"Ava, I didn't expect you home so soon. Did you have fun at Casey's?"
Ava nodded towards her grandmother, forcing a smile onto her face. "Yeah, I had a great time Nana."
Nana smiled warmly at her. "That's nice to hear dear."
The brunette nodded again before making her way to her room and softly shutting the door behind her. A soft glow from the moon overhead managing to peek from behind the clouds consuming the sky filled the space. Walking to the window, she slowly opened it, making sure that she made as little noise as possible. A cold air assaulted her skin again as she scaled the metal stairs. Within moments, her feet firmly placed themselves on the hard roof.
There wasn't a single star out tonight; the various clouds were blocking them from view… though it was not as if she would be able to see them anyway. A black sky illuminated only by a glowing sphere seeming to hover just out of reach. Ava wrapped her arms around herself and sat down, flinching slightly at the sheer coldness of the concrete below her. Her eyes intently stared at a crack on the roof sitting just in front of her, as if it were the cause of how she was feeling right then. Regret swam through her but still deep down behind everything else there was something more…
Anger.
Anger at how people were trying to take the place of her mom. That gap could never be filled… not by Nana or anyone else.
Anger at her mother for leaving her like she did. She shouldn't have died like that… If only she would have let Ava walk to the store like she offered. None of this would have happened… It should have been her… Should have been her…
She drew her knees close to her chest, curling herself into a ball as the wind picked up and lashed at her skin and hair. She forced her eyes shut against the drops of salty water that threatened to spill over onto her cheeks. No matter how much time passed, it seemed like the pain never went away. It was always looming behind her, waiting until a weak moment approached her. Then it would assault her, numbing her feelings to everything else around her.
Biting down on her lip she finally let the tears spill freely down her cheeks, staining her jeans as weeks of torment spilled out. Her shoulders heaved with the wrenching sobs as she gasped for air. Becoming thankful that she was secluded on this rooftop, away from the ears of her grandmother, she didn't want to worry the poor woman. After already losing her only daughter, her only child, the frail woman couldn't take on the extra burden of her granddaughter's misery. The young girl didn't want to burden her, or anyone else with this. Eventually, hopefully, she would learn how to push past all these feelings and start to become numb to the gaping hole in her life.
She cried, really cried for the first time since that horrible accident. Holding her emotions in at the funeral as friends offered their condolences, even when her mother's coffin was lowered into the ground she did not shed a single tear, keeping a blank look on her face the whole time. She could not let on just how devastated she was. Her mother had been her world. They were so close. Avariella knew that no matter what her mother would be there for her when she needed an ear to listen to her mundane problems at school. Only now can she see just how unimportant they really were. Only now can she see just how much worse life could possibly get.
Ava wrapped her arms tighter around herself as she cried harder; whimpering even though she knew no one could hear her.
That's how Raphael found her just a mere hour later.
Quickly lowering himself onto the ground so he was sitting right beside her his arm hesitantly went towards her, before drawing away back to his side. He didn't know what to do but he knew he didn't like seeing her like this. Stealing himself, the red-clad turtle slowly extended his arm again, gently placing it on her back. Upon feeling the sudden touch, Ava looked up with red eyes and tear-stained cheeks. The small amounts of make-up she wore around her blue eyes gone with the constant motion of rubbing the tears of from her eyes.
Her blue eyes widened as she took him in.
"You came back…" she barely squeaked out before rubbing at her face again.
He nodded, still keeping his large hand on her back. Watching as a few lone tears still rolled down her cheeks, landing on her jeans or splattering on the ground.
"Wha' 'appened?" he questioned, his voice sounding unsure, not wanting to accidently say the wrong thing and make it worse.
She sniffled again, "It's complicated…"
"Tell me."
"No…" she looked away. "I don't… I don't want to burden you…" she sighs. "Sides… I don't wanna talk about it."
Raphael nodded. "Okay, if yer sure."
"I am," Ava responded with a nod before drawing her legs closer towards herself.
Suddenly she felt something wet on her face. She was not crying anymore… There it was again. Looking up, she felt more droplets landing upon her face, each drop coming faster than the one before it. Crashing onto whatever surface it met as the young storm assaulted the earth below it.
