Different Choice

4/A Stories of the Past

Aveline darted over to her friend. "Are you okay?" She asked, concerned. Her deep blue eyes scanned Brooke's green ones.

The girl's breaths were fast and short. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a small scare," she answered distractedly.

"Didn't sound very small," Aveline replied. "Take slow breaths," she advised, trying to calm her down.

Brooke obeyed Aveline's advice until her breathing was back to a normal pattern. "It really was, I just scare easily," Brooke insisted, her voice hoarse.

Heavy footsteps came from the stairs, and the door burst open. "What happened?" A voice asked from the door, scaring Aveline. She looked at her friend for a moment longer in disbelief of her explanation, then turned her head to the door.

Brooke kept her head down. "It was nothing, just a rat," she said, so quietly that Aveline barely heard her.

"We're okay," Aveline said nervously. Jett looked between the two before nodding and heading up the stairs. They creaked as he went back up to ground level.

Aveline let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. "I'm surprised he even cared," she thought outloud, confused.

"Yeah," Brooke mumbled. She stretched her back, before laying on the ground and staring at the ceiling.

"Seriously, though. Are you okay?" Aveline asked once more.

Brooke scowled at her. "Yeah, I'm fine," she snapped in a defensive voice.

Aveline looked at her feet. "Mkay, sorry," she mumbled, deciding to leave it alone for now. She tended to push people to far. One of her many flaws.

Brooke let out a deep sigh. "No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped when you don't know anything."

Aveline gave her a small smile. "It's okay. I shouldn't have kept bothering you. Sorry about that."

"You're just curious. It's alright," Brooke paused for a moment. "I've just had a really bad background."

Aveline nodded her head. "I know someone kinda like that," she replied. "Besides, I'm a bit too curious. That's part of the reason I ended up here."

Brooke snorted. "I'm not surprised. How about we make a compromise? I'll tell you a little about my life and you tell me a little about yours?" Aveline ignored her first comment. Something she had a talent for over the years.

Aveline nodded her head. "Fair enough. My life is pretty lame, though," she answered with a small, slightly bitter laugh.

"Mine is..." Brooke trailed off in thought. "I don't really know what it is." She decided to say.

Aveline smiled at her. "Do you want me to go first?"

"Sure. Why not?" Brooke responded.

"Okay," Aveline said, taking a deep breath. Then she launched into the tale of her life. "Back home, I was that quiet one who didn't really talk to anyone. I liked reading a lot, which was typical. I have one friend, his name is Dorian. He was pretty outgoing. After all, his home life was pretty rough. My parents are very...determined. They want me to become a lawyer. It's all they ever talk about. This is going to sound stupid, but it aggravates me how they never asked about my day, or how I was doing.

"Dorian suggested that I try running. It was supposed to relieve stress. I really got into it. I would run everyday after school. But, on the day I was kidnapped, I had had a really crappy day. I was practically the school laughing stock. Then my parents started up again when I got home. I went running as soon as they were finished.