Meeting Matthias

Chapter 4: Gatorade

Author's Note: Just thought I'd mention that I plan to upload a new chapter weekly - every Monday. C'est tu! Hope you enjoy the read! 

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I want to stop seeing them, LORD. I think that's the best solution. Make them go away. Thank you. In Jesus' Name I pray, amen.

Ava concluded her prayer by breathing a sigh before gently closing her Bible. She shrugged away the fact that she couldn't really concentrate on the New Testament passage she just read and none of it actually felt applicable to her situation. Still, she dutifully read the entire chapter, or more like skimmed through it. She shut her eyes and said a quick prayer before getting ready to go to school. Don't wanna be late.

Her daily morning routine set itself into motion. She laid out her uniform on her bed, grabbed a towel and stepped into her own private bathroom. Having woken up early, she was in no rush and took her time taking a warm shower. She put on her uniform and prepped herself up in front of her full length mirror. Checking her reflection, she went over her form. Our uniform does nothing for my figure, she frowned. God, couldn't You have made me taller? She was not quite satisfied with her height of 5'4". She began to mull over how her arms were too flabby and her stomach not flat enough. She frowned at the sight of her long, wet and messy highlighted hair. We'll fix that. She sat in front of her vanity mirror and grabbed her brush and blow dryer. As she styled her hair, she began perusing her face. In her mind, she ticked off what she considered as flaws on her face – the mole beneath her left eye, the pores, the barely noticeable crook on the bridge of her nose, and the fact that her eyebrows needed some trimming. Sometimes, I wish my parents could've given me better genes. A bitter pout formed on her full lips, her eyes downcast, as she wondered how her parents were doing.

Ava's parents were married to their work more than they were married to each other. Her father, Alejandro, or Al, belonged to the board of directors of a major petroleum company and spent more time in first class airplanes than he did at home, considering all the business trips his company often sent him to. Her mother, Clara, on the other hand, was a professional statistics consultant on an extended work assignment to Italy. Ava's primary guardian for the better part of each year was her grandmother, Lola Luz.  

A heavy feeling settled over Ava's chest as she recalled how she hadn't spoken to either one of her parents in almost a month. She shrugged it off before self-pity could get to her. At least they remembered to send me the Prada bag and the leather boots I asked for. She thanked them by email, but didn't get a response. Ava heaved a sigh, stood up from her vanity, walked to her full-length mirror and primped in front of it for a couple more minutes before heading out of her room to go grab a quick breakfast.

To her surprise, she found her father, Al, busy making his own breakfast at the kitchen. Based on the objects Ava found littered on top of their granite kitchen counter, she surmised that her father was busy concocting some sort of power drink. He didn't even notice her standing by the door, blinking her eyes several times as if attempting to figure out if it was really him. Always busy with something else, huh, Papa?

"Pa?" Ava finally ascertained that she wasn't just seeing things. It's really him. She took a few steps forward and laid her bag over the kitchen counter. "When did you get home?"

Her question got drowned out by the noise of the blender, which Al just turned on to finish up his breakfast preparations. Ava frowned and grabbed a banana from the fruit basket and propped herself up on the high wooden stool beside the counter.