it was sunday, the bright july sun shone brightly onto her face as she glanced up at the morning sky, making her brown eyes glow amber. there was a gentle wind that blew her blonde hair around her glowing face. she came out here every sunday, to a small pond and garden of wildflowers that was just off the beaten path of a walking trail, it wasn't her property by any means but she kept it clean and the plants and animals cared for. there was an old bench by the pond and gazebo just within sight of where she was standing. each week she cut a few wildflowers to fill a vase for her bedroom and threw some frozen fruits and vegetables to the ducks, swans and geese who dwelled in the pond and nuts and seeds to the squirrels and chipmunks.
ava had an angelic presence to her, she glowed from the inside out. the sun was always shining in her world. the animals had grown comfortably fond of her, allowing her to feed most of them right out of her hand. this was her weeks peace, the only sound to be heard was the birds chirping from the trees and the birds splashing in the water. ava's serenity was something she would never let be corrupted.
she thought today was the perfect day, sunny and warm with a bit of a breeze so the heat wasn't unbearable, the sky was clear and blue and the air felt light and crisp in her lungs. ava's thoughts were interrupted by some unexpected footsteps crunching through the tall grass that surrounded her, her head immediately spun to see where the noise was coming from. a tall, lanky boy with half pink and half black hair dressed in all black emerged from the grass. her light blue sundress and white sneakers were the complete opposite of his black jeans and hoodie look. ava caught herself staring at the boy, she'd never seen anyone come back here before. he looked up from the ground he had been staring at while he walked and met her gaze, he smiled at the girl as he continued walking.
"sorry to startle you, i had just wandered back here looking for a new smoke spot" he spoke, trying to show her he meant no harm to her by sneaking up on her like that. "oh, no worries" she smiled at him. he liked the sound of her voice, it was soft and she spoke smoothly. he thought that she seemed sweet as honey. "i'm think i'll head to that gazebo over there, i'm gus by the way" he told the girl, hoping to learn her name as well. "ava" she replied, "nice to meet you gus, also please don't step on any of the flowers or accidentally set anything on fire from whatever it is you're smoking" ava asked of him. "yes ma'am" gus said in a bit of a joking tone, he wouldn't actually step on any of the flowers for her. or start a wildfire for that matter.
gus continued on his way to the gazebo, occasionally catching glances of ava over his shoulder or from the corner of his eye. he liked her energy, it was light and friendly. she seemed very easy and comforting to be around. he kept taking quick glances at her as he lit the joint in his hand, relaxing him with each inhale. ava also kept looking back at him, she liked the way the smoke looked as it clouded around his face and dispersed into the surrounding air. she watched his rigid posture slowly relax as the joint continued to burn shorter and shorter in his hand.
ava figured it was time to get going, she had to work in a few hours. she was a barista at a local coffee shop. "bye gus" she called in his direction, unsure if he would even hear her. she turned and walked back towards the path "bye!" she heard him yell faintly in the distance. ava enjoyed the unexpected encounter, it was a nice surprise to mix up her usual sunday morning. gus seemed nice, a little miserable though. she could tell he was dragging a sadness along with him.
maybe the ducks and chipmunks could cheer him up like they do for her. gus watched her figure slowly get smaller and smaller as she walked further away from him until she disappeared into the grass and trees. ava walked back along the regular trail to her car and headed home to begin getting ready for work. she liked her job, but it definitely wasn't what she wanted to do for the rest of her life. she graduated with a marketing degree last summer but hasn't found a use for it yet.
ava started her shift, making countless lattes, cappuccinos, macchiatos and more. her shift was dragging on awfully slow, as it was just her and a co worker she wasn't friends with on cash. the doorbell rang and ava saw a familiar face and head of pink hair walk through the door. gus hadn't noticed her behind the coffee bar yet as he ordered. ava brewed and made his iced latte with the most precision she had used all shift. gus looked surprised to see her when she handed him his coffee "hello again" she smiled, "i didn't know you worked here" gus added "and i didn't know you drank coffee here" ava replied, "i guess i will be drinking coffee here more often" gus winked at her, she looked away shyly unsure of what to say. gus left with his drink, thinking about the pretty girl behind the counter and beside the pond.
it was a day of happy coincidences and unexpected boys coming to smoke weed and drink coffee the same places she was. ava finished the rest of her shift with a smile on her face, maybe she would see gus again tomorrow. they were only a little more than strangers but ava liked gus, their vibes were polar opposite but that's what drew her closer.
a few chapter questions:
1. thoughts so far? tell me what you think!
2. this was 1020 words, is that a good amount? more? less? i personally find anything more than 1500 words to be a little long
3. what's your favourite midnight snack? mine is green olives straight from the jar
xoxo
wavybvby
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vacancy screams from my bedroom door | lil peep
Fanfiction-"now that i'm back on the road, you're in your bed all alone"
