Again, thank you to those who have -favorited, followed, and reviewed. You all are my Ramen. Always wanting more lol.
Chapter 4: No School Blues Today
"How long did he say it would take for you to get the results?" Bella asked Ava as they both sat outside of the house on the porch. Charlie had noticed the girls liked to sit outside, whether it was cold, or colder. So, he went and bought a bench swing to sit on.
Ava took a sip of her coffee, "two days, so perhaps Monday I'll get them."
"Were they easy? Dad told me you chose to take them all the same day."
It was Saturday, Ava had taken all her tests yesterday, Friday, to get them all out of the way. The fact the principal was able to organize everything in a short amount of time was a feat in and of itself. But the fact that Ava was able to help the school with the computers, well, he certainly went out of his way.
"There was some information I didn't know of course, I'm not a bloody genius who pulls stuff out of her ass on a regular basis," Ava stated.
"More on a random basis," Bella said smiling. Ava laughed.
"Yeah, random, anyway, I felt I did alright. I did get a little ahead before I left." Ava took another sip of her coffee and stared out at the forest. Some moments passed by. "It's beautiful here. Serene."
Bella looked out where Ava was looking, "it is, just stained with," Bella got quiet.
Ava put her hand on Bella's. "It's fine."
"No, Dad said talking would help. I mean I obviously don't feel comfortable telling everything but, well. He was my first love, you know? It felt like he ripped something out of me when he left."
Ava continued to look at Bella. Not rushing her on anything.
Bella sighed. "But looking back on my relationship with him, it was controlled. I didn't have a voice where he and I were concerned. Anything I brought up, he'd dismiss. I slowly pulled away from my friends, and I didn't realize it. I found that my independent personality faded." Bella sipped her coffee.
"I understand about the control. Very different circumstances of course, but same subject nevertheless." Ava said as she sighed.
"I see you. Ya know," Bella said looking at Ava. Ava just looked down.
"I see how strong you are. I don't know everything you went through to get here. I hope you tell me one day. But I want to be even a smidge as strong as you are. The fact you find out you have a real family, a family who took you in no questions asked. Dad and I are strangers to you, yet you let us in."
"What? You two let someone in your lives who you don't know," Ava cut in. "I'm just as much a stranger to you as you two are to me. But I can't deny it, well," Ava had a hard time finding the words.
A few more moments passed, "it physically hurts to deny the bond so to speak?" Bella asked.
Ava nodded.
"We are twins. You're helping us heal Ava, and I hope we're doing the same for you." Bella butted heads with Ava smiling.
"You have no idea sis." Ava chuckled and sat back against the swing. Bella and Ava just swung in silence sipping on their coffee.
Monday came with a phone call. Bella was at school and Charlie was at work, so that left Ava in the house alone.
"Swan residence." Ava said putting down her dust cloth.
"Ava Wilson? This is Principal Acer."
"Oh, good morning, sir, how are you?" Ava asked. She hid her anxiety.
"I'm well Ms. Wilson, I'm well. I'm calling about your test results. Well, given the situation would you be willing to come in or did you want to work this out over the phone?"
"Well which one would be most beneficial?" Now Ava was really nervous.
"Well to give you the results is not a problem, but to work on your schedule, that is another matter. You would need to see the classes we offer."
"Oh, I see. Does Charlie need to be with me, or can I go on my own?" She liked calling Charlie dad, but in this case, she felt using his name would be better.
"Well seeing as how you're emancipated; no adult need accompany you."
"Oh, well then," Ava looked at her watch, it read nine thirty. "I can be there in an hour if that's ok?" she'd have to walk since there was no car. Being that everyone was gone.
"An hour is perfect. I'll see you then. Just tell the office you're here to see me."
"Sounds good Mr. Acer, thank you. Um, I'll have you tell me my results when I get there, but can you tell me if they're good or bad at least?" Ave was nervous.
She heard a chuckle on the other side, "Ms. Wilson you have nothing to worry about, all good, I promise, I'll see you soon." And he hung up.
Ava hung up the phone and breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank god," she went to put her dust cloth in the laundry hamper and got her shoes and jacket on. She peeked outside and it was cloudy.
She locked the door and made her way to the school. "Still a little nippy and slightly snowing, but not bad." She mumbled as she tightened her jacket and scarf.
With fifteen minutes to spare she made her way to the office. She did take off her hat and shook it out before fully entering the school.
"Hello, I'm looking for Mr. Acer? He's expecting me." Ava said with her scarf covering half her face. She still didn't feel comfortable enough to show her full face. Everyone would freak out once they find out Bella had a twin.
"Oh, one second," said a different lady than the one last week. The woman got on the phone and mumbled something. Then she got off. "Right this way sweetie." The lady said as she got up and made her way to the principal's door.
Ava hated being called sweetie, but she didn't say anything. She followed the lady who knocked and let her in.
"Ah Ms. Wilson, welcome, please have a seat." Mr. Acer said while typing on his computer as he glanced at her.
The lady closed the door after Ava took her seat.
"Now, let me see," Mr. Acer started when his phone rang. "Oh, hold on," he picked up the receiver, "Gayle I'm going to be busy for at least an hour, please hold all my calls." He said and hung up.
