CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE
Lindsay Creed
‿︵‿︵‿︵
(FOUR YEARS AGO)
Her mother was a good person.
Since she was old enough to hold onto memories, Avery believed that her mother was good. Every little girl sees their mother through the kaleidoscope of pure love and nurture. She saw that woman through rose-tinted glasses, or she was only seeing parts of her that weren't hidden from her.
Lindsay Creed was a woman of wonders. She was hippie, always picking wild flowers to arrange and display. Avery remembered how she would pick a handful, tie them with a broken thread and gift them to her on the walk home. She remembered her wrists dressed in multiple bracelets, some were thick and heavy, others were threaded and had small pendents weaved through them. She adored raiding her wardrobe, picking out her favourite patterns and colours, some items stayed with her until present day.
Everyone that met Lindsay would say that she was kind and polite, always wore a smile when talking about the woman. Avery remembered how her mother would sing some soft tune, most likely a Lana Del Rey or Billy Joel song, when aiding her grazed knees. She taught Avery her manners and reminded her to be kind to others, telling her that kindness doesn't cost anything and acts as the best defence.
Her mother was the one to inspire her to start painting. Avery caught her painting a sunflower once, growing obsessed with the talent her mother possessed. So, when she wasn't surfing or in the store with her father, or causing chaos with her friends, she was in her mothers company. Avery still had a few of her mother's sketch books in her room, buried under her bed with the rest of her old art supplies.
Although, when Avery thinks about it, there was times that she didn't like her mother. At some point, not long before she went missing, memories began to blur. Lindsay stopped plaiting her hair before she went surfing, never watered the flowers, and her father started doing a lot more for her.
"Hey, dad" Avery's cheery voice walked into the kitchen. Her father was sat at the kitchen table, a blueprint of his newest board in front of him.
Looking up, smiling at the sight of the young blonde, Noah greeted her, "hey, little one"
"What you working on?" She hummed, peeking over at the plan. Avery stood behind his chair and draped her arms over his shoulder, resting her chin on her hand.
"A new board," He shortly replied, jotting a quick, messy note before putting his pencil down. "Thinking about adding a motor. A surfboard that can surf without waves"
"So, a paddle board?" She teased, feeling his body vibrating as he chuckled at her response.
"Okay, Missy. You going out?" Noah smiled. His daughter lifted herself from his shoulder and wandered towards the back door, nodding. "Where you going?"
"Just to Johnny's, his dad got a new boat. We are going to check it out" She explained, her eyes sparkling in excitement. Noah admired her, loving how bubbly she could be, just like her mother used it be.
"Alright, kiddo. Is JJ picking you up?" Noah pushed out his chair and stood up, picking up his empty mug.
"Yeah, he should be, anytime now" She followed her father to the counter. While the man brewed another coffee, she hoisted herself up onto the countertop.
Hearing the sound of kitten heels walking through the hallway, Avery glanced over to the kitchen to see her mother step in. The woman was wearing her usual dyed top with her matching blonde hair was twisted, clipped back. Avery's smile faltered at the hard face she was wearing, about to ask what was wrong when Lindsay spoke up first.
"You know, those boys aren't good for you, Lily pad," Lindsay coldly said with a smile, sparing a quick glance at her daughter. She sighed, removing the dead flowers from the vase, "they won't be around forever"
"I thought you liked them? And you know, that's not true, Mom. They are my best friend's" The thirteen year old argued, a frown settling on her face as she watched her mother stride across the kitchen and throw away the flowers.
"They are nice boys, yes," Lindsay admitted, dropping the bunch in the trash can. She walked back to the counter and picked up the vase, tipping the water down the sink besides Avery. Looking up at her, she set the vase to the side and titled her head, "until you bloom into a beautiful young woman and they trick you into playing their games, getting what they want from you"
"Mom, I–"
"How about you wait outside for J, yeah?" Noah softly spoke. He rested a hand on her back, waiting for Lindsay to step away and turn her back to whisper, "I'll talk to her. She's just having a bad day, something about a painting going wrong"
Although Avery knew that her mother stopped painting at least two months ago, she reluctantly nodded and slid off the counter. She mumbled a farewell as she walked towards the door and took the back way out. As soon as she shut the door behind her, she could hear her parents voices raising. It was a new occurrence, they would fight a lot more than usual, and it was gradually getting worse.
Closing her eyes, she let out a long breath and tried her best to block the arguing out. Avery peeled open her eyes and wondered around the porch, reaching the front of the house and sat on the bottom step.
Her body flinched at the sound of a crash from inside, her head instantly whipped around and she stared at the house with wide eyes. For some weird reason, she was relieved to hear the arguing carrying on, reassured that nothing too serious happened.
"Hey, Flower," A familiar voice appeared, making Avery twist back around and almost sigh in relief at the sight of her messy haired best friend. JJ stopped in his tracks, hearing Lindsay's voice scream, "are you okay?"
"I don't know what her problem is," Avery huffed. She stood up and stomped past JJ, making the boy quickly follow, like a lost puppy. "One minute, she's the best mom ever. She's asking about my day, or- or picking me out this stupid skirt,"
JJ's blue eyes gazed down at the cute, floral skirt wrapped around her waist. He smiled gently, "I like your skirt"
She continued to ramble, not acknowledging his compliment, "then she's acting like–like she hates me!"
"She's doesn't hate you. Maybe they are just going through a rough patch?" JJ suggested in hopes that it would ease his best friend.
"Sometimes I wish that she would leave," Avery blurted out, abruptly stopping in her tracks. The boy stumbled to a stop, startled by her words. She frantically shook her head, "no, no, I didn't mean that. I'm just so confused right now"
"Hey, hey," JJ reached out, grabbed her shoulders and pulled her into a tight embrace. "It will be okay, Flower"
AUTHORS NOTE!
there we have it! lindsay's first official introduction. think i'm going to shove in a few flashbacks whenever i can to build on avery's story, also to break up the plot for a little :)
ALSO! OBX3!