Going, Going, Gone (Watty Awards 2012)

The Banquet

"Oh Avie, you look absolutely darling." Sohenya cried happily, walking towards Avelyn with outstretched arms. Avelyn grimaced at the nickname Sohenya had given her, and then hugged her.

"You look lovely as well, Sohenya." She replied through gritted teeth. Sohenya pulled away, and then giddily walked back over to her father, linking her arm through his. For the rest of the night, Sohenya would be attatched to Pierre Doncaster like a leech, who knows, she may suck some blood in the process as well.

Avelyn cracked up at her own joke, letting out a snorting giggle, before walking over to a secluded corner by the bar.

"Uh, w-would you like anything to d-drink, miss?" Someone asked. Avelyn turned in a huff, and found herself looking into the dark eyes of a waiter boy. He was tall, and looked to be Arabic, with his hair spiked up in a fringe at the front. He was definately handsome, in a devil-may-care sort of fashion, and looked quite dashing in his red and white waiters uniform.

"Yes, a coke please. And you can just call me Avelyn. Not Avie, Avelyn." She replied, sitting down on one of the bar stools. The boy smirked, and proceeded to pour her a class of coke on ice.

"Okay, here's your drink, not Avie, Avelyn." The boy said with a wink, "I'm Tommy by the way. Tommy Dipippa."

Avelyn smirked at him, and then took a sip of her drink.

"I can't wait until I can legally drink." She said to Tommy, "the only downside to being able to legally drink, is that I have to be sold."

Tommy looked at her incrediously, and then leaned his elbows on the bar counter.

"May I ask how old you are, Avelyn?" Tommy asked. Avelyn sighed and pushed a strand of dark brown hair out of her face.

"I'm seventeen. One year away from being sold. Whoop, whoop." Sbe replied, sarcasm biting at each word that left her mouth. Tommy looked at her sympathetically.

"I'm very sorry." He said. Avelyn just shrugged and took another sip of her drink, her lipgoss staining the class, "it's inevitable."

Her speech was followed by silence. She looked up at Tommy; he was staring off into space, a sad look in his eyes.

"I remember when my older sister was sold, 4 years ago. It's sad, I haven't seen or heard from her since." He stated, running a hand through his gelled-back fringe. Avelyn put her hand on his shoulder, and gave it a tight squeeze.

"You'll see her again, don't worry." She said quietly, and then walked off towards where her father was standing, Sohenya and his other wives crowded around him. Her thoughts the whole remainder of the night were revolved around Tommy Dipippa. When she talked to future potential purchasers, she thought of Tommy's sister being sold, and the depressed look swimming in Tommy's eyes when he spoke of her.

And as Avelyn layed in bed that night, the thoughts of Tommy were still rooted in her mind like an old orchard of trees. They refused to be pulled out, and all she dreamt of was Tommy.

Tommy Dipippa.