Unlike her classmates, Avery doesn't really care about boys, romance and fashion. Her phone contains fewer contacts than there are pens in her pencil case. Her classmates don't seem to care about her excistance, and at home it's basically the same s...
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'My patience is running thin.' Avery was startled by the tone in Jacob's voice, but even more so by the knife that pressed harder against her throat as a reaction to it. For a moment, as if Smee was startled himself.
'Captain, can we-'
'Shut up, Smee,' the captain barked. The grip on the knife loosened slightly more, Avery noticed, and the blade now pressed against her neck in its completeness. She didn't feel its edges, she noticed; it wasn't a threat anymore. Could it be posible thawt Smee did not want to hurt her?
Jacob turned impatiently towards the mermaids. 'Well? What's it going to be, ladies?'
'Don't,' Avery called out to the sirens. She saw the doubt in their eyes. 'He'll kill me anyway the moment he has his answer.'
'Smee, keep her quiet.'
'But Captain...'
Jacob turned to him. 'If you won't do it, I'll take care of it myself. Give me that knife!' He held up his hand and Smee hesitated. Jacob's eyes went from her to Smee and then he reached forward and grabbed a handful of her red hair. Avery screamed and tried to get her hair out from under his fingers. In response, he pushed her to her knees. 'The knife, Smee.' The pirate looked from Avery to Jacob, the knife trembling in his hand.
'Surely I expected more from you, Jacob.'
As if bitten by a snake, Jacob turned to the stairs with a jerk, from which Peter came striding, his sword in his hands. His eyes flashed rapidly around the room, as if he were plotting an entire plan in a matter of seconds, then lingered on Avery, his countenance immediately darkening.
Avery took her chance in this confusion and rammed her elbow backward into the captain's abdomen with such force that he lost his grip on her.
'Not so fast.' Jacob pulled a handgun from under his coat and pointed it at Avery. 'This one's spicy, Pan,' he laughed defiantly, 'I can see why she's caught your interest. She certainly caught mine.'
Peter stepped off the last step. 'Harm one hair on her head and it will be the last thing you do.'
Avery looked at Peter tensely. Would he be fast enough? The barrel stared at her smiling, ready to fire its deadly bullet at her.
'It would be a shame anyway,' Jacob said. He looked at Peter. 'Your rescue plan failed, Pan.'
'But that's where you're wrong, Jacob,' Peter laughed and winked briefly at Avery, 'for I have no plan at all!' And he flew at the captain with lightning speed.
Avery jumped aside as the gun went off and Jacob quickly turned to Peter. Peter knocked the weapon out of Jacob's hands and it clattered to the ground and disappeared between a few barrels. Jacob immediately drew his sword and the boys went at each other. Avery watched tensely, searching for a moment, a way to help but the clatter of the swords seemed to have turned off her body and she couldn't find the switch to turn herself back on. Until she heard hissing next to her. 'Avery, the keys.'
