Visions of Fate

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE - A WARM WELCOME

"Ava, I thought I told you to assist the other maids in the kitchen?" Mrs Halls asked, tearing Ava's gaze away from mine.

Ava was dressed in a flowy flower patterned dress made of silk. The dress hooked at the waist and dipped stylishly at the cleavage, with long arms that riffled in the air whenever she made a movement. Her dirty blonde hair flowed around freely around one shoulder and the simple necklace on her chest brought out the grey in her eyes, being helped gracefully by the heavy sunlight.

To anyone else, she would look so beautiful and innocent. But I knew her way past that, I knew how she'd threatened me in the hallway of Ravenswood Academy.

"I did help them, Julia," Ava replied. "That is until one of them poured salsa sauce all over my dress. Then I had to go change into this ugly one, because daddy said all my other dresses are, ' too much ' or, ' not fit for this party ' ".

Mrs Halls sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, in a way that made it clear that she was tired of the girls attitude. I couldn't blame her, I had only heard one little speech of hers and I was already fighting off a light migraine.

"Is the Caviar ready yet?" She asked.

"Yeah, but I think they are having some problems with the Escargots, or something," Ava replied. "I didn't stay long enough to find out."

Mrs Halls bit back a tantrum and offered me an apologetic smile, instead. "I'm sorry, Emily but I really have to rush into the kitchen now." She made her 'kitchen' sound humble, but I knew it probably had a house of its own. "It was lovely meeting you, dear," she patted my arm softly before scurrying off, with as much stride as her tight gown could offer.

I immediately missed her presence because now it was only Ethan, Ava, Abi, Ben, Zara and I, a scene I never thought would be possible. Yet look where were.

"Ethan," Ava said, linking her fingers on top on of Ethan's shoulder and dropping her chin there, so that her face was just inches from his. I growled lowly under my breath. "Could you tell me what these losers are doing here? I think they lost their way to the garbage dump."

"Spoken like a true bitch," Zara's black lips tilted up into a devilish smirk. "Could you signal me next time you want to talk? So I'll try not to listen."

Ava's face turned red as she scowled at Zara. "Ava, these are Emily's friends," Ethan quickly interrupted before the situation escalated into something else. "She invited them as her guests."

Ava's eyes left Zara and eyed me in disgust. "A mere guest inviting her own guests to the party," she said, and flicked something off Ethan's shoulder only she could see. "How decent."

"Don't say that, Ava," I spotted Ethan's hand around her waist, and I had to remember his promise in the janitor's closet to compose myself. "She just wanted some familiar faces with her, that's all."

Ava mumbled something under her breath that I couldn't quite decipher, but that didn't stop me from giving her the stink eye. How I longed to drag Ethan by the ear and give him the scolding of his life couldn't be summed up with words.

"What are you kids doing here?" A middle aged man with an outfit similar to Ethan's walked towards us. It wasn't until he got closer that I realized who he was.

Ethan's father.

The frights and shivers from my vision about his accident instantly crashed in like an angry flood. He was the one I'd seen in my vision, he was right here in front of me. Looking so decent, I began to question myself about the reality of my vision. Because, from what I had seen, he'd looked like a drunken mess. One that hated his life and always spent his money on alcohol.

It was then that reality finally sank in. Ethan's mom was right in front of me. Ethan's mom. As in the woman Ethan had described as a crying mess all over the hospital floors. She was the same one wearing that beautiful grin that had me forgetting all about her story.

Looking at Ben's father now, he looked so agile, as if he hadn't been on the hospital bed for weeks on end. I guess that was a skill the upper class had in common; hiding their challenges and problems from the face of the world. And boy were the Halls just the best at it.

"Emily," Ethan snapped me out of my thoughts and I glanced around to meet everyone's creased eyebrows centered on me. "Are you alright?"

I swear I blushed so hard, my cheeks felt hotter than Iceland's Holuhraum volcano. "Yeah I um…" I trailed off, unable to form a single sentence without stammering. "What were we talking about, again?"

Ethan threw me a questioning look, but he quickly collected himself to answer my question. "My dad was just saying how nice it was to meet you."

"Oh yes, the pleasure is all mine Mr Halls," I said, trying to put the embarrassing past behind me. "How is your health coming out now?"

For a fleeting second, I caught a surprised glint my Mr Halls' eyes, but it shifted so quickly, I could have questioned my judgement if I wasn't so sure. "I'm feeling much better, thanks," his smile didn't waver as he spoke. "I just came to inform everyone that breakfast will be ready in five minutes. We should all join the guests in the banquet room before it is served. Ethan," she clasped his son's shoulder. "Come with me," Ethan followed him, and Abi, Zara and Ben trailed behind them.

I was about to walk with them when I felt a yank on my arm, pushing me backwards. I turned to see a wide eyed Ava staring at me in contempt, as if she was getting ready for a fight or something.

"Didn't I warn you not to come to this party?"

"And didn't I tell you I was going to come, anyways?" I held my ground. If she thought she could scare me, then she was the most foolish clown I'd ever seen.

"You know, I've learned something about you," she straightened the jacket over my shoulder and used that opportunity to drag me closer, so I was looking up at her. "You're just too brave for your own good," her cold breath danced on my face as she spoke. "But by the time I'm done with you, you'll be running off like a helpless little mouse." She shoved me off and dusted her hands in distaste, then cat-walked away, leaving me alone in the garden, with only the sounds of my thoughts to keep me company.