Time: September, 2142
Location: Earth, Harvard University
A girl with short raven hair, hurried done the halls of the prestigious university. Her long, thin limbs new to her as she just went through a horribly painful growth spurt just as her brothers hit their 16th birthday. Which was, unfortunately, right before the school year started. Leaving the 14 year old with little to no clothes that fit her properly. Not to mention she finally got her first period as she settled into her junior year of college and freshman year of high school.
Avery Lee sighed heavily as she entered her first college class of the day. Her high school day having been over since 2:30. Almost an hour ago. Taking her place near the door towards the front of the class, Avery Lee tugs on the end of the long sleeve she had to borrow from her older brother, Jake, this morning. She was as tall as he was now, towering over most girls her age, at an uncomfortable 5 foot 9 and a half inches. Having gotten there from an average 5 foot 5 at the beginning of May. But now in the beginning of September...
The black haired teen rubbed her eyes with the heel of her hands as she tried to wipe the exhaustion away from her brain. High school, as she is finding, is more stressful than her college courses. Though classes and the curriculum are a piece of cake, it's the other teens that are getting to her. They stare, because she isn't use to her new body, all awkward like a new born giraffe. The girls whisper behind her back at her stick-figure, in the locker room. Because her ribs stick out a little, and she has no curves at all, since she hadn't gone through puberty before the growth spurt.
Though the guys are worse, they were the same ones from middle school that made fun of her for being on college classes and being awkward and too much like a boy. They haven't changed. And it isn't her fault that she grew up to older twin brothers, or that she's not as comfortable around people she doesn't know as they are, or even if she's smart enough to be in college classes since she was 12. It doesn't help that Jake and Tom are two of the most popular boys at school, and she gets nasty looks from their friends, when they leave them to be with their problematic little sister.
Running a hand through her hair, Avery Lee lets go of another long sigh and takes out her notebook - most people are digital, but she prefers writing something out - and her mechanical pencil as students start to fill the seats of the room and the professor take her place at the podium. Finishing the preparations for the class as the bell rings as everyone settles in, putting their attention to the teacher that is teaching the advanced Na'vi language course.
Straightening in her seat, Avery Lee puts the rest of her energy and concentration into soaking up the knowledge with a thirst to learn that has been dormant all day. Having been bored into exhaustion since second period. And unlike her earlier classes, time flew by as Avery Lee was thoroughly swept up in the beautiful language of the natives on Pandora. Oh how would she love to be able to meet one someday. To be able to leave this dying plant and see the amazing world of Pandora.
One day. She promised herself as she gathered her stuff, and headed for the door. This was her only college class today, so she was to meet Jake near the dorms so he could take her home. But before she was able to get half-way to the door, a pair of men in suits entered the room, closing the door behind them. Avery Lee pauses, noticing that she was the last student left in the class. Gripping the straps of her backpack, she strides forward towards the door, but is stopped by one of the men, as his partner goes over to talk to her professor.
"Are you Avery Lee Sully?" The man that stopped her, questioned. His dark, bald head was as shiny as freshly polished wood, his face was blank, but his voice was polite enough. Avery Lee made a slight face, in confusion.
"Who's asking?" She quipped, the teen didn't like that they were looking for her. Nothing good ever comes of men in suits asking for you. It was two similar men that told her that her mother had died from a sudden heart attack when she twelve.
"The RDA." The dark man's partner answer, causing Avery Lee to half turn towards him in surprise. What did the RDA want with her?
Apparently the question was written out quite nicely across her face as her professor came forward and began to explain. "Avery these men are here to offer you the opportunity to be apart of a special mission on Pandora." She pauses, to let the information sink in, but then continues when Avery Lee turned her whole body towards her, eyes full of hope and wonder, not to mention shock. "They are doing a social experiment with the natives, to see how they interact with one of our own young. Since this could be potentially very dangerous, they've selected only one person to go: you. You meet all of their criteria for this experiment and could leave by the end of the year."
It's silent in the room for several long minutes as Avery Lee rolls the new information around in her brain. Then she turns to the man closest to the professor, "I need to talk to my dad and my brothers about this." The man nods in understanding before handing her a thick packet of the information for the mission.
"You have till next week to decide. We will be here then." He said and the two suited men left without saying anything else. Avery Lee stared at them, then the door for a long beat, before turning her eyes down to the heavy packet in her hands. Wondering what she should do. Obviously this is a once in a life time opportunity, being a part of a special mission, on Pandora no less. But what about her brothers, her father.
