Chapter Sixteen

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Edited 14/7/17 

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Chapter Sixteen

"Ava, it will be fine." Tommy reassures me, as we drive together towards the familiar North Shore school.

"Shut up I'm trying to concentrate." I state putting my hand up to stop him from talking further. It doesn't work.

"Concentrate on what?!" Tommy yells in amusement.

Three days have passed since my meeting with Jacob and when Tommy barged into my office claiming he had a plan for the teachers of North Shore who want to meet my parents to talk about my horrible grades.

We arrive at the school, four minutes after the bell had rung. The meeting with my teachers was scheduled for the morning.

"Why are you so freaked out?" Tommy asks, getting out of the truck. I join him on the footpath.

"Because I know that if something goes wrong, you will pull me out of school immediately!" I yell at him.

He chuckles.

I groan and lead the way with Tommy in tow, towards the school.

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My fingers tap impatiently on my leg, Tommy and I are sat outside the principals office.

As we roamed the school hallways, I noticed the late students avoiding Tommy and I like the plague. Is he really that scary?

"Ava Grey, come in." The principal guides us towards the two seats opposite his desk. Some of my teachers are gathered around the room, looking confused at the sight of Tommy. I'm only confused as to why my teachers are here, when they should have classes to teach. 

"So where did you say your parents are?" The principal asks me, tapping away on his computer.

"I didn't." I reply sternly.

Mr Oriental, my maths teacher leans towards Tommy.

"Who are you?" He asks, rudely pointing a finger at Tommy's face.

"I'm looking after Ava, while her parents are away on business." Tommy replies calmly.

Mr Oriental taps his chin and leans back against the wall. His eyebrow raised, as if saying 'I don't believe you'.

"Listen, this really isn't necessary. Ava has been distracted lately, and won't be from now on." Tommy reasons, staring directly at me in a firm voice.

It's then I notice Mrs Hail, my PE teacher standing to my left. She comes close to me and wraps her arm around my shoulder in comfort.

"Is this because of the bullying." She asks not quiet enough. My eyes bolden, I can feel the heat of Tommy's piercing the side of my head. His mood changes like a light switch.

"I need to speak with Ava." Tommy growls through gritted teeth. I sense everyone flinching at Tommy's deathly voice directed towards me.

"We are almo-"

"5 minutes!" Tommy shouts, standing up abruptly. Giving everyone in the room his deathliest glear.

"Tommy don't." I state, trying to grab his wrist to pull him back into his chair.

He rips it from my grip. Quickly, the teachers file out of the room.

My head sinks into my hands. I wait for the room to fall silent.

"Don't yell at me, not here." I say, looking up at him. His eyes dark. Jaw clenched. Fists white.

"I am so mad with you!" He shouts, not very loud but still making me flinch.

"Why would you be mad with me? Get over yourself." I retort, standing up to meet his gaze. Not backing down.

"Don't speak to me like that!?" He shouts, his voice deep and violent.

"You are my assistant, not my boss." I exclaim, making him flinch. He backs down, his eyes soften. "If you want to be the boss, go somewhere else. I'm undercover Tommy! Who would suspect a nerd!" I breathe out, and am surprised to find my fists clenched tightly onto Tommy's collar. "Do I make myself clear?"

Tommy grunts, he knows when to stop fighting with me.

I snapped, I'll admit. We both know I wouldn't be able to do what I do without him. 

I sit back down, Tommy follows. Our heavy breathing fills the silence, until the principal knocks on the door. His head pokes through the door, "May we continue?"

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I walked home after the meeting. The teachers were baffled Tommy stormed out after our fight. The teachers then proceeded to ask if I need to speak to anyone about abuse from Tommy. I'm honestly not surprised.

Tommy was furious. Hopefully we can both let off steam and solve this problem later. I feel as though I should be guilty or regretful for not telling him earlier, but I'm not, and I can't understand why. 

He's not mad at me, he's just upset. He's like my brother, he protects me. Finding out that I'm getting bullied would have made him feel useless and at fault. We need to talk though, before he lets those feeling control his actions. For now, I walk with my phone out answering calls and messages.

"Ava, are you alright?"

I turn behind me to find Caleb. Stalking up behind me.

"Why?" I ask, continuing to walk.

"I seen your scary family friend leave, quite scarily." He replies seriously. 

