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They'd fought before. Dumb stuff like what to eat, where to go, what to wear. One time they'd had a big fight over which side of the bed to sleep on.
They both ended up sleeping on the couch for that one.
But this one was a lot worse.
It wasn't a relationship-ending kind of fight. It honestly wasn't even some serious fight. She was just, well, her.
Just one of those arguments where Ava is absolutely convinced that she has to be right.
…
Until she realized that she, in fact, not right.
And now she has to deal with that.
Which is somehow worse for her to handle.
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It had started during lunch.
She had already given it up to set up stuff in the gym.
A hungry Ava is worse that normal Ava. O'shon had even brought her some yogurt. Greek of course.
O'shon is setting up the banner, tired from work. He had told her he would try to some and help. He'd even raced to the school before lunch would have started, he'd been trying to beat traffic.
He knew Ava was probably not going to be much help. So when she offed to "help" he let her. Meaning she was giving her opinions.
It was her school anyways.
"That's crooked." She points to the corner, he'd very carefully, centered beforehand.
"No it isn't. I measured it Ava." He lets out a big breath. This was going to be long if she was going to act like this the whole time.
"Well that sucks, because from here it's crooked." Standing in the middle of everything happening around her, she hold up to L's with her hands.
"Ava, I measured it like I did last time, and last time you also told me it was crooked too." He look at the banner, then at her, then bast to the banner.
He starts stepping off the ladder, ready to leave it at that when she speaks up.
"O'shon, you can not seriously leave it crooked." She crosses her arms and pokes her hip out.
She was pissed.
Melissa was watching this whole thing. She'd decided to skip lunch and help set up. She was just taping and labeling where everything would go.
"Yes I am, you have more stuff for me to do, I'm not focusing on just the banner." He's fully off the ladder, standing on the stage, he takes another look.
Yep.
Straight. Just like he said.
"No." Somehow her hip pokes out more, and her arms tighten from how crossed they are.
"Yes." He mimics her stance. Clearly tired and trying to get it over with.
"Yes," she starts walking towards him.
Oh crap.
He starts walking down the stage, meeting her in the middle.
"Ava-" He holds up his hands.
"No. Don't Ava me," she grabs his head, forcing him to look at the banner. Her nails scratching just enough for him to notice it's not an accident. "It's leaning."
"No, it's literally not." He moves his head away from her hands.
"it's leaning."
"Ava, it is not leaning I promise you."
"Okay, so now we're gas lighting!" She waves her arms around, adding emphasis to her word.
He lets out a short laugh.
Melissa is trying so hard to choose either laughing or getting help.
"This," motioning between them, then pointing at the banner, "it not what gas lighting is."
"That's almost exactly what someone who is gas lighting would say." She walks out, leaving O'shon and a clueless Melissa alone.
"Melissa-," He starts pointing to the banner when she stops him.
"Uh uh. Do not get me involved in whatever the hell that was."
She walks out, leaving O'shon staring at a banner.
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Melissa was so over this.
Ava had walked back in to help. She'd said "I don't wanna fight, let's just get this over with."
He'd just nodded and kept unfolding chairs. They were both trying to not look up at the banner.
She brought in Barbara and the were both trying to act like they weren't spying.
Until it started, again. Ten minutes after Ava had walked back in.
Nobody knew how. Not even them.
Their new argument had somehow evolved to directions.
And tape.
And whether Ava had moved the ladder when he wasn't looking, and suddenly-
It wasn't about the banner anymore. O'shon is over it by now. They're not even doing anything. They're just moving stuff around at that point.
"You know what?" He puts the tape down.
"What."
"I'm done."
She blinks.
"What do you mean your done?" She drops the table she was moving onto the floor.
"I'm done arguing." He waves his arm around the air.
"We're not even arguing. Matter fact we're not even talking." She crosses her arms.
Barbara almost chokes on her coffee. Melissa pushes her glasses down. No way she was going this way.
He just stares at her. Just stares.
Then laughs a little.
The tired kind.
"Ava." He folds his hands together, trying to calm his voice.
"What?"
"Have a good afternoon."
Then he leaves.
Barbara gasps. Not even hiding the fact that she and Melissa were watching.
Ava watches him go.
Offended really.
Still very convinced she was right.
For only a minute or two.
Then Melissa and Barb just look at each other. Trying to decide whether or not to intervene or not.
Then Melissa makes the mistake of asking Barbara:
"So… she moved the ladder no?"
Ava freezes. There's no way she heard that right.
"… What?"
"The ladder." Barbara says. Already about to walk out. She had class.
"Wait what about the stupid ladder? The one he said I moved from under the bane-" She points to where he said it was. The ladder wasn't there… she had moved it.
"Oh yeah!" Melissa exclaims. "you said under your breath that it was annoying you or something." She looks to barb who nods
"Yes. That was before the whole tape thing."
They both walk out, leaving Ava alone in silence.
Horrible, devastating silence.
"Oh."
And suddenly everything click. The banner and the directions.
The Tape.
The Ladder.
The argument.
All of it.
Now she's annoyed for a whole different reason.
Because not only was O'shon right-
He had been right the whole time.
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She had been looking for him for a while. Then she sees him with Gregory. They seem focused. Or at least O'shon does. Who knows what Gregory's talking about.
Immediately pointing to him.
"You." Grabbing his wrist before he can even respond.
All she heard was a "good luck man" from Gregory.
O'shon already knows. He can see it on her face.
"Ava-."
"No"
She pulls him down the hallway.
"Come here."
"What." He tries planting his feet, but she just tugs him harder.
"Come."
She can hear him mumbling. clearly mad he was in the dark.
Until he was. Literally in the dark. She'd dragged him into some closet.
The door shut and it was just them. He could hear her trying to find the light.
"Ava-,"
"No." Turning on the light she continues. "Let me just say this okay."
He leans on the the shelves, crosses his arms. "Okay go."
She wrings her hand together. Obviously not comfortable with apologizing.
"You were right. About everything okay. That's like my bad I guess. I'm just like, I don know, tired."
He looks shocked for a moment. Then, "What do you mean tired. Like, of this." He motions towards the gap between them.
Her eyes go wide. "NO!" Grabbing his hands, interlacing their fingers.
"No I just think this school year could not be ending at a better time."
He watches her in shock, "Did you just apologize?"
"Yes I did! Now can we just like kiss and make up already."
"No I'm still in shock. " He removes his hands, adding effect to his words by placing a hand on his chest.
"Oh please. Shut. Up"
She kisses him, effectively shutting him up.
Before she deepens it, he pushes her away. "I think, you apologizing is the best gift ever."
Rolling her eyes he laughs. He was going to hold this over him forever.
She closes the distance, moving her head getting a better angle. He moves his hands to her hips.
He starts moving her until shes against the shelves. His hands getting lower and lower, when he hears a voice.
"HEY!" Pounding on the door Melissa scream.
"Oh no." She puts her hand on his mouth. "Maybe if we're quiet she won't hear."
"Babe," He moves her hand off of his mouth. "I think everyone saw when you pulled me in here."
She rests her head on his chest. "Lets just stay here?"
Giving her head a pat he says, "I think we have to face Melissa together."
Sighing she opened the door. Doing her best to not give anyone who say the satisfaction.
It didn't help O'shon looked smug walking out.