A few weeks have went by, with no calls from Em' at juvy. I miss her a lot, it's not the same without her.
It's now Sunday, March 14th , it feels like time is moving slower now. Everything feels empty and silent.
This is all Vrai's fault.
I bury my head in my pillows and cover my head with my covers when I hear Mom walk in and swing open my curtains letting the sun hit the walls.
"Avia, today's the day!" , she yanked the covers off me in a flash.
"The day for what?" I ask rubbing my eyes.
"Oh, I forgot to tell you. Our new neighbors invited us to their daughters birthday party. Doesn't that sound fun!"
"Why would I go to a kids party? I'm fifteen not some dumb kid."
"Come on , it'll be fun. Now get up and get ready." She proceeded to leave my room to get ready herself. I got up and slipped on a white hoodie and blue jeans, I didn't care about making a good impression. I walked out of my room and saw my mom and dad in the bathroom getting ready.
"Woah, a little overdressed for a ten year olds birthday party aren't you?"
"We want to make a good impression with our new neighbors, Avia." says Dad straightening his tie.
"You're wearing that? A hoodie and jeans?"
"Oh , come on, Mom! It's a ten year olds birthday party not a ballroom dance."
"Can you do make sure your siblings are up?"
"Fine." I groan as I go check on my youngest brother Danny first. His door was wide open and I peaked in to see him still in bed. I walk over to his bed and gently shake his shoulder. "Danny, you need to get up so you don't miss our neighbors party!"
He slowly sits up and I help him out of bed. I look through his closet and picked out a nice red flannel shirt and dark blue jeans. I called Mom in to help him get dressed as I went to check on Blake. He was up and ready so I just went downstairs and waited.
Twenty minutes later my whole family came down all ready and overdressed.
"Woah, are you sure you aren't even just a little tiny bit overdressed for this occasion?" I say.
"Enough with that, Avia."
"Okay." I shrugged.
Mom sighed as we headed out of the door.
—
Once we arrived to our neighbors house, Dad knocked on the door and an overweight red-haired woman in a magenta dress answered . She had the brightest smile on her face, "Oh, you must be the Caylor family. I'm Jane Burton, I live down the street. Come on in." she says holding out her hand gesturing us inside.
We walked inside and took a glance around the place. We saw tons of people but only adults were around. They were all huddled together in groups talking to each other.
"The kids are outside. Won't you three precious kids go play with them. The little one can come play in the playroom down the hall with the other smaller children."
Mom put Danny down as Jane led him down the hall to play with the other little kids. We walked out to the backyard. Blake ran to play with the kids his age in the age. Grant and I just sat on the porch swing.
A few minutes later, Blake ran up to us and asked if we could play zombies with them.
I of course said, "No." With me being fifteen and all, I'm not about to go chase a bunch of pre-teens around like a zombie.
"Please."
"No."
"Please."
"Blake, no, I'm fifteen."
"Pretty please." , he said this time making puppy dog eyes.
"Okay, fine. But if you ever tell anyone about this. You'll regret ever asking." I bluntly say as I get up from the swing.
"Deal." Blake says with enthusiasm as he runs back into the yard.
After about ten long minutes of chasing kids around the yard like a zombie I hear a voice behind me.
"So we meet again, Avia."
I turn around instantly to see Vrai standing behind me.
"Vrai? What the hell are you doing here."
"I'm the birthday girl's cousin."
"Oh..."
"Don't make this any worse than it has to be. I already don't want to be here, then you show up."
"Alright. I'll leave you alone. Just know we've got some unfinished business to attend later." she laughs and walks away with a grin.
I snarl and go back to playing with the kids just as I saw a woman standing on the porch as she called out to us, "Everyone come inside. It's time to sing happy birthday!"
All the kids run inside and I follow behind.
—
"Happy birthday , Luna." my Mom says handing the birthday girl her gift.
"Thank you, Mrs. Caylor." Luna cheered.
Luna began opening her gifts but I wasn't paying much attention. I was too busy thinking about what Vrai said. "Unfinished business" eh? What does that mean?
—
"It was nice meeting you, Mrs. Rowell." Mom told Luna's mother, Mary-Ellen.
"It was nice meeting you too, Mr. and Mrs. Caylor. Please, call me Mary-Ellen."
"Will do. You can call me Catherine."
They both laugh and wave as we head out.
—
"Did any of you have a good time at the party?" Mom asked.
"Meh." I replied.
"I liked it." Blake responded with a jump. "And the best part was when Avia—"
I stared him in the eyes stopping him from telling everyone I played a stupid backyard game with pre-teens.
"When Avia ...what?" Mom inquired.
"N-nevermind." he stammered.
—
Blake and I were playing his favorite zombie-pirates game, Zombrates 3. I don't know what's with him and killing zombies but he seems to love it...until I beat him.
"Take that zombie! Pew pew!" he yells. "Boom! Right in the neck! Sick!" green goop splatters out of the zombies whenever you get a kill, it makes me a little nauseous but Blake loves it.
"Avia! Check that one out! His eye is falling out!" he exclaimed pointing to the TV screen. "Cool!"
Blake shoots it and gets another kill. "Oh boy , that's sick!"
"I'm gonna kick your ass again, Blake. I have thirty kills while you only have fifteen."
"Avia, language."
"Sorry."
"And no, I'm gonna get my score up and beat you."
"You're on , twerp."
We keep playing and getting more kills by the minute.
"My scores up to forty-eight kills , what's yours?"
"Twenty-two."
"Told you I'd kick your butt."
"I still got time."
He then proceeded to use some special move and hit a line of fifteen zombies in a row.
"Woah. That's the sickest thing I've ever seen! I'm gonna puke!"
"How'd you—"
"Cheat codes from the internet."
"Really?"
"Yep."
He does the same again and boosts his score up to thirty-seven.
"Shit..."
"Avia!"
"Sorry."
He spins his character in a circle and his score goes up to fifty-eight.
"How—"
GAME OVER. BLAKE WINS.
"So I was wrong, you kicked my butt"
"Told you , sis."
"Alright , another round. This time I'll win for sure!"
"Sure.."
Mom walks in with a full laundry basket in her arms and the phone underneath her ear.
"Okay, thanks. Bye." She hung up the phone and turned to look at Blake and I.
"Avia, that was the police. They're releasing your sister until they have full evidence."
"What? Really? That's great!" I cheered. "When do we pick her up?"
"I have to go right now, watch the rest of the kids while I'm gone."
"I will, bye."
"Finally! I get to see my sister again!"
—
I watched out the window with my brothers waiting for Em' and Mom to pull up.
There they are! I exclaim as they pull in the driveway. I was so excited I ran and swung the door open.
"They're walking up the driveway..." I say eagerly.
"Thanks for holding the door, Avia." Mom stated.
I jump and hug Em' as soon as I saw her. I never wanted to let go of her. She hugged me back tightly and I cried on her shoulder. Words couldn't explain how happy I was to see her again.
After approximately five minutes Mom pries me and Em' apart. "Wow, you really missed each other."
"Yes, we did." I say with happy tears coming from my eyes.
"We'll have Emmaline's favorite dinner tonight."
"Yes! Spaghetti!" Em' cheers.
"I'll get that started right away."
"Thank you, Em' for all you've done for me.", I rejoiced.
"I'll do anything for you, Avia." Em' said touching my shoulders.
"I love you more than anything, Em'"
"I love you more than anything too, Avia."
"Awe." Blake says in the background as we all form a group hug.
—
I crawl into bed like I can finally fall asleep easily for the first time in a month. It feels like I can breathe again.
I just hope everything's back to normal.
