Crescent World

02

I dressed in jeans and a black turtleneck sweater since the weather was starting to drop. I brushed my hair and managed to wrestle it into a ponytail, a daunting task that was a huge win since my hair was a huge jungle of red madness that was nearly impossible to manage.

I opened the door to find Anna and Sarah waiting for me. Anna was dressed in a tan sweater dress that screamed wealth and had her hair straightened and her face powdered with makeup. Her hair was loose and framed around her face, making her appear a few years younger than when it was pulled tightly back in a sharp ponytail or bun.

Sarah was dressed in light blue jeans and a green hoodie that matched her eyes, her hair bunched in a messy bun on top of her head. She wouldn't meet my eyes and seemed uncomfortable, like she didn't want to be here. I tried to meet her gaze but she kept her eyes down, never once looking up at me. My unease and concern grew tenfold.

Anna smiled. "You look beautiful, Ava."

I tried to smile back but the unease curling in my stomach made it almost impossible. "Thank you."

We started to walk down the hallway. "You're going to love the nail salon we always go to. Sarah and I practically lived there up until a few years ago. Sarah's been so focused on volleyball she barely has time to spend time with her own mother, don't you?" She nudged Sarah playfully.

A quiet, "Yeah," was all Sarah said.

We ate a quick breakfast in Anna's suite then walked outside to a red Mustang parked in the small parking lot reserved for Donald and other Pack officials. To my complete surprise, it was only the three of us that got in the car. I would've thought guards would be coming with us since I hadn't even been able to walk down the hallway without having someone breathing down my neck.

Anna got into the driver's seat and started the car. I offered to let Sarah get in the passenger seat but she waved me off and got in the back without a word. I stared at her for a moment, perplexed, then shrugged and got in the passenger seat.

I looked around for cars following as we pulled out of the parking space and started to drive away, figuring guards would be trailing us in different cars since Anna's red Mustang didn't have enough room, but no one followed, shocking me even further.

I was suspicious of the complete 360. I had no idea why she was acting like this, why they were suddenly trusting me enough to not have any guards nearby and to be in town where I could easily escape if I wanted.

I suspected they probably had guards in town that would be close by or Anna could just easily report that I'd run away again and would harm my Pack members, Rikki and Brandon, who were still locked up inside there, as well as my other Pack members Blake and Perry, who they'd taken away somewhere and also harm them.

I wondered if this was some type of test, to see if I was telling the truth.

I stared out the window, wondering when was the last time I'd sat in a car, going into town, daydreaming as I looked out the window. It would've only been a few years, but it felt like a decade, like another lifetime. Another Ava.

The Ava back then would've taken off the first chance she got. Now I had family that was depending on me, and I had to fight tooth and nail to make sure they got through this. It wasn't just about me anymore. 

Anna and Sarah told me about her volleyball tournament coming up. I couldn't help but wonder if this was what would've happened if I had grown up with them: the three of us going to get our nails done, spending a girls day together, eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner together, the normal family stuff I'd always dreamed about.