Summer's Never Looked The Same

-----Ava's POV-----

I managed to convince a couple kids to let me sleep in their warehouse. Apparently, they are homeless junkies who aren't fond of sharing their habits, which I will never object to. Though, the first night I slept there, I was afraid they would inject something into me while I was sleeping. But I woke up okay. There was nothing new.

That day, I went to the store, in disguise, and I bought some hair dye. A dark, blood red that not even my dad would recognize me in. As I was checking out, I heard someone call my name.

"Ava?" Oh shit. I had thought, closing my eyes from under my sunglasses. I considered running. I mean, I had already purchased the dye, so I wouldn't be shoplifting... The person who had called me put their hand on my shoulder. I was about to wheel around and push them so I could start running. But a wave of anger hit me when I saw it was Erin. "What are you doing?" She had asked in a confused tone, her eyes averting to the hair dye in my shaking hands.

"Umm... I'm dying my hair." I answered with a rude turn at the end, hoping she wouldn't push her dumbass questions any further.

"No, I mean, why are you dressed up as a homely loner?" She asked.

It took so much for me not to sock her. I looked around, hoping that no one else that knows me would see me. I was sure my dad had called everybody by now. "Look, I don't have time. Okay? I'm... I'm busy." I hissed.

"Busy running away?" Surprising. She acknowledged what my dad had said.

"Fuck off." I whisper, pushing past her and out the store. She followed me out onto the sidewalk.

"Whoa, dude. I'm on your side." She called after me. When I turned around, she smiled. "L.A. is messed. I can understand why you'd leave this dump."

I groaned at her ignorance. "It's not just L.A., Erin. It's everybody and everything around me. That includes YOU."

She didn't seem too bothered by what I had said. She just looked at me with a blank stare. "Well, where are you running to?"

"I don't have time for this." I muttered, turning back around and walking away.

The last thing I had heard her call out was, "I won't tell anyone!"

I haven't seen her, or anyone else, since then. Dying my hair that day was easy. I had done it at my aunt's wedding when I was fourteen. I remember Ryan and Bam trying not to laugh when he saw me walk down the aisle with red hair and a pink dress. At the reception, they let all their laughter out and told me how funny I looked wearing colors that clashed. But they liked the hair color I had chosen. I laugh at the memory.

I hear the door to the warehouse slam shut. I can barely hear the footsteps coming towards the room that they claimed would be mine until I got out of here. The door opens and one of the guys, Cody, that "lives" here walks in, looking shy as usual.

"Hey." He says quietly, not making eye contact with me.

"What's up?" I ask, standing up from my foam pad on the floor.

"I don't feel like doing anything more." He replies and I catch a quick glimpse of his bloodshot eyes.

"Mmm." I sit back down and point at the corner of the room. "Well, as long as you stay over there and don't offer me with anything that you have on you, you can stay in here."

He nods and walks over to the chair I pointed at that sat in the corner of the room.

"Oh, and Cody?" He turns to me before he sits down.

"I can guarantee you that I can kick a guy's ass. So I recommend not trying anything with me." I warn him before sitting back down. His face contorts with shock as he nods his head and sits down, looking away from me. I'm leaving Cali tomorrow. I'm leaving all my memories and past behind. Starting tomorrow morning, it's all gone.

When I was younger, I imagined everything in my life would be perfect and so easy as I got older. Thinking back on my day-dreaming, I find it so 'cute' that I was so ignorant about the real world. I don't think I've ever been this embarrassed about who I was when I was younger.

I'll miss everyone. There's no doubt. I'll miss the Jackass crew, my dad, April and Phil. And Bam especially, no matter how much I hate him right now.

I close my eyes and drift off to sleep.

"Ava? Ava."

My eyes pop open and there he is. I don't move at all and I don't see that I'm standing up. I'm too shocked to register my new surroundings.

"W-what?" I question my sanity. This feels way too real to be even close to a dream. "Wha-- Ryan!"

"What the hell are you doing, kiddo? Have you lost it?" Ryan asks, a little hint of anger lingering in his eyes and tone of voice.

"N-no. I don't know." I reply quietly, looking down at the paved floor. It's only now that I realize that we are in a garage type room. But the walls are wood. Kind of like a cabin. And it's empty except for us. "I... Ryan, I miss you."

"I miss you too, Ava. But don't do this. Don't do this to yourself, your dad, or anybody. He's taking it just as hard as you are." He states.

"Ryan, have you been near me all this time?" I ask the question that has been on my mind since June, ignoring his statement as my eyes fill with gallons of tears that fall as quickly as they show up.

"I've been by your side since day one." He grins. I smile back through all the tears. I can't help but start weeping.

"Don't leave, okay?" I cry, holding myself for comfort. "Please don't."

"I won't. I promise. But can you promise me something?" He asks. I nod. "Don't cut anymore. Tell Bam to get his shit together and get help." He tells me this with a smile, like he always did whenever he and Bam insulted each other. But I can tell he is still serious.

"Go home. I'll be with you." He reassures me.

"Make an effort to visit me sometime, ass." I smirk, wiping the tears from my hot face.

He laughs his laugh that was contagious to everyone he was around. "Okay. I will."

He turns around, but turns back to face me again. "Also, the answer to your dad's question is yes."

I look at him in confusion. "What did he ask you?" But he is already gone, leaving me in this strange room by myself.

My eyes open to see the warehouse room that I had fallen asleep in is still here. Cody is long gone. Nothing seems out of place in here, speaking as if Cody tried anything. And it's morning.

Without a second thought, I jump up and dress myself. I pack my things up, thank the kids for letting me stay, and leave.