Where You Left Me; M. Lopez (REVAMP)

Prologue.

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"SHIT,"

August hissed under her breath as she surveyed the deep gash on the back of her shoulder. The teenager slouched her shoulders forward, leaning against the cold sink, inside a random cafe's bathroom.

This was not exactly how she planned on her morning going, she had hoped for everything to go on without a hitch. Yet, here she was attempting to stitch herself back up after everything went wrong.

The girl splashed some water on her face, unhappy with the image she was met with in her reflection. August's eyes were red-rimmed, and small cuts were scattered all around her face.

She inhaled deeply, carefully reaching at an awkward angle to clean the gash on the back of her shoulder.

The bathroom door creaked open, revealing another girl, who appeared to be about August's age. August caught the girl's eyes in the mirror, and she offered a small pained smile.

"Are you ok?" The girl mouthed, using exaggerated hand motions to get her point across.

August's eyebrows lifted slightly, based on the fact that the other girl had not exactly been verbal, she decided to attempt signing her response. That proved to be a bit difficult in the state she was in, but she tried, "Just peachy."

The other teenager cracked a small smile, "Need some help with that?"

Usually August would very swiftly decline an offer like that, especially from a stranger. However, she certainly was not going to be able to successfully stitch up her shoulder.

August nodded, and Maya took a couple of careful steps towards her, gently taking the rag and cleaning the wound. Every so often her eyes would flicker up to check on August, which she very much appreciated.

"Sorry," Maya mouthed, noticing the way August tensed up as she put the first stitch in.

"I'm fine, promise." August attempted to reassure the girl, but the tension in her jaw gave it all away.

Three stitches later, August was all put back together, "Can I buy you a coffee? As a thank you?"

Maya studied the other girl, searching for any signs of insincerity, "Why not"

"This is totally weird right?" August signed as she spoke, although her sign was quite a bit rusty as she hadn't done it much since she lost her brother.

"I mean you just gave me stitches in the bathroom with no questions asked."

"Yeah, pretty weird." Maya cracked a small smile, "So, do I at least get to know your name?"

"August," she smiled, "You know like the month."

The brunette immediately regretted her words, the second they left her mouth, embarrassment washed over her. Why did she always have to be so damn awkward around pretty girls?

"I'm Maya,"

PRESENT DAY - SEVEN YEARS LATER

"Valentina claims you're avoiding her."

August rolled her eyes at her roommate's comment, "Is it too much to ask for a two-day break?"

The blonde laughed, dropping a box of pizza on the couch beside August. Immediately the brunette opened the box removing a slice, "Are you still being secretive about your high-profile target?"

"The less you know the better," Yelena sat down on the other side of the pizza box, "It really isn't that interesting."

"Whatever you say, Belova." August scoffed, switching on the TV, continuing to absent-mindedly eat her pizza.

It wasn't until their usual program was interrupted by the news, that August's whole night turned around. Breaking news flashed across the screen in big bold lettering, August fumbled with the remote, not really caring about the big breaking news.

That was until an image of the masked assassin, Ronin, flashed across the screen. August froze, no longer messing with the remote, and Yelena's eyes also grew wide at the screen.

"Oh my god," August murmured, her mind suddenly traveling back in time to the night that her relationship fell apart.

"You need to make a choice, Maya," tears welled up in August's eyes, "This quest for revenge is killing you, and it's killing us."

"I understand better than anyone why you're doing this," she paused, "I mean I went down the same path when my brother was killed, that's why I can't keep doing this."

"Look, I love you, Maya. So much, but for the sake of myself, I can't keep doing this," the small box that held an engagement ring, felt heavy in August's pocket, "You need to make a choice, tell me not to go."

Maya just looked at her, unmoving, she didn't want August to leave, but she couldn't give up on finding her father's killer.

"Ok," August sighed quietly, "I guess I have my answer,"