Butterflies

chapter one

She crept down the street as silent and swift as a cool breeze, her free hair flying with every jump she took. Over the rooftops and gates of the houses filled with riches, she moved toward the boy in all white. It wasn't hard to spot him. He stuck out like a sore thumb. Especially with his white hair and crystal blue eyes... but that's not what she's paying attention to here. She moved closer to him; she was so close. Closer... closer.... until-

"NO! I WILL NOT!"

Ava put her book down with a huff and rolled off her blue butterfly bed sheets as dramatically as she could. Laying on the floor, she griped about how she could never read in peace at her house. There was always yelling and she couldn't stop it, even though she always tried. Ava sat up and closed her eyes so tight she heard a rumbling in her ears, getting emotionally ready for what was about to come.

Ava walked down the stairs, fully prepared to leave the house with her book in hand, and her simple shorts and yellow t-shirt. Looking into the kitchen, she saw a broken plate on the ground in between her two noisy parents. Seriously? That's what they're arguing about?

"Please!" Ava shouted as she rolled her eyes, making sure they heard her over themselves. "It's just a plate!"

Both of her parents froze for a quick moment before whirling around to yell at her.

"It's not just a plate!"

"It's none of your business!"

"You'll never understand!"

"Why are you always in the way!?"

Ava stood still, allowing them to get it out, then watched helplessly as they turned and started yelling at each other again. She rolled her eyes again and held tight to her book as she proceeded out the back door, sliding on her flip flops and grabbing her black sweater along the way.

It was quiet out. The sun was just beginning to set and fireflies lingered near the woods between the houses. She strolled down the street, passing five other houses before stopping to look inside an open window. She watched as they gathered around their table. Two children were fighting, the dad was laughing and the mother was passing out food. Must be nice. Ava would never have that. She knew her parents didn't love each other. They were only together because their parents made them feel guilty about having a child at fifteen, and they all made it very clear that they didn't want her. Her parents weren't even married. They were two single thirty-one-year-olds who still wanted their parents' approval. She thought it was all absolutely ridiculous.

Ava wandered all the way down to the beach and sat in the sand, staring out at the rippling water, covered in pink and orange from the sunset. She tried pulling out her book but discovered she was no longer in the mood to read. Ava gazed out at the open water, relaxing her muscles, and almost screamed when she saw something pass right by her face. A closer look told her it was a butterfly and a beautiful one at that. She admired the colorful pattern on its wings as a memory passed through her head.

It was her great-grandfather. Her family had decided to put him in a nursing home, and Ava had been crying because her parents were making them move to Washington and leave the only family that loved her behind. In the midst of tears running down her face, and the mixed smells of hospital and old people, her great-grandfather took her hands, looked at her in the piercing green eyes he gave her, and said, "If nothing ever changed, there wouldn't be butterflies." At the time, they were the words she needed to hear. Three years later, she was pretty sure he stole that from Pinterest, but she still loved the quote just as much.

"Hey."

Ava turned to see her only friend in the world. "Hi Peter," she responded with a small smile.

"Something got you down?" He asked as he sat down next to her.

"No. I'm okay."

"Okay."

Then they stopped talking. That was one of Ava's favorite things about Peter. He knew when something was wrong, but he didn't make her talk. She turned her head and studied him. He was wearing brand name clothes today, something Ava never had. Staring out at the water, the colors of the sunset reflected off his hazel eyes, and the breeze flowed through his curls. Ava thought he was lucky. Peter's family loved each other. His mom had come from a difficult life in Mexico, and his dad came rich from France. Their love story was crazy, and Ava loved to hear it the few times she'd gone over to his house.

Peter noticed her staring and smiled. "What?"

"Nothing," Ava replied as she laid her head on his lap, putting her light skin next to his dark.

"Come on," he laughed and jokingly pushed her. "You know you love me."

She laughed. "Nah."

Ava wasn't going to lie, she did think she loved him, but it's not like she'd ever say that. She wasn't even sure what love was supposed to feel like.

Ava watched the butterfly fly away before she closed her eyes, wrapped her sweater tight around her, and let her imagination take over her head. She imagined that her life was full of adventure and excitement. She imagined that she could find something no one else knew about. She imagined finding friends or family from a magical world. She imagined being important.

Ava longed for a life like those of the books she'd read... but she knew that would never happen.

...

"Hey. Ava."

She felt someone shake her.

"Ava, come on. It's four in the morning and my legs are asleep."

Ava opened her eyes to stars twinkling in the sky. She groaned as she sat up, brushing sand from her clothes as she realized they were still at the beach.

"Did you sleep?" she asked, feeling bad for sleeping on him.

"Just a little, but come on. My parents are going to be so mad."

Peter helped her stand and walk up the beach until they hit the road. Ava noticed through her foggy thoughts that he'd gotten taller; now his head was above hers.

"Can you make it back on your own?" He asked, and Ava noticed the crease in his forehead.

"Yeah, I'll be okay," She answered, before turning in the direction of her house. "Byeee." She waved her hand in the air and heard him chuckle. "Bye Ava."

She slowly walked back home half asleep, and even though she knew the answer, wondered if they realized she was gone.

Ava made it to the front yard, noticing all the lights were out, and was about to retrieve the house key from a potted plant when she saw a package by the door. Assuming it was for her parents, and not thinking much of it, she left it on the kitchen table.

She trudged herself up the stairs and was about to give up and just sleep on the floor when it hit her. The box was green.

Curious, and not sure if she remembered it right, she went back down to check.

She was right. It was green because it was made out of leaves that someone compressed into a box. It was also softer than she originally thought and smelled like flowers. The box opened easily and had red and pink flower petals surrounding a single brown leather book. On the book was a note made from a soft, shiny paper that said, "We found it. Do you know any of these?"

Ava opened the book, finding that it was filled with sketches and drawings of plants she'd never seen before, each surrounded by writing in a different language. The book looked old and used, and some of the drawings were faded, but none of them looked familiar.

She threw the pile of leaves outside and took the book up to her room.

As she sat on her bed flipping through the pages, she thought for a brief moment that her parents were secret spies, and they were mean to her so she didn't suspect. Of course, it sounded crazy, and she knew it wasn't true, but it was nice to think about.

Ava wondered who left it there and why. Maybe she was a secret spy who got amnesia, so she doesn't understand any of the book. Ava laughed at the thought. Then she laughed because it wasn't even funny. She put the book on her nightstand and pulled a blanket over her head, drifting off into a dream full of spies and magic.