𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐍𝐄𝐖, ʲʲ ᵐᵃʸᵇᵃⁿᵏ

xviii. little talks

SOMETHING NEW
Chapter Eighteen: Little Talks

"AVA, YOU NEED to talk to her." JJ told the girl as she helped him, Pope and Heyward load the boat with groceries that the boys had to deliver on Figure Eight.

The girl groaned. "But-"

"No but's." JJ pulled Ava away for a moment. "Look, I'm just saying that she's home and she's sober. If it was my mom, I'd want to talk to her, it's the right thing to do." Ava froze slightly, she was positive that she had heard JJ wrong, he never talked about his mother. She wanted to question him on it but didn't want to start an argument or stir up something from his past he didn't want to talk about.

She bit her lip and nodded. "Fine. You should get going."

JJ smiled and kissed her forehead. "Sorry. I'll see you later, okay?"

"Okay." With that JJ hopped on the boat with Pope and then left.

Ava had left Cammy with John B's so she decided to go to The Wreck to see Kiara. She took off on a jog, she hadn't run in a while. The restaurant wasn't that far from the docks, Ava was there in ten minutes. She pushed through the door, smiling at the people she passed. "Ava!" The voice belonged to Anna Carrera, Kie's mother. "How have you been dear?"

Ava took a seat on a stool at the bar. "Good, actually. Is Kie here?" She asked.

"No, she's at home." Anna said, filling a glass with water and handing it to Ava.

The girl nodded. "Okay, that's fine. Um I was wondering if you or Mr. C had a chance to look over my application yet? Money's been kinda tight at home, and bills aren't gonna pay themselves." Ava immediately regretted her words. "Shit, sorry, I'm not trying to pressure you or any-"

"Language Ava, calm down." Anna placed a hand of her's. "I'll look over it tonight okay?" Ava nodded again taking a sip of the water she was offered. The two talked for awhile discussing school and Ava's plans for college to which Ava said she was shooting for an ivy league school if she worked hard enough to get a scholarship. Anna seemed very impressed by her answer and let her go on her way.

The run home was dreadful and her feet dragged instead of feeling light like they usually did when she ran. Ava made her way up the steps and opened her front door, walking in cautiously. "Mom?" She called out. "You here?"

"In here!" Corrine's voice called from the bathroom making Ava's eyebrows furrow.

Ava walked into the hallway seeing her mother on her hands and knees cleaning the floor around the toilet. "You're.. cleaning?"

A huff left the blonde woman's lips. "Yes, do any of the boys that use this bathroom know how to aim?" She asked her daughter.

"Um,  I don't know. I'm not in here when they pee." Ava said. "Can we talk, like not about my friends using the bathroom?"

Corrine stood up, removing her gloves and throwing them in the trash. "Of course." She made her way into the living room and sat on the couch, patting the spot next to her. Ava took a seat.

"So, you're sober, like totally? You can pass a drug test too?" Ava questioned, her fingers rubbing her thumb forgetting that she had given JJ his ring back.