A Twist of Fate (ON HOLD)

Chapter 2

I love 'Irish' pubs here in the US. I find them kind of hilarious.

'And what would you like today miss?'

Nick and I look up at the aged waiter and silently laugh. He couldn't look less Irish if he tried, with his golden tan and perfect straight white teeth, he looks kind of like an old Hollywood star.

I look down at the menu again and almost burst out laughing again. Corned beef, sausages and mash and fish&chips. First of all, I haven't had sausages and mash (basically a mound of potato with some sausages stuffed into it) since I was eight. And secondly, I've never even eaten corned beef before, but I've heard that it tastes disgusting.

'Uhh, I'll have the fish & chips please. Oh, and a coke.'

He looks at me weirdly for a moment.

'Uhh, Miss? Don't answer if this is too personal but, where are you from? Britain?'

'Actually, we're Irish, but it is pretty close to England I guess.' I say non-commitedly, shrugging. A lot of people thought that British and Irish accents sound alike, so I understand his confusion.

He looks star struck before bursting into a ridiculously large smile. He gestures for his friend to come over. She too starts staring at us.

'Oh. My. God. Louise!! These are Irish! Oh my god, look at 'em!'

I wince at his pronunciation of 'Irish'. It's supposed to have two syllables, 'eye' and 'rish' but a lot of Americans pronounce it 'eye' 'UH' 'rish'. its the same for the pronunciation of Ireland, and it just drives me up the wall.

Louise grins at sits down at the table with us. She's quite a portly lady, with tightly curled dyed blonde hair and a big smile.

'My great grandparents used to be Irish! I've got second cousins living over there today, living in Cork! You wouldn't happen to know Nellie Smith, would you?'

Sadly, this isn't the first time that this has happened to us since we arrived here a week ago. People from the guys in the airport, to the taxi drivers, to waiters keep asking us if we know their Irish connections. We never do.

I slowly shake my head. 'Sorry, but we're not from around there. That, and over 6 million people live there...'

Louise looks shocked at my response and stands up. 'Really? Well I'll be damned! I never knew that! I guess you learn something new ever day!' She laughs to herself. 'Well, we'll leave you be and leave you order. Have a good day.' And with that, she smiles and walks away.

As soon as she and our waiter are out of sight, Nick and I just look at each other and burst out laughing.

'Oh God', he says, wiping a year from his eye. 'You've gotta love their Irish enthusiasm anyway!'

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This is it. My first day of High School. I gulp, and try to keep my nausea at bay. I can do this, it's just a new school, what's the worst that can happen? But my attempts at calming myself go over my head. I'm nervous, and that bugs me. At least I've a few hours until school starts; I don't have to be in until 2 to get my class schedule and locker. Classes start tomorrow.

'So, don't lots of boys fall in love with you Ave, we don't want too many hearts broken.' Nick winked at me and ruffled my hair, but I just glared at him.

Nick could've stayed in Ireland if he wanted to, but he chose to make the journey with us. He finished his Leaving Cert (final exams in the final year of school in Ireland) last June, and decided that he'd take a year off to travel the world before starting college next september. In the end, this didn't really work out, but he couldn't get into a college now, as it was the very end of August, so he'd have to wait another year before becoming a 'college guy'. I found it funny how we'd both be going to college at the same time, as I was a Senior here in the US.

'Actually, I'm already in a relationship if you must know.'

At this, Nick turns to me, the playfulness in his eyes gone.

'Who is it Avery? Someone here or back home?'

I chuckle to myself. I hadn't really been out the door much this past week, yet he thought I had somehow gotten a boyfriend already?

'Liam. Remember him? If not then all you need to know is that he's an alien from Mars and plans on taking over the universe.'

Well, I never said my sarcasm was witty.

'Avery, this isn't good for you. You're not ready for a long-distance relationship. Besides, I've never liked Liam. He's not good for you, I mean, he-', Nick breaks off, looking like he's mentally cursing himself.

I stare at him for a moment. What was he about to say? I'd be lying if I said my curiosity wasn't a little bit piqued at his sudden stop.

'Nick? What is it? Did Liam do something to you?'

'It's not me he did something to...' He mutters under his breath, but I still hear him. I'm nervous now, Nick seems so conflicted that it like he's about to explode, and I'm worried about what he could've heard that could make him react like this.

'Well? What did he do Nick? Please, just tell me. I promise that I can handle it.' I try to smile encouragingly at him, but really my patience is growing thin.

Nick blows out some air, then takes a deep breath. 'It's not my place to tell you, but maybe if you ring him you'll find out.'

My eyes narrow at him. 'Wait a minute...how do you know Liam anyway? You've never been interested in my friends before, so why now?'

Nick sighs. 'He always looked...dodgy...to me, so I did a little, uh, research on him. Turns out, he's a player but hides it from everybody. I've kept an eye on him since, so when we got here I, um, rang him? Just to tell him to stay away from you...' He rushes the end of his sentence.

I'm in shock. How the hell could Nick do this to me?!

'But listen Avery, I found something out on the phone that you should really-'

'I'm tired of your silly games Nick. Please, just leave me alone.' And with that, I walk off, leaving him looking irritated at the kitchen counter.

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Once I get to my room, I pull out my phone. I don't think that Nick was lying, as he never really lies to me, especially not about something, or someone, that I care about so much, but he must not know the whole truth. I dial the familiar number with difficulty; I haven't managed to fully work out this new American phone yet. It starts to ring, and I wait patiently to hear his voice. That's when I remember that it's only 7 o' clock back home.

'Shit!' I mumble, looking for the 'End Call' button, but just as I do, the phone is answered.

'Hey Liam,' I whisper. 'Sorry if I woke-'

I'm interrupted by a giggle. I stop, staring at the phone in confusion. Had I dialled the wrong number? I couldn't have. I know his number like the back of my hand.

Just as I'm about to ask about Liam again, a voice answers me. A feminine voice.

'I'm sorry, but Liam is...' the girl giggles. 'Not available right now.'

She giggles again and I definitely hear a masculine chuckle in the background. But that isn't what causes me to freeze like a statue, or let the phone slip out of my oblivious hands, oh no. You see, I recognise the voice. How could I not? I'd heard it almost every day of my life. It was the voice that made me laugh and it belonged to the one person who I'd always thought would never betray me, the one person that I thought would always be there for me.

Ella.

A/N

Hey! Here's chapter two!! (Obviously :P) hahaha, sorry about that! Ooh, a twist! Will Avery ever feel the same way about Ella, or Liam for that matter, again? Sorry about the shortness and general suckiness f this chapter, but it's more of a filler chapter than anything else. I really want to get onto the part where Avery starts High School, but I felt that the story needed this in order to develop properly :). So no hate!! Hahaha :D thanks for reading this if you did, you're awesome! Please vote or comment if you enjoyed it! :) The picture to the side is of Nick! :)

-Muireann xxx