Closed Issues

[Avaria Lockwood]

Ava was not enjoying herself. She hid in the gardens, nestled in between two rose bushes. They were a little prickly, but she didn't care too much. She just needed away from the crowd today. There were so many kids here, and Ava was irritated with all of them. How many of them had two loving parents, or even one, or even someone in their life that they didn't have to doubt? She sighed and pulled her knees closer to her chest, burying her head in her arms. She was being irrational. Thoughts like that weren't fair. But if she had to listen to one more conversation about how unfair parents were, she felt like she'd scream. She sighed. This wasn't any fun.

 

[Alice Briar]

Lately, Alice was avoiding her sisters a little. They were all fine with the news their parents had given them, and Alice didn't think they understood her worries and concerns. It was a part of being the youngest, all her thoughts and worries were dismissed as childish. The girl often went to the gardens to clear her mind, and she made her way there today s well. With her hands in the pockets of her school robes, she wandered around and looked at the flowers. It helped her feel a little better, but it wasn't enough to really cheer her up. After walking around for a while, Alice noticed a foot peeking out of the rose bushes. Frowning, she leaned in closer to see who was hiding there. She was surprised to see one of her best friends, and gasped. "Ava!"

 

[Avaria Lockwood]

Ava looked up as someone spoke her name. "Oh... hey Allie." She mumbled, turning her head and looking the other way. She hadn't really sat and talked with her friend in a while, not seeing her outside class. Ava pulled her knees tighter to her chest. She had tried to keep her problems to herself. Allie was always so cheerful. Ava didn't need to be the one to ruin that.

 

[Alice Briar]

Alice stepped closer, pushing a few roses out of the way to get a better look at her friend. "Are you okay? Why are you hiding?" She asked Ava, confused. "That doesn't look like a very comfortable spot to hide..." Alice wondered why the Ravenclaw had decided to hide between two bushes that had thorns. Alice had already been pricked simply by trying to get a look at her. "Do you want to talk...?" She asked hesitantly. She hadn't seen Ava much this year, and that made her sad. Now it made her worry she hadn't been a very good friend. It looked like Ava was upset about something, and Alice had no idea what it was.

 

[Avaria Lockwood]

Ava looked up as Alice came out of nowhere. She shook her head and looked away. She felt angry, and she knew that the anger wasn't deserved, but she felt it all the same. "You wouldn't understand," She muttered darkly. "You already have everything." She curled up tighter into herself, not looking at the other girl.

 

[Alice Briar]

Alice was troubled as Ava looked away and felt concerned for her friend. It was clear something was going on, and Alice wished she knew what it was. She felt like she wasn't a very good friend for not knowing, but knew she wasn't going to just leave Ava alone. "I can still listen." She said softly. "I'll try to understand, I promise." Ava's words stung a bit, but she tried not to let it get to her. She did have a lot of things, she knew that, she was very lucky with her family even if she didn't currently feel like it.

 

[Avaria Lockwood]

Ava huffed, frustrated. "No, you couldn't possibly understand!" She lashed out. "I'm just so- so angry all the time! My dad was never there for me, not until mom died and he had no choice! I was so excited at first, I thought it was just some misunderstanding somewhere, but now there's Emily! Merlin, I have a sister! A little sister I know nothing about who never had him either." She buried her hands in her hand. "I just... I don't understand! And no one tells me anything. Just vague assurances. It's okay, Ava, or You'll understand when you're older, Ava." She let out a frustrated laugh. "Or my favorite. I love you both the same, Ava." She groaned. "Shouldn't he love me most? I mean... I live with him, I've been with him. She just got here." She sniffled. "She's already better than me. I'm going to lose him- again, and there's nothing I can do about it."

 

[Alice Briar]

Alice winced as Ava yelled at her, but she didn't back off. She listened as the girl ranted about her father, telling Alice more about her situation than she ever had before. "You have a sister?" She asked, a little confused. "Is it... a baby sister?" She asked hesitantly. Somehow, from Ava's words, she guessed not. But she wasn't sure how to picture the situation. But while it was definitely a different situation than her own, Alice could perfectly understand how Ava felt. She was feeling a similar way about her mother's pregnancy and the baby sibling that would be born next year. But she didn't know if Ava would appreciate the comparison, so she kept that to herself for now. "It's okay to be angry about that, and to be angry at your dad." She said softly. "It's stupid when adults don't tell us things, or say things that aren't believable. But.... that doesn't mean you'll lose your dad." She said softly. "It sounds to me like he's trying to make you feel included, but... maybe going the wrong way about it. Parents tend to treat us like we're younger than we are, and that can be frustrating." She said. "Ava... you should tell him how you feel, or have you done that?"

 

[Avaria Lockwood]

Ava sighed and ran her hands through her hair. "Yes and no. Her name is Emily, she... was sorted into Ravenclaw this year." She bit her lip. She looked up at Alice through her lashes as Alice tried to reassure her. She sighed and looked away again. Had she tried talking to her dad? "Well... a little," She admitted softly. "I just... I get so upset when I try talking to him. I... I don't want to make things worse," She bit her lip. It was hard talking about it. "I... I'm sorry about how I spoke to you," She apologized softly.

 

[Alice Briar]

Alice was picturing a newborn, much like her own sibling would be in a few months. So when Ava said her sister had been sorted into Ravenclaw, Alice had to pause and reevaluate her mental image of what Ava was talking about. This was a lot worse than a new baby sibling, this was one she hadn't known about for eleven years. With a start, Alice realized Ava had been right. She couldn't understand. Immediately, her own problems seemed less significant. "Oh Ava... I'm sorry, it must be difficult to suddenly find out you have a sister who is nearly your age." She said softly. "I think you should talk to your dad more... if he's as nice as you always say, he'll listen. Sometimes they don't really get how things are for us... parents, I mean. They just assume you're okay with things because they're happy about it, but don't even consider you might be upset." She reached over and touched Ava's arm gently. "It's okay. We all say things we don't mean when we're upset." She reassured her.

 

[Avaria Lockwood]

Ava felt guilt twist her stomach as Alice suggested she talk to her dad. "I... I know," she admitted softly. "I'm just... Afraid to." She hugged her knees closer to her chest. She sniffled as Alice touched her arm and forgave her. Ava leaned over and laid her head on her friends shoulder. "Thank you, Allie." She murmured. "I'm sorry I've been so distant." She shut her eyes, drawing comfort from the other girls warmth.

 

[Alice Briar]

Alice nodded. "I know that can be scary... but your dad loves you, he'll understand." She said softly. "I think that he would be happy you told him how you feel." She addded, feeling bad for the girl. She hoped her advice was right. She pulled Ava into a hug and wrapped her arms around her. "That's okay, we'll always be friends." She said to the other girl. Alice realized she had been distant too, and felt guilty about Ava walking around with these feelings on her own. She vowed to be a better friend from now on, and to look after Ava. The girl clearly needed someone to look out for her, and Alice felt like she could do that.