Whoop! I am so excited for this chapter! I literally had so much fun writing it and I hope you guys will have as much fun reading it! Finally back to the main plot!
Reviewers:
Neyite: That's probably not a good thing. Just some advice, always check to see if there's a timer or a trail of gunpowder coming from your doorknobs before touching them. Just in case!
TheImmortalWeapon: I have granted your wish! And yeah, Far is super annoying, that's why I like him though! And about there being more to him well...you'll have to keep reading to find out! By the way, I love Coming Together!
TooLazyToLogin: I know right! Ad I have never thought of Far as a rhino on steroids before, but that definitely made me laugh! Don't worry though, like with any good love story, they'll get their moment. Oh and yes, I designed the wolf, although it isn't the cover anymore.
Ava's pov
I was reading one of my romance books when my door opened. Mira popped her head in awkwardly.
"Um, hi?" I greeted her with confusion.
"Hey...Director Fury says we have to share a room..." She said. I bit my lip. I didn't dislike her or anything, but she seemed a little distrustful of me.
"That's cool, you can put your stuff in the closet and maybe we can take turns sleeping on the bed," I suggested, trying to be friendly.
"Oh...I left most of my things in Kun'Lun. I kind of only have like, two changes of clothes," She admitted. I just looked at her, an idea forming in my mind.
"Well no girl can survive on two changes of clothes! Come on Mira, I'm taking you shopping!" I got up and led her out of the room.
"Honestly Ava, I don't need you to buy me anything!" Mira whined for the fourth time as we walked around New York. I really hoped we could catch up and be friends. I missed hanging out with another girl for a change. And I barely even liked shopping, but maybe if we could get to know each other...
It was strange though, to walk around with her. She reminded me of how Danny was when he first came to New York. He would look at everything with a bewildered, childlike wonder. My heart jittered just thinking about Danny. I didn't always understand him, but he was beautiful. Inside and out.
"How do you even know I'll find anything?" She grumbled.
"Come on, let's go in here," I said, pointing to Macey's. We walked in and wandered around for a while before I found the courage to speak.
"Hey Mira?" I started.
"Yeah?"
"Do you...um...do you have a problem with me?" I stuttered.
"Uh..."
"You do!" I won't lie. It annoyed me. I had been perfectly nice to this girl and she didn't even like me!
"No I don't! I swear! I like you, really!"
"You had to think about it didn't you?" I pointed out.
"Yes, I mean, no!"
"Wow Mira. Not cool," I crossed my arms.
"Yeah well, you could at least have some decency!" She retorted. I looked at her. What the heck was she talking about? Decency? I had decency!
"Ladies, I don't like fighting in my store!" An angry man with an angry, fat face and an angry red, scalp waddled over to us.
"Oh, we weren't fighting, we were simply argui-" I started.
"Don't lie to me girls, you can both take this outside hmm?" He started dragging us outside with sweaty palms.
"Um, Sir, my friend and I were having a bit of a disagreement, but we can promise to behave if you just stop dragging us," Mira cooed politely.
"No can do, we have a policy here. No disrupting the peace!" He huffed. Mira looked at me as if it were my fault for not telling her about this policy.
"That's not a thing, and if you don't let us go right now I am calling the cops you little-" I threatened, but before I could finish he let us go on a curb and walked back into the store, closing the doors with a bang.
"Great!" I groaned. So much for making friends!
Mira's pov
Stupid Ava! Stupid, stupid Ava! Already I get kicked out of an Outside store! This was absolutely disgusting!
"Great!" Ava groaned. I sighed. Honestly, I almost felt guilty that Ava asked if I liked her. I mean, of course I didn't like her, but I didn't want her to know that! She would tell Danny and Peter and all of them and then they would think I was all selfish and stuff! UGH!
I needed to think of something. Um...yeah, I had nothing. Well you know what they say, if you can't think of a good excuse, change the subject.
"Thanks for trying to take me shopping, Ava..." I had to stop myself from cringing as I said the words.
"Yeah, sorry it didn't work out," She sighed.
"I guess we should head back then," I suggested. She nodded and we started walking. Wow, the Outside was really amazing. Danny was right, it was as if the stars had come down to earth. Everything seemed different than before. The night was dark and cool, with the moon slightly obscured by the city. Beautiful yes, but also overwhelming.
"Huh, that sign is new..." Ava muttered under her breath.
