The Beginning

I am Avery. I’m trying out this journal keeping thing. I have 20 years to my name, I’m 5’10, strong enough to lift an Ox, charming I’m sure, and run a small general store, with my friend, in a small, grassy town called Omega Villa.
My hair is pearl silver and short cut. My friend and I are the only ones with hair colors like this so we are a bit of an outcast among the townspeople. But we are the first ones they come to when they need goods, wares, and “hospitality”. It’s been this way for awhile. Ever since we were kids we’ve been an outcast. No one cut us any slack, we had little to no coin, no family, no friends. All because of our hair color and our strength. They thought us to be witches! I don’t know if this is actually true, but witches don’t usually struggle to survive because they are poor! They also aren’t strong�" just tricky and magical! I’m sure they would be nice people to have around and be friends with. Why is it people are so afraid of what they don’t understand? The only reason they even come to us, even though they think we are witches, is because they aren’t strong enough or brave enough to get the supplies from the forest. As kids, me and my friend had no choice but to risk it. We ended up in the forest a lot and nothing was there to harm you as long as you stayed out of Its way and didn’t take too much of Its foods. Whatever It is, seems to like us a lot though. We sometimes leave little treats there as well. They are gone by time we get back.
Now to introduce that friend: Betty Gabori. Her eyes are blue and her hair is black, silver, and long. She also has a scar across her lips. It’s long healed but still incredibly visible on her vanilla colored skin. It's from her little fight with a tom cat.
That's enough for one day I suppose. I’ll have to meet Betty at 06:00 hours for work tomorrow, so I’ll have some free time until this point and I intend to use it. See you later journal.
* * *
Hair is so annoyingly tangled in the morning, isn't it? My hair grows abnormally quick, only taking a few days to grow back full. Running a comb through my, now, knotted hair is increasingly similar to the feeling of bees stinging my head.
“Ow! Son of a-!”
Sometimes, while I'm using whatever can get through my hair that day, I think to myself:
“Is this even worth it�" Oh!”
And that's the part where I look in the mirror and exclaim that I look good usually with a pose or two. Today I decided to change up the routine, so I’m running around my room, brushing my hair and teeth all at the same time!
I go to my built in bathroom, look in the mirror and I see my hectic shenanigans have left toothpaste all over the left corner of my lips and cheek.
“How the hell did I manage that?”
Then again I was running around my room, must’ve just got clumsy.
Okay! Time to go down stairs and work! Another day, another dime! I don't feel like putting any clothes on today, so I’ll go down in my pajamas: baby blue T-shirt, and boys jogging pants with built in socks.
“Meh. I’ll throw the apron on over and just go.”
* * *
I’m walking downstairs and run into Betty who is looking quite puzzled at me. “My outfit isn't that bad now,” I say as I lean against the wall, crossing my arms with a smile. She just laughs and slaps her knee exclaiming, “You are gonna work in yer’ sleepwear!? That's ridiculously unique.” She's lucky she's cute or else I'd punch her and that country accent straight!
I give her a present. It’s my middle finger, a well deserved gift.
“Ah, the present given to jackasses!”, she says with an eye roll,“How original.”
Now would be a great time for a witty response. Instead, I continue looking at my journal with a simple, “F**k ya Hun.”, as we finish the last couple steps.
Welcome to the Store! Yep, I wasn’t kidding when I said work was downstairs. The General Store of our little town: Bet’ it Ain’t So!
Catchy name right?
“Say it ain’t so!” , I say looking at Betty with a grin. “Bet’ it Ain’t So!”, she continues, crossing her arms before we both burst into laughter.
I take my place behind the counter and reopen my journal. Betty flips the Open/Close sign before taking inventory.
* * *
“How much money is in the register Avery?”, she asks. “Let me count it”, I mumble before opening our register with a click.
“About three�".”, before I’m able to finish though, a man comes bursting through the door knocking Betty aside into the display of vegetables! I can only look down at my journal and attempt not to laugh. I lick away the smile starting on my lips and give a small, “Uh oh.”
