"I am a man of fortune, and I must seek my fortune."
-Henry Avery
Ava watched in boredom as Nathan concentrated on his paperwork with her feet crossed over on the table, Ava kept puffing her cheeks as she'd occasionally click her tongue.
That particular day, and especially year, seemed to go by so slow to Ava. Not only was it slow, it was constantly repetitive.
Wake up. Go to work. Paperworks, paperworks, paperworks and more paperworks. Go to the Flamingos bar and drink, drink, drink. Then, go back home.
That was it. That was how it was like for majority of her fifteen years and Ava despised the boredom that slowly grew inside of her, taking a whole of her inch by inch every hour of everyday. The boredom that took a hold of her only made her think of new adventures- how much she yearned for it was painful. Physically painful. She became one of those dreamers who dreamed with their eyes open, really.
Nathan, however, failed to recognize that Ava was trying to grab his attention- Nate was simply too attentive to his papers.
Groaning to herself, Ava pushed herself off of her seat and stretched her limbs. "Alright- screw it. I'm pooped."
Nathan's eyes slowly darted to Ava with playful raised brows. "Are you even done with your papers?" Nathan stated as he pointed at her pile of papers stacked messily on her desk with his pen.
"Nope." Ava popped the p as she shrugged her arms in her leather jacket. "Wanna hit the bar? Drinks on me."
Even though it was difficult for Nate to decline Ava's persuading offer, Nate decided it was best to just stay put and finish the pile of paperwork so he wouldn't have to suffer the next day like Ava would.
"Nah, maybe next time though."
"Bummer." Ava sighed, tossing her motorcycle keys in the air several times. "Well it's your loss."
"I'm definitely am not gonna be the one suffering tomorrow- don't complain to me when you're drowning in your papers, Black!" Nate called out as Ava exited the office, waving her hand at him at the door.
But then, Nathan groaned to himself as he pushed himself off his chair- unable to fight the urge anymore.
"Goddamn it." Nathan whispered to himself as he grabbed his jacket.
"Wait for me! I'm coming- I'm coming!"
"Ha! Fuckin' knew it." Ava chimed in victory, a part of her slightly glad that tonight she wouldn't be drinking alone. "C'mon- we'll take the motorcycle, big guy."
"I'm so gonna regret this." Nate, once again, whispered to himself at the thought of all the untouched paperwork waiting to be done tomorrow.
Gulping on his beer while Ava chowed down her double cheese burger, Nathan's curious eyes scanned the bartender several times- for some reason, the awkward and slightly shy bartender didn't know how to really approach the two- as if there was something on his mind as he paced on his feet.
"Sho...you haven't seen Vicky in two years." Ava spoke with her mouth full, each of her elbows on the table as she hunched over her food. "He asks about you, dude."
"I know, I know." Nate spoke with a hint of guilt as he played with his beer bottle and on the other hand, he repeatedly dipped the same fry in his ketchup, making it extra soggy.
"Dude, I live like...five blocks away from you- Vicky's always around my place when he's in the country. You should try and come when he does."
Nathan shifted in his seat to slightly face Ava who was devouring her food rather quickly and scrunched his nose in thought, "hey- how come you never travel with Sully anymore?"
"Are you trying to change the topic, Nate?" Ava said with a little twisted grin.
"No, no, no, no, of course not. I just-"
As Ava slightly enjoyed watching Nathan squirm under her gaze, Nathan was saved by the awkward and anxious bartender who finally decided to approach the two.
"H-Hey...are you- are you Eva Black?" The red headed bartender asked as he leaned in closer to Nathan and Ava.
"It's Ava, A-V-A, you know? Ava with an A?" Ava spoke with a raised brow and if Nathan wasn't taken aback by how he knew her name, he'd be chuckling like he always had whenever someone mistook the woman's name.
"How'd you know her name?" Nathan butted in before the redheaded bartender could reply.
"Dude- I'm like, always here." Ava said in a matter of fact to Nathan, but then suddenly Ava realized that she'd never really seen this redheaded bartender recently. "Wait a sec...you're new."
The red head's light eyes, nervously darted between Ava and Nathan- he let out a staggered sigh before slamming a piece of scrunched paper on her side of the table.
"Look, I-I-I am new, alright? I'm just trying to do my job." Ava and Nathan slightly turned to each other with confused and questioning eyes. "I was told to give this to you. To Eva Black."
"Ava." Ava corrected with a little growl as she rolled her eyes. Grabbing the paper from the table and unfolding it with Nathan by her side, who scooted close to her to see what it was written in the paper, it took awhile for Nate to figure out why the paper dropped from between her fingers and why her mouth gaped.
"Are-you-fucking-kidding-me." Ava said breathlessly, her eyebrows turning into knots as her nose scrunched up in irritation, the corners of her mouth twitching as it turned into a scowl. In a blink of an eye, half of Ava's body was over the bar, gripping the man by his shirt- her nose almost smooshed his.
"Crap." Nathan immediately got on his feet as he watched the man's lower lip quiver, fear glimmering in his watery light orbs. As Nathan's eyes scanned the bar, feeling like so many eyes were on them- he chuckled nervously as everyone went silent, watching the scene curiously.
