Butterflies

Chapter Twenty Nine

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'I want a second chance at falling in love with you for the first time.'
~ highpoetssociety ~
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Fourth of July
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Isabelle

"My dad said he wanted us back by 5 so we can still eat before the fireworks." I state as we make our way towards the arcade. "But then we won't get to see the sunset." Noah pouts. I shrug. "The view will still be pretty though." The girls nod along next to me.

We all just got ice cream cones, and it really is helping with the hot weather. Although, it kind of sucks that they're melting so freaking fast. I finished mine a minute ago, and now I'm just holding my hands out, not moving them because of the stickiness.

"I gotta go wash my hands." I mutter, and dart for the bathroom door. I walk to the sink, and quickly turn it on with my elbow. I breathe out a sigh of relief  as I feel my hands growing cleaner. I'm getting ready to leave the silent bathroom when I hear a sniffle.

I freeze, then when nothing happens I continue out the door. As I'm opening the door I hear it again, and a quiet sob. I close the door slowly and look back at the stalls. Only one is closed. I knock on it, and a small gasp echo's through the tiny stall, then shuffling around. "Are you ok in there?" I ask quietly.

"Yeah, I'm fine." The door opens, and out walks the last person I would have ever thought I'd see again. Sadly, this is a small town, and I can't really stop it. "Ava?"

"Isabelle?" She sniffles again, and wipes her eyes. "Oh god. This is embarrassing." She laughs quietly, and walks over to the mirror. "Are you sure your ok? I'm a good listener." She turns to look at me with surprise.

"You want to listen to my problems even after I was rude to you?" I shrug, and smile softly at her. "I don't like thinking about the past. It's just better to focus on the present time. If you let yourself stay in the past with grudges, you're never gonna grow." She smiles at me.

"He deserves you." She whispers. I don't have to ask to know who he is. "You deserve someone too." She grips onto the edge of the sink and shakes her head. "My step brother is being a dick." She mutters. "It's not just me either. He's always mean to Blake as well—" My eyebrows furrow. "Is Blake your brother?" I ask.

Is this the Blake I've been looking for? Is this the older brother that Blake said was hitting him? "Step-brother. My mom just married his dad." I know this town is small, but dang. I never knew it could be useful. Is Blake even an uncommon name though? There could be at least three Blakes in this town.

My hope dims ever so slightly. "My older step brother is Blakes biological brother." She explains, probably thinking I'm confused. Everytime she speaks, it just makes this sound like the same Blake from my journals more and more.

"Oh...have they lived here their whole lives?" Her eyebrows scrunch up in confusion. "I'm not sure. I think so." She whispers. Her eyes glance down to her hands, and then I see it. There's a bruise around her wrist. "Ava?" She looks up at me with saddened eyes. "Yes?"

"Does your step-brother hurt you?" I whisper, scared I might send her into a panic. Her eyes widen and I immediately get my answer. I think she realizes this, because she doesn't try to convince me I'm wrong. "It's not Blake." She says quickly.

"I'm so sorry." I whisper, and take a step closer to her, trying to see if it'd be ok to give her a hug. When she doesn't protest, I wrap my arms around her neck and pull her into a hug. She cries quietly on my shoulder. "I'm so so sorry I was mean. I was mad—" She stops as her voice cracks.