The Voices

Chapter 3: A new home.

I chatted with my friends as we walked down the road, honestly, it felt good to be with familiar people again.

"...And I was like, boo! and she was like AHHHH!" Leli was saying.

"Liar! I did not scream!" Jay said as she swatted Leli's head.

I giggled, and stopped to pull my hoodie out of backpack.

"Are you cold?" Jay asked as I pulled my hoodie over me.

"A bit." I answered. 

That was a lie. I was freezing. I pulled my beanie out my bag and stuffed it on my head, covering my pink ears.

Leli and Jay stopped. Jay pulled out her back and grabbed a jean jacket and gave it to me. I smiled as I took it.

Leli gave me her scarf and I draped over my neck.

"Thank you." I said.

"No prob." Jay  and Leli replied casually. 

"So, where are we gonna sleep?" Leli asked casually.

"Ah, shoot!" I say. "One sec. Lemme see if there's a place where it shelters us if it rains."

I speed walked ahead, my eyes scanning all the possible places we could rest for the night. But for some reason, I closed for ONE second and ran into something.
"Ugh!" I curse as I open my eyes. "Stupi-" I looked up and saw a girl about me age with a maroon hoodie and short, black hair, with a pair of bright blue eyes.

"Ahh!" I felt so embarrassed! I almost called her stupid! "I am so sorry!"

"Oh, no! Forgive me, I didn't know where I was going and bumped into you!" The girl said as looked me up and down and smiled. 

"Avery! Are you okay?!" Leli and Jay ran up to me and stopped when they saw the girl. Jay skidded to a stop

The girl looked at Jay and Leli and her warm smile turned into a frown. Her eyes widened in shock.

"Get back!" she yelled as she took by my hand and pulled my behind her back. "It's okay! I'll protect you!"

Leli and Jay looked frightened and I was confused. They were my friends, humans, not aliens.

"Hey, these are my friends!" I tugged at the girl's hand. She was still holding my other hand with her opposite hand.

"Avery...?" Leli whispered as her eyes turned to me.

The girl's hand tightened around my wrist.

"You...know them?" she asked.

"Um...yeah? These are my friends?" I said. I looked at Leli, and she was staring back at me in shock as though I spoke some alien language (Spoiler alert, I did)

"W-what did you just say?" Jay spoke.

The girl turned around and faced me. She held my waist and I should have been embarrassed but I was in shock. Jay not knowing English? The world in upside down now.

"English?" I said.

"That, girl, was NOT English." Leli said.

"I'm so proud of you!" Jay said brightly.

The girl did a double take and stared at Jay, mouth open.

"You learnt a new language! Which one was it?" Jay asked.

"I don't know!" I say helplessly. "I thought I was speaking English!" 

"What the fu-" 

Jay hit Leli's  arm stopping her in mid sentence, saving all of us from that very foul word.

That's when everybody burst out laughing. Breath whooshed out of my lungs and I inhaled big lumps every time I wheezed and coughed. Jay scolded Leli but it was still incredibly funny. The girl's hand left my hand. Once we stopped laughing, the girl whispered in to my ear.

"Ash." The girl said.

"Ash what?" I asked, confused.

"Ash my name" she said, winking.

"You're name is Ash?" I inquired. She nodded and smiled.  I

"And what about you?" Ash asked, bowing down. 

I was startled from the bow that no words came out my mouth. 

"M-my name?" I asked, already knowing the answer. She nodded and I spoke without stuttering.

"Avery. This is Leli, and Jay." I say pointing, toward my friends, who awkwardly waved.

"Do you have a home?" Ash asked. My stomach plummeted and Jay hugged Leli tightly. I was so surprised that she had said to so casually. Like she was kicked out of her own home as well. I might be a cruel person, because that oddly comforted me. I looked down and imagined why I should tell this girl anything. I met her a few minuets ago, why should I trust her?

But,  the voices told me in quietly, I can almost see there smiles. Why shouldn't you trust her?

Why do the voices have to be so smart yet so confusing?

"I'm an orphan." I said, looking down. When I looked up, Ash seemed unfazed. She then smiled at my confused look. 

"Do you want to come home with me?" Ash asked. 

It seemed as time slowed down. Okay, just to be clear, yes I know, people wouldn't go home with someone they knew for like, five minuets. But this felt different, I felt like I could trust Ash. She spoke the weird, alien language like me, and I MAY have taken an interest to her. My head was overfilled with thought that weren't mine, all of them telling me to take the offer. The Voices. They're telling me to go with Ash and that I should trust her. I know a few hours ago, if you told me to listen and trust the voices, I would have said you were crazy. But now, I knew. 

I smiled and stepped forward, my friends watching me with a grin.

"Sure. Where to?"

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Word Count- 1005

School ended today and we were loaded with work and today I just had graduation so that took a lot of time. C-ya next time and have a great summer!

-Aspen