Closing her eyes, Ava allowed the rain to pour over her and Raphael. The water felt surprisingly soothing against her skin, seeming to calm her weary soul. It was as if the heavens were crying along with her… or perhaps it was her mother watching her from above. Perhaps she was pained at the agony that the child she left behind was forced to endure now. Either way, the steady stream of water as the storm increased in intensity helped to calm her down slightly.
It was only after the flash of lighting and the loud crack of thunder did Avariella open her eyes.
She looked over at Raphael. "Um, wanna come inside?"
"Sure." He replied as he stood, holding out a hand for Ava.
Nodding slightly, Ava accepted the offered hand and stood up. She walked towards the fire escape with Raphael in tow. "Try to be quite. My grandmother is most likely asleep right now."
The two of them quickly scaled the metal rungs of the ladder before quietly making their way down the metal stairs. Not remembering about the rain that still assaulted them, Ava slipped on the metal while descending the first flight of stairs. Raphael quickly moved forward to grab her, saving her from landing face-first into the metal railing in front of her.
His arms were muscular, but he held her so gently in those few seconds. It seemed as if he thought she would break easily if handled incorrectly. Though, in those few brief seconds, Ava felt so… safe and protected in his grasp.
Once her footing was gathered, she turned to face him. "Thanks," she smiled, rubbing her arm slightly.
"It's nothin'."
Moments later the two of them had finally crawled through the window and were standing dripping wet in Ava's room.
"Let me get you a towel," Ava said while looking down at the soaking wet patch below where he stood before striding over to her bathroom.
Raphael grabbed the towel he was handed before nodding to the wall. "What's wit' tha boxes?"
She shrugged, "Haven't gotten to unpacking I guess." She motioned to the TV and the stack of DVDs sitting on the floor. "Movie?"
He walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. "Soun's cool."
"Pick anything, I'm gonna get changed into something dry." Ava said while rummaging through her dresser. Just a few weeks ago, she decided unpacking her clothes would be a smart idea, saving her from looking through her boxes for just a certain sweatshirt or pair of jeans.
"'Kay."
Reaching into her dresser, Ava tossed a towel in the red-clad turtle's direction before walking into the bathroom. Shutting the door behind her gently, Ava dropped her clothes onto the small counter top. Due to her not having a huge treasure-trove of cosmetics at her disposal, the counter was rather bare. Atop the granite was a toothbrush, hand soap, a black eyeliner pencil, and a small pallet of brown shadows. After stripping herself of the damp pieces of clothing and tossing them over the shower rod to dry, she pulled on a pair of grey sweatpants with Vermont written in navy blue lettering down the left leg and paired it with a snug-fitting black tee. She opened the door and strode into her bedroom, scraping her hair into a ponytail before plopping down onto her bed next to Raphael.
Her blue eyes regarded the screen and she smiled. "Daredevil?"
"Yeah, it's a good flick." He said with a dismissive shrug.
"Sure it has nothing to do with those?" She questioned with a small grin while nodding in the direction of her desk, where he had decided to place his sais. "I mean there is Electra…"
Raphael chuckled, it had a very rough edge to it but the vibe it carried was seemingly relaxed and carefree. "Neva' thought 'bout that."
… Advisory Period; next day…
Sitting at her desk, Ava was seemingly focused on the various questions on the reading assignment she was given in French just the period before. Spending an adequate amount of time to ensure each question was answered to the best of her ability.
However, nothing could have been further from reality.
Instead of the assignment that was placed before her, Ava's attentions were still preoccupied with the previous evening. While nothing happened that would not be considered ordinary transpired, the brunette enjoyed the simple company of Raphael. While their conversation was light and the topics were often solely related to the selected film, she still enjoyed the evening. She assumed that at some point during the night she must have fell asleep on him because it seemed as if one moment the movie was still running and the next her clock informed her that it was time to start a new day.
She hoped that he would drop by again soon.
Dropping her pencil onto her desk, Ava's thoughts soon migrated towards the other event of last night. She knew that she would have to apologize to Casey and April for how she acted, but to be frankly honest even the brunette had no idea was caused such a reaction out of her. All that was suggested was for her to take self-defense classes and then she just blew up. Sighing, she let her head drop onto her desk with a small thud. What was wrong with her? Never before in her life was she that easily agitated.
