People do not decide to become extraordinary.

They decide to accomplish extraordinary things.

-Sir Edmund Hillary

Avery didn't care much for the whole "school" thing.

"You do realize your future is on the line here, Ms. Turner?" Principal Wales was a stocky man, though you'd only know that if you were in his office as much as Avery Turner was, because the man hardly moved from behind his desk. Avery considered this a proud accomplishment. If he were to ever finally snap and beat on her like she could tell he wanted to do sometimes, she could provide helpful details to the police.

"My future is defined by actions I choose at 14 years old?" Avery questioned, leaning back in her seat and staring at the man before her. "Somehow, I doubt that."

"How wrong you are, Ms. Turner." Principal Wales sighed, taking his glasses off and clasping his hands before him. "You see, the choices we make always have a way of circling back around and affecting us in.."

Avery stared at the wedding ring on his finger, wondering who on earth would marry such a boring man as she pretended to listen to the same tirade the adults at school give her at least once a week.

"...and sometimes, when we make the wrong choices.."

Letting out a small breath, Avery averted her eyes to the ceiling. Choices, actions, school is important, nothing else, become a zombie and do as we say.

"… listening to me? Ms. Turner?"

"Of course I am, Mr. Wales." Glancing up at the clock on the wall to her left, Avery took her cue early, standing and slinging her messenger bag over her shoulder. Slowly backing towards the door, she held her hands out wide, "From now on, my choices will be specifically designed for my future as an upstanding citizen of New York City. Scouts honor."

With that, Avery turned on her heel and rushed for the door, ignoring Principal Wales' voice calling out from behind her. It was soon drowned out by the bell alarming and hoards of students filled the hallway of St. Mary's School for Troubled Girls. Avery pulled the hood up on her jacket, stumbling through her pockets for her headphones before popping the buds in and turning on her MP3 player as she shoved her way through the crowd.

Instantly, No Doubt's "It's My Life" began to play as Avery made her way down the steps of the school.

He's going to call mom, I'm going to be busted- again- and she's going to stress out even more. Avery thought to herself, shaking her head as she passes yelling merchants on the side of the road attempting to sell high priced items. What a great daughter you are, Ave. Can't even stay out of trouble for one week.

"Ah! There you are, pequeño alborotador." Avery heard through the sound of her earbuds. Glancing up, she grins at the short man selling multitudes of fruit.

"Marco!" She rushes over, throwing her arms around his neck and she hugs him. Standing at five feet two inches, Avery Turner wasn't a very tall girl, but she still towered over Marco. His easy-going personality and positive outlook on life made up for that, in Avery's opinion. "Stop calling me that."

"But you are a little troublemaker, are you not?" Marco winked, tossing her an orange, which she didn't catch at all and rolled under the trolley of fruit.

"You know I can't catch," she rolled her eyes, crossing her arms before a smirk appeared on her face, "and of course I am."

Marco laughs and Avery shrugs the hood off of her head. "Where have you been? I was a little worried."

"Surprise trip to Mexico to visit my family." The elderly man sighs, a look of longing on his face. "I do miss them, but the money is made here in America."

Grimicing with sympathy, Avery decided to take her exit. She was never good with comforting people, and while she adored Marco, he was no different. "See ya, old man. Tell Maria hi for me?"

"You got it, pequeño alborotador. Don't get in too much trouble, sí?"

Avery jogged backwards, throwing her hands out beside her. "No promises."

"Yes, I understand-… But I'm never late, can't you make an exception?"

Avery sat her bag down on the counter of their small apartment, sitting in the old wooden chair at the table and staring at her mom as she stands outside the door, smoking a cigarette.

"Well, yes, there was that one tim-… okay, and that one, too, but.."

Sighing, Avery traced patterns in the dust on the dinner table. She wasn't sure what it was, but it began to oddly resemble some of the Egyptian hieroglyphs from her history textbook. Avery didn't like school, but she didn't mind learning. Especially history.

"I'm not sure what you want me to do. I work two jobs."

Avery's mother stood there a moment longer, before slowly lowering the phone from her eat and without warning, throwing it down to the ground below with a frustrated scream. Avery jumped, not having expected the sudden display of anger, and cautiously stood. "Mom?"

Addison Turner glanced sideways at her daughter, hands on her hips and taking deep breaths. "I can't do this anymore."

"Do what? Work two jobs? I can try to-"

"No, I can handle the jobs, kid." She sneered, rolling her eyes. Avery felt her own narrow, gearing herself up for the fight she knew was coming. "What I can't handle is my own daughter going down the same self-destructive path as her worthless father!"

Oh.

"So, Principal Wales called, huh?" Avery bit her lip, suddenly finding the floor very interesting.

"Oh, he called. Again, Avery? Really?"

"We need the money, Mom." Avery sighed, sitting back in the chair and putting her hands on the table. "It was worth a shot, I had to try-"

"You're lucky Sister Gretchen isn't pressing charges!" Her mother exploded, her temper matching her red hair. Avery suddenly thought of how much she didn't look like her mother, with her deep chocolate eyes and waist length brown hair. She did inherit the Turner Irish pale skin and freckles, though.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not sorry." Avery shrugged, not willing to lie to appease her mother anymore. Other people, sure. Avery would lie her ass off. But her mother? She knew Avery through and through; there was no lying, even if Addison Turner wanted her to. "Maybe I'm just destined to be worthless like my father."

Her mother had gone silent, staring at her with round blue eyes and mouth set in a straight line. Then she looked around their home; a pitiful apartment with windows busted out and tattered furniture. Perhaps the only attractive section of their home was Avery's book collection in the corner. Despite being on the dirty floor, the books remain in perfect condition, stacked neatly and obviously well taken care of.

Glancing back at her daughter, Avery saw something set in her mothers eyes. She lit another cigarette, this time inside, and took a long drag from it. Avery sat patiently, waiting to hear what punishment she'd have this time. Last month, it was helping Mrs. O'Conner next door clean out all her litter boxes. Avery was sure she's going to hell because she promised the Lord she'd never steal again.

"I'm sending you away."

Wait, what?

"Wait, what?"

"You heard me." Her mother nodded her head, as if satisfied with her decision. She threw the remains of the cigarette out the window, crossing the apartment and grabbing her coat from the floor beside the door and shrugging it on. "I have to make a few calls- get a new phone-, and try to track him down.."

"Hold on, track who down? Where are you sending me? I'm fourteen, that's like, illegal-"

"Illegal," her mother scoffed, "like stealing from nuns?"

"That.. that's different, and you know it!" Avery stood, rushing after her mother and she started down the stairs of their apartment building. "I'm your daughter, and okay, I'll admit, I messed up but-"

Addison stopped, turning around to face her ranting daughter and whispered, "Your uncle."

Avery stopped, staring at her mother from the top of the staircase. "My who?"

"Your uncle. Your father had a younger brother, Nathan, and I'm going to find him. That's where you're going, so you better hope like hell he'll take you in."