Within Their Reach

02. Friendly face.

No perspective.

Walking down the school hallway, Ava looked around timidly. Her mind was running with the confusion of that day's actions. She didn't sleep much for the last month, feeling a similar ache in her body every time she went to bed.

She had told her father the very next day about it. He stayed by Ava's side every night until she fell asleep but still her body reacted differently. It never happened when her father was in the room. Her body would start hurting when he went to bed.

Ava was too scared and concerned about what was happening to her. Her father, Henry, could see that her bright face was now looking very pale and her eyes looking dull as if she did not have any life in them anymore. It worried him and constantly took her to the doctor every other day. But they couldn't even find anything to stop it.

Letting out a huff, Ava sat down on the chair, all alone in a room filled with kids her age. She was too shy to socialise but she always tried. Her eyes scanned the room, looking for someone to talk to. Her eyes met with a group of three girls sitting in the corner.

"I can do this. Just go up to them and say hello and introduce yourself." She said in her mind. Trying to find confidence in her.

Taking a deep breath, she hops down from the chair and nervously walks in their direction gripping her tiffin close to her chest. She stood by their circle waiting for someone to take notice of her but no one looked, making her throat go tight.

"Come on say hi." She reminded herself.

"Hi." Her voice was a bit higher than she expected it to be but it did do the work. The three girls looked at her with non-interesting faces making Ava feel stinging in the corner of her eyes.

"What do you want, freak." One of the brunettes spoke with a harsh tone, crossing her arms in front of her chest giving Ava a dirty look making her eyes water.

"Stay strong." She repeated in her mind.

"Umm...I was wondering if I can sit with you guys." She mumbled making the other two girls snicker at it. Ava's throat became tight as she tried not to let the tears build in her eyes.

"When will you get the hint?" The other brunette spoke. "We don't want a girl like you in our group. It's been months, just leave already." She spoke making Ava suck on her lower lip.

"Bu-but, I have treats and we can play some games if you want." Tears filled Ava's eyes seeing that this was happening again.

Getting rejected.

It's been years since she has gone from group to group wanting to make friends but no one accepted her just because she is adopted. She was called names that she didn't want to hear and it broke her heart to pieces that no one wanted to be friends with her.

She never had anyone to talk to, even on her birthday it would be just her and her father. Sometimes Mrs. Potts, her neighbor, would come but she was too busy with work but always showed Ava the care of a mother.

"We don't want it." The blond said with a cold face making Ava look down at her feet and clung her tiffin box to her chest. "You are from the streets and no one wants to be with such disgusting kids."

Ava's bottom lip trembled, feeling a pang in her chest at the mention of being adopted. She always said to herself that it wasn't her fault that her biological parents didn't want her. But if others keep saying that to her, she sometimes believed their words.

Henry had to then make her understand that it is not true and that she is the most precious person in the world. He always felt angry with how people would say such things to her without bothering about how it affected her.