I pulled my knees up to my chest and wrapped my arms around my legs. Squeezing my eyes shut, I took a deep breath. I wanted to bang my head back against the door, I wanted to scream out in frustration, I wanted to cry my eyes out. But this was neither the time or the place. Plus I vaguely remembered that Avalon was standing there watching me. Wondering what was going on with her mother. But besides all that I felt angry, I felt angry at Ally and Travis they knew my feelings about Zach. I also found myself feeling angry at Ryan, for some reason I felt like he knew Zach was here and didn't tell me, that maybe this is what he wanted to talk to me about.

"Mommy are you ok?" Avalon asked quietly.

My eyes snapped open and I looked over at Ava and tried to smile, "Yeah sweetie I'm fine."

I looked down into my purse and pulled out my cell phone. Holding out my hand out for Ava to take while I dialed Ryan's number. Listen to the end ring and praying he would answer. Him and I need to have a serious talk. Pulling the phone from away my ear I looked at the clock.

'Shit he's probably at his last practice in Florida right now' I thought. Just as his voicemail picked up.

"Ryan you need to call me as soon as you get this message," I said through gritted teeth. Than pushed the end button.

I wiped the tears away that were leaking from under my eyes.

"Mommy are you mad at Ryan?" Ava asked.

"Not entirely sweetheart. I'm a little mad at him," I answered.

"Are you going to fight with him like Uncle Travis and Aunt Ally did?" she asked solomonly.

I sighed this little girl was too observant for her own good. I wasn't sure what to tell her. I didn't want to lie, because she would pick up on my lie. But I couldn't exactly tell her the truth either.

"Well?" she asked expectantly.

"Well I'm going to try and not fight with him hunny. But Ryan and mommy have a lot of grown-up talking to do. But I'll try not to yell like Aunt Ally," I told her.

"Is your grown-up talking going to end in moaning like always?" she asked.

"Oh my god," I muttered, face palming. I could feel the blush going up my neck to my cheeks.

I stood up and walked over to the sink and splashing my face with water. I heard my phone ringing and rushing back over and picking it up. Looking at the caller ID, I saw it wasn't the exact person I wanted to talk to but it was deffinately someone I wanted to talk to.

"Why? Why didn't you tell me? Why would you keep something like this from me? When you know how I feel about it, about him." I said answering my phone.

"So I'll take it your alright?" Ally asks nonchallantly.

"Ally why didn't you tell me he was here?" I asked again.

"You obviously didn't drown," she said still avoiding the subject.

"How did you know I was by water?" I asked.

"You know because death by toilet would sound so unattractive on your headstone," Ally chuckled lightly.

"God damn cocksucker," I muttered, realizing either Zach or Alisha called her. My eyes flashing over to Ava to make sure she didn't hear me.

"Alison," I huffed.

"What?" Ally asked, like she hadn't heard me the whole time

"Why. Didn't. You. Tell. Me" I demanded, emphasising each word.

I could hear her sigh on the other end like she didn't want to answer and she probably was rolling her eyes also.

"Because honestly Maddison I didn't think you would want to know. Because you never asked about him and when someone did bring him up. You just didn't want to hear it," she answered.

Which all in all was true. I didn't want to hear about Zach or talk about him with people. It brought back to many memories when people brang him up.

"How long has he been here?" I asked.

".........."

"Alison," I sighed.

"He's been here as long as Travis," she said quietly.

"What?" I asked.

"Five years," she muttered.

"Five Years?" I asked loudly.

Which obviously scared both Ava and Ally, because I heard Ally's phone clatter to the ground. Than a few choice words from her.

"Yes," she answered, hesitantly.

"So what your telling me is he's been here the whole time?" I asked.

"Yes," she answered.

For some reason her answers were not calming me down. Although I couldn't understand why I was getting bent out of shape about it anyways. I mean I always knew Zach was an excellant hockey player and would make it big. But I honestly had no clue where he had went. Even when Ryan played the Devils, I had never noticed. It surely couldn't be because him and Ava by some strange stroke of luck have the same eyes. But for some reason it felt like something more, like something in the back of my brain was trying to tell me something.

"Look I got to go. I'll call you later," I said.

"Ok. I'm sorry Maddi," Ally said.

"Bye"

"Bye"

Pushing end on the phone call I splashed some more water on my face. I looked in the mirror and realized I could keep Ava and I in the bathroom all day.

"Alright let's go," I said, turning and looking at Ava.

Grabbing her hand we walked out into the hallway. Only to find Zach leaning against the opposite wall in a casual stance. Like he had all the time in the world. His eyes raked over me, from head to toe and back again. Than his eyes drifted over to Ava and than came back to me, with a questioning look in his eyes.

"Great I don't want to deal with this right now," I muttered.

"Are you ok Maddi?" he asked.

"Yeah just dandy and its Maddison," I answered sarcastically.

"Maddi," he started.

"Momma who's he?" Avalon asked, cutting him off.

"Ummmmm he's..... Uhhhhhhh," I trailed off.

"I'm a friend of your mommy," Zach answered, pushing off the wall and smiling at Ava.

"Hardly," I muttered.

"And who might you be?" he asked Ava, squatting down to eye level.

"I'm Avalon. But everybody calls me Ava," she answered happily.

Zach's eyes shot up to mine. Avalon was a name we had picked out together when we were younger. When we used to joke around what we would name our kids if we had any.

"Well its nice to meet you Ava," he replied, and shook her hand.

"We need to go Ava," I said, grabbing her hand.

"Ok well we got to go Mr," Ava told him.

"Zach. My names Zach," he said.

"Bye Zach," I said, as we started to walk off.

"Bye Zach," Ava repeated me, and waved at him.

"We need to talk sometime," he said, grabbing my arm and stopping me from moving. Than just as quickly it was gone. And he was walking down the hall the opposite direction, probably back to Alisha.

Ava and I made our way back to the office to see if I could find Mrs. Jones and get Avalon enrolled into school. Even though I risked the risk of running into Alisha and Zach everyday, it was still a good school. And that was all that mattered to me.

Walking back into the reception area, the same older lady was still sitting there. When she looked up, she seemed slightly surprised I was still here. I didn't blame her either, I was certain that Mrs. Jones had told everyone about me slapping Zach in the hallway.

"Yes dear, what can I do for you?" she asked.

"Uh I was wondering if Mrs. Jones came back to the office? I kind of lost her in the hall," I said pathetically.

"Oh right. If you'll just hold on for a moment," she responded, and picked up a phone.

She spent a few minutes talking to the person on the other end, whom I was assuming was Mrs. Jones. Every few minutes she would glance at me and than go back to talking on the phone.

'Maybe she's talking to security and telling the crazy lady's back in the office' I thought to myself.

"Ms. James, Mrs. Jones said she'll be out to get you in a minute," the secretary said.

"Alright thank you," I responded.

After a five minute wait, I finally heard the click of Mrs. Jones heels on the floor. I looked up at her as she approached wearing a scowl.

"Ms. James this way please," Mrs. Jones said, unpleasantly.

'Why oh why did it feel as if I were getting sent to the principals office for something I didn't do?' thought, following her down the hall to my doom.