“Sorry! Are you alright?”, he asks offering his hand to her. Now let me tell you a little more about her. She hates men with an undying passion. She defines it as, a type of food you’ve been around for too long, if that food could lie to you and be overall good for nothing. I believe that’s accurate. I wouldn’t know too much about it though. I’ve never liked men. Probably cause all we’ve ever seen were boys. Good for nothings�" can’t take care of you, let alone themselves. So, we showed ‘em we didn’t need ‘em. If we wanted them, we’d have them. Simple.
“Don’t f****n’ touch me.”, she says with a smile as she fixes the display, “I’m fine.”
I laugh and point at them as the boy turns around and stares wide eyed.
“You’ve gone and pissed her off! Great first impression Kid. Golden performance!”, I walk over and hang my arm around him, smiling. “I’m not a kid! From the looks of it, I-I’m a little older than you both.”, he says, appearing quite disappointed.
Betty turns around hard and crosses her arms. I can tell she’s wondering how this’ll play out.
“How old do you think we are then?”, I say puckering my lips near his left cheek. “Um… Seventeen?”, he says sounding unsure. I almost feel bad for playing with him like this. “Wonderful!”, I exclaim, “Bonus points for the guess, but still, oh so wrong! We actually have Twenty years to our names.”
Betty looks like she wants to say something, but holds back her thought. There's something about this guy that’s… I don’t know, but it’s a good thing. He has hair that’s half shaved and silver!
“I’m nineteen! You two are older than me!”, he yells this while moving around like there's ants in his pants. He ends up going under my arm and pushes me away, grazing my breast. Keep in mind I have not a single piece of underwear on. Just a shirt, boys jogging pants, and an apron. Comfort at its finest! Now while the initial touch didn’t affect me, it does hit him pretty hard. He flushes from embarrassment as he allows his hair to cover his right, black, eye as he bows his head,
“I’m so sorry! Please forgive me! I didn’t mean to! I just�" I just wanted to get away! I’m not from here and�" and not very good at women!�" I mean being around women!”, he screams, fumbling for his words. Betty and I just stare at him wide mouthed and unspoken for. She is the first to break the silence.
Her words cut through the situation like a knife to butter.
“Maybe you should leave or buy something�" whoever you are.”, she suggest looking him up and down, “You are acting really weird. And overall, you are kinda pissing me off.”
This guy is a bit on the weird side, I won’t lie, but in a good way. “Calm down. Both of you are too afflicted by first impressions.”, I say looking between them. “Maybe we should restart, Buddy can we get you something?”
* * *
“I don’t really have�".”, he starts to say, but his stomach growls loud. Betty and I know that sound well… The sound of someone who hasn’t eaten in days. My heart drops and hang from a rope as I realize how weak he looks. It sends a sickening and hurtful feeling through my stomach. Betty sighs and grabs a cabbage from the cold display and holds it above his head. He looks at it similar to the way dog looks at a treat. “So Kid. Tell me your name,, where you are from, and why you are here? Answer truthfully and I’ll give you some food, since it seems as though you have none to pay for your own.”, she says before tossing me the cabbage. I take a bite of it, with a crunch, as I let the water run down the corners of mouth. “Mm! Delicious!”
His eyes sheen with desire. “I never really had a name! I-I come from a farm in a place that… You-you can just call me whatever you want, anything is nice… I don’t feel comfortable telling those things to you both yet�" But I don’t have a coin to my name! I’ve travelled for six days without food… I�"!”, I don’t let him continue before throwing the ball of cabbage at him.
Six days without food? Sounds like he has nothing to go back to if he’s like this. His clothes are dirty and rather ragged as well. “Eat your cabbage, then come find us. My friend and I are going to have a little chat. You don’t have to worry about paying us back for right now. Eat as much as you’d like, there are more veggies and fruit all around, but clean it back up! Got that?”, I walk hurriedly towards Betty; I grab her wrist and flip the sign back to close. “I�" I understand! Thank you!”, he nearly chokes on the food as he fills his belly. “Avery! What are you�"!?”, she tries to ask as I pull her over behind the register.