She had been noticing that he isn't is as healthy as he once was. He's slowing down, despite barely being in his mid-40's. He's also been getting these worsening headaches, that popped up almost 4 months ago. Something's wrong with him, Avery Lee knows it. But isn't sure what exactly is wrong. Heaving a sigh, Avery Lee stuffed the packet into her backpack and started for the door, once again, before her professor called out to her.
"Avery Lee," The teen turned to the middle-aged woman. "There are only a couple times, sometimes, not even then, in life where we are faced with the chance to completely change around our lives or have everything stay the same. I believe strongly, that you should take this opportunity to go to Pandora. You are my most brilliant student and the one with the most potential. Don't let anything stop you from fulfilling your dream of going to Pandora."
Avery Lee swallowed deeply, unsure of how to respond, to such a deeply emoted monologue, except to nod her head stiffly in thanks and respect. Before scurrying out of the class, mind swirling with information and possible outcomes. Trying to find the best one. So caught up in her thoughts, Avery Lee didn't realize she had made it to her brother's truck and was buckling herself in, until Jake put a hand on her shoulder, calling out her name in worry.
"Ava? Ava? Earth to Ava, come in Ava." He half teased, as her cloudy eyes cleared and focused on him, almost dumbly. "Hey you good there sis? You were totally out of it." He asked as he reeved up the engine and began their journey home. Avery huffed and turned to look out the window.
"I'm tired, and my brain is fried from the day." She half lied. The younger Sully decided to wait a few days and think through her options before telling her brothers and father about this opportunity. She wanted to come to a decision herself, and not have the others opinions influence her. Too much. Biting back a sigh, Avery Lee leaned back against the chair and closed her eyes, a tension headache starting to build. This was going to be a long week.
She's going.
Avery Lee decided 4 days after the two RDA agents came to her class, that she is going to Pandora. Now all she has to do is tell her family that she's going. Technically she doesn't. Because even though she is a minor, she's enough like a full-fledged adult that she can give her consent without parental permission. Though the last thing she wants to do is just disappeared without a trace, letting her family worry themselves to death over her absence.
Avery Lee is not narcissistic, but she knows they have a very tight-knit family. Especially after the death of her mother. Who was the heart of the family. They have had to come together and hold on with a death grip or else their family would cease to be.
Avery Lee gripped her pencil tight, throat swelling with emotion as she squeezed her eyes shut. She wouldn't cry, she wouldn't. She has spent enough tears already over this line of thought. It's just it grips at her to think that what would have happened if she didn't have her brothers or father with her right now. She wouldn't be in college. Her father wouldn't help pay for it, but she would have never been pushed to test the limits of her genius, if Tommy hadn't been there to shove and drive her where she needed to be. And she would be a hopeless shut in if Jake didn't drag her to the parkour classes they take twice weekly then go free running every Sunday.
Blinking as her vision blurred, Avery Lee found that a couple stray tears leaked out of her eyes and stained the paper she was working on. Huffing, Avery Lee dropped the pencil - she was going to type it anyway, this was just a rough draft. Leaning back against her chair, she stares up at the dull gray ceiling, willing herself to calm down and center herself. Taking deep, slow breathes, Avery Lee suddenly felt the strong urge to revealed her plans, but it was almost 1 in the morning and both her father and Jake turn in a predictable 9 o'clock. And Tom might be awake, but it seems doubtful... still...
The weight of knowing she was going to leave them within the next couple of months, but haven't told them anything, made her feel sick. Burning her skin from the inside, like a mortal sin. Needing to confess and say it aloud to release her of this curse of knowledge.
So swallowing down her fear and doubt, Avery Lee left her room and sought out the room to the left of hers. Looking at the bottom of the door, she sees the outline of a dimmed lamp, maybe just about reading level. So without knocking, the youngest Sully slips in and finds Tommy reading a high tech science book. He raises an eyebrow at his younger sister, as he carefully slips the bookmark in and places the book on the bedside table.
"You okay?" He asks as Avery slips into his bed, tucking herself againt his side as if she didn't have those extra four and a half inches of height she isn't use to. Tom lets out a soft huff laughter, wrapping an arm around her as he scouts over to make room. Avery Lee sighs as she settles, her head resting in the nook of his shoulder. One arm folded between them and the other thrown over the older's stomach and waist.
