As Avery opened her locker at the end of the day, pulling the heavy books from her bag, a small folded piece of paper fell as the door opened. Avery’s eyes flickered to the floor before she leant down to pick up the note.

It was only when she was looking at the messily folded paper that she realised Paige and Addison hadn’t bothered her for the entire day. Even during gym at the end of the day they kept their distance from her and she thought that Azrael must have scared them off.

Although, Paige’s response to Azrael’s threat still haunted Avery, ‘If you touch her again, I will ruin you’, ‘We’ll see about that’. Avery was sure that those words carried with them a promise to try to hurt her even with Azrael’s protection.

Avery rubbed her thumb over the rough paper, trying to decide whether it would be best to throw it in the bin without even opening it. However, when the thought that perhaps it was Sadie who had pushed the note into her locker, she didn’t want to risk not reading it.

She unfolded the note, opening onto a short paragraph of incredibly messy handwriting. Avery was certain that the note wasn’t from Paige or Addison because she would have recognised the calligraphy-like lettering of their notes.

I need to talk to you. Everything that I did, I didn’t really do. It was all a daze and when I came to I had no idea what the fuck happened. Meet me at the science class after school. I swear I won’t come near you ever again if you just hear me out.

Avery felt her heart drop into her stomach as she read and reread the note. It was clear to her that the writer wasn’t Sadie. She thought instead that perhaps it was from Aiden, he mentioned wanting to talk to her yesterday in the parking lot.

‘I swear I won’t come near you ever again if you just hear me out’

Avery couldn’t ever imagine these words coming out of Aiden’s mouth. The sentence seemed to make Avery feel as though the writer needed some kind of closure to something, and that just wasn’t the Aiden she knew. On the other hand, there was no other person that it could be.

Avery crumpled the note and threw it into the locker before piling the books from her bag on top of it. With a loud ‘Bang’ she slammed the door to her locker and began towards the science room.

_____

The door to the science room was closed when she arrived. With a gentle tug of the door handle, the door clicked open and she pulled it towards her, letting it swing open as she peered into the room.

Who sat in the far corner of the room was exactly who Avery had expected to see. Aiden, his greasy hair in knots on his head, and the brief smell of cigarette smoke that was so strong it reached Avery’s nostrils metres away from him.

Aiden had turned to the door the moment that the click of the handle had signaled the entrance of someone, relief flitting across his face when he saw the blonde standing at the door.

Avery was still unsure what had driven her to the science room. Perhaps it was the curiosity of who had written the note, although by the time she arrived she was convinced that it was Aiden. Maybe it was the apologetic, regretful tone of the letter that willed her.

Or, Avery thought, maybe I’m here because with Azrael by my side, I’m not so scared of him anymore.

Aiden stood, staring at the girl who stared back at him with wary eyes. He wasn’t sure where to start, the last two days had been torturous as he waited for the opportunity to talk to Avery alone.

“You came” Aiden declared, his hands balling into fists as he looked at her with pleading eyes.

“I’m so glad I-” He began, taking a step towards her but immediately stopping as she flinched backwards. He didn’t know what he had expected, of course she wouldn’t let him close to her.

“Please let me explain” Aiden started, not expecting a response from Avery as he continued, “The other day, at lunch, Paige told me that you wanted to meet me in the locker room”.

The way Avery’s lips pursed together made Aiden take a deep breath, “She told me that you wanted… well… you know”

Avery already knew all of this. She knew that Paige had set everything up, but while she encouraged Aiden it was him who locked her in the locker room, him that pushed himself onto her. If Aiden had just wanted to tell her this as an excuse for his actions it wasn’t working.

With a deep breath, Avery turned on her heel. This doesn’t change anything, it’s just a waste of time.

As Avery began down the hallway she heard Aiden’s footsteps thumping against the concrete, “WAIT!”.

She whipped around to face him as he swung himself out of the science room to come after her. He stopped as his eyes set on her, panting and staring at her with teary eyes.

Avery was taken aback by the way his eyes now glistened under the fluorescent lights of the hallway, wondering why he was the one crying. It should be her.

“I said NO!” He yelled, loud enough that if there was anyone left in the school to hear him, she was sure they did. “I told her that I only pick on you as a joke. That I knew she was just lying! That I wasn’t going!”

A tear rolled down Avery’s cheek as she listened to his plea of innocence. The fact that Aiden had it in him to come to her saying that what he had done to her in the science room was a joke. That he hadn’t listened to Paige even though he did show up in the changing rooms that next period… it was absolute bullshit.

“You think touching my legs and telling me that I’d ‘beg for it’ is a joke?” Avery mumbled as she choked back sobs, “you think I care what you were 'going to do' after what you did do?”.

“That’s just it Avery! I didn’t fucking do anything! I don’t even fucking remember that afternoon!”

Aiden was now pacing back and forth in the hallway with his hands running through his hair in frustration as he tried to calm the temper boiling inside of him.

Avery wished that she felt any empathy for the boy who paced in front of her looking as though he was about to explode, but all she felt for him was pity.

She pitied him for trying to sell her such a pathetic lie, she pitied him for not being able to see the biggest flaw. Whether he remembered it or not, it still happened.

Avery could do nothing but shake her head in disappointment as she wiped the tears that she had wasted on him from her cheeks.

“I don’t believe you” She muttered, giving him a disappointed scowl before she turned her back and began to walk away once again.

“Avery! Please!” Aiden yelled, the slaps of his feet as he began to go after her again, echoing in the halls.

“That’s enough, she doesn’t want to talk to you anymore”

Avery recognised that voice immediately and looked up to see Azrael leaning against one of the lockers only a few feet in front of her. He glared at Aiden with cold fury in his eyes as he pushed himself from the locker and crossed his arms over his chest.

Aiden was quick to stop in his tracks as his eyes darted to the dark-haired boy that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. A look of fear overtaking his look of desperation as a single tear fell from the corner of his eye and ran down his cheek.

“Stay away from Avery Hughes. I won’t warn you again”

Azrael’s tone caused Aiden’s insides turned to ice as he took a few steps back. His trembling breath could be heard by Avery who had stood with her back to him during this entire exchange.

With a deep breath, Aiden took one last glance at Avery before he turned and ran down the hall. When Aiden was out of sight Azrael’s crimson eyes turned to Avery as he cautiously approached her.

Wordlessly he lifted his hand and rested his palm on the back of her head, entangling his fingers in the blonde locks before pulling her forehead to his chest.

It wasn’t until Avery felt the hard surface of Azrael’s chest against her forehead, and smelt that familiar scent of laundry detergent that she began to cry. Tears rolled from her eyes as her hands lifted to grasp the demon’s shirt, and much to Avery’s surprise, she could feel the slow thump of a heart against her forehead.