“Call me crazy, but I think we should keep him around.”, I suggest. “You are definitely a few bolts loose! You actually think I’ll accept a stranger to live with us? Hell no!”, she yells making her anxiety known. I completely understand where this is coming from and how she feels, but we can’t turn him out loose.
“Look, I know where you’re coming from, but I’ve made up my mind. We are letting him stay around. He’s got nothing and, apparently, no one! We know how that feels! Do you want someone else to go through the same pain we did!? A guy or not, he’s still suffering. Are you gonna just stand there and watch him bleed while you watch?”
I back her into a corner with that question, but it was necessary… I’m being really selfish right now, I know, but I have to follow this instinct! It’s too strong not to.
“I�" … suppose not. Okay! Fine! Say we try this: Where will he sleep and work?” I think about this for a second before giving a knowledgeable answer. I tell her that he can sleep in my room and work for us. Making our jobs at least twenty percent easier was my selling point and it seemed to strike her. She takes a bit to respond, as she thinks out her answer.
“You need to understand that this is a crazy suggestion. We know next to nothing about this boy.”, she holds up her index finger, “But! I’ll accept it for now.”
All I can do is look up from my journal and smile in awe! There's nothing I can think to say to Betty except, “Thank you so much!” I start to jump around making very, strange and happy sounds. I look over at the boy and to my surprise he’s just standing there, staring at me with his eyes closed and a smile. He looks brighter, more lively.
“Hey Kid?”, I shout. He looks flush as his eyes shoot open! “Y�"yes ma’am?”, he asks. I tell him that formality isn’t needed, but thank him for the gesture anyway. “For now, you will be staying with us!”, I wrap my arm around Betty’s neck and lean, “Isn’t that great!? You finally have a place to stay, and with two girls no less.” I snicker but Betty’s face scrunches as she pushes away from me. “Try anything and I’ll kill you. Then make you into jerky.”, she says sounding rather serious.
“I have no intention on trying anything.” , he says sounding taken back,“I’m not that type a guy.”
Betty laughs sarcastically, unmoved, “Cut the s**t right now! Like I haven’t heard that s**t before!“Oh that’s not me! I’m not that type a guy! I’ll treat ya’ right!” Spare me the baba booey bullshit! What is it with you boys? Always saying and making promises that you can’t keep!”
Me and the Kid are both taken aback by Betty’s sudden outburst of emotion. Something should be said, but I shouldn’t nudge into this. It wouldn't be fair to Betty after her accepting the idea of a male staying with us.
“Um… I'm sorry. This got deeper than I expected, but… what do you mean by, ‘boys’?”, he asks. “You are just like the rest of the ‘men’ we’ve seen around! You talk like them, make promises you won’t be able to keep, and act all innocent just the way they do! You can’t even take care of yourself! Just! Like! Them! Little boys in men’s clothing!”, Betty replies.
He stands taller now than he was before. As he speaks, his words are crisp, clear. He speaks the perfect melody for this tune�"
“With all do respect ma’am�" what the hell do you know about me?”, he stays calm, letting his words empower themselves. “It’s rude to just put me in the same category as the ‘boys’ you speak of. Do you know for certain that I’ll cut every small thread until the rope finally breaks? From the work these ‘boys’ have put you through, I’d expect that rope to be no thicker than a spiders web. I don’t really like destroying things.”
Betty blinks a couple times trying to regain her source of thought. “So what? I’m supposed to just sit here and wait to see if you f**k up?”, she says with a source of lament in her voice. “Wait for you to destroy every promise, everything we have? Break…Us?”
She’s finally brought to tearful eyes as she fights gravity from taking them.
“I’m not sure what you want me to say ma’am.”, he explains, “There’s no other option. All I have is my word. If you keep it, I’ll hold it.”
“Yea, you want my trust?”, her tears drop to the ground as her heart, follows, “Earn it.” She takes off her green apron and throws it at his face before disappearing upstairs. I don’t think she’ll be back for the rest of today.

Author's Note

The rest of Chapter One. Avery©️