Chapter Four: Bray's Place
Avia walked the sidewalk of a nice neighborhood. She hated neighborhoods like these and preferred her artsy apartment in the city. Avia stood in front of one particularly nice house. There was a red motorcycle out front. Bray was home. Instead of ringing the door bell Avia went to the back. Just as she was about to round to the corner she heard voices coming from inside the house.
"Trudy will you stop putting salt in that you'll kill the kid and Jay." Avia recognized the voice and curiously looked in the window. Her mother stood next to the refrigerator holding a bowl as she glared at Trudy.
"Ebony, why are you here again?"
"Helping Jay"
"What for, you never help anyone but yourself, and your kids."
Ebony placed one of hands on her hip. "He helped me when Slade died." Avia smiled triumphantly as she watched an embarrass Trudy go back to cooking.
Avia walked along the house until she found a ladder. This had always been the hardest part about sneaking around. She lifted the ladder to the window on the second floor. Trying to remain quiet she climbed the ladder. When she reached the window she looked inside. There was no one inside, but strangely enough the window was slightly opened. Avia became suspicious as she lifted the window and climbed inside.
Bray's room had always intrigued Avia. She really didn't understand why but it was always a comfortable place to go. His computer which was normally on catching the latest news of the city was off. His bed was unmade as well, but this was usual. Avia went to the computer and clicked it on. There was an old-pre virus show on. Avia made a disgusted noise. Words moved across the bottom of the screen announcing Amber's death. "Why is the news so insensitive?"
"I don't know." Avia turned giving her friend a smile. Bray was the image of his father with chestnut hair. He wore a black v-neck sweater and some denim jeans. Bray returned the smile hugging Avia. "I knew you'd try to get by so I saved you the trouble of knocking."
"You're beginning to know me too well."
"Glad you'll finally admit to it."
"Then I'm going to have to change and see you less often."
"Now you wouldn't punish me like that."
Avia grinned in return. She then sat down quietly looking up at Bray. "I'm sorry about Amber."
Bray looked out the window. "Yeah, you know she was doing so great and then..."
Avia took his hand in hers. "I know how it feels."
"Slade"
"Yep, good old Dad, coolest guy around, took me to school on a motorcycle. At ten you think they'll live forever and then one day Salene calls you to the office and you know you didn't do anything wrong and it just...I don't know." She looked at Bray. "Why am I babbling? I'm supposed to be helping you."
"You just being here is all I needed, thanks." He hugged Avia.
"No Problem; now to work my magic else where, Where's Jay?"
"In the office, I think he's taking it the hardest he hasn't said a word since he told me."
"I'll go see him."
"Be careful I don't think Ebony meant for you to be out of school."
"Oh please she'd have to find me first." Avia walked out of Bray's room. She knew the house like it was her own. Hearing her mother's voice in the dining room down stairs Avia cursed under her breath. The office was downstairs. She waited for Ebony to go back into the kitchen. When Ebony had done this, avia quickly moved down the stairs and into the office.
"What are you doing here?"
Avia breathed a sigh of relief, and then smiled. "Now is that anyway to greet me?"
"You're supposed to be out of school."
"What's up with everyone? I'd like to mention that it is my last day, and the day is almost finished so it doesn't matter."
"But it was your last day you might not see some of them ever again."
"I think I can handle it; most of them still refer to me as 'Ebony's little brat.'"
"No they don't."
"Yeah they do, now admit you're glad to see me."
"I'm glad to see you."
Avia walked to a cabinet and opening it pulled out a checker set. She placed it on the desk and began setting up the pieces. "Today I'm not going to let you beat me."
"Well then you'll be crying because you can't beat me."
Just as Avia was making herself comfortable, there came a knock on the door of the office. Looking at the door Avia headed toward the cabinet once inside Jay asked who it was. "Jay, it's me Trudy."
"Yeah"
"I just came to see how you were."
"I'm as well as to be expected."
"I'm so sorry Jay; I know what she meant to you."
"Yes..."
"Um, Jay...well Dinner will be up in a bit."
Jay nodded in understanding and with that Trudy left. Avia came out of the cabinet smiling. "Is she gone?"
"Yeah"
"Is it dinner time already?"
"I guess." Jay said quietly. Avia walked to the office door. "Where are you going?" He called after her.
"Home"
"Ebony's planned for you to eat dinner here."
"No thank you I have plans."
"Like What?"
"Dinner, movie and maybe more"
"Dal?" Avia nodded. "I don't like him."
"And? I mean he's better then most guys right?"
"If you say so."
Avia smiled, and then walking out the door sighed a bit upset she went back the way she came trying to shrug away Jay's disapproval.
