Lost Souls

Chapter 2: Bright Blue Eyes

"Do you need some help? Cuz I can help. I promise I can. And I won't make a mess."
    Avery was in the process of sweeping up the broken vase on the floor. Her siblings had broken their mom's vase. Could this be anymore cliche? Meanwhile, Alisia's guilt was getting to her and she wouldn't stop offering to help. What she didn't know was that she was giving Avery a headache.

Avery got up before turning to face her sister. "Thank you Alisia, really, but I have it under control. I'm a big girl."

"But I'm a big girl too!!" Alisia replied with arms crossed.

Avery sighed. "Yes, yes you are. Now I need you to go get your brothers and make sure they don't break anymore stuff. In fact, take them over to the park. They can't break anything there."

Alisia didn't respond but turned to leave to go find her brothers. But not before accidentally knocking over the carton of milk Avery had left out from her cereal.
Alisia quickly swiveled around with instant regret in her eyes, ready to plead for forgiveness.

Avery stopped her before she could. "Just go," she said while one had was covering her face and the other was pointing at the door.   This time she left at a much slower pace, making sure she didn't touch a thing.
As Avery was cleaning up the last puddle of milk on the floor, she heard the opening and closing of their house door. It was followed by whispered voices belonging to her mother and the Gilmore ladies.

"You know it's almost time. It's not like it can be completely avoided." Avery could make out by the softness in her voice that it was Mrs. Nelson.

"I know. But time will only tell what will become of it." Avery recognized that as her mother's voice. There was a moment of silence where Avery couldn't hear anything but she could make out some pieces of the conversation.

"......clearly it has ......18th.........unfortunate." Avery couldn't understand how these words could have any connection, but she got the hunch it might've been about her 18th birthday.
   Oh and that was another problem to be worrying about. The whole town always celebrated a kid's 18th birthday and it was a big deal. She didn't want a big deal. After her father passed, she hadn't really been too fond on anything "big" related.
    Avery was beginning to hear the voices get louder and she quickly grabbed her book and plopped down onto the sofa, making it seem like she wasn't just eavesdropping. As the women came closer and entered the living room, their conversation ceased to exist. As if whatever intense discussion they might've been having was never there.

"Weird," Avery thought to herself.

"Avery, what happened to my flower vase??". Her mother looked at the trash bag filled with glass.

"David knocked it over, it's not a big deal. No one got cut or anything. I cleaned it up before they could." Avery's mom furrowed her eyebrows but let it go in front of the ladies.

"Well, Avery, it's nice seeing you this morning," Mrs. Nelson came over to give her a hug which she gladly returned. Mrs. Nelson smelled of sweet candles and antique shops.

"Good morning Mrs. Nelson. Is Clarice home today?"

"Yes she is. She should have came back from the library by now."
Avery couldn't help but smile. Clarice and her books were bonded together as one.

Mrs. Nightingale came over and gave Avery hug as well and handed her a dish of brownies. "What's this for?" Avery asked, curious to see what she did to deserve this. Not that she was complaining.

"Just a little something for our soon to be 18 year old Soulace. Also, I had the feeling you were a little hungry this morning," she replied with a smile. Avery looked at her in awe and disbelief, but not surprisingly. This had happened before. The Gilmore girls had like a 6th sense. There was no way to explain it, you just accepted it as it was.