Back To Black

Ava

I starred at Kennedy with anticipation, I waited for her to tell me what was going on. I had never seen Kennedy so apprehensive before.

"It's Ava. I went up to the room to check in her, but when I opened the door, there was some guy on the bed. He jumped up and climbed out of the window as soon as he saw me. Then Ava came out of the bathroom like nothing happened. I'm worried about her and you." My heart froze.

I expected something much more serious to come out of Kennedy's mouth. Why should I have cared? Laughter escaped my body, and Kennedy's face twisted in confusion.
"That's all?" I patted her on her back, walking past her.

"W-what do you mean, that's all?" She chased after me. "Jessa, I understand what Ava has done to you, but she's your sister!"

I put my purse down on the kitchen table, letting out a long sigh. "Kennedy, Ava hates me. I get that she's my sister and no doubt I love her, but I can't keep trying to saver. I mean all my family ever does, is try to keep Ava out of trouble, help her break her habits, but she loves that lifestyle, and as much as it pains me to say it, but it's going to be what she loves the most, that breaks her and brings her back into reality, but I'll be there to help her put the pieces back together when she's broken."

Kennedy stares at me shocked, she didn't know what to say, all she could do was look at me like I was some forigener. "Jessa- you cant- you can't be that serious."

"Kennedy, she'll learn." I stare up at the top of the stairs, only to see Ava peeking from behind the wall. When her eyes lock with mine, she quickly retreats back behind it. My voice lowers to a whisper. "I just hope it's not too late."

I look at the time on the clock and the moment I do, I become exhausted. "Anyway, thanks for coming Kens. I really appreciated it."

Kennedy takes a moment to take in everything I had said. When it finally settles with her that I'm being serious she nods. "Y-yeah, a-anytime, Jess." I walk with her to the door, but before she leaves she takes one last glimpse at me, confused.

"Goodnight."

After Kennedy left, I poured myself a drink, before facing the reality of my life. I sat at the kitchen counter, with my hand holding on to my head, trying to kill the migraine, that lived fiercely inside of my head.

"You went out and didn't come back until 6 in the morning?" She hesitated as if I was a beast and she was waiting on me to attack her, but we both knew who the real beast was. "You're such an unfit guardian! You're nothing!" She was figidty, like she was waiting in my next move.

My head rose up and I stared at her, my eyes low. At that moment, my thoughts were still, my heart stopped beating and my senses were numb. I could see her swallow all of her guilt and pride, she was nervous and scared. Ava kept shifting her weight from one foot to the next.

"You've been here 72 hours, Ava. Already, you've disrupted the peace in my home." She watched me, her expression was hard to read. "Do you know the best thing about having peace in your own home, Ava? It's being able to lay your head down, as you lay in your bed, knowing that you don't have to deal with drama, not having to worry about who's running in and out of your house and you feel like you're actually doing something right. That's something I didn't have living with you and our parents because they refused to give you structure or guidance. Ava, I refuse to let you bring into my house, what I left back at mom and dad's."

Getting up from the table, I walked towards the stairs. My body was exhausted, my brain was confused. Before I could walk up the steps, I stopped and turned my head toward Ava. "Oh, and Ava. The next time you want to bring your little boy toy to my house....you and him can go stay somewhere else, this isn't the pancake house." With that I went to bed.