After a long time, here's part 2. Enjoy!
_____________________________________________________________________________
Avery kept wondering if she should have second thoughts about the favor Oliver asked her to do. Taking care of a dozen of kids could be troublesome, especially kindergarten kids.
"Avery you know where the kindergarten is right? My aunt Mary will be waiting for you there" Oliver gave her a pat on the shoulder and left to join the others on their secret business. Ray still stood there beside her in an awkward position. "Just say it" Avery announced with an encouraging motion of her hand. He smiled mischievously at her. "If I don't make it in time, could you please pick up Tony from the kindergarten after you're done with your work there?"
"You mean the little devil? He might as well find this as the perfect chance to make his dream come true and send me to Mars with his supposed spaceship made from candy wrappers. What will happen of me and my safety?" she spoke dramatically as she kept moving her head with rejection. "He's not that bad" Ray defended his little brother but as soon as he saw her angered face and remembered all the things Tony had done to her, well he was ready to take it back. "Ok maybe he's that bad, but please you have to do this, there's no one else to pick him up. What would happen to a kid that's walking home all alone, in the night" Ray was trying to play the pity card on her but she knew better than to fall for it.
"Don't be so dramatic, it won't be night by the time they have to go home" Avery pointed out with a shrug.
"Please"
"No"
"Come on"
"Naha"
"Please"
"No way, your brother is a little devil and we both know that"
"So what if he threw you in the pool, on a winter day and you caught the flue? So what if he tried to put your hair on fire? So what if he painted your face and you went to school like that without noticing? So what if he placed baby rats in your room? So what if he threw tons of salt on your last birthday cake" the more he spoke the more his voice became a whisper since he knew that reminding her of all those things was doing the opposite of persuading her. He couldn't even stop himself from wondering how could a kid be so... energetic, so devilish and such a prankster.
Avery sighed since the conversation had been pointless and she had wasted her time listening to him, because in the end she knew she wouldn't be able to reject his pleadings. "I'll take him home don't worry" Avery stated with a defeated smile. Ray gave her a thankful smile and patted her hair and then he messed it up earning a smack on the head. No one should ever mess with a girl's hair. "I knew I could count on you, come on we can take you there" Avery declined his offer because if she was seen with them, she would be in trouble.
It would have been fine if they were normal guys whom you hang out with for fun, but they were gangsters and their idea of fun didn't match hers. "I umm" Ray shot her a questioning look as to why she wasn't following him towards his car. "I umm I have a car-phobia. yeah sorry I can't come with you. I'll walk" she smiled apologetically but her inner self was making a victory dance. "A car-phobia?" Ray raised his eyebrow with an amused chuckle. He cleared his throat and let her have it her way, for the first and last time, he thought while watching her slim figure moving towards the kindergarten.
"I should be granted with an Oscar prize" Avery mumbled to nobody but herself and punched her fist on the air, celebrating her victory.
Shut up, you're lucky you're still alive
"Oh don't you mean WE'RE lucky WE'RE still alive? huh?" if someone saw her they would think she was a nuts woman probably with a split personality or an imaginary friend, but to her defense, it was her consciousness that was bothering her.
With your brain I wonder how that's possible, maybe luck kept us alive...
"You are the one in my freaking brain, does that ring any bells to you?"
I don't know why God had to punish me in this way...
"Stop being such a drama queen, just be a normal consciousness. Besides, I'm the one at loss here, being stuck with you. You are no help mi amigo."
Ew don't call me your friend, that's insulting!
Avery rolled her eyes at the dramatic conversation she had with her consciousness. "Maybe I haven't fully recovered from the hangover from the other night" the least she could do was to find a way to comfort herself for the time being.
Avery saw Oliver's aunt Mary waving at her, when she neared the kindergarten. She had known his aunt for a few years now, obviously it's a small town they live in because everyone knows everyone, either that or there are way too many coincidences.
All the kids were outside playing since the weather was very nice and apparently according to their teacher at school, you must go outside in the sun once in a while so the organism can absorb the D vitamin. Who doesn't love my nerdy side?! Obviously everyone...
The children seemed to be playing so carelessly lost in their own perfect world of barbies and power rangers. Oh those days of glory, how I miss them...
Just like angels they were running around giggling and yelling. Their cuteness emanating a blinding light, lighter than the sun itself.
"How are you dear?" Mary embraced her in a hug as soon as she approached her. "I'm fine thank you, how are you?" Avery still had her manners even though nowadays everyone around her seemed to be acting like a monkey on high. "Fine dear, just a little busy. Kids gather here please!" All the children obediently gathered around Mary and Avery and were curiously eyeing the high school-er who obviously liked kids but had no experience at all. Avery kept thinking that she should have been wiser and not accept Oliver's request but the deal had already been sealed.
"This is Avery and I expect you to be nice for her and treat her like a friend of yours, or better yet, you'll do whatever she tells you to do until your parents come to take you. Ok?" they all nodded and hugged Mary and then she left. Avery was now facing a bunch of children she didn't even know.
It's time to socialise... she thought while trying to calm her nerves down.