"We're not lost right?" I asked her. She smiled nervously.
"Of course not, we just took a wrong turn. This is probably the long way!" She said brightly. I rolled my eyes but kept following her. After another hour however, I was getting anxious.
"Ava we're lost," I told her. She sighed.
"Yeah, we're lost. I guess we can ask that woman for directions to the school," She suggested. I wasn't too sure. The woman she was talking about was standing in a dark alley, motionless. Like a ghost. But no one else was around this late either.
"Excuse me ma'am, but we were wondering if you knew how to get to the Midtown high school by any chance?" Ava asked politely. There was something about the woman, something familiar.
"Indeed. I'll take you kids, if you help me first," She rasped. Her voice was as hard as nails, and desperate.
"Um, well we are in kind of a rush but..." Ava stuttered. The woman, her face hidden behind a veil, reached out her hand to touch me. I scooted back. I sensed something wrong with her, and I didn't want her touching me.
"Help me dears, help me," She repeated, shuffling closer to me, until I could feel her hot breath. Breath that reeked of death and disease. That's it! Disease!
"Ava we need to leave," I whispered frantically.
"What? She says she'll take us to the school!"
"No, we really need to leave," I started pulling her back. The woman reached out her hand again, pale as paper. I avoided her touch until her hand formed a claw and she lunged at me. I ducked, never allowing her body to touch mine and started running with Ava.
"Stop! Help me! Help me!" The woman wailed. Her veil was off now, and I caught a glimpse of her face. The skin on the right side of her face was droopy and loose, like lizard skin. The white of her dark eye was a sickly, pale yellow. The left side of her face was metallic, cold. With a penetrating red film over her eye.
"YOU! GIRL! Mira!" She screamed. I stopped, turned. My chest was exploding with fear, but I couldn't move. She knows my name.
"Mira come on!" Ava was pulling on me. I took a step towards the lady.
"How do you know my name?" I shout, voice trembling. I can't take my gaze off that crazed, yellow eye.
"You don't remember me Mira? Why don't you remember! Help me! You can help me! King Daniel could help me! Get him! Help me! I'll wait! Help me! It hurts! Oh it hurts! Help me Mira! Help...Ahahahahahahah! It hurts! Ahahahahaha! Help! AHAHAHA!" She laughed. Laughed and cried at the same time. But tears only came out of one eye. I wanted to save her. I wanted to help so badly, but I couldn't.
She knows my name. She kept cackling, scratching at her horrible fake eye. The red one. I felt tears form in my own eyes. Then Ava was dragging me, pulling me away from the woman. Someone was screaming, I realized later that it was me. I stumbled at first, not feeling my legs. Then I fell into step with Ava, running as fast as I could manage. She knows my name.
And all the while, I heard the woman's sobs in my head. Filling my ears. It seemed wrong that she should know my name. Wrong in the way that made me feel guilty. As if I should know her back. As if I should have helped her. As if I shouldn't have been running away from her.
Eventually Ava and I made it back to the school. We didn't talk. I was thankful for that, if she had mentioned that the woman had known my name, I wouldn't have been able to handle it.
On the Tricarrier, everything was silent. I was about to say my goodbyes when I remembered that we shared a room now.
"You can sleep on the bed," She whispered with that same, angry-sad look in her eyes that was mirrored in my own. I nodded, not trusting myself to speak just yet. She started heading into the room, and stopped when she saw I wasn't following.
"You want to be alone?" She guessed. I nodded again.
"Ok, well, come in when you're ready," She said. Then the door closed and I was alone with my thoughts. I decided to wander around. Soon I found myself back in the lounge area. To my surprise, Danny was sitting on the couch, meditating. He looked up when I came in.
"You took a while. What happened?" He asked, eyes filling with concern. I guess he sensed my fear. Or he could read it on my face.
"It's here. And she'll spread it. She knew my name," I choked on a sob. If Danny was confused by my broken explanation, he didn't show it. Instead, he wrapped his arms around me and held me like that. I buried my head in his shoulder, and he stroked my hair. Somehow it just made me want to cry harder. So I did. I cried until I fell asleep.
And my last conscious thought before drifting off was: She had blond hair. Scraggly blond hair.
Yep, this was one of the long ones! Hope you guys enjoyed and please review! Anyone want to guess how the woman knew Mira? Huh? Huh? Anyway...
Wolf out...