Chapter Text
Gregory came to a halt the moment he rounded the corner and saw her: Ava Coleman, arms crossed, eyes lit up with mischief, and a smirk stretching across her face like she’d just caught him shoplifting feelings.
He groaned and spun halfway around on instinct. Nope. Not today.
But Ava’s laugh chased him down like a heat-seeking missile.
“Oh, better off as friends, huh?”
He closed his eyes. That laugh was not friendly.
She clapped her hands slowly, like this was a very niche episode of Shakespeare in the Park: Messy Edition.
“You are wild, Gregory Eddie.”
He turned back around with a tight smile. “Were you spying on us?”
Ava tilted her head. “First of all, I’m the principal. It’s my school. I walk these halls like I own the place because I do.”
“That’s not how—”
“Second of all,” she interrupted with a wave of her hand, “Janine literally told you that maybe y’all could try again to make a relationship with y'all's messy timings, and you said no? Like a fool? A clown, even?”
Gregory blinked, caught between offense and whiplash. “Well, first of all, it’s none of your business. Second of all, it’s... complicated.”
Ava exhaled like his love life had personally inconvenienced her.
“Okay, well, now that both of y’all are publicly not pursuing each other, I’m officially stepping in. Time to show you dummies how it's done.”
She turned on her heel and strutted off, heels clicking against the linoleum with purpose. Gregory scoffed, raising his voice behind her.
“Ava, I already told you, I’m not interested in—”
But she wasn’t listening. She was already halfway across the hall, calling out with sweet venom.
“Hey, Teagues!”
Janine turned around, a little startled. She still had her tote bag hanging off one shoulder and her coat folded over one arm, looking every inch the exhausted but hopeful teacher she always was.
“Ava?”
Gregory watched, baffled, as Ava reached Janine and casually placed a hand on the small of her back like they did this all the time. Janine didn’t recoil—just blinked in confusion.
“Whatcha up to, shorty?”
Janine tilted her head, clearly trying to figure out if this was a prank. “Um... just heading home.”
Ava’s voice dropped into something weirdly smooth. “Didn’t your car break down?”
Janine sighed, nodding. “Yeah. It’s been a mess. I’ve just been taking the bus lately. It’s fine.”
Ava turned her head just enough to smirk at the camera like she was Jim Halpert’s evil cousin.
“Tell you what,” she said, almost too casually. “I’ll give you a ride home—if you come have dinner with me.”
Janine blinked. Her brain clearly needed a second to buffer.
“Wait, like—dinner... with you?”
Ava shrugged, still smiling. “Yeah. I’m feeling generous. And you’ve been less annoying lately.”
Janine blinked again. Then smiled, tentative but warm. “Okay... sure. I’d love to hang out.”
“Great,” Ava beamed. “Then it’s a date.”
Janine gave a little laugh, still unsure if this was real life but apparently deciding to just go with it. “Okay then?”
Ava turned over her shoulder one last time and locked eyes with Gregory, who looked like someone had just told him his favorite tree was dating someone else. She threw him a wink.
And just like that, she and Janine disappeared through the double doors.
Gregory
He stood, eyebrows raised, trying to keep his cool.
“Y’all saw that, right?” He leaned forward.
“Is Ava... planning to—” He broke off laughing, but there was panic behind it. “Nah. Nah. That’s... that’s not what’s happening. Right?”
Outside, Ava’s Lexus gleamed like a chariot of chaos. She opened the passenger door with an actual flourish.
Janine hesitated, clutching her tote a little tighter. “Um... are you sure you want me in your—”
“Sure, I’m sure,” Ava cut in. “Just sit back and buckle your seatbelt. We’re eating somewhere nice. Like, linen napkin nice.”
Janine slid in, wide-eyed. “Oh... okay.”
Her smile was small but real. And even as she adjusted her seatbelt, she looked out the window with that same quiet disbelief, like somehow—against all odds—this might actually be a good night.
Ava? Hanging out with her? In public?
Huh.
Janine
“So, Ava just... offered to give me a ride home and take me to dinner? Like, dinner-dinner. Not cafeteria dinner. Not like, ‘Oops, we both ended up at the same Wawa again.’ Real dinner.”
She laughs, still unsure if she's the butt of some elaborate joke.
“I mean, Ava usually doesn’t really... talk to me outside of work. Or walk next to me. Or, you know... touch my back.” She gestures vaguely at her spine like it’s been spiritually violated. “She’s more of a ‘mock you from across the room’ type of person.”
She pauses, smiling with a shrug.
“But maybe she’s turning over a new leaf? People change. Growth isn’t linear. And maybe she saw something in our friendship that I didn’t!”
Another pause.
"...Or maybe she just wants to use me to get a teacher discount somewhere. Either way, I’m open to it.”
She nods firmly, then immediately second-guesses herself.
“Wait. Do I have a teacher discount anywhere?”
Cut to her pulling out her ID badge and squinting at it like it might have hidden coupons on the back.