SAFETY PIN

Chapter-3: Long Time, No See

                                  "You guys are losers"

(AMARA'S POV):

I was in a dimly lit corridor. A man was holding a woman, bridal style. He had a crafty grin on his face. I stopped walking towards him when I realised who it was.

 A word that's enough to send shivers down my spine. It reminded me of how fucked up my life was. I felt like a kid again, with her head bowed down, saying sorry again and again and again.

 Papa.

I caught sight of the woman's face and gasped. Mama. I missed her so much.
I ran towards them, caring less about my father's presence. I scooped up my mother's frail body,  with its skeletal bones.

Her dark brown eyes were open and lifeless. Her bronzed skin was pale.  Her jet black hair, which had few streaks of gray, was now completely white. A single tear slipped down her lifeless cheeks when I saw a branding on her neck. Two hands. A sign of creation controllers for the people they kill. It was etched on her neck as if someone had taken a knife and carved it there. I looked up in horror as I realised what I had done. "

"That's right. You killed her. And now you deserve to be killed. Let me do the honours, Amara, right after you give me what I want."

I woke up with a start. Sweat was dripping down my forehead
 "It was just a dream, it was just a dream," I said, hyperventilating. 
I wished I had someone to tell, someone who would know what I meant. 

Why did it feel so real?

I looked at the time; 6:05 a.m.
I got up and heaved myself up from bed and stood on the tiny balcony connected to my room. Normally, I would've just gone straight back to bed, but I was too scared to go to bed. To let the nightmares take over again.

 So, I took this time at sunrise to admire the beauty. We were at the Stark Tower. Today was one of the few days that the Avengers were together.

I rushed downstairs, starting to make breakfast for all the Avengers, Vihaan and Loki. Cooking helped calm me down, and I liked reading my late grandma's recipes. It helped Vi and I be connected to our Marathi roots.
 "FRIDAY, please call everyone for breakfast," I said. "Miss Kulkarni, nearly all of them are ignoring me."
"Well, good riddance, FRIDAY." I joked.

"Good morning, Amara." I heard Loki behind me. "Hi, please take the berries out and start cutting them for the waffles," I ordered, too busy, multitasking.
"FRIDAY, tell them that if they don't come down right now, I'm gonna encase them in water bubbles for a month. "

Immediately, everyone came down, first Bruce, Vi and Tony. Vihaan was, well Vihaan, meaning he cracked one 'your mom' joke, downed a blueberry, and sat on the table with his phone.
Bruce was as always, sleep-deprived, and Tony came, looking as if he had a good night. Too good.

"Vi, help me put the plates."
"Can I not, yesterday was the 16th." I understood what he meant, and just nodded my head.
"Remember to take your big WW vits," I told him.
"Steve, can you help me out?" I asked him. He and Wanda and a few others, like Bruce, Vision and Clint( when he's there) were actually helpful.

"Today I'm meeting MJ and Soph," I announced.
 "Didn't you meet them on Friday?" Tony groggily asked.
"So?" I asked.
"Jeez, woman," he muttered. "I was just asking."
Steve shifted uncomfortably in his chair, desperately searching for his shield, which had magically disappeared.
"Loki, today's lunch is on Bruce and dinner's on Vi. If anyone doesn't make anything or orders food home, my permission to turn them into pet hamsters." I announced.

"Wanda, Steve will give you the list of groceries. There's a store exactly 6 blocks to the left. You can walk or call Happy."  I grabbed a pear and bit into it. Everyone was staring at me, so I spoke up. "It's sweeter and softer. Don't like apples. Don't be the norm." 
Nat shrugged her shoulders, agreeing.

I ran down and took my bike off the stands. I started cycling and eating the pear while feeling the wind in my hair. I loved cycling. It gave me control. I was too scared to drive a car anyway. 

Though, was waiting until I turned 18, to get a motorcycle. I stopped in front of Miss. T's Café, and parked my bike outside.
I had a lock that had a fingerprint scanner, so I was sure it wouldn't get stolen.

 I went in, the bell ringing.
 "Hey, Miss T.," I said, to the old woman at the cash counter. 
"Three coffees for your three friends who are sitting in the corner over there?" She smiled.
"Well, yeah, I guess." I joked, and looked at them, waving at me.

 I waved out to them and went to park and lock my bike. I greeted them, and we hugged.
"I've never seen you have such a pleasant interaction with anyone except your family." Sophie joked.
"Whatever, weirdo. I'm the punk artsy one, not the flirty femme lesbian." I joked, my mood improving a lot, my body language becoming more relaxed as I slumped into the chair.
"Which school are you going to?" MJ asked.
"Midtown High," I answered.
"No way, us too!" Sophie exclaimed. 
"Wow...It's almost like I chose it for that reason." I drawled sarcastically. 

"Well, it's good though. You need to start going back to physical school at some point. You need to start moving on, and for fuck's sake, like get into the horrible world of teenagering!" She said, arms flailing around her head.

"Yeah, I know. That's why I chose this school. It'll be easier with you guys."

I was sick of online school, honestly, and high school was the perfect place to start.

Then, Mrs T called us for the ordered coffee. We chatted some more and talked about a cute Korean girl that Sophie supposedly met two weeks ago and was going on a picnic date with on Wednesday afternoon(I was sure they'd plan to move in their own dream apartment with no money by Thursday).

That was romantic. I wanted some of that romance. 

 We talked a bit more, and then we finished our chat four hours later. As I waved goodbye and cycled home, I couldn't help but think that maybe, just maybe, some of it was in store for me. The first day of school was tomorrow. Scared would be an understatement as to how I felt.

It was as if my brain had stopped functioning. 

So, I plugged in my headphones, and drowned myself in music, like I've done my whole life. 

Hey guys! Author here! Lmk how you like this chappie, and the introduction of MJ and Sophie! 
Sorry for the long chap tho :')