you three can have them."

Kendall seemed satisfied with his suggestion. "Fine. But you need to get your crap together Wells."

"Got it." He mumbled back.

Typically, Kaden and I always arrived at work together, but today he hadn't texted me. I didn't even know he had a shift today.

Kaden slid past me towards the back without a word, causing my eyebrows to raise in confusion. Kendall seemed to notice his odd behavior too.

"What's up with him?" She huffed, putting espresso grounds into the espresso machine.

I shrugged, thinking of an answer that would provoke the least amount of questions. "I don't know, he must just be tired."

Kendall obviously didn't buy my answer, but decided not to push any further.

"Alright, I'm gonna take a break and talk to Charles for a little. I'll be back in ten." She stated, walking towards the booth which one of our regulars, Charles, tended to reside.

I nodded, noticing a new customer making their way inside. I needed someone to work the counter with me, either Cole or Kaden.

I bit my lip in anticipation, turning towards the entrance to the back.

Opening the curtain, I made my decision. "Hey Cole, can you help out here? Kendalls on break."

His head tilted slightly, looking between Kaden and I suspiciously. "Uh... yeah, sure."

I glanced towards Kaden for the first time since he walked in, and our gazes locked. His eyes were calculating, then flicked back towards the dishes.

If I tried to figure out why he was being so distant, I'd lose my mind. Therefore, I just let out an annoyed huff and exited the room.

Cole took the customer's order, while I made the coffees.

Kendall got off break soon enough and much to my dismay, her and Cole's shift would be done in an hour.

That meant Kade and I would be closing.

I hated feeling so on edge around Kaden, it was weird and I refused to let it last long.

An hour passed way too fast.

"Alright, I'm heading out guys. You sure you're good to close?" Kendall unfortunately announced.

Plastering on a fake smile, I nodded. "Yeah, of course. We're great, right Kade?"

"For sure." Kaden added, looking in my direction for the first time all day.

Kendall and Cole exchanged confused glances before finally exiting the building.

I waited a moment before confronting Kaden, as our last customer left and Mugs became empty. Kaden was currently in that back, where he had been all day. Mustering up the necessary courage, I pushed open the curtains and stepped into the room.

"So... are you just gonna be an asshole all day?"

Tilting his head back, Kaden spun around and looked in my direction. "I'm not being an asshole."

I scoffed. "Then why are you ignoring me?"

He returned my tone. "I'm not. I just don't have anything to say."

Taking in his response, I contemplated if it could be the truth. When I came to the conclusion, that it was impossible to tell, I asked another question. "Why didn't you tell me you were working today?"

"I didn't realize I had to tell you every time I was working." He remarked, not making eye contact.

I raised my eyebrows. The way he phrased that made me sound crazy. "No! Of course you don't!" I blurted, my words coming out in a rush.

"It's just, you usually do... that's all. Listen, I'm not upset that you haven't been talking to me today, because frankly you don't have too. I'm not upset about you not telling me you were working, not at all. I just wasn't expecting to see you today." I spoke apologetically, realizing how irrational I sounded.

This didn't erase Kaden's attitude, if anything it enhanced it. With nothing more than a curt nod, he turned away from me, and occupied himself with something else.

"Instead of just walking away, you could say something you know. Seriously, Kade? Why have you been acting so weird since New Years!"

My sudden outburst took both of us by surprise, and I immediately regretted my words. I planned on avoiding the New Years conversation for as long as possible, but my mouth spewed the words before I could stop myself.

Kaden's expression softened, he almost looked... guilty? "I-" He took a moment, as if he was really contemplating what to say.

"You're right, I'm sorry. My parents are home right now and my dad... is being my dad. I swear I haven't been avoiding you because of New Years."

There was an awkward pause between us, and for the first time in a long time, I didn't know what to say to him.

"You know... we don't have to talk about it. Now or ever. It's not a big deal... I mean-" I knew I wasn't making sense, and frankly not helping anything at the moment.

"It was just a kiss-" I started, only to be interrupted by Cole and Kendall bursting through the curtain.

"A what!" They shouted simultaneously, their eyes wide open.

Fuck.

"Were you guys seriously eavesdropping on us?" Kaden sounded aggravated, but Kendall and Cole didn't seem to pick up on that.

"Yes!" The two exclaimed once again, also at the same time.

Kaden and I exchanged 'what the hell do we say' glances.

"I can't believe you didn't tell us!" Kendall spoke, her words pointed at me.

"For once I agree with Ken, come on guys! Have you guys have been secretly dating and-"

"We're not dating." I interrupted.

"Kissing on New Years isn't a big deal. It's like... tradition?" Kaden added, sounding defensive.

His words would've hurt if I wasn't so flustered by what was going on.

"Then why were you guys acting so weird today?" Cole pointed out, with a supporting nod from Kendall.