"Now I won't be interrupted." He got a folder that held her scores. "Take a look at the papers here and if you have questions let me know." He handed her the folder.
She took it and opened it. She began to glance down and read through. Her eyes widened as she completely read through. "Umm," she started.
"Exactly. Was it what you were expecting? Because I certainly as hell didn't." he said.
She looked at him expecting meanness but instead found him grinning from ear to ear. Which made her chuckle.
"You've scored the highest on these tests than any other student before you. I'll say, with those score's you've tested out of junior year and some of the senior classes." He said gesturing for her to hand the folder back which she did.
"Where does that put me then? I don't want to be too ahead of my sister. We've kinda hoped to graduate together." Ava looked a little put out despite her high scores.
"Well, this does put you at least a semester ahead of her. You still need some courses for senior year as well as elective courses to complete the graduation requirements." Mr. Acer said. However, seeing how deflated Ava was at being told she'd graduate sooner than Bella, Mr. Acer thought of something. He did not get the principal position as young as he was without thinking outside the box on a random basis.
"Here, how about this, I've been thinking about how you helped us last week with the computers. I have a friend in the publishing business in Seattle. She told me over the weekend that she needed another IT person since one of her staff moved to another company. Would you be interested? It'll be kind of like an internship so to speak." He said.
"But what about school?" Ava's stomach did a nervous somersault. This sounded exciting but she didn't let it show.
"We could work it out to school in the mornings, afternoons off. And you can go to Seattle Friday afternoons to Sunday. I would have to speak with her, and you would need to go talk to her in person and work out the details, but I've known her since my school days. I'm almost one hundred percent sure she'd be on board with this once she meets you in person. She may ask for a skills assessment, which I've no doubt you'll blow her away, just like you did with me." he smiled again.
"Well, ok. Sounds like a plan, I guess. What about staying arrangements?" Ava wondered how she'd get there, but she figured she could swing it if Charlie would be willing to help. Which he might.
"If you can work out the travel, I'm sure she'd work out the staying. I can get back to you by the end of the day if you're willing to go see her." Mr. Acer said writing a note.
"Of course." Ava replied.
"Okay, now, I'll call her after lunch. So," he pulled out a paper he had printed, "this is what's available now as far as main courses, and this paper here," he pulled out another from his printer and set it next to the other one, "this is the elective courses. If you're going to be doing the internship, four courses are required for the morning. I've taken the liberty of doing these by time. So, all you need to do is pick the courses you would like to do and keep in mind their timing. The courses are forty-five minutes each." He said as he sat back and went through what was on his computer to give her some time to look.
Ava looked over the papers. She saw there was one math course required, which she circled. She wanted to be done with math. She hated math. She also circled social studies, and P.E. Now she needed an elective.
"Well, this sucks," she mumbled as she looked at the papers.
"What's wrong?" Mr. Acer said as he looked at her choices. "Ah, I see."
"I've looked over and over and from what I've chosen, it seems that's it. Well, I'm not really into cars, I guess choir is left." Ava sighed sitting back.
"Yes, it would seem so." Mr. Acer nodded to her as he looked over what she circled.
"Okay," she said as she circled it and nodded that she was done.
"Alright then, so we have, Business Math first, then U.S. Government, P.E. then choir. I will send this out for your teachers to sign so they expect you. This should be done by the end of the day, so I will call you for sure when it is done, and you can start the day after. Is that alright?" Mr. Acer said as he typed in what was required and seemed to nod his work and sent it through.
"I guess so. Thank you," Ava said as she shook his hand and started to make her way to the door.
"One moment Ms. Wilson," he gestured for her to stop before she reached the door. She turned with curiosity on her face. Mr. Acer was on the phone, "is she here? Good." He hung up the phone.
Ava continued to look at him.
"Right this way," Mr. Acer said as he went in front of her and opened the door and gestured to go ahead of him to the front of the office, to where she found Bella waiting for her."
"Isa?" Ava asked, shocked, as she turned to look at Mr. Acer.
"I was told you had walked onto campus and the snow has gotten worse since you got here. I emailed Ms. Swan's teacher while I was on the computer to have her bring her things and come to the office.
"Now I understand. I'm sorry, if I had known I would've had dad call in for me today." Bella said as she adjusted her backpack.
"No, no it's my fault. I didn't think of her not having a ride." Mr. Acer said. "Okay ladies, have a good rest of the day. Ms. Wilson, expect my phone call this evening," he finished as he made his way back to his office.
"Thank you, sir," Ava replied as she adjusted her bag and made her way out of the office with Bella.
"So, you're not upset, so the meeting went well I take it?" Bella asked as she took out her keys and adjusted her jacket.
"Well, no school blues here. It went better than I thought it would." Ava nodded as she too adjusted her jacket and walked with Bella.
"I look forward to hearing about it." Bella replied.
Although there were no school blues to be had today, neither of the girls noticed how everyone in the office stared after them. Seems Ava forgot to cover her face as she left.
I have it on good authority that there might be two chapters this week. I have something planned for a Christmas chapter. Something unexpected. I'm working on it. Look for the next chapter this Friday. Love to you all!