Underneath the Weeping Willow Tree - Prologue

Ch.2 - Unseen Eyes

(Pic of Peter)>>>>

Chapter Two

Unseen Eyes

Ava wiped the steam away from the bathroom mirror and ran the brush through her unruly hair. Everything had started off great. She hoped that would be able to make a home here for at least a little while. She put her brush down and put her still damp hair into a messy bun.

She walked down the stairs and found herself in the kitchen; the aroma of ham hit her as she stepped into the room. Candy was busy at the stove making what looked like home-made mac-and-cheese. Candy turned holding out a wooden spoon with some of the gooey macaroni on it. “Here try this.” Ava leaned over the counter to take the bite off of spoon but before she was able to Candy pulled it back. “It’s hot! You need to blow on it first. I won’t have you burning yourself.”

 Ava smiled to herself at how motherly Candy is, much more than here own mother was. She blew on the food then she carefully took a bite. The cheese burst over her taste-buds “Mmm! This is so good!”

Candy laugh “Glad you like it Sweetie.”

“Is there anything that I can help you with?” Ava wasn’t use to having someone else do all the cooking for her. She felt a little bad that Candy was doing all the work by herself but she seemed to have it all under control.

Candy looked around her then shook her head. “I’m fine, thank you Ava.” She started to turn back to the stove then face Ava again. “I think Ben could use some help setting the table.”

“Yeah, no problem.”

“Thank you Ava.” she turned back to the stove while Ava headed to the dining room.

A young boy around eleven years old was sitting at the table. He was playing some kind of video game. Ava looked around the room to see the dishes sitting to the side of him, by the looks of it he wasn’t in a rush to move. “Hi, are you Ben?” Ben’s dirty blonde mop of hair jerked up as if her voice had startled him. For a moment his coffee brown eyes got real wide until he narrowed them into slits glaring at Ava.

“You don’t belong here! I don’t want a sister so go away!” he leapt out of his chair and darted into the next room. She stood there staring after him. Ben’s anger towards her hurt, she didn’t even know the kid but he was her half-brother and he didn’t want her.

A voice that came from the doorway startled her. “He’ll come around to you Ava, don’t worry.” Peter walk over to her and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “he just needs a little time, that’s all.” Ava nodded and Peter left to go talk to his son.     

After she finished setting the table, Candy shooed her outside to the backyard.  The backyard was really beautiful. There was a pool with a lovely garden surrounding it. There was also a cement half-court where Jay and two other boys, who she guessed to be Matt and Ty, were playing basketball. The older one had to be Matt; He had blonde hair and green eyes just like Candy. Ty, the younger one, had longer dark hair and green eyes also. As she walked towards them the game was paused and they all turned to face her. Ty held the ball and tossed it back and forth between his has. He quickly looked down at his feet before looking back at Ava. “How’d you like your room Ava?” He looked at her anxiously waiting for her reply.

“It’s great, Thank you so much!” She really did love it.

Ty beamed, his smile plastered wide across his face “You’re welcome, I’ll tell Annie, my girlfriend, that you like it. She’s the one who did the detailing on the walls, she’ll be really happy to her that you like it.” He bounced the ball to her. “Hey, you wanna play? We can go two on two.”  She scooped it up and effortlessly banked it into the net. Her smile growing.

“Sure, who’s on my team?”

It ended up being Ava and Matt versus Jay and Ty. They had about ten minutes till dinner so the first to five would win. The game stayed neck and neck the whole time and they were soon tied 4 – 4. Ty had the ball and this would be game point. He was teasing his brother by dribbling it around his body and taunting him “C’mon bro, can’t let your baby brother show you up.”

A sly smile flashed across Matt’s face, Ty realized what was going to happen a second too late. Matt lunged, tackling Ty to the ground and pinning him there. A muffled voice rose from the ground “Foul! Foul!”

“Ava! Get the ball!” Matt shouted.

Ava flung her body towards the basketball. As her fingers brushed to bumpy orange surface she was swept up into Jay’s arms. Jay’s momentum forced him downwards and both he and Ava dropped to the ground laughing. Again Ava started to crawl to the ball only to be pinned down by Jay, he laid his body on top of hers to hold her. She tried to push him off and wiggle out beneath his body but his hands locked around her wrists pinning them also.

Ava stopped struggling as she noticed the short distance between then. The air between them crackled like electricity and their eyes locked together. Ava couldn’t help herself; his eyes looked like melted chocolate as they gazed into her darker ones. Her gaze travel down to his lips –

“We Win! Matt and Ava are they champions!” Matt pumped his fist into the air and started into a ridiculous victory dance.

Jay stood up before running his hand through his hair in a nervous habit then held it out to Ava and helped her up. They stood face to face the blush spreading across Ava’s face. She quickly turned away from Jay and went and high-fived her teammate joining him in his dance.

They play P-I-G until Candy called them in to wash up for dinner. They all ran in pushing and laughing at each other so they could be the first to the table.

 The ham was placed in the middle of the table and each person had their own bowl of macaroni. It was one of the best meals that Ava had eaten in a while, not only because of the food but also from all seven of them at the table. Her mom had never been there to eat with Ava growing up. Together they all talked and laughed except for Ben. He sat and sulked, stealing glances at Ava every now and then. Afterwards they all helped to clear the table and do the dishes.

Matt, Ava, and Jay were the ones to do the dishes. They found a radio and turned it on to a station that played a mix of genres. They sang at the top of their lungs and danced around the kitchen and worked well together. “…Lose yourself in the music, the moment, you want it, you better never let it go….”

Ava started to dance and she twirled the towel that she was using and accidently smacking Matt in the head. “Oh jeez Matt I’m sorry! I di–”

Water splashed into her face, soaking the front of her tank top. She gapped at him in disbelief then narrowed her eyes

“It’s on!” she took a handful of water and threw it in his face. Jay joined in and before long they were all soaked. 

Candy ran into the kitchen “Take it outside!” she scolded them

They all laughed and headed outside. The weather outside was great, the perfect temperature for a run. They grabbed Ty and asked Ben if he wanted to come with, his answer was ‘Not if she’s going’ so the four of them headed out running down the street. They kept a good pace, Ava was happy that she is an avid athlete and could keep up with the boys. She happily listened to their playful banter as they ran.

Ava slowed and stopped on the sidewalk, the prickling sensation had started again. The hair on her arms and neck rose. She searched all the houses around her looking for the person that was staring at her. No one was there. She shook off her uneasiness and took off to catch up with the boys.

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~A