lost close to ten pounds off her already slim frame, which resulted in awkward, suspicious stares from some of the teachers at work, and concerned questions about her health from her friends. She told the women at Ellington that she had started a new work out routine to prepare for the college’s upcoming charity run, when they had made unflattering remarks about her being anorexic. It seemed like the best possible excuse she could come up with to satisfy their ongoing curiosity.
She had said nothing to them about her not seeing Will anymore, because she could see them getting together and gossiping about her if they knew the truth. She didn’t think she could stand the, I-told-you-so, disparaging comments and nasty stares. When the women had found out, through no fault of hers, that she was going out with Will, they had been unreasonably mean to her. And they had wasted no time ridiculing her.
Will had insisted on driving her to work one morning right after they had started seeing each other, and she had ran into two of the teachers in the parking lot. She hadn’t wanted them to find out. And quite frankly, if she had anything to do with it, they wouldn’t have known about her relationship with Will. But, call it bad luck, or wrong timing on her part, the women had seen her coming out of Will’s red Ferrari, and Will pulling her in for a full on goodbye kiss on the lips.
That ride and the way Will had kissed her had inevitably sealed her fate with the women. They had stared at her in wild astonishment—actually, with gaping mouths, as she exited the car. She remembered Will had given them a wide, friendly grin and waved at them.
They had just stared at him, without smiling or waving back. He obviously had a sense of humor, Avery had thought as she took in the entire situation, including the look of utter disbelief and then anger on the women’s faces. He had no idea what they were capable of—what they would do with that piece of juicy information the minute they stepped inside, but she did.
She had held her head down to hide her embarrassment as she made her way inside the building behind them. She was hoping that the women wouldn’t find out about her relationship with Will, especially after she had given them the specific impression that she hardly knew him, and didn’t have an interest in him.
The word about her dating Will had spread in no time—as soon as she entered the teachers’ lounge for her morning coffee. The teachers who had seen her in the parking lot with Will, plus the ones they had told, had given her the silent treatment for the rest of that day—whispering amongst themselves when they saw her coming, glancing suspiciously at her, giving her nasty looks when she was around them, ignoring her when she tried to talk to them.
Avery had decided that they were acting like a bunch of mean high school girls, and she had tried to avoid them. And if looks could kill, Avery sworn she would have died many times that day from the angry piercing stares they had given her. She had tried to ignore their nastiness, telling herself it would pass. But it didn’t.
The women had confronted her the next day at lunch—they had been extremely vocal with her. They had held nothing back. They had been downright vicious, to say the least. First they wanted to know how it happened—how she had ended up going out with Will—what was her appeal—why he had chosen her and not one of the other teachers who had showed interest in him.
Avery had buried her face in her garden salad and shoved fork-fulls of it into her mouth, without replying to their rude and intrusive questions. She didn’t think their actions justified one.
Then, they had crushed her with one final blow. They told her men like Will didn’t get serious with women like her, that Will was with her for one reason and one reason only—because she was an easy target who
She had said nothing to them about her not seeing Will anymore, because she could see them getting together and gossiping about her if they knew the truth. She didn’t think she could stand the, I-told-you-so, disparaging comments and nasty stares. When the women had found out, through no fault of hers, that she was going out with Will, they had been unreasonably mean to her. And they had wasted no time ridiculing her.
Will had insisted on driving her to work one morning right after they had started seeing each other, and she had ran into two of the teachers in the parking lot. She hadn’t wanted them to find out. And quite frankly, if she had anything to do with it, they wouldn’t have known about her relationship with Will. But, call it bad luck, or wrong timing on her part, the women had seen her coming out of Will’s red Ferrari, and Will pulling her in for a full on goodbye kiss on the lips.
That ride and the way Will had kissed her had inevitably sealed her fate with the women. They had stared at her in wild astonishment—actually, with gaping mouths, as she exited the car. She remembered Will had given them a wide, friendly grin and waved at them.
They had just stared at him, without smiling or waving back. He obviously had a sense of humor, Avery had thought as she took in the entire situation, including the look of utter disbelief and then anger on the women’s faces. He had no idea what they were capable of—what they would do with that piece of juicy information the minute they stepped inside, but she did.
She had held her head down to hide her embarrassment as she made her way inside the building behind them. She was hoping that the women wouldn’t find out about her relationship with Will, especially after she had given them the specific impression that she hardly knew him, and didn’t have an interest in him.
The word about her dating Will had spread in no time—as soon as she entered the teachers’ lounge for her morning coffee. The teachers who had seen her in the parking lot with Will, plus the ones they had told, had given her the silent treatment for the rest of that day—whispering amongst themselves when they saw her coming, glancing suspiciously at her, giving her nasty looks when she was around them, ignoring her when she tried to talk to them.
Avery had decided that they were acting like a bunch of mean high school girls, and she had tried to avoid them. And if looks could kill, Avery sworn she would have died many times that day from the angry piercing stares they had given her. She had tried to ignore their nastiness, telling herself it would pass. But it didn’t.
The women had confronted her the next day at lunch—they had been extremely vocal with her. They had held nothing back. They had been downright vicious, to say the least. First they wanted to know how it happened—how she had ended up going out with Will—what was her appeal—why he had chosen her and not one of the other teachers who had showed interest in him.
Avery had buried her face in her garden salad and shoved fork-fulls of it into her mouth, without replying to their rude and intrusive questions. She didn’t think their actions justified one.
Then, they had crushed her with one final blow. They told her men like Will didn’t get serious with women like her, that Will was with her for one reason and one reason only—because she was an easy target who
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