Average

Chapter 1: A misstep that started it all

Hi, Guys!

I am Avena Grage, and that is the only thing you need to know about me to know who I am. If you haven't noticed, then let me bring forward the letters 'Ave' from Avena and 'rage' from Grage. Now, if you put the two together, then voila! It spells 'Average'—the precise word that describes me.

I am exactly what you think is average: Average looks, average grades, even the exact average height (in USA) of five feet and four inches. The most un-average thing that happened in my life was, maybe, witnessing my parents getting divorced, but nowadays, that is also sort of average. Anyway, it hasn't affected me and my brother much; we had been seeing it coming inevitably for years before it finally happened. Our parents neither possessed the love, respect, nor trust for their lawful marriage to continue.

So, that is me! With my pretty 'average' life full of school, books, and movies — typical, I know. Until a certain week knocked on my life, with seven days in it; the most eventful seven days of my life. I genuinely think that was when eternal hell broke loose, and my life flawlessly executed a turn of one eighty degrees. Well then, let's not beat around the bush and jump into the story, shall we?

DAY 1: Sunday

"Good morning," my brother, Alex greeted me, opening the door of my room without a knock.

Before I could go on a tirade about knocking on my door, realization dawned on me. I groaned.

"It's morning already!" I exclaimed indignantly, closing the book that I was reading on my phone.

I yawned and stretched my body, which, by then, was aching all over.

"You AGAIN, haven't slept. Don't tell me you were lost in a book AGAIN," he bemoaned.

"I watched a movie and then planned to read a book till one a.m. but guess what, I forgot to check the time. And it's the weekend...so..." I said, sheepishly.

He chuckled. "Sis, get a life."

I sluggishly rolled my eyes at him as a reply and read the clock. It showed quarter to nine. In fifteen minutes, mom would be shouting frantically to get downstairs for breakfast. I unsteadily climbed down my bed and walked in the bathroom, ignoring Alex.

"I think you should get an actual life," Alex yelled from the room.

It was sudden but I knew he was being rational. My life consisted merely of the books I had pored over and the movies I had watched and I had always been comfortable with it. Living the life virtually through my phone, social media platforms, reels and having once a month date with my closest friends was the map of my comfort zone. It's not like I wasn't happy with the life I had but as someone who loved drama and fantasy and kept herself in delusion of those, my life was pretty much boring. I knew if this continued, my life would be over without a significant memory to hold on to.

"And..." I signaled him to continue, after freshening up.

"I have a very simple plan." He uttered while looking straight into my eyes.

His ocean blue eyes were twinkling like the mighty waves of the sea, about to crash on the peaceful shore, causing a huge mess. It was all I had to see to know his intended plan wouldn't be simple.

I opened my mouth to speak, but my words got cut off by Mom as her thunderous voice, which I bet, reached the neighbors came in as a yell, "Alex, Avena, it's nine already! What're you two still doing up there? Bring your butts at the breakfast table right now!"

We both looked at each other as grins spread across our faces. Our mother was a bit aggressive with words, but we loved her dearly. We hurried downstairs, pushing each other resolutely, to be the first one present in the kitchen.