"Who do you think, you're?" Ashley gritted at the old native, speaking in fluent English.
Another person to order him and tell him what was meant to be done. Not even a bit, Ashley appreciated such guts. He was not going to bear the bullshit of this old man who was thinking himself a president, it seemed.
"They waited for you for years. Revenge is what they want and they won't let you go without final battle" The man said in his eerily cold voice, looking directly in Ashley eyes with his stoned gaze.
Ashley frowned, not understanding any of his words. He blinked and then realized this odd man was not ordering him but was actually not in his senses.
"Man, You're high. Go home." Ashley said waving his hand, dismissing the man with a careless look. He found him odd but now he knew this man was not in his senses.
"You have to be strong and united to fight them. You have to prove your innocence too. Be careful, who you trust and keep this with you" The man advised and stuffed the bottled vial, of smoky liquid, in Ashley's hand.
"What the heck!!" Ashley exclaimed at the audacity of man, he glared the man not understanding how to handle this madman.
The man said nothing and stared Ashley for a moment. Ashley shifted on his feet, unnerved by the stoned stare of him.
Surrounded by the sudden silence, the man walked away, leaving a boggled Ashley.
Ashley watched the man disappearing behind the trees and then looked at the flask. He raised his hand to throw it away but the swirling smoke in the vial captured his gaze in a hypnotic way. He stood amazed for a second and then taking a deep breath, he put the vial in the pocket of his long overcoat.
.
Seated on the marble floor of the hall, Ava was focused on typing the words on hologram. Halting her aching finger, she skimmed over the whole content. Satisfied, she swiped the sent, the hologram blinked into a smiley before fading away. She leaned on the sofa, placed behind her, and gave out a deep breath.
A smile came on her face when Amelia entered the hall and sat in front of her.
"Done?" Amelia asked passing her a freshly brewed cup of coffee.
"Deal is signed" Ava grinned, showing the popping up email as a hologram appeared again. It was a deal related to her orphanage firm.
"Cheers." Amelia raised her cup with a huge smile "I knew you will pull it off."
Ava smiled at her confidence in her and sipped on the coffee. Her mind suddenly wandering away from the deal, she just cracked, to the man who always finds his way to her dreams.
Archie, the man she was scared, she had developed feelings for, and the man who made her feel strange just by his mere presence. His gaze always creating havoc in her and his words twisting her heart, in a unique kind of way.
"Thinking about Archie?" Amelia asked when the silence prolonged more than necessary.
"I don't want him to be a wrong guy," Ava accepted, her head dropped in defeat. She was fighting herself from long and she had realized, forgetting Archie was not going to be easy.
"Don't think about him so much that it hurts you in the end," Amelia said reaching out to hold her hand. She knew it would cost Ava, the way she was thinking so much about Archie. She knew what Ava went through and she did not want the history to repeat itself.
Ava said nothing. Amelia was right but Ava was not able to control her mind either. That's what scared her, the loss of control over her own feelings, the reason she distanced herself from Archie, in the first place.
"You'll know the truth, soon," Amelia added, pressing her hand so to give her hope. She did not like the lost look on her, always calm, best friend's face.
Ava nodded and looked at her with a weak smile.
"I contacted Nolan. He'll be giving answers soon. Until then, I'll try to get some answers from Ethan." Ava informed with a shrug.
"Why don't you get some basic information from Archie too? It'll be of great help." Ava added with a glint in her eyes, if Amelia would be able to extract information from Archie then coordinating the information would provide them better results.
"Anything for you," Amelia answered almost immediately.
Ava grinned and pulled Amelia in a hug. A smile danced on Amelia face as she enjoyed the embrace of her friend while providing her support too.
.
Seats were huddled in a corner and the projector was positioned in the centre. Hall was ready for their cinema night and that's when the bell rang too.
Archie felt the giddiness in his stomach but stopped short when he noticed Ethan. There was a strange glint in his grey eyes, Archie never witnessed.
He stopped and watched as Ethan opened the door with a soft smile on his face.
