Chapter Six: Escaped Criminal
The next day Avia and Alice sat in Ruby's Café. She had started it because living in Liberty had become dull so packing up she moved to the City and the café showed great success in the seventeen years it had been open. Alice and Avia sat in their usual window booth a plate of fries between them. Alice took another sip of her water. "And you didn't do anything? That's not like you," referring to the night before.
Avia sighed. "I know. I just—my mind went blank."
"But you called Bray."
"I didn't mean to."
"Maybe you did." She took another fry. "I mean what if it was one of those subconscious things?"
"What?!"
"Well you've done it before. Remember that time you went to summer camp by yourself you tried to call Bray every night before you got caught."
"But that wasn't subconscious."
"The first time was, you said you were going to order a pizza."
"Whatever," Avia sat back looking up at the computer monitor that was on the news. Suddenly a face came up on the screen. It was scraggly and worn but had a vague familiarity to Avia. "What the—hey, Ruby can you turn it up!"
Ruby nodded and turned the knob until the reporter's voice filled the Café. "Mega is a dangerous man, known for his attempted take over of the City. We find it necessary that you not stay out late. This man is ruthless. In other news..."
Avia looked at Alice who was staring at her in shock, but quietly muttered. "Were they talking about your Uncle Mega?"
"Well they're not talking about my brother."
"What's going to happen?"
"Nothing, life will go on as usual, they'll find him in a week."
"Your mother's not going to buy that speech."
"I know but I can't think of anything else." Avia dipped into her bag and pulled out some money. "Look here's my share. I'm going to go see if my Mom is ok."
Alice nodded. 'I'm coming by tonight, be ready!"
Avia smiled at her friend and walked out of the door. Alice sat at the booth finishing the plate of fries. She looked in her purse and counted out some money as usual she was short. She eyed Avia's share on the table, counting it she smirked as usual Avia was over. She did it on purpose. Putting the cash together she walked up to the counter. "Hey ruby one fry two waters."
"Yeah I know the usual." Ruby took the cash. "Hey why'd Avia—" The phone rang. "One minute." Ruby picked up the phone. "Hello Ruby's Café...Oh hey" Pause, "yeah, well you just missed her, yeah, but her friends here maybe she knows were she went." Another pause, "yeah her," Ruby walked over to Alice. "Here, phone, really nice sounding guy."
Alice grinned taking the phone. "Hello?"
"Hey Alice, do you know where Avia might be? I've tried everywhere."
"She went home; Uh—Bray is this about her calling you last night."
"Yeah what's wrong?"
"It's Dal, but please don't kill him, my mother is pretty attached to him."
"What the little Bastard do now."
"Avia found him bed with another girl, one of the waitresses at the Casino."
Alice heard a silent strand on curses. "Look I'm going by there."
"The Casino?"
"No, Avia's"
"Uh Bray, have you seen the news? Mega's out."
"They freed him?"
"No, he broke out. Avia went to go calm ebony, so I don't think it would be a good time to go rescue her on your motorcycle."
"I see what you mean." Alice heard the tone of disappointment. "I'll catch up with her later."
"Right then, see ya, Bray."
"See ya, Alice"
The next day Avia and Alice sat in Ruby's Café. She had started it because living in Liberty had become dull so packing up she moved to the City and the café showed great success in the seventeen years it had been open. Alice and Avia sat in their usual window booth a plate of fries between them. Alice took another sip of her water. "And you didn't do anything? That's not like you," referring to the night before.
Avia sighed. "I know. I just—my mind went blank."
"But you called Bray."
"I didn't mean to."
"Maybe you did." She took another fry. "I mean what if it was one of those subconscious things?"
"What?!"
"Well you've done it before. Remember that time you went to summer camp by yourself you tried to call Bray every night before you got caught."
"But that wasn't subconscious."
"The first time was, you said you were going to order a pizza."
"Whatever," Avia sat back looking up at the computer monitor that was on the news. Suddenly a face came up on the screen. It was scraggly and worn but had a vague familiarity to Avia. "What the—hey, Ruby can you turn it up!"
Ruby nodded and turned the knob until the reporter's voice filled the Café. "Mega is a dangerous man, known for his attempted take over of the City. We find it necessary that you not stay out late. This man is ruthless. In other news..."
Avia looked at Alice who was staring at her in shock, but quietly muttered. "Were they talking about your Uncle Mega?"
"Well they're not talking about my brother."
"What's going to happen?"
"Nothing, life will go on as usual, they'll find him in a week."
"Your mother's not going to buy that speech."
"I know but I can't think of anything else." Avia dipped into her bag and pulled out some money. "Look here's my share. I'm going to go see if my Mom is ok."
Alice nodded. 'I'm coming by tonight, be ready!"
Avia smiled at her friend and walked out of the door. Alice sat at the booth finishing the plate of fries. She looked in her purse and counted out some money as usual she was short. She eyed Avia's share on the table, counting it she smirked as usual Avia was over. She did it on purpose. Putting the cash together she walked up to the counter. "Hey ruby one fry two waters."
"Yeah I know the usual." Ruby took the cash. "Hey why'd Avia—" The phone rang. "One minute." Ruby picked up the phone. "Hello Ruby's Café...Oh hey" Pause, "yeah, well you just missed her, yeah, but her friends here maybe she knows were she went." Another pause, "yeah her," Ruby walked over to Alice. "Here, phone, really nice sounding guy."
Alice grinned taking the phone. "Hello?"
"Hey Alice, do you know where Avia might be? I've tried everywhere."
"She went home; Uh—Bray is this about her calling you last night."
"Yeah what's wrong?"
"It's Dal, but please don't kill him, my mother is pretty attached to him."
"What the little Bastard do now."
"Avia found him bed with another girl, one of the waitresses at the Casino."
Alice heard a silent strand on curses. "Look I'm going by there."
"The Casino?"
"No, Avia's"
"Uh Bray, have you seen the news? Mega's out."
"They freed him?"
"No, he broke out. Avia went to go calm ebony, so I don't think it would be a good time to go rescue her on your motorcycle."
"I see what you mean." Alice heard the tone of disappointment. "I'll catch up with her later."
"Right then, see ya, Bray."
"See ya, Alice"