"Nothing to see here, folks- everything's under control." Immediately after announcing, Nathan swiftly turned around and grabbed Ava, trying to pull her away from the man but her grip was too strong.
"Who the fuck gave you this? Answer me!" Ava snarled like a low hissing cat, her dark and soulless eyes intimidating the red head much more than he expected- Nathan, however, freezed. He waited for an answer while his arms rested around Ava's waist.
"I-I-I-I d-don't know!" The man managed to say as he squirmed under Ava's tighter hold. "H-He didn't gimme a name."
"What'd he look like?" Ava growled, her fist squeezing the front of his pink shirt tighter.
"P-Please, c-calm d-down- I-I couldn't see his face!"
Ava rolled her eyes shut as she let go of his shirt and pushed him backwards only for him to stumble and hit his lower back on the counter. Nathan immediately carried Ava off of the counter and bounced her back on her feet. Immediately, Nathan grabbed the piece of paper that angered Ava in a split second off of the table and grabbed her by the forearm and dragged her out of the bar before throwing a twenty dollar on Ava's unfinished burger.
"It's his fucking handwriting!" Ava wheezed as she got paced the parking lot as Nathan re-read the Latin phrase over and over again. Ava wasn't wrong, it was definitely his dead brother's handwriting.
But how could it be?
"I bet it's a prank, Av." Nate said as his eyes traveled down to Ava's collarbone, the same exact Latin phrase on the paper was forever etched beneath her collarbone that was slightly covered by her black leather jacket.
Ignoring Nathan's comment, Ava groaned in irritation as her hands clenched on her sides, "how would they know that Latin phrase-" In realization, Ava quieted down as her eye twitched.
"What? Ava? What?" Nathan slightly panicked at the sudden change of her mood but at her silence, Nathan waved his hand in front of her face, "heeeello? Ava-"
Ava slapped away Nathan's hand and scoffed to herself, shuffling her weight between her feet. "I should've known."
"Knooown...what? It'll be nice if you could let me in."
"I think it's Rafe."
"R-Rafe?"
"Last year- we went on this date on valentine's day, and he told me-"
"woah, woah," Nathan chuckled to himself in astonishment as he raised his palm for Ava to halt. "A date? Were you ever gonna tell me that?"
"I was going to." Ava simply confessed.
"Pssh, you took you a whole year to."
Ava slightly flicked Nathan's forearm to gain his attention, his hand immediately cupped the spot where Ava flicked and immitted a little 'ouch'. "Would you just fucking listen, man? Rafe is still looking for Avery's treasure. He wanted me to join him again but I told him no."
"He's still looking for it?" Nathan asked in amazement. "It's been years."
"Yeah.." Ava sighed. "And I think to get back at me- he did this."
"A-Are you sure? I mean- It's too petty." Nathan scrunched his nose as his eyes darted back to the now worn out paper he held with both of thumbs.
"Dude, it's Rafe we're talking about." Ava's brows knitted as she stared at Nathan, as if he was out of his mind.
Nathan shrugged his shoulder and dipped his head, "yeah, yeah, you're right."
Ava's eyes scanned the paper that was still in Nathan's hand, with a heavy sigh and a quick stride, she grabbed the paper out of his grip and tore it apart.
"C'mon, Nate. I'll send you home." Nathan's thumb played with the other as he smiled awkwardly.
"Uhhh, are you sure you wanna drive after that? I mean- I can drive if you want."
Ava turned around to glare at Nathan who broadened his forced grin but Ava could see the worry in his eyes.
"Dude, I won't road rage or anything. Fucking get on."
The next day, before Ava came back home, an entrance in her attic was the easiest to get into her house. He looked around her small yard, searching for anyone who'd report him as a burglar before he jumped high from her window sill that exposed her dark living room to grab onto the top window and shimmy all his way to the attic entrance.
Stumbling in the dark attic entrance, he had to hold back his sneeze as the dust tickled his nose. He noticed all boxes that filled the attic as he got up and brushed his jacket with palms, even though his intention was to just go towards the door, he couldn't help but browse around the boxes.
Many boxes were filled with journals, books and artefacts that were coated in many coats of dust but what caught his attention was the baby crib by the corner. Beside was a box filled with baby clothes that escaped out of the box and managed to go on the floor.
Furrowing his brows as his heart began to pound painfully, he approached the crib as if he was walking on eggshells, "what the hell..."
Picking up a pink baby's dress with the tip of his fingers as if he was holding a bomb, he sighed to himself at the sudden thought that maybe what he really feared most was that Ava moved on with her life and married a quirky man and bore a child. The quirky man's child.
But a feeling that nagged him urged him to turn around and slip out of the attic and into the remaining of her house instead of backing away. Going down the stairs of the attic as quietly as he could, the lights upstairs were dimly lit indicating that Ava was still not home.
