"What do you mean you can't come home this weekend? Roger I barely see you." Ava asked sitting on her bed talking to Roger.
"I'm sorry Baby. I have this term paper due on monday and I really need to get it done. It's worth half my grade." he said sitting at his desk in his dorm.
"But Roger, I need to see you." she said getting upset.
"I know Ava, I'm so sorry. I need to see you too. But I have to get this paper done." he apologized rubbing his eyes.
"I know and I'm sorry. I just miss you so much Roger." she told him holding back her tears.
"I miss you too Ava. You have no idea how much I miss you, but college is harder than high school. I can't afford to fail this semester." he said leaning back in his chair.
"I understand Roger. I love you." she said looking up at the pictures of Roger on her wall.
"I love you to Ava. I really do. I'll be able to come home next weekend, OK?" he said looking over at the picture of Ava on his desk.
"OK. I'll talk to you later Roger." she said before hanging up the phone before laying down and crying into her pillow.
"Roger's not coming home this weekend, is he?" Ms. Parker asked entering Ava's bedroom seeing her crying on her bed.
"No. He has a term paper due on monday and he needs to get it done. It's worth half his grade." she cried looking up at her.
"I'm sorry sweetie." she said comforting her.
"It's OK. I mean, college is harder than high school." she cried looking up at her.
"Is he coming home next weekend?" Ms. Parker asked looking down at her.
"Yeah, he said he would." she said looking up at her wiping her eyes.
"Are you OK sweetie?" Ms. Parker asked looking down at her.
"Yeah mom, I'm fine." she said looking up at her as Ms. Parker played with her.
"Sweetie, everything's gonna be OK, you know?" she said looking down at her.
"I know mom. Um, I'm gonna go for a walk, OK? I need some air." she said looking over at her.
"Do you want me to go with you sweetie?" she asked looking down at her.
"No, I'll be OK. I'm probably gonna go see Mr. Davis or something. I'll be home in a little while." she said looking up at her.
"OK sweetie, just be careful, OK? I love you." she said looking up at her as she got off of the bed.
"I know mom. I love you too." she said leaving her bedroom. As she walked to the Davis house she began thinking. She wished she had let Roger take the semester off to wait for her to go to college. She missed him so much. She had been thinking more and more about drinking. As she rang the doorbell she remembered all the times she had rung the doorbell and Roger answered the door. She wanted so badly for Roger to answer the door this time too, but he didn't. It was Mr. Davis on the other side of the door.
"Ava, are you OK?" he asked looking down at her seeing her eyes. They were red and swollen.
"Roger's not coming home this weekend." she said starting to cry.
"Oh sweetie, come on in." he said opening the door wider.
"I need Roger Mr. Davis." she cried as he took her into his arms.
"I know Ava. I'm so sorry." he said hugging her tight.
"Can you take me to a meeting tonight? Please. I need to go to a meeting tonight." she asked looking up at him.
"Of course sweetie. I'll do anything for you. You know that." he said looking down at her as Mrs. Davis watched from the doorway of the living room.
"Thank you." she said looking up at him wiping her eyes.
"Ava, would you like a cup of tea? Coffee? Anything?" Mrs. Davis asked looking over at her.
"Tea sounds great Mrs. Davis, thank you. I'm sorry I keep showing up on your doorstep like this. You guys should be going out and having time alone together, but you can't with me stopping by every other day crying because my boyfriend is in Boston in college." she said looking over at Mrs. Davis.
"Avalon Marie Donnelly, you are part of this family too. I may not have given birth to you, but you're like my own daughter. You have no reason to apologize for coming here when you need us. We love you and we always will." Mrs. Davis said wrapping her arms around Ava and holding her to her.
"Thank you Mrs. Davis. You're the best. No wonder why you have such a great son." she smiled looking up at her.
"And you are a great girl. No wonder why our son loves you so much." she smiled caressing her hair.
"I'm gonna call your mom, OK? She's worried about you." Mr. Davis said looking over at them.
"OK, thanks Mr. Davis." Ava smiled looking over at her as she and Mrs. Davis went to the kitchen for tea.
"How are you doing Ava?" Maureen asked seeing Ava sitting alone on the bleachers outside the school.
"I'm OK. I miss Roger, but I'm OK." she said looking up at her.
"Don't worry sweetie. Before you know it Roger'll be home for the summer and then the next time he goes, you'll be going with him." she smiled sitting next to her.
"I can't wait. This is killing me. I'm having a really tough time Maureen. I miss him so much. I must have been to 3 meeting already this week." she said starting to cry.
"But sweetie that's good, right? I mean, you know you're vulnerable to drinking so you're doing what you have to not to drink." she said putting her arm around her.
"I'm trying, but I can't stop thinking about it." she saiid looking up at her.
"Do you wanna talk to someone? I can get Will if you want?" Maureen suggested looking over at her.
"Yeah, I think that's a good idea. I can't keep bothering Mr. And Mrs. Davis." she said looking up at her.
"OK. I'm gonna go get him, OK?" she said looking over at her.
"Thanks Maureen. I appreciate it." she said looking over at her before Maureen got up to get Will.
"I found him." Maureen said dragging by his arm.
"Hi Will. I'm sorry Maureen had to bother you." Ava said looking up at him as he climbed onto the bleachers to sit next to Ava.
"That's OK. She only saved me from study hall. Are you OK?" he asked looking over at her.
"No, I'm having a really tough time and I can't keep bugging your aunt and uncle about it." she said looking over at him.
"You know Aunt Abby and Uncle Luke love you. They don't mind you stopping by whenever you need to." he said looking over at her.
"I know, they're great. Really. It's just I feel really bad. I mean, they're only child goes away to college, so they should be spending time together, but they're stuck taking care of their sons alcoholic girlfriend." she said as tears filled her eyes.
"It's OK Ava. I'm right here. You can lean on me, OK?" he said putting his arms around her to comfort her.
"Thanks Will. I'm sorry you have to take care of your cousins girlfriend." she said looking up at him.
"That's OK, you're my friend too. And he told me to take care of you for him anyway, so now I'm not gonna get my ass kicked for letting you have a breakdown." he teased attempting to lighten the mood.
"Oh yeah, I can see Roger threatening you too." she laughed looking up at him.
"There she is." he smiled looking down at her.
"Who?" she asked looking around.
"The old Ava. I missed her." he smiled hugging her again.
"Thanks Will. You're a good friend." she smiled looking up at him.
"I try my best." he smiled looking over at her.