Submerged and Resurfaced

Chapter 1 - Ava's P.O.V.

I knew something was wrong the moment the lady at the front office called.

"Ms. Kinley? Are you there?" she came over the speaker. Our math teacher paused from her lecture, and answered, "Yes, this is Ms. Kinley speaking?"

"Could you send Ava Wilson down to the front office to be dismissed?" Everybody stared with a tint of jealousy in their eyes. I grabbed my things and made my way to the door. Why do I have to leave early? Mind racing and heart pounding, I stumbled down the hall and approached the door to the front office.

I strolled in, and Mom came over to greet me.

"Hey, Mom," I tried to keep a steady tone. "What're you doing here? Do I have a dentist appointment or something?"

She smiled sweetly at me, but didn't reply. I asked her again.

"Mom, why are you picking me up early?" A large knot developed in my stomach just thinking of all the possible answers that could come out of my mother's mouth in this next moment. I looked at her with expectant eyes, hoping maybe it wouldn't be as bad as I was imagining.

"Come," she whispered, ignoring my question. "I'll explain everything when we get home."

My mom started the car, turned to me and said, "Buckle up!" as she always did. But then, silence fell upon us, and followed for the next 10 minutes. I kept thinking of things to say, but I always thought better of it. It wasn't in my mom's nature to be reserved and silent. Finally, the car stopped uneasily, and we got out and headed inside. Once in the house, I could see my dad, sitting on the couch, and my little brother, Ben, sitting on the ground, playing with his new toy car he'd gotten yesterday at the toy store. I sat down and waited.

Silence.

"Well?" I managed, the word rolling out of my mouth like tumbleweed. I noticed Dad shift uncomfortably in his seat.

Silence.

"Ava, sweetie," Mom started, "There really is no easy way to put this."

Silence.

"Well then just tell me," I told her. Mom shifted her gaze abruptly from me, to Ben, to Dad.

"Honey, your nana's been in a car accident," she paused.

"And she didn't make it."