“We were just studying English.” Ava explains.
“And where is Tanya?” her mama asks.
“She’s visiting her boyfriend.”
There is literally no room for her folks, so we’re just standing there, awkwardly, and I feel like I need to make my departure. “I should head out.”
“No, that’s okay, Gunner.” Ava insists. The look in her eyes begs me to stay, and not to leave her with her pissed off folks. “Besides, we haven’t finished studying yet.”
“Ava, can I please speak to you in the hall?” her mama says, with a warning look.
“How about I step out for a minute, and give y’all some privacy?” I offer.
Before Ava can refute, her daddy interjects. “Yes, that would be a good idea.”
I’m more than happy to step out into the hallway. I’m careful to take steps away from the door, so they don’t think that I’m eavesdropping. It’s eerie, but I hear nothing coming from the door. No screaming or shouting, and nobody raising their voices at all, which is shocking, considering if mama or daddy wanted to chide any of us, the neighbors could probably hear the slap and then the screaming like they were in the same room. No, this is silent, creepy, and I start to wonder if Ava’s okay in there.
It's an awful thing, you know, fearing your folks. I feared mine, but only to the extent that I knew my mama would whoop my ass or come after me with a broom if I did anything wrong. Daddy would punish me by making me do chores that normally only the ranch hands would do, or something that he knew I hated doing. But I never physically feared them. Not like this. I’m not sure what pull her folks have on her, but for them to just barge in like that, embarrassing the shit out of her, making her feel like the innocent studying that she was doing with a male friend, is unacceptable, that’s just…it’s a real shame.
A minute later, as I stand in the barren hallway, pacing up and down, her door opens, and her folks walk out, giving me a perfunctory nod. I tip my Stetson. “It was nice meeting you both.” I lie.
They say nothing, but walk away, and I hesitantly walk into her dorm room, knocking gently first. “Hey. Is the coast clear?”
She’s sitting on her bed. The forlorn look on her face speaks volumes. “You want to talk about it, or just go back to studying?” I ask, giving her the opportunity depending on what she feels like.
“No, you better go, Gunner.” She says apologetically.
“Why?” a ‘v’ forms between my brows. “Did your folks freak out because of me?”
With a brief inhale, she answers. “Yeah.”
“You’re a freshman in University, Ava. How naïveareyour parents?” I ask, levelling with her. “This is a co-ed dorm. You’re lucky that you got fixed with a female dormmate. Then what would your folks have done?”
“I know all this is very reasonable. And you’re right, Gunner. But you don’t know my folks. It breaks their heart to see me growing up. It broke their heart to let me come out here for school, and it was agreed upon on condition.”
“On the condition that you stay away from all males.”
She nods.
“And don’t you think that this is just a tad bit crazy? I mean, how are you supposed to live your life?”
“The way I have so far.” She answers after a beat. “This is the way it is with my folks. They’ve given me a sheltered life, and they don’t want that to change. I was lucky that they let me come out here for school, but while I’m here, I’m walking a thin line.”
“Well, Ava, we’re not sleeping together. We’re just friends that are studying English together. I don’t see the problem. If they caught us in bed, sure, I could see them reacting that way, but we weren’t doing anything wrong.”
“I know. But my folks are real strict. They always have been. It’s just a part of life, Gunner. And I’ve grown to accept it.”
We’re silent for a minute, as I sit next to her, and I want so badly to comfort her. I feel like she’s hurting real bad inside, but she’s strong and is probably the type to wait until she’s alone to cry it all out. “So, do you want me to leave?” I look at her sincerely.
Her gaze meets mine. There is so much behind those eyes of hers that I almost can’t take it. “No.” she says, as if I’m the only person in this whole world that she trusts.
“Then I won’t, darlin’. This’ll be our little secret.”
***
Her face is so bright I can’t help but smile. “Oh my gosh! Look at you! I’m so proud of you!” she gushes, looking at my paper. I got an A plus on the quiz, same as her, but her smile is worth way more than that. She gives me a hug, practically jumping up and down, and I don’t give a shit, I hug her back. We got our papers back at the end of class, and I met her in the hallway, curious as to what her score was. We looked at them together. It’s the last period of the day, and I’m happier for her being happy for me, than I am about my grade. What does that mean?
“Gosh, thanks so much for helping me, Ava.” I say in her ear as we hug.
