Every Rose Has It's Thorn

13

"Come in." Ava waved Sam in after opening her bedroom window. "But be quiet."

For the past few weeks, this had become a regular routine for the two girls.

Sam's parents would argue and she wouldn't feel like going home, so she'd crash with Ava.

And Ava didn't mind in the slightest.

They were getting really good at not getting caught.

Sam carefully crawled into the girl's bedroom and quietly closed the window behind her. "Thanks for letting me crash here."

"You don't have to thank me every time you come over, Sam." Ava chortled. "Are you hungry?"

"No, I got something to eat on the way over here."

"Oh.....okay." Ava didn't really know how she managed to get food, but she wasn't going to question it.

It wasn't really any of her business anyway.

"Thanks." Sam put her school bag down and settled onto the floor.

"There's room on the bed, Sam."

"Are you kidding? The last time I slept in that bed, you kicked the crap out of me."

It was true, Ava did kick in her sleep sometimes.

And she was by no means, weak.

Sleeping on the floor, was Sam's safest option.

"It was an accident!" Ava whisper-yelled. "How many times do I have to say, I'm sorry!"

"Until I get over it." Sam crawled underneath the bed and laid down on her back. "It's so much better under here....like a cave. It's dark and it's quiet and nothing can hurt you."

"Seriously?" Ava leaned over the edge of her bed.

"Yeah? You never hid under the bed before?"

".....Sometimes, from thunderstorms."

"It made you feel better, right?"

"Yeah." Ava was beginning to see her point. "It did."

"Exactly." Sam smirked, though Ava couldn't possible see her face from where she was on top of the bed. "Plus, the last time your mom came to check up on you, I almost got caught. She won't even see me down here."

"Sam, I think you should get help." Ava sighed. "This doesn't seem right."

"I'm fine." Sam stressed. "It doesn't seem fine to you, because you don't live like me. You've never met anyone that lives like this, so you don't think it's normal, but it is."

"Sam—"

"—Ava. Just let it go."

But that was thing.

Ava couldn't let it go. Not even if she wanted to.

"I can't believe your dad is actually running for mayor." Maddie drawled as she and Ava stared out of the window of Karen's Cafe, at a truck with Dan's face printed on its side.

Ava loved her father, there was no denying it.

But sometimes, that man made it really hard on everyone else.

What did he want to run for mayor for anyway?

"Me neither."

"And your mom is awesome for running against him."

Now that, Ava could wholeheartedly agree with.

Though, it was a little strange to have both her parents running against each other.