Considered Missing

Chapter 3 - What Are The Odds

Mal had grown out her long, blonde hair and Ava almost didn't recognize her at first. It had been at least four or five years since they had last seen each other before parting ways. Ava had promised to write Mal but that was before she was forced to switch her identity. She felt bad about not staying in touch but knew it was best for her. With her relationship with Jenny for almost a year and moving from New York to Oregon, Ava figured Mal wouldn't be interested in "life updates" anyways. Things were complicated enough for her as it was. And of course Mal had to show up now, just as she was getting her life together at BHU.
    To Mal, her face was undeniably recognizable. No matter what clothes she wore, no matter the color of her hair, that face was burned into her memory, branded on her brain.
    "Evie..." she peeped out instinctively. Ava's heart pulsed at the sound of her birth name. Before that moment, Evie had long been forgotten and retired. Alison's brows contracted with perplexion.
    "Who?"
    "Would you excuse me for a moment," Ava informed rather than asked. She hurried away from the group into another section of the dining hall, Mal quickly following her.
    "Mal, what the hell are you doing here?" she questioned in a forced whisper.
    "What are you doing here? Can I at least have a hug?" The blonde smiled and opened her arms, going in to hug the shocked college student.
    "No, you can't have a hug! How did you even find me?" Ava's confused voice held a significant amount of anger, as if Mal had somehow invaded her privacy.
    "Find you? What, are you hiding or something?"
    "You could say that, why are you here?"
    "I came to meet Alison."
    "How do you know Alison?"
    "I'm friends with Emily, she and Alison used to date or got married or something. They got kids. Anyways, I came along for the ride. She said Alison made some friends and lo, and behold..."
    "Friends with Emily? Where do you live?"
    "Ravenswood."
    "Wow," Ava scoffed. "What are the odds? But no wonder you'd go to Ravenswood, that place is creepy as hell." She almost sassed Mal with her tone.
    "How do you know about Ravenswood?"
    "I talk to Ali and her friend Mona. They know a thing or two," she explained with a continuous attitude and a bit of a head cock.
    "Mona Vanderwal! Hey, speaking of her, where is she? I've been dying to meet her!"
    "No! Don't even think about it." Ava wagged a finger at Mal. She glanced down at a chair behind her, pulling it from the table and plopping herself down.
    "No?" Mal repeated with emphasis, still standing.
    "You can't meet her."
    "Why not?"
The two bickered like partners.
    "You can't tell people you know me. You put yourself in danger just be coming here–"
    "Ava?" Caitlin called out, appearing in a doorway across the hall behind Ava. She swiftly made her way down a few steps and up to the girls, a noticeable pep in her step. "There you are, babe, Mona and I were looking for you... who's your friend?"
    "This is Mal, visiting from Rosewood. A friend of Emily's actually. They're in town to see Alison," Ava corrected, lifting herself from the chair. "I was just showing her around."
    Caitlin gave a welcoming nod.
    "Nice to meet you, I'm Caitlin. Are you considering coming to BHU?" the short haired girl asked Mal who was beginning to look perplexed herself.
    "No," Ava answered for her. "Just enjoying the scenery."
    "Alright, well, be sure to check out the cherry blossoms, they're beautiful this time of year." She turned to Ava, touching her arm. "I'll see you later." The second brunette kissed Ava's cheek before walking off, back out the doorway she entered through.
    "Babe?" Mal mocked, crossing her arms.
    "Were you expecting me to wait for you?" Ava asked bitterly. Mal huffed and rolled her eyes.
    "I was expecting you to write me."
    "Changing addresses, changing names, it was all too complicated."
    "Have you lost touch with Jay and Carlos too?"
    "Yeah," she sighs. A disappointing nod slowly rocked Mal's head. In a moment of silence, the situation hit Ava like a ton of bricks, that is if every brick was made from reemerging, traumatizing memories. A wave of emotion crashed into her mind, a few salty tears surfacing in her eyes.
    "After all this time, I accepted that I would never see you again," she muttered. "And yet, here you are."
    "Oh so now you're getting sentimental?"
    "Everything okay here?" Alison asked, walking over and holding Emily's hand. Ava wiped a tear from her eye.
    "Yep," Mal responded, turning to Alison before looking back at Ava and quickly shifting to a sour tone. "Just getting to know each other... I really like the campus by the way"–Mal turned back to the TA–"Caitlin told me about the cherry blossoms."
    "Thank you, I'm glad you got to meet her."
    "You know," Ava chimed in, "I think I'm going to show Mal my dorm, give her the whole BHU experience."
    "Yeah, we can catch up with you later," Mal exclaimed. She looked at Emily, smiling faintly and giving her an encouraging nod.