Those days after the accident were like some bad dream, where every second seemed a stretch and heavy with unspoken fear. A few weeks later, I was discharged from the hospital, bruised with some bruised ribs and a sharp reminder of all that had gone wrong. Ava stayed by my side; her commitment to help me did not flag for one instant, but the weight of our situation cast a dark cloud over both of us.
It was a silent afternoon, with the two of us not speaking to each other in mind, but there was no better place than the campus café, a haven we'd often run to for solace. We took a corner table there, with the coffee and our attempts at retrieving some semblance of normalcy for the bleak world outside. The phone buzzed on the table in front of Ava, her face pale as she reached for it.
"It's my parents.".
I felt the tension in her body when she answered the phone. "Hello?" Her voice was firm, though I felt the building of bracing for impact that read in her voice.
It was only a matter of time before her expression changed. "No, I'm not going to just forget about this. You cannot continue acting like everything is okay.".
The air of tension thickened as she listened on the other side of the line. I reached across the table, my hand on hers, in a tried effort at comfort.
"Stop blaming Mia for what happened!" Ava's voice rose, and I could feel the heat of the moment. "You can't just dismiss her like that. She's hurt because of what you did!"
My heart sank. I thought about the meaning of what they did. What did she mean by what they did?
Anger and frustration overflowed in Ava's eyes. "They... they told me it was because of me for dating you. They believe that I was careless and that is why the accident happened."
"What is this?" I gasped while my heart ran wild. "How ridiculous is that?"
"Then said if I hadn't been seeing you, none of this would have happened," she said her voice peaking to quivering. "But that is not the worst of it. They suggested that they might have a word with the driver, that he should not face any consequences."
"Wait what? Are you saying they want to protect him?" I was dumbfounded.
Ava nodded, her eyes blazing with a mixture of hurt and anger. "They say it's better for me to cut myself off from you. They don't want me in a relationship with a girl, and they think they can just erase everything that's happened.".
A queasy feeling came over me: these parents were not merely disapproving-they were actually trying to manipulate the situation for their own good. "This is surreal," I said, speaking at a low volume. "They're trying to rewrite this whole story in order to blame you and protect the driver.".
Ava's face grew dark and hard; the betrayal there had nothing to do with any deep wound, but everything to do with how it pierced a young woman to the soul. "They don't care about me. They care about their reputation and their ideas. They want me to fit in, to be what they think a daughter should be.".
All of a sudden, the old familiar weight of anger and frustration settled in my chest. "This is not only unfair-it's cruel," I said. "They're trying to control your life and who you're supposed to love."
Ava took a deep breath, her determination hardening. "I won't let them," she said with her voice now firm with resolve. "I refuse to be victimised by their beliefs.".
"Exactly," I said, my heart pounding against the need. "You must tell them off. They must be told the truth."
Ava nodded, her face set in fierce intent. "I am going to tell them that they can't control my life anymore. I deserve to love whoever I want. I'm not going to hide it."
I leaned forward, my heart unstable. "We should do this together. We should stand up to them. They need to know that what they do has consequences.".
No sooner were we out of that café, around us the air was abuzz with expectation and fear. We walked all the way up to Ava's place, and I could feel the heart pounding with every step. It was a fearful time for all of us, but that was not going to hold us back.
When we got there, Ava's parents were sitting in the living room, kind of an eerie feel to it. They looked up, surprise on their face as we walked in.
Ava, we need to talk," her father said, his tone clipped.
Ava took a deep breath, steeling herself. "No, you need to listen. You can't keep treating me like I'm a child. I'm not going to let you shift the blame for the accident onto me or Mia."
Her mother frowned, glancing at her husband. "What are you talking about? This is not how we raise our daughter.
Ava stepped out before him. "This is exactly how you raise me-by attempting to control me and to live in ignorance of my feelings. I am not going to let you boss me around again.".
I could see the shock in her parents' faces as Ava continues, "You think I don't know how you feel about Mia? You made it known you did not approve of our relationship, but that doesn't change what I feel for her."
"Ava, please," her dad interrupts with his voice rising. "You are too young to understand what you are doing. This is some kind of phase. You are not thinking clearly.".
"Not thinking clearly?" Ava countered, fighting the words back as if they're an attack thrust upon her. "I know exactly what I am doing. I love Mia, and I would not let you deprive me of it!"
Her mother crossed her arms, her face unyielding. "This is love? You're such a blundering idiot, and we're not going to sit around while you ruin your life.".
Ruin my future?" Ava declared, welling up with tears. "You are the ones ruining it by forcing me to live a lie! I am not going to be a conformist anymore." I took a step forward, my heart thumping in anger and determination. "You can't just dismiss her feelings because they don't fit your narrative. Ava deserves to be happy and to love whoever she wants to.
Ava's father looked at me frostily. "And do you think you have any say in this? You're a bad influence on my daughter. We will not let this go on."
"A bad influence?" I couldn't contain myself. "You are who are causing damage. You are seeking to control her life!
Ava crossed her arms and glared at me and her parents before she turned back to me. "You don't decide my happiness. I decide it, and I choose Mia. That's the choice that I make and you have to live with."
The silence wasn't broken in the air as her parents exchanged incredulous glances at one another. Her mother finally spoke up in a voice that could be described as trembling with fury. "If you take this route, you will not get our support. You're making a terrible mistake, Ava.".
I'd rather make my mistakes than live in your fears," she said steadily.
Turning to go, I could feel a mix of relief and trepidation. Ava had made it crystal clear that she would not back down from this fight, but this was certainly not over with. The cool evening air wrapped around us outside, and I glanced at Ava, her face set with anger and determination.
"You were amazing in there," I whispered, giving her hand a squeeze.
She looked at me and unshed tears began shining from her eyes. "Thanks for being here for me. I know it's going to be tough, but I just can't go back to the way things were."
"No one's going to take this love from us," I told her. "We are going to work our way through all this crap together, no matter what.".
Ava took a deep breath. Her face was determined. "I'm not going to let them control me. I will fight for us."
We turned away from her house, but with every step, I sensed walking for a purpose; together, we'd face what came our way, united and unbreakable.

YOU ARE READING
Between Two Worlds
Teen FictionIn a society where love is dictated by rules and expectations, Mia and Ava find themselves caught in a beautiful yet forbidden romance. Both strong-willed and passionate, they share a deep connection that transcends friendship, but the judgmental wo...