"Ava?" Tom inquires softly, barely a whisper, glancing down at his baby sister as she takes a deep breath. Settling her nerves as her fingers play with the seam of Tom's shirt. Now or never, she thinks, gathering her courage, and spilt everything to Tom, the other Pandora enthusiast of the family. He listened carefully and quietly, scarcely breathing as she finished up with revealing her decision of leaving and asking for his opinion on it.
It was silence between them for several long moments, as Tom's eyes roamed the dull gray ceiling, mind race. Finally after a couple of minutes he managed to get out a joke. "Here I was thinking that I was going to go to Pandora first." He chuckled, tightening his half-asleep arm around her, as she finally looked up at him. Their eyes met and her's were filled with surprise and shock. His stared back with happiness and acceptance. A grateful smile spreads across her face, she buries her face on his chest and hugs him tight. Squeezing a snort of amusement out of him.
"You're gonna help me brake this to Dad and Jake right?" She asks, looking back up at him, he's grinning at her, a mischievous glint twinkling in his blue eyes.
"Nah sis. This is your thing, you gotta tell them." He tells and Avery Lee rolls her eyes. Sitting up, she looks over to the digital clock on his nightstand: it was almost three in the morning and tomorrow she had a math test first thing. With a huff, she pushes herself onto her feet, sudden exhaustion sweeping through her as she trudged over to the door.
"Good night Ava. Love you." Tom called out quietly to her, she half turned, smiled tiredly, then shuffled back into hall, closing the door behind her. Avery Lee was fast asleep before her head hit the pillow. Forgetting to turn off her lamp and put her stuff back in their proper places... Whatever, she'll deal with it in the morning.
It was Sunday, the day before she gave her answer to the RDA, and she hasn't told Jake and her dad yet.
Friday was really hectic in her defense. First Jake's truck broke down on the way to school, so they had to get it to the shop and call up a friend up, who barely got them to school on time. They had to sprint to get into the gates, before they are locked for the day. Then Avery Lee stumbled upon a group of boys harassing a couple of girls, as she was coming back from the bathroom. To which Avery threw food and insults at the guys until they began to chase after her. But she escaped and double backed to make sure the girls were good and got back to their class, before the guys from earlier found her and she had run again.
The principal was waiting for her as she scaled down the school, from the roof, the group of boys behind him. They had been smiling smugly at her over his shoulders, as the principal glared hotly at her. Avery Lee felt her temper spark as the principal began to chew her out for throwing food at the boys and then climbing the building and then he was so disappointed with her behavior, not once mentioning the wrongs the guys had committed.
She screamed at the adult, chewing him out in her fury. Then she turned to the guys, whose smug smiles had turned into terrified expressions as they began to cower in her wrath. When the principal tried to speak up, Avery Lee turned back to him and snapped at him, calling him out on his affair with one of the science teachers, when his own wife had just gave birth to his first kid. He had turned bright red with fury and embarrassment.
He dragged her back to his office, or would have if she hadn't ripped her arm out of his grip, screaming at him that he could not just touch her. Unfortunately there were large groups of students that had witness most if not all of the confrontation. In the end, her father had been called from work and she got suspended for a couple weeks. While her father was disappointed at the way she handled things, he was proud that she stood up for what was right, and didn't just take it. Though he restricted her to house and school, for the duration of her suspension.
Later, after she had cooled down, Avery even agreed that she could have handled things smoother, but her temper had gotten the better of her. But she stands by everything she did. She even got a thank you email from the girls that she had helped. Their names were Maggie and Dylan, a pair of fellow freshmen.
That was Friday, and it didn't seem the appropriate time to sit Jake and her dad down in the aftermath of it. Then Saturday rolled around, and Avery Lee woke up with not only a horrible migraine, but terrible pre-period cramps. So she spent most of Saturday bedridden, curled around a hot water bottle, and trying to sleep away the pain in the quiet dark. She somewhat succeeded. Avery Lee may or may not have cried a little at one point, when she realized she needed to go to the bathroom. But did not want to leave her position.
So here she is. Sunday. Still haven't told Jake or her dad. Ugh.
Tom slaps her hand away from her mouth, as she had been subconsciously chewing in the tip of her thumb. An awful habit she's had since their mom passed away. "You should just tell them." He whispered to her. They were half cuddling on one side of the sectional, as they half-heartedly watched sports with their over-enthusiastic brother and father shouting at the tv. Who sat on the other side of the sectional.