The first thing that his eyes drifted to was Ava's unkempt room. Standing at her door way, a little boyish grin appeared on his face. A finished Ben & Jerry's cinnamon buns ice cream tin rested on her night stand, the silky red sheet flowing down to her wood floor while some clothes rested on her bed. Examining her clothes, his eyes caught the navy blue thong that rested on her jeans with her matching bra- his cheeks turning hot as he dipped his head and bit back his smirk at the sudden naughty thoughts. But with all her clothes seeping out of her closet and some of her clothes messily resting on her bed and floor, he couldn't find any male clothes which slightly comforted him.
Her disheveled pillows were all around her bed on the floor too and the only thing that seemed to be perfectly placed on her bed was the rather large tiger plush that was won in the carnival years back. The tiger plush used to be lean and in shape, but now most of its fluff escaped its body as it looked droopy.
The tv in Ava's room was still turned on and as he shut it off, the photo album resting beneath the tv on the table caught his attention. Picking it up, he only realized it was a framed picture of the day in the carnival years back.
Deciding to head downstairs and abandon Ava's room, the stairwell wall was filled with pictures of Ava, Sully, Nate and Nora in different countries. Beside the stairwell, the bathroom door was open and walking past it made him notice himself in the mirror. Taking a step back, he halted in his spot and took a second look at the mirror.
His eyes focused on the wrinkles that would form when he'd raise his brows, he never had them before and didn't think that it was any problem years back but because he now had them, and was slightly frightened by what Ava would think, he was self-conscious. Sighing to himself for feeling so ridiculous, he smoothened his hair back with his fingers and shifted his head's position to make sure every side of his face was fine. He flashed a large grin in the mirror but only felt more stupid, scoffing and rolling his eyes at himself, he left the bathroom and adventured to Ava's dark living room. Unlike her room, the living room seemed untouched except the full ashtray and the several empty beer bottles and an empty wine bottle.
Behind the main door, he heard the jingling of keys and immediately panicked as key entered the keyhole, a few turns sounded as the door was beginning to unlock.
"Shit, shit, shit." His head darting to find anywhere to escape, he spotted the kitchen and immediately lunged inside and hid behind the kitchen's island, peeking his head from the side to take a look.
Upon entering, Ava lightly propped her bag with her hands and kicked it with her feet, the black bag skidding on the floor and landed beside the wall. Letting out a groan, she shrugged off her maroon bomber jacket and immediately removed her pants after kicking off her worn out boots.
Even though he knew he should've looked away, he couldn't help but stare with a gaped mouth, slightly breathless. After all these years, it seemed like Ava didn't age a bit and in that moment, he felt like running away through the back door just so she couldn't see his pruney face.
Digging through her hamper, Ava sniffed a black gym short to make sure it was clean before putting it on. Right as he gained the confidence to show himself, the phone rang, scaring him and Ava both.
Putting it on speaker, Ava fumbled with her shirt. "Hello?"
"Hey, kiddo!" Sully's voice boomed through the living room.
"Heyya, Vicky." Ava said with a humorous tone as she concealed her rough day.
"How was work, sweetie?"
"Absolute shit." Ava faltered to keep up with her forced humorous tone immediately as she threw her red sweater on the sofa, digging through her hamper once more to find a clean-enough shirt to wear for the night. "Lotta' paperwork."
"I don't know how you do it- I'd never be able to have a desk job, pshh." Sully chuckled. "Speaking of jobs...I have this job in Portugal."
"Here we goooo." Ava said as she plopped on the floor to put on her batman socks.
"Here me out, kid. I don't think you wanna miss out on this." Sully could be heard taking a drag form his cigar before he continued. "This jobs requires someone with your smarts, princess."
Ava sighing, she finally got up on her feet and leaned over the phone. "I know...I know, Sully. I wish I could do it, but I made a promise to Nate and Nora. Remember?"
He furrowed his brows as he eavesdropped on Ava, slightly shifting his weight on different feet as his legs went numb.
"I know." Sully said defeatedly. "You know, Ava...with all my love to Nate and Nora, I don't believe they should hold you back."
Ava chuckled, almost agreeing with Sully as she shook her head. "Oh, Vicky. Maybe it's for my own good, you know?"
Shifting his weight between his feet again as he tried to crouch in a different position, he failed to notice the fallen plastic bag on the floor, creating a loud crunch noise that made Ava whip her head immediately. He winced quietly to himself as he shut his eyes in panic.
"Hey, uh, Vicky, I'm gonna...have to call you later." Ava immediately ended the call before Sully could even answer, slightly hunched and ready to pounce at anything that'd move, Ava backed behind the bathroom door to grab her hidden bat. She quickly raised it above after grabbing the bat, heading towards where the noise came from.
"Okay, you son of a bitch- I know you're there. You better show yourself before I smash your skull." Ava's sinister growl seemed unfamiliar to him but as he lifted himself behind the island, he began rambling.
"Okay, okay, okay, it's alright, it's alright." At the familiar voice, the bat was lowered with a confused and alarming face etched on Ava. At the rising figure in the dark, Ava's eyes widened as she stepped closer to the lightswitch, hesitantly flicking it.
At the sight of a supposedly dead man, Ava's lower lip quivered as her eyes bulged out.
with his palms up in the air in surrender, he offered his famous boyish grin.
"I-It's just me."
"S-Sam?"