"Hey guys as you already know I'm Avery and I'll be taking care of you for today" she exclaimed with a sweet smile, the best her nerves would let her master. All the children seemed to obediently listen to her.
"Now!" one of them screamed and before Avery could comprehend what was happening she was soaked wet with water from her toenails to her hair. When she opened her eyes, she was breathing hard from the shock. They were holding small colourful water balloons on their hands and they were grinning widely at her. "Holy monkeys on high" she managed to whisper before all hell broke loose.
Once again another round of water balloons attack began but this time they were fighting with each other. Avery decided it was time she took over the lost control like an adult would.
"Dare move and you see these?" she warned while pointing at all their toys that she had managed to get a hold of "they'll be nothing but the war victims, meaning, broken toys" as soon as the words broken toys left her mouth, all the kids stopped fighting and gasped. "No, not my mermaid barbie!" one of the little girls exclaimed. "We can do this the easy or the hard way" she proposed threateningly.
"Ok we give up" one of them said and they all sat down playing more silently. "Tony let's go!" Avery's gaze shifted towards Tony and another kid she didn't know. Apparently the other kid asked from Tony to leave with him, outside the kindergarten. Avery met Tony's eyes and gave a warning look as saying 'don't you dare do it', but Tony ignored her and left with the other boy.
She ran after them but it was too late, they were gone. What could she do? She started to panic but then she dialed Jessica's number asking for help. She couldn't possible call Mary, not that she had her number, and she also couldn't call Oliver because she would be betraying his trust if he knew what had happened.
A few minutes later Jessica came to her rescue and they decided that she would stay to watch over the kids there and Avery would go after the two runaway rascals. Avery kept running for a while until she finally spotted them. Without wasting any time she breathlessly made her way towards them and it seemed like they hadn't noticed her.
She grabbed them from their shoulders and they let out a small scream "Well well what do we have here?" she kept glaring at them while they kept looking at each other mischievously. Before she had the chance to question them they started screaming and everyone around was staring at them "help, she wants to kidnap us, please someone help!". Avery's eyes widened from the shock and she accidentally let them go.
The kid whom she didn't know started running towards a store while Tony was going straight to the street. Had their plan been to split? Whom should she go after first? Before she had any chance to wonder her instincts told her to chase Tony. Apparently her instincts had been right because the street was full of cars and Tony kept running towards them without stopping. "Tony watch out!" she screamed at the top of her lungs.
Tony was in the middle of the street and when he gazed up there was a car just a few meters away from him and it wouldn't stop. He closed his eyes and he felt a pull on his arm. Had he been hit by the car? But he wasn't feeling any pain. When he opened his eyes, he found himself being trapped in Avery's arms.
He had been so scared that his eyes started watering and he was sobbing in her arms. Avery pulled away and wiped his tears away while mumbling reassuring words that seemed to be coming him down. "Let's go back" she smiled at him and he nodded while clinging on her arm. The other kid whose name was Carl gave up on his plan to escape and returned back with Avery and Tony after he had seen the accident that almost occurred.
They all went back and started playing together. Tony and Carl apologised at Avery whose clothes by now were dry but her hair still seemed to be wet.
"Thanks Jess for coming all the way" Avery sat next to her only friend since forever and smiled warmly at her.
"I had fun" Jessica exclaimed with a big grin plastered on her face.
The two girls put some music to play and they all started to dance together in a ridiculous way not meant to be seen by the public eyes.
Later on all the kids had been taken home and Jessica had left too. Avery and Tony were the last to leave and they were leaving together since Ray had asked her to take him home because he would be busy.
"Thanks for helping me but that doesn't change anything" Tony mumbled while lowering his head. "I'm sure it doesn't" Avery messed his hair and smiled at him.
When they arrived home, Ray and the others were there chatting until they noticed the two of them. "How did it go?" Oliver asked her with an enthusiastic smile. "Fine" Avery said with a disturbed frown. "Yeah except for the fact that I almost got hit by a car" Tony exclaimed while playfully smirking at Avery.
Ray chocked on his coke and was now glaring at Avery. "I trusted you with my brother and he almost gets killed?" he spat at her venomously. Avery just kept avoiding his gaze. She felt really bad for what happened so he was right to scold her. "What the hell Avery?" he kept going and his eyes were burning holes at her. Tony got in front of her in a protective stance and they all seemed to be shocked with his action even Ray was left speechless. His little brother never stood up for anyone let alone Avery since he had vowed to make her life a living hell.
Tony went to say something, probably the truth of what had happened but Avery's hand on his shoulder silenced him. He glanced at her and she smiled at him in a 'it's ok' way. Tony wanted to say something but obviously Avery had other plans. Her act made him admire her more than before but Ray was still mad. "I'm sorry for what happened, goodnight everyone" Avery made her way inside her house since she was really tired.
She decided it was better for things to remain that way, so she could distance herself from them and trouble. She was ok with the fact that things were left in that way without explaining, it was the best way to make the boys push her away on their own accord. Although it still kinda bugged her that in the end she was the bad guy, she was willing to compromise.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Have a nice day and thank you for reading.