"Do they really feel something for each other?" Archie thought with his heart wrenching in his chest.
Ava and Amelia stood on the door. Ethan greeted them and turned attentive to Ava. Amelia frowned at his behaviour but was distracted by Archie who stood staring Ethan from the hall.
Amelia entered the hall and noticed this suite was bigger than theirs. The hall was a little larger and attached to a proper dining area in the corner. Rest of the place, the white and grey paint with two rooms were same as their place.
Completing her survey of the place, Amelia turned to Archie who was stilled at his place, in the corner of ha, and his gaze following Ava.
"They look good together, right?" Amelia asked standing beside him and looking at Ethan and Ava. She wanted to know his thoughts and it seemed the right moment since Ashley was not around either.
Archie clenched his fist and sadness came over his fiery eyes.
"Why does it matter to you that they're together?" Amelia asked out of the blue, she was testing him and he was not aware of it.
"What?" Archie asked, gis eyes widening at the question tossed at him without warning.
Amelia shrugged. She leaned on the wall and enjoyed his fearful look.
"I mean, will it matter to you if your friend like my friend?" Amelia asked, turning the topic smartly.
Archie was stunned for a while. Never he pondered over the question despite his bizarre feelings.
"Never mind, why will you object their relationship, anyway," Amelia said, casually shrugging off the idea.
The question, however, numbed Archie. It echoed in his mind with a great intensity. He questioned himself.
Why will I object for their relationship?
Why am I so affected?
Why?
"You live in London?" Amelia asked, pulling him out of his thoughts. Ava had filled her with a little information that Archie had provided to Ava.
"Birthplace." Archie nodded, mindlessly. His gaze was stopped at talking Ethan and Ava.
"All of you?" Amelia asked, delving in detail carefully.
"Ashley is from California, but lives with me and Ethan in London," Archie answered, not paying attention to the reason behind Amelia sudden curiosity.
"So permanent in London? Never went anywhere else?" Amelia inquired, pretending to be careless.
"Take tours sometimes. Like this one"
"Ever interested in someone?" Amelia asked, turning to him with a scrutinising gaze.
"Did not engage with anyone yet." Archie answered after a moment.
"Fascinating," Amelia remarked with a sneaky smirk and a doubtful glint.
Avoiding the girls, Ashley came and played with wires to start the movie. He was not still happy of the event so he avoided talking to any of them.
Lights were turned off and the projector was turned on. Ethan and Archie were sitting in the centre; Ava came and sat beside Ethan, infuriating Archie who clenched his fist to control his anger; Amelia sat beside Archie and Ashley sat beside Amelia since no other place was vacant.
Amelia glared Ashley and Ashley gritted his teeth. He was already furious over the movie idea, now sitting with Amelia was making him feel angry and different, both at the same time.
The movie started but no one was focused. Their minds were on completely different tracks.
Amelia avoided looking at Ashley, she was feeling jittered by his presence. It was affecting her in a sweet kind of way. Her heart was racing, her cheeks were heating, and she was damn hating those feelings.
Ashley was lost in his own world. The feeling of Amelia presence just beside him was an odd kind of peace. The moments from forest and mountain top played in his mind. The closeness of their body, their skin contact and her breathing falling on his face. He did not want to remember those moments but he was not able to stop himself either.
Archie, on the other hand, was furious. He did not like Ava ignoring him. Introducing Ava to Ethan was turning out to be his biggest mistake.
Amelia questions played in his mind on a loop.
Why was he affected?
"Maybe, I like her. No, I actually like her. And she was so good to me in the start. Then why is she ignoring me now? Why damn it, why?" Archie thought, searching reasons for his feelings.
He looked at Ava and found her lost, too. Taking a deep breath, he pulled the plug, drowning the hall in darkness.
"What a useless movie it is, Ethan." Archie said turning on the lights and blasting on Ethan for his choice of movie.
"Can't you find some interesting stuff or you know how to bore someone to death," Archie said, his voice louder than necessary and his words heated than required.
