Ava's Roulette

Chapter 3: Another Day, Another Asshole

The next morning, I woke up early because my body was used to it, which sucked because I did not feel well rested at all. If anything, I was crankier than usual. I was also hungry so that may have added to it. I made myself breakfast, but this time I made a meal worth eating. 

I chopped up some onion, tomato, and Thai chilies. I fried the onion and chilies first with some butter. I let the onion become translucent, the smell made my stomach rumble. I scrambled two eggs and added them to the pan, allowing them to become soft before adding a dash of milk. I let it finish cooking, the eggs looked like yellow clouds. Then, I put the diced tomato in and stirred the mixture every so often, until most of the tomato had become a sauce. I seasoned. I would have served myself on an actual plate, but I could not be bothered to do so that morning. I grabbed some bread out the fridge and sat at the dinning table and ate my egg in silence, until I felt someone staring at me from behind. It was Liz, Rob was surely at work.

"Oh Christ. How long have you been standing there?"

"Sorry, I smelled your cooking. You're up early."

"Right. I couldn't sleep"

Liz simply nodded, understanding. She came over and sat in front of me, she stared at my food. I knew she wanted me to share it, but I wasn't going to, I was starving! She set her chin down on the table with her hands underneath.

"Do you want some?"

She perked up. Her huge brown eyes lit up as she looked up at me.

"Well, you can't have any" I teased, scrunching my nose up and crossing my arms as if I were a child. She pouted in return and gave me her biggest puppy-dog eyes.

"Aw fine! But I'm making you your own batch, I actually want to eat mine." Liz shot up and clasped her hands in excitement. I finished eating and cooked Liz's eggs with her handing me things every so often. When she had her first mouthful, she mimicked a chef's kiss. I laughed.

"I missed that" she said, "Why don't we go get some coffee from Leaves and Beans?" I started to complain but she quickly interrupted "Ah, ah, ah. Before you say no, I'm paying. I have to, after you made me these." She pointed down at her eggs and wiggled her eyebrows at me. Again, the sight of her and her silly a gesture made me laugh. She took that as a yes.

I grumbled my way up the stairs back to my room. I needed to shower and get dressed if I was going be out in public. That was annoying. But I did not want to leave Liz hanging, and the coffee from Leaves and Beans was actually good so... it was a win I supposed.

As we got to the door I stopped suddenly. A sense of fear washed over me, and my legs felt as if encased in cement. Liz tilted her head asking what was wrong.

"Just, check outside and tell me if you see anyone... Not from the neighbourhood, ok?" I tell her. In our previous breakups, Ace had sent guys from his gang to check up on me – at least that's what he called it. Or he watched me himself. Well, he didn't always send them or come see me, but I think that's what terrified me now, not knowing. Especially since that girl Ginger now had good reason to do the same. The guys would sometimes come up to the door and knock when I was home alone, other times I would just notice a guy on a bike watching me at home or even at school. I never realized how much it bothered me until now.

"Sure" Liz looked through the peephole and then motioned to open the door "You coming?"

"Yeah, just let me know if there any guys on bikes out there."

"What?" she was perplexed. Of course, Ace made sure to tell the guys that no one else was to see them. Ace and I have been dating on and off for three years, so he knew my habits, places I would go, my schedule. That meant his little group knew it too, so it was easy to know when I was alone.