"I don't think right now is good." She shot back, just as quietly. Tom shrugged at the look his sister was giving him.
"During the commercial break?" He suggested, Avery sent him a sour look.
"I thought you weren't going to help me." Tom merely shrugged again, before turning his eyes back towards the tv. Leaving Avery Lee to look at him pointedly, before resigning herself to go with his suggestion and wait for the half-time intermission. Which came all too soon.
As Jake and their dad were going over the plays, commercials playing softly in the background, Avery Lee gathered up her courage and reached over to tug on Jake's sleeve. Who finally looked over to her, with an annoyed look, after a couple of hard tugs.
"What do you want Ava?" He questioned, it was the World Championships, this better be good. She scoffed at him, and sat up straighter.
"I gotta tell you and Dad something. It's really important actually." Now this caught his attention. Avery doesn't really confide in them with serious decisions or feelings. So if she's wanting to tell them, it must be something really big.
"Well what is it honey?" Their dad asks, joining the conversation. Avery pauses, looks between them and takes a deep breath, before exhaling, "I've been chosen to go to Pandora on a special mission." Jake's not sure what this sensation is; there's a slight ring in his ear and there's this weird tug on his stomach, and his skin is tingling. He felt kind of cold too.
"...ke ...ake...Jake... Jake? You okay Jake?" Avery was snapping her fingers an inch from his face, lime green eyes bright with worry. The teen blinked a couple times as his sister's face came into focus. His throat felt dry and it was kind of hard to swallow, but he did. Licking his lips, he gave a barely steady nod. Yes, he was okay. Not that his family truly believed him.
"What's the mission?" Their dad asked, as he came out of his own shock. Avery's eyes looked over to their sire hesitantly, and filled them in on the details. Though Jake was half listening. He was instead memorizing every detail of her face. And when she turned to look back at him, he realized that he is going to find a way for him to follow her to the far way moon, for he just knew she couldn't be persuaded to stay. But how could he get there? He wasn't a scientist, he wasn't smart enough for that... He'll just have to find another way.
Avery Lee searched her brother's distant eyes, and found no trace of any thoughts or emotions. They were locked away from her reach, and it hurt to know that he was shutting her out. Sighing she looked away to his twin, Tom's own brilliant blue eyes, and found reassurance and love. She smiled slightly at him, then turned to her father, who was clearly doing some mental calculations.
"When would you be leaving?" Jake spoke up, his voice sounding also like a croak. Thick with thinly-veiled emotions. Avery Lee looked surprised at the sound of his voice, but answered easily enough. She would be gone by winter break. He took a shuddering breath, stood up and quickly left for his room. Avery Lee stood up to go after him, but Tom's hand shot out and grabbed her wrist tightly. When she sent him a questioning look, he shook his head. Jake needed to be alone right now, as he processed the information.
The eldest child of the Sully family considered himself the closet to Avery, especially after losing Mom, so now that she was also leaving, he just wanted a moment to himself. To sort out his thoughts and emotions.
Avery Lee sent a look in the direction of her brother's room, before sitting down between his twin and their dad. The commercial was over, and the game was continuing.
When she told the agents from the RDA her positive answer they sat her down and filled out another thick packet of waivers and consent forms. Then pulled some of her blood so they could start making her avatar, which had to be made differently from the rest, as it had to age slower during the ride over.
Quickly afterwards, the next day actually, Avery Lee received a letter from the Avatar program at Harvard and the RDA, along with her high school, that she will no longer be attending high school. She will sending that time focusing on the Avatar program until her flight date of December 2, 2142. Avery Lee had read the letter once to herself, then aloud for her family to hear. It was a mixed bag of emotions from everyone, but they congratulated her all the same, and would continue to support her through this.
Fall began to show as September turned into October and soon it was her birthday. They kept it small and sweet. She got one present and it was from all of them; it was a scrapbook filled with pictures from as early as Dad and Mom's first date back in college, to their wedding and honeymoon. Then Mom's pregnancy with Jake and Tom and the brief intermission of their infancy, where they soon found out Mom got pregnant again. There were some of her ultrasounds, and the twins too. Next was pictures of their childhood; the babies playing in the back yard, in the bath tub, in the park. Then kindergarden and elementary school. Birthday parties and celebrations. Elementary and middle school graduations for the guys and her own as well.