Avia walked the sidewalk of a nice neighborhood. She hated neighborhoods like these and preferred her artsy apartment in the city. Avia stood in front of one particularly nice house. There was a red motorcycle out front. Bray was home. Instead of ringing the door bell Avia went to the back. Just as she was about to round to the corner she heard voices coming from inside the house.
"Trudy will you stop putting salt in that you'll kill the kid and Jay." Avia recognized the voice and curiously looked in the window. Her mother stood next to the refrigerator holding a bowl as she glared at Trudy.
"Ebony, why are you here again?"
"Helping Jay"
"What for, you never help anyone but yourself, and your kids."
Ebony placed one of hands on her hip. "He helped me when Slade died." Avia smiled triumphantly as she watched an embarrass Trudy go back to cooking.
Avia walked along the house until she found a ladder. This had always been the hardest part about sneaking around. She lifted the ladder to the window on the second floor. Trying to remain quiet she climbed the ladder. When she reached the window she looked inside. There was no one inside, but strangely enough the window was slightly opened. Avia became suspicious as she lifted the window and climbed inside.
Bray's room had always intrigued Avia. She really didn't understand why but it was always a comfortable place to go. His computer which was normally on catching the latest news of the city was off. His bed was unmade as well, but this was usual. Avia went to the computer and clicked it on. There was an old-pre virus show on. Avia made a disgusted noise. Words moved across the bottom of the screen announcing Amber's death. "Why is the news so insensitive?"
"I don't know." Avia turned giving her friend a smile. Bray was the image of his father with chestnut hair. He wore a black v-neck sweater and some denim jeans. Bray returned the smile hugging Avia. "I knew you'd try to get by so I saved you the trouble of knocking."
"You're beginning to know me too well."
"Glad you'll finally admit to it."
"Then I'm going to have to change and see you less often."
"Now you wouldn't punish me like that."
Avia grinned in return. She then sat down quietly looking up at Bray. "I'm sorry about Amber."
Bray looked out the window. "Yeah, you know she was doing so great and then..."
Avia took his hand in hers. "I know how it feels."
"Slade"
"Yep, good old Dad, coolest guy around, took me to school on a motorcycle. At ten you think they'll live forever and then one day Salene calls you to the office and you know you didn't do anything wrong and it just...I don't know." She looked at Bray. "Why am I babbling? I'm supposed to be helping you."
"You just being here is all I needed, thanks." He hugged Avia.
"No Problem; now to work my magic else where, Where's Jay?"
"In the office, I think he's taking it the hardest he hasn't said a word since he told me."
"I'll go see him."
"Be careful I don't think Ebony meant for you to be out of school."
"Oh please she'd have to find me first." Avia walked out of Bray's room. She knew the house like it was her own. Hearing her mother's voice in the dining room down stairs Avia cursed under her breath. The office was downstairs. She waited for Ebony to go back into the kitchen. When Ebony had done this, avia quickly moved down the stairs and into the office.
"What are you doing here?"
Avia breathed a sigh of relief, and then smiled. "Now is that anyway to greet me?"
"You're supposed to be out of school."
"What's up with everyone? I'd like to mention that it is my last day, and the day is almost finished so it doesn't matter."
"But it was your last day you might not see some of them ever again."
"I think I can handle it; most of them still refer to me as 'Ebony's little brat.'"
"No they don't."
"Yeah they do, now admit you're glad to see me."
"I'm glad to see you."
Avia walked to a cabinet and opening it pulled out a checker set. She placed it on the desk and began setting up the pieces. "Today I'm not going to let you beat me."
"Well then you'll be crying because you can't beat me."
Just as Avia was making herself comfortable, there came a knock on the door of the office. Looking at the door Avia headed toward the cabinet once inside Jay asked who it was. "Jay, it's me Trudy."
"Yeah"
"I just came to see how you were."
"I'm as well as to be expected."
"I'm so sorry Jay; I know what she meant to you."
"Yes..."
"Um, Jay...well Dinner will be up in a bit."
Jay nodded in understanding and with that Trudy left. Avia came out of the cabinet smiling. "Is she gone?"
"Yeah"
"Is it dinner time already?"
"I guess." Jay said quietly. Avia walked to the office door. "Where are you going?" He called after her.
"Home"
"Ebony's planned for you to eat dinner here."
"No thank you I have plans."
"Like What?"
"Dinner, movie and maybe more"
"Dal?" Avia nodded. "I don't like him."
"And? I mean he's better then most guys right?"
"If you say so."
Avia smiled, and then walking out the door sighed a bit upset she went back the way she came trying to shrug away Jay's disapproval.