I chuckle. Caleb grabs my wrist and spins me around to face him.

"You want to take your mind off it?" He asks, his blue eyes twinkling with the midday sun.

"Don't you have school?"

He shrugs.

"Come on." He persuades, a sparkle in his eyes as he drags me across the street to his car.

He was driving passed and stopped?

"I have an idea." He mentions once I'm seated in his car.

"What is it?" I ask, pleased to have someone take my mind off everything. 

"It's a surprise." He replies winking at me.

As we drive, my mind drifts back to Tommy and the way I'm going to explain to him about the bullying and why I don't defend myself. How do I speak confidently about something I don't understand myself? 

"Stop thinking about it." Caleb states after minutes of silence from me.

I don't reply, but instead crank the radio up. Caleb smirks and starts bobbing his head to the song.

We soon arrive at a large empty field, with a small hill on the other side. I step out of the truck and walk over to the edge of the freshly cut grass. Caleb meets with me.

"Race you to the other side!" I shout, sprinting towards the hill. I hear Caleb chuckle and then footsteps quickening.

I laugh, as Caleb over takes me, I foot trip him. He rolls over the grass for several meters before coming to a stop face down.

I get on the ground, laughing quite loudly.

"I wasn't expecting that!" He shouts, rolling onto his back.

"I know." I chuckle and sit down next to him. He watches me with a grin on his face. I look at the blue, cloudy sky above me and smile.

"I can't figure you out" Caleb says after our laughter has died down.

"I can't figure me out either." I reply sighing and lying down to look at the sky. 

I feel Caleb move closer to me.

"That cloud looks like a sheep" He states, pointing up at the sky. I follow his finger line towards a cloud.

I chuckle and move his still pointing hand towards a different cloud that looks like a elephant on water skis.

"Elephant on water skis?" He asks, I start laughing and he joins me.

I feel his head turn to look at me. I don't look at him, but I feel his intense stare into my head.

"Why are you looking at me?" I ask, still looking at the sky.

"Because your beautiful."

Why are my cheeks heating up?

"A-ah." I stutter some unknown word. He laughs.

"How's Finn?" Caleb asks changing the awkward subject.

"He's good, still a brain-geek. How's Gabby?" I reply, hiding my blush from before.

"She's very good." He replies smiling.

"Are you still taking over your dads business?" I ask him. He frowns immediately. 

"Well, my uncles business after my dad died. But yes, he wants me to." Caleb says frustrated.

"You don't want to?" I ask turning to face him.

His face is formed into a look of annoyance. His eyebrows furrowed.

"Not really." He replies, moving a stray strand of hair from my face. I flinch at the contact.

"W-what do you want to do instead?" I ask, curious about him.

"Architecture." He replys, staring right into my eyes. "What about you?"

"My future has always been decided for me."

"How come?" He asks.

"I want to make my parents proud, and I feel like to do that, I need to do what they would've wanted." I sigh.

"What do they want you to do?"

Run a gang! "Ahh, ya know." I look away. "Stuff." I whisper.

Caleb looks at me confused.

"It's complicated." I reply, he doesn't push for answers. I respect that.

"Well, I think it's time for a roly-poly race!" He says cheerfully sitting up.

I laugh and sit next to him in a ready position.

"Ready"

"Set.."

"Go!"

We both start rolling frantically, laughing in hysterics as we go.

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"Mom wants to know if you will have dinner with us tonight?" Caleb asks me, as we both sit down with our ice creams in hand.

"What are you having?" I ask, as I devour my hokey pokey ice cream.

"I think it's pizz-"

"Count me in." I sit up cheerfully. "Who doesn't love pizza?"

Caleb laughs, while eating his strawberry ice cream.

My phone rings.

"Hello?" I answer, finishing the last of my ice cream.

"A, you need to get here! Tommy is going nuts." Sam responds. I hear crashing and grunting sounds in the background.

"What's going on?" I ask, getting annoyed.

"I don't know, he won't tell me."

"Where is he?" I ask, hearing the venom in my voice slip through.
Just one day, I don't want to deal with Tommy.

"The warehouse." I hear Sam yelling at Tommy to calm down.

"Take him home, I'll speak with him tomorrow. We both need a day off." I instruct Sam.

"He's furious, what did you do?"

"He found out I'm getting bullied." I say. I hear more grunting and more crash sounds.

