Chapter Five: The End of an Era
It was near evening when Avia made it back to the apartment. A red light flashed on the phone; Avia rolled her eyes. She hated the phone. It was the one technological wonder she just couldn't get: People breathing into their receivers and in your ears while you have a conversation. Pressing one of the buttons her mother had so kindly labeled for her, Avia waited for the message. "Hey, Avia, this is Mom we're having dinner at Jay's tonight, um, Trudy is going to be there, so play nice."
Avia erased the message. "Sorry mother can't make it." Just as Avia was heading to the kitchen the phone rang. "Oh please don't let this be her." Avia breathed picking up the phone. "Hello"
"Hey you"
Avia grinned. "When are you coming, Dal?"
"I can't Babe the Casino's out of control."
"Well can't Lex handle it?"
"No sweets I—I gotta—talk to you later."
"DAL" Avia screamed into the receiver. It was no use, she hung up the phone. Unable to hold her anger in she grabbed her coat and ran out of the door. Some time later Avia walked into the Casino Lex ran. Squinting through the dim lighting she noticed the place was almost empty. Trying to remain calm she walked toward the bar. She had never been in a Casino and figured she should remain anonymous. She approached the bartender in a sultry she had seen her mother do when she was very young. She had been working on it ever since then. Eyeing her, the bartender gave a gracious smile. "And how may I help you?"
Avia smiled. "You can help me by telling me where your employer is?"
The bartender laughed. "Don't tell me you're one of Lex's girls."
"Oh no, I'm here for business."
"Well Lex is out, but you can talk to Dal."
"And where is this Dal?"
"Oh he's right there." The Bartender pointed to a booth in the corner, but it was empty.
"Where is he, because he's not sitting there?" She said trying to keep her smile.
"He's probably in back then, but you don't want to go back there."
"Oh yes I do."
"What?"
Avia looked up. "I really must get this message to him." She tapped her finger on his nose. "You know how it is."
The bartender grinned, "Yeah."
"Yeah...now where can I go?" He pointed to a door behind him. "Thank you very much." Avia walked toward the door the fake smile wiped from her face. When she reached the door she noticed it was slightly ajar. Avia walked in the room that was dark except for an orange glow that coming from another room. Walking toward the light she heard giggling. Avia's boiled over and charging into the room she clicked on the light.
"Oh who turned on the light?!" a girl with chestnut hair sat up in the bed. She looked at Avia absently and turning back in the bed she shoved someone, "Dal, Dal."
Avia stood firm as her boyfriend sat up in the bed. She just looked at him; then turning quickly she walked out of the room.
When she made it home she went straight to her room. She walked in talking taking in the blue walls; turning she looked at one in particular. It was covered in an array of pictures portraits of each Mallrat. Avia sighed. She didn't even know most of them. She looked around finding things that reminded her of Dal. She threw them in a box and kicked it toward the door. Then picking up the phone she started dialing. Before she realized she had dialed the wrong number she heard a voice. "Hello?" It was Bray.
"Uh..."
"Avia where are you? I thought you were coming to dinner?"
Avia quickly hung up the phone and changing she jumped into bed and cried.
It was near evening when Avia made it back to the apartment. A red light flashed on the phone; Avia rolled her eyes. She hated the phone. It was the one technological wonder she just couldn't get: People breathing into their receivers and in your ears while you have a conversation. Pressing one of the buttons her mother had so kindly labeled for her, Avia waited for the message. "Hey, Avia, this is Mom we're having dinner at Jay's tonight, um, Trudy is going to be there, so play nice."
Avia erased the message. "Sorry mother can't make it." Just as Avia was heading to the kitchen the phone rang. "Oh please don't let this be her." Avia breathed picking up the phone. "Hello"
"Hey you"
Avia grinned. "When are you coming, Dal?"
"I can't Babe the Casino's out of control."
"Well can't Lex handle it?"
"No sweets I—I gotta—talk to you later."
"DAL" Avia screamed into the receiver. It was no use, she hung up the phone. Unable to hold her anger in she grabbed her coat and ran out of the door. Some time later Avia walked into the Casino Lex ran. Squinting through the dim lighting she noticed the place was almost empty. Trying to remain calm she walked toward the bar. She had never been in a Casino and figured she should remain anonymous. She approached the bartender in a sultry she had seen her mother do when she was very young. She had been working on it ever since then. Eyeing her, the bartender gave a gracious smile. "And how may I help you?"
Avia smiled. "You can help me by telling me where your employer is?"
The bartender laughed. "Don't tell me you're one of Lex's girls."
"Oh no, I'm here for business."
"Well Lex is out, but you can talk to Dal."
"And where is this Dal?"
"Oh he's right there." The Bartender pointed to a booth in the corner, but it was empty.
"Where is he, because he's not sitting there?" She said trying to keep her smile.
"He's probably in back then, but you don't want to go back there."
"Oh yes I do."
"What?"
Avia looked up. "I really must get this message to him." She tapped her finger on his nose. "You know how it is."
The bartender grinned, "Yeah."
"Yeah...now where can I go?" He pointed to a door behind him. "Thank you very much." Avia walked toward the door the fake smile wiped from her face. When she reached the door she noticed it was slightly ajar. Avia walked in the room that was dark except for an orange glow that coming from another room. Walking toward the light she heard giggling. Avia's boiled over and charging into the room she clicked on the light.
"Oh who turned on the light?!" a girl with chestnut hair sat up in the bed. She looked at Avia absently and turning back in the bed she shoved someone, "Dal, Dal."
Avia stood firm as her boyfriend sat up in the bed. She just looked at him; then turning quickly she walked out of the room.
When she made it home she went straight to her room. She walked in talking taking in the blue walls; turning she looked at one in particular. It was covered in an array of pictures portraits of each Mallrat. Avia sighed. She didn't even know most of them. She looked around finding things that reminded her of Dal. She threw them in a box and kicked it toward the door. Then picking up the phone she started dialing. Before she realized she had dialed the wrong number she heard a voice. "Hello?" It was Bray.
"Uh..."
"Avia where are you? I thought you were coming to dinner?"
Avia quickly hung up the phone and changing she jumped into bed and cried.