It doesn't surprise me when I hear the sound of the gun shot rattle through the air. This is the Glades after all. I look out my window and see a lifeless body, blood gushing out of its chest, laying on the cracked asphalt. After living here for nearly two years, the sight doesn't phase me.
I trod down the old, beaten stairs of my apartment to begin my three mile hike to Big Belly Burger, my work, and try to ignore the stench of the carcass as I walk by it. A couple police officers and detectives arrive with two CSIs. I recognize one of the detectives, Detective Lance, as he is the father of my friend, Laurel.
"Hey, Ava. You alright?" Detective Lance asks as he sees me walking by.
"Yeah, why wouldn't I be. I mean, aside from a homicide right in front of my apartment," I respond, not wanting to answer any questions, but like most "witnesses," knowing she'll have to.
"Did you happen to see the murderer?"
Hm. I don't recall seeing anyone. Wait. Yes I do. "Yes, I saw someone wearing a black hoodie running away after I heard the gunshot. He ran behind that alley," I gesture to that alley, "and he appeared to be, at least from my angle, about six feet tall. I'll make sure to keep an eye out for him."
"Okay, thanks. You stay safe there," Lance says, then turned to help gather evidence with the SCPD.
***
"Would you like fries with that?" I ask, trying to sound polite, in my best waitress tone. The customer says yes, because I mean who doesn't want fries with a burger. After they receive their food and gives me the proper amount of cash, I see a familiar face. Laurel Lance.
"Hey, Ava. How's it going?"
"Oh, you know. Slow up 'til noon, then it'll die down after a while," I say.
"I don't mean work. I heard there was a homicide this morning right in front of your apartment complex."
"That happens quite frequently, so I've kinda gotten used to it now. It's nothing out of the ordinary for the Glades."
"If you want to, you can move in with me for a while. Who knows, the person may target your apartment building next." It's a generous offer, but I have to refuse it.
"I wouldn't be able to pay even half of your rent. I don't accept charity. Even with this raise I got last year." Besides, even with this raise, it would make it more difficult to do my night job.
She sighs. "It wouldn't be charity. It would be helping you get into a healthier environment. Speaking of that, how has your attempts for getting a better job been?"
"Well, I've got denied the last, I don't know, maybe twenty times? I applied again at the last place I can try in Starling City, but I doubt I'll get a call. I've also been considering moving to Central City. There are more job opportunities there."
"Well, I certainly hope you don't move to Central City. I've already suffered enough loss, I don't need one of my best friends moving over 700 miles away. Where did you apply? Maybe I could put in a good word for you."
"Um, there is the problem. You won't like where I applied for. Queen Consolidated."
"I would be able to put in a good word for you. I just don't like the idea of you working for the company that belongs to my ex's family. Especially when that particular ex cheated on me with my sister and then got her killed." Laurel put a lot of hatred and bitterness into those last words.
I don't know why, but my eyes drift up to the TV screen. "Missing billionaire Oliver Queen discovered after five years of being presumed dead..." And on and on the reporter goes.
"Speaking of your ex, look behind you at the TV."
Laurel does, and I can feel her rage when she hears that Oliver Queen is alive.
"Robert Queen and Sara Lance have been declared officially dead," the reporter states, and then he proceeds to explain that Oliver was found on an island off the coast of China.
Laurel then storms out of the building with this look on her face like she wants to murder somebody. I never realized the extent of Laurel's hatred for Oliver until this moment.
A/N:
Okay so yes I have rewritten the first chapter and it is so much better and is going to have a much more violence then what I had originally anticipated when I started writing this.
This is kinda a short chapter but I don't think its too badly written. I hope that this is an entertaining and not too slow start. Does the last sentence even make sense? Lol I don't know. I can try and I can hope.
Warning: there will be extremely slow updates soon once school starts, so be prepared!!!
I am awful at choosing names and stuff so I am giving a huge spoiler out. Ava's "night job" is basically her going out at night with a gun and apprehending criminals and then delivering them to the cops so the cops can arrest them. She wears a black hoodie (obviously there has a be a hood covering her face 'cuz its Arrow) and my future is that she has an actual outfit kinda like Thea's "Speedy" costume but completely black save gold lacing and a gold mask. So I need someone to think up a name. Please.
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enjoy:)