"Dammit Ava, I'll try calm him down." Sam replies.

I hang up.

Furiously, I slam my phone on the table. Sighing I run my hand through my hair. When I look up, Caleb is staring at me wide eyed and confused.

"Oh hey." I try play off. 

"What was that?" He asks, a smirk coming into his face.

"Nothing, why are you smirking?" I ask, sitting back in my seat.

"Because you are feisty."

I laugh.

"Yeah whatever."

"You want to talk about it?" He asks, sitting up in his seat and staring into my eyes.

I sigh. "Not really."

"What is going on with your bullying?" He asks.

"It's complicated, you wouldn't understand."

"You are full of secrets, aren't you?"

I rest my head in my hands. "Basically."

"The scary guy named Tommy, does he work with you?" Caleb asks.

"Yes."

"Where do you work?" Caleb asks, sitting even more forward in his seat.

"A shoe store." I lie. 

Caleb nods and stops the interrogation, but a look of disbelief rolls through his expression. 

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"Good to see you again Ava!" Mrs Peterson shouts excitedly throughout the house when Caleb and I step inside the room. 

I'm suddenly thrown into a hug, Jules wraps her arms around me.

My mother was never so straight forward.

"How have you been?" Jules asks, stepping away from me. While Caleb takes my bag to put it somewhere.

"I've been good, yourself?" I reply while picking up an excited little Gabby.

"Ava! I've missed you!" Gabby giggles.

"I've missed you too." I walk with the Petersons towards the family room.

"How longs tea Ma?" Caleb asks, walking behind me with his hands on my shoulders guiding me around. I chuckle.

"About 30 minutes, oh and Caleb?"

"Yeah?"

"Your uncle is coming." I feel Caleb's hands tighten on my shoulders. The room falls silent.

"It will be alright." Caleb reassures, letting go of my shoulders and walking towards the stair case. He turns back and nods for me to follow him. I do.

Once we are in his room, he flops onto his bed face first. Groaning about how unfair his life is.

"What's wrong?" I ask, sitting down next to him on the edge of his bed.

"My uncle is forcing me to take over the family business." He muffles into the pillow his face is squished into.

"What's his business?" I ask.

"Tell me something about you first." Caleb replies, sitting up and across from me.

"Well what do you want to know?" I ask with caution.

He looks at me, deciding what he should ask. "Why do you avoid questions about your work?" He asks staring into my eyes.

I look away and cough, it's not really something I want to get into.

"Don't avoid this question please." Caleb says, resting his hand over top of mine.

"My work reminds me of my parents." I answers truthfully.

"How long have they been gone?" He asks, I can tell he's trying not to open doors into the emotional portal of parents, however he sounds interested.

"Two years." I reply breathing in heavily.

It doesn't feel like two years has passed since their death. Two years of dreadful nightmares and emotional roller coasters only to end up the same. My grief is minimum. I feel abandoned and alone. But it's always my fault, so there is nothing I can do. 

"I'm sorry." Caleb says rubbing his hand up my arm in a soothing motion.

"Why are you sorry? You didn't kill them." I did.

"I'm sorry for not being there for you."

I look at him confused, does he really mean that?

His blue eyes are staring into my brown ones. His arm is around my shoulder and his face is scrunched up into guilt. I know that look. I've mastered that look.

"I'm fine."

"Do you know what 'fine' means?"

I shake my head, no.

"Freaked out, insecure, neurotic, emotional." He replies, I rest my head on his shoulder. He stiffens at the contact but soon relaxes.

"Well then I'm fine." I say chuckling.

He frowns but gives me a sad smile or reassurance.

We sit in a comfortable silence for a while until Caleb speaks.

"It's properties, the business my uncle wants me to take over is the Peterson properties company."

Wait, what!

I shoot off his bed and land on the floor, trying the gather my head. I don't hear the doorbell.

"Caleb, Jacob is here!" Jules calls from downstairs.

It's can't be.

My body freezes over, I feel Caleb kneel down beside me, trying to calm me down.

Oh god. What have I done!

Please!!! It can't be...

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Thank you for reading this chapter! Left it on a cliff, but whoever has made the connection between Caleb's uncle and Ava's freak out... will understand! :)

I hope you're enjoying the story!!

Spread some love, vote, comment, share!! It would mean the world to me :)))

Mcjennels 

Xx 

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