Ethan stood wide-eyed. It was first time Archie was angry over his choice. Not that Archie was ever pleased of his usual support to Ashley. But Archie always protected him and never blasted on him this way. Besides, there was no apparent reason for Archie to be so furious.
Ava and Amelia looked at each other. The boys never fought in front of them. But it seemed the irritation was increasing and the patience was escalating the limit.
"Isn't that your favourite movie?" Ashley pointed casually, the changes in his group were evident to him.
Archie paused and looked at Ava standing with indifference.
"This one is not" Archie scowled at Ashley. He was hating every moment of his life and he did not know why.
"We'll be having dinner. Am ordering from outside and I'll pay. That's final," Archie said with a misery in his authoritative tone, the tone that was the hallmark of Ashley.
Ashley raised his eyebrow. This side of Archie was new but it seemed to be showing up more and more with each passing day.
"Not that we'll mind when you're paying but why this much kindness?" Ashley asked with a smirk, irking Archie more but at that moment Ashley was no more affecting Archie as he used to.
Archie ignored him and walked in the room on the pretence of ordering the food. He wanted some space to calm his nerves and relieve his anguish.
Silence played in the hall. Ashley stood aloof, Archie had locked himself, Ethan was nowhere to be seen and girls stood together thinking over the behaviour of Archie.
Order arrived and shuffling of feet filled the silent hall. Archie came out of the room and received the order. Ashley walked in the dining area where Amelia was drinking water but he ignored.
Archie found Ava alone. He hesitated for a moment but coming up with strength, he walked to her.
"Did I hurt you by any chance?" Archie asked, his voice was low and his fiery eyes were dimmed.
Ava was startled by his presence and shocked by his question. Taking a deep breath, she calmed her racing heart.
"No, why you thought so?" Ava asked without looking at him
"Why are you ignoring me then?" Archie asked directly, he was hurt by their distance that too without reason.
"I'm not," Ava lied with confidence.
Ava was standing without betraying any emotions and Archie did not know what to make out of it. Ava walked to the dining area, leaving Archie alone.
Sighing, Archie walked in the dining area too.
Ethan came in the end and sat on his usual place with his unusual silence that was becoming usual nowadays.
Anguish filled Archie again when Ava, once again, sat with Ethan as if both were dating each other.
Grudgingly, he sat across Ava with Amelia who was sitting across Ashley.
"You're silent, little tigress. Angry over someone?" Archie asked, his own feelings described in his words as he looked at Ava and Ethan.
Ashley looked at the two. A smirk came on his face.
"What else can she do but sit silent when angry," Ashley said with a taunting smile.
"Ash," Archie glared at Ashley for disrespecting Amelia that way.
Amelia looked at Ashley and leaned over the table. She smiled calmly.
"When I'm angry over someone, I reduce them to ashes. Even if they're already Ash." Amelia retorted with a sweet smile and even sweeter mocking.
Ashley groaned at her comeback. He leaned over the table and looked directly in her light brown eyes.
"And when I'm furious over someone, I don't even leave their ashes," Ashley said without smiling.
Amelia raised her eyebrow.
"I'll wait to witness such a rare moment," Amelia said with her careless attitude
"Sure," Ashley grunted, taking the spoon.
Conflicted, they spent the rest of dinner in silence.
Done with their dinner, Amelia and Ava walked to their suite. The darkness covered their place and they did not turn on lights either.
Exhausted, they walked in their room and fell asleep.
Completely missing the dark shadow lingering on the window.
A smirk came on his face.
"Time to attack"
_________________________________
I used a word Amazent in the previous update. You must have thought it was a typo mistake but as in the first chapter, it is deliberate from my side. I tried to change the vocabulary a bit. In a way that you guys will understand the meaning and new words will be shown so to reflect their age.
As story is in 2070 so a little bit of different vocabulary is needed.
I had intended to tell you in the previous update. But it skipped my mind since I had updated that part late night and was tired.
I hope you are enjoying the story with its mystery and fun.
Target: 13 votes, update on Wednesday.
12 votes, update on 9th March.
Enjoy, vote, comment and share.
Love,
Asshi