Suddenly, the bell rang, signaling the end to another school day. Snapping her head up from the desk, Ava soon gathered her various books off her desk and made her way out of the classroom and into the crowed hallway. She clutched her books close to her chest as she weaved her way through the various figures filling the walkway. Several were talking with friends, possibly about plans for that night or the next weekend, while others were just trying to make their way back home. Reaching the second floor, she started to do the combination on her locker. She quickly jerked her bag out of the small space and started to throw whatever she needed for homework that night inside. After forcing the metal door shut, she started to make her way to the first-floor gymnasium. Tonight was a cross-country night.
Ava practically ran into the locker room, startling the handful of girls already in there. Quickly shrugging off her hoodie and tee, she replaced those items with a simple, black sweatshirt and matching sweatpants. Within moments, she was out in the gym, stretching out her eager muscles. She was eager for a run and a chance to clear her head. The simplicity of running easily able to calm her down.
"Well someone's excited today," a familiar voice said with a chuckle.
Ava looked up, her blue eyes sparkling as she smirked. "You know I'm always up for a run, Nick."
He chuckled again and shook his head. "That you are."
"So, we going to Central?" she asked with a tilt of her head, leaning forward to stretch her legs.
Nick shook his head, "Naw, I think Coach is taking us to Peter Park this time, nothing too heavy."
Sighing, Ava stood up and bent down in order to touch her toes. "And here I was looking forward to something heavy."
"Just don't tell everyone else that, Central's a real workout."
"It's only a bit over three miles." She paused, and rubbed her chin. "Maybe closer to four…"
Nick rolled his eyes. "Well maybe we could hit Central together… Ya know, after practice."
Ava smiled. "Maybe."
Stretching her arms over her head, she regarded the gathering of people before her. Despite how long she has been at this school she couldn't get over how small this club was. At best only twelve people showed up, and out of those, only five of them were girls. Back in Vermont, cross-country was the most populated sport, totaling at least fifty people. Sometimes the group was so large that two coaches had to separate them into smaller ones. However, no matter the size of the group Avariella could always appreciate a good run.
Coach Henderson soon walked into the gym and blew the whistle, signaling for everyone to halt conversation. He congratulated a lean-built blonde on placing first at the boys meet and soon went to give details about the meet for the girls that coming Friday. A few short moments later, he was ushering the small group out of the school. The ten of them separated into pairs and all ran towards their destination for the afternoon, Peter Detmold Park.
Nick and Ava ran in silence down First Avenue, their sneaker-clad feet pounding against the sidewalk as they swerved between the pedestrians on the sidewalk. She enjoyed running with Nick, he rarely tried to start a conversation with her and she never had to wait for him because he fell behind. He was the perfect running-partner. They easily matched each other's pace, neither one having any need for competition. Though that's not to say the two of them didn't engage in friendly races now and again. However, this run would prove to be different.
"You okay?" Nick said after taking a quick glance to his side.
Ava nodded, forcing herself to run slightly faster. "Yeah, I'm good."
Within moments, he managed to match her pace again. "You don't look it. Something happened last night."
The brunette sighed and slowed down to a halt. She turned to face Nick and crossed her arms, they were going to be behind everyone else but she didn't care at that moment. "It's family issues." She shrugged, "Maybe the issue is just me, who knows?"
Nick tilted his head slightly to the side, curiosity sparking in his brown eyes. "Want to talk about it?"
Ava quickly shook her head and started to jog, knowing he would be right behind her. "Never mind, it's nothing…"
… Bleecker Park; Friday night the following week…
Resting on a wooden park bench, Ava looked down at the assortment of flowers in her hands. She knew it was a feeble attempt to make amends for Tuesday night, but after not hearing from either Casey or April she decided to make the attempt to speak first. The silence from the couple was an unwelcome aspect over the past week. She realized that she was now used to having them around, they had started to become fixtures in her life.
Her blue eyes looked up, soon landing on the small antique shop. The wooden bench beneath her was slightly damp from a recent sprinkling of rain and the retreating moon only served to make the air colder. It was late, perhaps she should have stopped by earlier. April wouldn't be expecting her. However, Ava knew that she had to stop by as soon as she could. Standing up, the brunette took a deep breath as she made her way across the street. The walkways were almost barren, save for the lone shopper at the nearby shoe store or bakery, as she made her way to the black door that served as a rear entrance into the apartments. She quickly made her way to the third floor, where April resided. Stepping towards the familiar door, Ava stole herself before lightly knocking upon the wooden surface.
