The final year of high school. Preparing for college. She already had several she wanted to apply to, and she been trying to prepare her request letters for the past couple of months. Her parents wanted her to be prepared and not to be floundering at the last possible minute.
She had plans, and they weren’t to stay in Crow Valley.
At her locker, she put her books away. She picked out the ones she’d need for the upcoming class as she heard a cry.
Glancing across the corridor, she saw Logan, Riley, Marvin, and Luke, in a circle. They were the school bullies.
They came and went as they pleased. Their parents were some of the richest in town, and if anyone spoke out about them, they were always getting away with everything.
In the back of her mind, she couldn’t help but feel a little relieved it wasn’t her they were picking on. She’d borne the brunt of a few of their cruel tricks in the past week. She’d opened her locker to find tampons spilling out. Another time there had been condoms, and some of them had looked used. She wasn’t the only one though. Other people, the losers as the crew liked to call them, had all been on the receiving end of their bullying.
Any other time, she’d walk away.
She didn’t know why this time was any different. Sliding her books into her bag, she rushed toward where the crowd was cheering.
There was a small gap, and she saw Dillon. He was a year younger than they were, with a face full of acne, and was short as well.
People thought this was fun, bullying him?
They’d poured what looked like acne cream all over him. Everyone was laughing as Luke shoved him down hard.
“Enough!” She couldn’t take it.
Shoving herself into the crowd, she stepped between Luke and Dillion.
Why the fuck are you doing this?
It’s not your fight.
“Well, well, well, look at this. Little miss prim and proper has come to save the young little pimple. What’s the matter, you see it as extra food?” Luke asked.
“You’re disgusting.”
“I’m disgusting? Why don’t you go and have a pie-eating contest where you’ll be the winner?”
Ignoring him, she turned to Dillon, holding out her hand.
She wasn’t exactly happy about what she was doing. She was freaking out inside, trying not to panic.
Ava cried out as she was shoved hard and landed on Dillon. She tried to catch herself but was unable to. The ground was slippery from all the cream thrown at him.
“Look at this, fatty and pimply. If they have kids I wonder if they pop?”
A round of laughter ensued.
“I’m sorry.” She scrambled to her feet hoping she’d not hurt Dillon. He was so small.
She held out her hand, and Dillon took it.
When Luke went to push her again, instinct took over, and she slammed all of her weight behind the shove she gave right back at him.
He clearly wasn’t expecting it and ended up on his ass in the acne cream he’d done for Dillon.
Grabbing Dillon’s hand, she didn’t wait around to see what the consequences were for sticking up for herself.
When they were all clear and out in the yard, she turned to him.
“You okay?”
“You shouldn’t have done that.”
“Push him or help you?”
“Both.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“He’s going to be pissed, you know that, right?”
“Oh, I know.” She took a deep breath. “Believe me, I know. I can handle myself, I hope. Are you okay?”
****
Present day
After waffles, Logan made her sit with him as he finished up a second cup of coffee. People came and went. All the time, Ava felt their gazes on them.
“That’s Logan Stanford.”
“What’s he doing sitting with her?”
“I knew it was all lies.”
“That guy could have anyone. Why is he sitting with her?”
When they left the diner, she expected them to go back to the car. Instead, he took her hand, and they headed down the street. “Where are we going?”
“You have way too many questions.”
“And you don’t have any answers.”
“I don’t need to provide you with any,” he said. “Remember your place.”
“I want to speak to the sheriff. That’s not a question.”
“No, you’ve now moved to demands. Why do you want to speak to him?”
“I want to know what the hell is going on.”
He laughed. “This is a cute act.”
“It’s not an act.”
“You expect me to believe you reported Luke to the sheriff?”
“I did.”
He held her hand a little tighter, but she didn’t give him any indication it was hurting.
“I’m bored of this conversation.”
They stopped outside of her house, and she looked up at it. To think she’d spent so much time being happy here.
You should have left when you had the chance.
She’d hoped to. More than once.
“Why are we here?”
“Supplies.”
They walked upstairs, and she shouldn’t be surprised he already had a key. The man had taken all of her possessions from her, or at least Hunter had.