"We weren't." Kaden and I were the one's talking at the same time now.

"That's BS, and we all know it. It obvious that you were acting weird because you like each other and don't want to admit it." Kendall's words rendered me speechless.

Luckily, Kaden had plenty to say.

"Yeah, you guys are certainly ones to talk about secretly liking each other. Ave and I are just friends, today was just an off day. That's it." Seeing Kaden so snappy was an unusual occurrence. However, if there's one person that could challenge him when he's like this, it was Kendall.

"This has nothing to do with Cole and I. This has to do with you guys kissing and not telling us about it!"

"Because it wasn't a big deal, and it didn't mean anything!" I finally yelled in frustration. Everyone's eyes focused on me.

"I mean—it was a one time thing. Kades right, its a tradition, that's all. We don't secretly like each other and we are certainly are not dating. I'm sorry I didn't tell you guys, but it's kind of an awkward conversation. Although this isn't much better." I mumbled the last sentence, and kept my voice to a calmer tone overall.

Kaden gave me a look I couldn't explain, than nodded. "Aves right. You guys are blowing this way out of proportion. Seriously, you guys pretended to leave and snuck back in the building, just to hear our conversation.

"In our defense, you guys have been acting strange all day. We were concerned, Vree." Cole defended Kendall and himself in a dramatic tone.

I rolled my eyes. "You guys weren't concerned, you're just nosey. Can we just, put all of this behind us? Please?"

My question was aimed at everyone, but Cole and Kendall were the first to reply.

"Yes..." Kendall sighed.

"Yeah." Cole shrugged.

Kaden took a moment longer, our eyes locked. Giving me a small smile and a nod, he finally said, "Yeah, of course."

"Great. Now Kade and I can finish closing up, Cole and Kendall, you guys can go."

"Okay but how do we know you're not hiding anything else?" Cole questioned

I rolled my eyes. "What else would we be hiding?! We're good, you guys should be too. Go home."

"I don't know but-"

"Just go home you guys." Kaden sighed, scrubbing down the counters instead of actually paying attention.

"Fine." Kendall grumbled, grabbing Coles arm and dragging him out the curtain.

When I heard the bell chime, I let out a deep breath. I didn't bother to chat with Kaden any longer, therefore I went to wipe down tables in the front.

The next fifteen minutes passed in comfortable silence. I kept thinking about what I had said with Kendall and Cole in the room. When I said it had meant nothing, did I mean it?

Okay, stop looking into it Avery. You sound like an idiot, of course it didn't mean anything.

Once I stacked the chairs on the tables and swept the floors, I was finally set to go.

Outside, clouds covered the starry skies, and the temperature was below freezing. My car was parked across the parking lot, and I wanted nothing more than to get to it.

"Wait, Ave!" Kaden called from behind me. I turned around to see Kaden by the Mugs entrance.

Turning towards my car, than back to him, I rolled my eyes. I walked in his direction.

"Yeah?" I replied suspiciously.

"I- I owe you an apology." He admitted in defeat. I tilted my head slightly.

"Why?"

"Because you're right, I was being an asshole. I kissed you than ignored you, which is a shitty thing to do." He sighed.

I shook my head. "It was, but I don't blame you. This is a conversation that neither of us wanted to have. I'm really am okay with letting it go. I mean, I don't want to mess up our friendship, because in all honesty, you're probably the best friend I've ever had."

The air was so cold I could see my breath, but suddenly I felt a little warm again. Kaden and I didn't break eye contact. I offered him a small smile, which after a moment, he returned.

"You too, Ave. Today sucked." He laughed a little.

"Agreed. Truce?" I returned his tone, holding out my hand for him to shake.

Kaden rolled his eyes, but shook my hand anyways. "Truce."

I felt relieved while driving home, appreciating the towering trees around me and thanking god that thinks would be okay with Kaden.

As I pulled up to my driveway, I furrowed my eyebrows. To my surprise, light beamed through the windows and the porch lights were on.

Are my parents home?

Pulling my keys out from the ignition, I hopped out of my car and locked it.

I approached my front door and twisted the knob, which was no longer locked.

"Uh... hello?" I called, my voice echoing off the walls.

Suddenly, Olivia's head of blonde hair and familiar smile appeared. Catching my gaze, she raced down the stairs.

"Surprise!"

Authors Note

HI I CANT BELIEVE I UPDATED SO FAST AHHHH!! this hasn't happened since 2018 and i'm so motivated right now i might even start updating regularly again :0

anyways, i hope you guys liked this chapter! i love cole and kendalls dynamic, and i missed writing them, so enjoy that content today hahaha.

i got second hand embarrassment so many times this chapter, but in the end i thought it was pretty okay. oh and i almost forgot to write the interview between officer hudson and avery...oops.

SORRY THIS WAS UNNECESSARILY LONG ANYWAYS HAVE A GOOD DAY!!!