The Story of Ava

Chapter 2

Ava sat with her back to the door. She could hear the family war on the other side of the door. Her mom screaming. Her dad screaming louder. She sat with her back to the door, her knees to her chest, tear stains on her cheeks, tears still running down her cheeks with soft sniffles to her nose. Suddenly, it got quiet. Ava's little body decided to get up and wipe her tears. She stood up and slowly put her hand to the door knob. Her little body and hand shaking from fear as she turned the knob. She peeked her head out the door. "Ava?" a voice called out. "Ava!?" Ava awake from her dream back to reality, her heart racing. Sandy was shaking Ava awake. "Ava, honey, wake up. You've gotta get ready for school."

Ava groaned out, "I don't wanna." She got up anyway and started getting ready for school. The whole day throughout school seemed like such a blur. Ava couldn't get over the fact that the dream felt like so much more than a dream. It felt more like a flashback, but she wouldn't dare mention it to anyone. Even though her teachers kind of noticed her daydreaming in class. At the end of the day, when the final bell had rung, and everyone got up and ran out heading to leave the classroom, Ava's teacher had called her over. She hesitated but wandered over as told. Her teacher had expressed her concern and asked if she was okay and if not, if there was anything she could do to help her. Ava just responded with a slight, "no, I'll be okay, thanks though," and a smile. Her teacher asked no more. This teacher was actually friends with Sandy and knew her background, so she wasn't just gonna let this one go. The minute Ava was out of the room and headed to get on her bus, Mrs. Andrews called Sandy up and explained what she had noticed in Ava for the day and expressed her concern.

Ava always takes a bus to Sandy's office after school. It was just easier on both of them. It also gave them time to talk about their days. Sandy couldn't afford to get Ava a counselor, but knew she needed one so she devoted herself to being her social worker, mother and counselor. She did the absolute best she could for this girl. Ava came into the office and sat down by Sandy's desk, without a word, and already pulling out some homework that would need to be done.

"So how was your day?" Sandy finally asked as they walked to the car, after her day was finally over.

Ava shrugged, "Normal, I guess."

Sandy just nodded and looked in her daughter's direction and could also notice what Mrs. Andrews noticed. The sad, quizzical expression on the young girl's face. "Something on your mind, kiddo?"

Ava shrugged once more, as she put her backpack in the backseat of the car. "A lot is always on my mind."

"Alright, sassy," Sandy half smiled as she hopped into the driver's seat. Ava getting into the passenger seat. "Mrs. Andrews called and told me you weren't 100% there today. So, this is me being your counselor and not your mom. Are you okay? I noticed when I woke you, you seemed to have had a bad dream. Is that what's going on?"

"Quit with all the questions," she mumbled and already got comfortable with her head against her arm that was resting on the door. Ava stared out the window and ignored anything else that Sandy had said.

Sandy continued about what her teacher had said and what she had been noticing the last few days since she had met the Kennard's. "Are you even listening to me?"

Ava blinked and came back to reality, "Huh? Sorry." Sandy just let out a huge sigh to that and let the rest of the drive be in silence. She was worried about the poor girl. And Ava knew she should probably tell Sandy, but she was afraid to. She kept thinking there was some underlying meaning behind why she would...or could have a flashback as a dream. Could it have been some sort of sign?

Ava took a deep breath before turning to her mother. "Last night, I had a dream. But it wasn't a normal dream. It was so real, and I could remember it like it was yesterday."

Sandy paused hearing those words, "What do you mean?"

"It wasn't a dream, Sandy. It was a flashback. To when my life first started to hit the fan."

"A flashback? As a dream?" Sandy was confused, but also glad she had just made it home. She would much rather be confused inside her own house than on the road.

"Yes. To when I was 4," Ava looked over at her caretaker in a scared, sad, quizzical way.

"To when your mom left and your dad started drinking?" Ava just nodded, biting her lip. "Oh dear." Just in that moment, as they walked inside the house, Sandy was getting a phone call. She checked the caller ID and gave Ava the finger, as to say, 'one minute, I gotta take this.'

'Must be a business call,' Ava thought as she took her stuff to her room and sat it down, getting settled at her desk to finish the homework she didn't get done at the office. She pulled out an index card and noticed it had some notes written on it, but they weren't school notes. She read them a little harder, forgetting all about writing this herself.

Sandy happened to come in and noticed the index card. "What's that?"

Ava gasped from surprise, "Oh, um, nothing." She quickly tried to throw it back into her backpack, but Sandy was too fast and grabbed it from her.

She smiled upon noticing what it was before handing it back. "Seems like you have more pros there than cons."

Ava kind of huffed at her. "What was the phone call?"

"Oh, nothing, just someone calling to tell me that they have a new home for you that just became available," Sandy had this smirk on her face, which caused Ava to look confused.

"What's the smirk? Where is the home? When do I move? I don't wanna leave." Ava was all too use to the one phone call, move two days later deal. She did it so often that she knew how to pack lightly. In fact, sometimes she was in and out so much that she just ended up leaving stuff at Sandy's because she just knew she would be back. She hoped that one day, maybe someone would finally adopt her, and Sandy could have her own house again, but until that day, Sandy didn't mind her leaving her stuff there at all. As the years went by, Ava started to think that after she aged out of the system, she wouldn't know what to do. Whenever she thought about it, she ended up getting depressed and anxious. She still had four years for that to happen, but it still scared her. Being on her own. Being lonely. With no where to go and no money to help. It was definitely at the top of the list of her fears. No one wanted to adopt a teenager.

"Don't worry, sunshine. You have two weeks to pack and move. You aren't going far at all, but you will be moving schools." The last part made Ava huff. Sandy didn't give her anymore information than that. "Finish your homework. I'll go work on dinner."

"But Sandy, where am I going if it isn't far?" Sandy just ignored her as she headed out and towards the kitchen, the smirk still on her face.