Through the wood, Ava heard shuffling in the apartment. It seemed as if the occupants were on edge for some reason. She heard a door shut just moments before April appeared at the front door, a surprised expression on her face. The redhead seemed to be forcing the smile that was brought up at the corners of her mouth, her green eyes darting to look inside her home. For some odd reason it seemed as if her view was trying to be intentionally blocked. However, she quickly dismissed those thoughts, deeming them to be unimportant and perhaps even a mere figment of her imagination.
Ava waved before holding out the assortment of flowers. "Um… hey." Her eyes darted to the floor, suddenly finding the surface below her to be of great interest. "I'm sorry about earlier. I shouldn't have snapped like that… You were just trying to help me…"
April grabbed the flowers and dismissed what she said with a small wave of her hand. "It's alright; I understand what it's like." She ushered her visitor into the living room. "My… father passed away when I was young… I still miss him."
"Oh, I'm-" Ava suddenly cut herself off. She never liked it when the scads of people would utter that same phrase, hoping to provide some sort of comfort. However, it just seemed to be pointless. There was nothing for them to be sorry about, it's not like it was their fault her mother passed too early. She sighed, "I still wanted to apologize. I don't know what came over me." She shrugged, not knowing what to say. All she planned was that single part of the conversation, not considering what might happen after it was over.
"I'm just glad you're okay," April responded while motioning for Ava to sit down as she made her way to the kitchen. "Casey and I were worried about you." She called from the nearby room. "Though your grandmother said it could have been stress."
"Sorry that I caused trouble."
April returned within moments and sat down while shaking her head. "It's no trouble." She smiled warmly, "We just want to make sure you're okay."
Ava nodded in response while taking a quick glance around the apartment. "Is Casey around?"
"No," the redhead shook her head. "He went out for a ride I think."
"Ah, okay."
Thinking about it, Ava realized that April and her were never once alone together. No matter what Casey was always there. Surprisingly though, there was minimal tension between the two, less than what Avariella was expecting. She looked up, her blue orbs meeting green ones. The woman before her seemed to be worrying about something, it appeared that she was always taking glances at the entrance or staring at the wall.
"Are you alright?" Ava asked, leaning forward ever so slightly.
April nodded, "Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired is all."
"Work?"
Another nod, "Yeah, my boss has me covering this huge story. I haven't had the shop open for a few days."
"If you need help with the shop I could help out. You wouldn't have to pay me or anything." Ava said with a small shrug. "I could work after school and weekends… well when I don't have cross country that is. But that's gonna be over in about a month or so."
"You sure?"
Ava nodded while smiling. "Yeah, I'm positive. Sides, I need somethin' to do."
April smiled back, "Well how about we start tomorrow?"
"Sounds great." Ava said while making a gesture towards the bathroom before getting up from her sitting position.
Walking her way down towards the small walkway connecting the main living area to the bedrooms, the young girl could swear she hear some movement coming from April's spare room. Silently, she took a small step towards the entrance, placing her hand on the brass doorknob. From what she could make out the room was dark, a small breeze seemed to come through the opening beneath the door. Holding her breath, she forced the door open in a quick, fluid movement. Her eyes scanned the cluttered space. Aside from the small clusters of boxes there was a twin bed with a layer of dust covering the mattress. This room was obviously used for storage and was rarely touched otherwise. On the far side of the room the curtains seemed to be caught in a small gust of wind, the material fluttered. Why would a window be open this time of year? The brunette walked towards the opening and gently pulled the window closed. Her eyes looked over the street below her and along the fire escape but upon finding no suspicious characters she shook her head and made her way back out of the room.
April walked towards her and quickly looked in the room. "You alright?" She asked, eyes quickly darting to look at the now-shut window, the woman seemed worried about something.
"Um, your window was open," Ava said while jerking her thumb over her shoulder. "Don't wanna be wasting money on heat."
"Yeah, thanks." April said with a small grin as her eyes darted into the space once more before turning back towards the living room, her previous stress seeming to easily melt away.
Ava stepped into the bathroom and quietly shut the door behind her. For some reason it felt as if April were hiding something from her. Her eyes constantly darting one way or the other, as if she were looking for something… or someone and then there's how she seemed a bit more on edge after seeing her in the vacant room. Closing her eyes, the teenager sighed. It wasn't any of her business. She shouldn't be prodding into her life after landing right in the middle of it so suddenly.
However, none of that did anything to help erase her spiking curiosity.