Underneath each picture was a small, neat description, that Avery Lee recognizes as her mother's handwriting. Well up until the last couple of pages, where it was a bit messier; her dad's hand. Avery Lee felt tears build behind her eyes and blinked hard to keep them from falling, gently set the photo album aside and wrapped her family up in a tight hug. Heart bursting with love.
When she pulled back,she saw they also had tears in their eyes. With a slight sniffle, and a bright smile, Avery Lee herded them over to the sectional and picked out a movie for them to watch. Tonight she wouldn't think about anything that wasn't here and now. She would focus on her brothers and father and this silly romcom.
Barely two weeks later though, at the beginning of November, her dad sat them all down after dinner and broke the bad news to them. He had stage one brain cancer. Avery forgot how to speak or think properly for a couple of minutes as flashbacks of her mother's death came back in full swing. But before she or her brothers could begin to break down, he told them that it is easily treatable and there's nothing to worry about. While the three siblings held serious doubt about that last statement, they took the reassurance and held tightly on to it.
Then finally the day of her flight came, Jake drove them to the meeting site. As Pops had been restricted from operating heavy machinery by his team of doctors. They were all quiet during the hour and a half drive to the runway that held the plane that would take Avery Lee off of Earth and onto the ship that'll travel light years, over the next six years, to get to the lush moon of Pandora. Jake tried his damn best to not hold onto the stirring wheel with a death grip. He forced himself to remain calm and focus on the road, nothing else.
After a while, everyone was lulled into a pretense of peace and serenity for the rest of the drive. That is until they began to see the growing shapes of the run away with the couple of planes that lead to the intergalactic space ship, that hovers just outside the Earth's ruined atmosphere. Then the pretense began to ebb away and tension started to build in the air.
They finally pulled up into the runaway, parking with the rest of the cars and buses. Unloading from the truck, Avery Lee gripped her duffle bag tight, squared her shoulders and lead the way to the check in. But only passengers could get through the security before the check in, so their journey together had finally ended. Avery Lee looked to her brothers and her father, tears making her eyes shiny. She dropped her bag as her family surrounds her in a group hug.
No tears were shed, but there nearly were. Instead they held it together as they said their final farewells. Yet Jake lingered behind as Tom and Pops headed back to the car. Avery Lee raised a brow at him in inquiry, but he didn't say anything as he pulled out a small box from his pocket and held it out to her. Green eyes narrowed, Avery takes the box and lets out a soft gasp once she sees what's inside.
It's a man's silver chain. The same one Jake and Tom got once they started high school, from their mother. Right before she died.
Avery Lee stared at it, before turning her glistening eyes to Jake. "I talked to Dad and Tommy about getting you one before you left. We wanted you to have a little piece of all of us with you, when you're on Pandora." He told with a soft smile. Avery Lee gave a watery sounding laugh and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Jake closed his eyes as tears prickled in his eyes; he buried his face in the crook of her neck as he hugged her back with equal strength.
Inhaling her scent of pine and oranges, for the last time in a long while. It will be over a decade the next time they seen each other. The simple fact of the situation, caused a rip in both of their hearts. Pulling away, Avery Lee pulled aside her braid, and let Jake put the chain around her neck. The bottom of the cool metal resting over the middle of her sternum.
The younger turn towards the older and quickly looks down at her hands, seeing the only ring she ever wears. It was a simple steel rimmed wooded ring with family burned into it, with simple looping letters. Pulling it off of her thumb, she gestures for her brother to turn around as well. He rolled his eyes, but complied, she lifted the chain off of the back of his neck, unclasped it, slid the ring on the chain, then clasped it again.
When Jake faced his sister, she was smiling sadly at him. "We're even now." She said simply and with one more hug, Jake finally let her go on her way to a whole other planet. To a completely different life. One, he'll hopefully be apart of one day.
The eldest Sully cild watched as his baby sister went through security and check in then disappeared into the plane for a second. Before popping up in a window, Avery waving to him, he waved back. Then he was escorted away from the runaway and back to parking lot. He, Tommy and their father watched solemnly as the engines got fired up and soon, they were gone from sight and sky and were probably abort the space ship.
And that was it. Avery Lee had officially left Earth. Jake climbed into driver's seat, Tommy beside him, Pops in the back, and they drove off. Never looking back.