Claimed by the Dark Souls of VHA

Chapter Four

AVA

The days and weeks skate by quickly with no confrontation from Ms. Blonde, her loyal minions, or the two devils that continue to follow my every move. I should be thankful, but the crazy in me was hoping for some sh!t to happen where I could smack a face or two. I know, I'm f!cking certifiably nuts.

Emma has been a solid friend to me and for that I am truly grateful. Growing up utterly alone ate at my soul, but now that I have had a taste of friendship, girl talk, and just lounging around with someone who gets me, I love it and never want to let it go. Alex has also been hanging around us more and more, always giving me a hopeful look any time I glance at him. He is dying to make a move and to be honest, I don't think I'd mind.

"Earth to Ava." Emma waves her hand in my face and I jolt out of my daydream.

"Sorry, what were you talking about?" I say because for the life of me, I can't recall a single thing she has said since sitting down at the table.

"I was saying that we should hit the party going on this weekend. It's by the lake. Everyone will be there." I raise an eyebrow at her.

"We see these peoples face every single day. Why would I want to party with them?" She cracks up hysterically.

"It's a party. Why wouldn't you want to party? Who gives a damn about seeing these faces every day. You haven't seen them in their real form besides in school uniform. Some just might surprise you." I shake my head.

"Doubt it. They're all pretentious assholes with money up their asses that can buy themselves any damn thing their heart desires. However, I do like myself a party. Free booze. F!ck it. Let's do it." I say shoving a mozzarella stick into my mouth.

"Let's do what?" Alex chimes in dropping his book bag on the floor and planting his butt beside me. Our thighs briefly touch and he gives me a knowing smirk along with a wink. Hmmm. My thoughts begin to run rampant with some interesting ideas for the party that involve me and Alex. Haven't done anything in quite a while so maybe he can lend a hand in that department.

"Party on Friday. Come with?" Emma says cooly and Alex's eyes brighten like it was Christmas morning. I reel in the giggle that wants to let loose from my mouth.

"Sounds good to me. Been meaning to use my new flask somewhere." His eyebrows go up and down and now I have to let loose the giggle.

"Big boy has a flask?" I say and he flips me off while laughing along with me. Our laughter must garner the attention from the two assholes because Christian decides to head towards us looking all serious. Dude really needs to chill out. His face will remain that way for the rest of his life. Out of both of them, Christian has been keeping his eyes on me more and more. Ryder, however, has only gazed at me with so much contempt. Obviously he is pissed about something.

"To what do we owe the honor Christian? Oh wait. Hold that thought until Lucifer comes along behind you." I say with all intents and purposes to spur them on. Lucifer makes his way over with none other than Barbie Doll hanging all over him, smiling like she had won the jackpot.

Whatever.

"Heard laughter and wanted to know what was so funny." Christian says with fire in his eyes that can surely penetrate my soul if I allowed it to.

"Our business, not yours, or your cronies behind you." I say with an expressionless face.

"Do either of us have to remind you who is in charge here?" Ryder stalks forward sporting his ultimate f!ck off face.

"Oh big bad can talk! Read my lips. Not. Your. Business." I say while I straighten up in my seat unwilling to back down to these two dumbasses. Ryder pushes Queen Bee to the side and bends down to eye level with me.

"You'll learn to obey me, one way or another Ava. Mark my words." He says through gritted teeth. I flash a smirk his way and just to make matters worse, I bop his nose.

"Nope." I say, popping the P at the end. Christian stands there shocked while Ryder's face becomes redder than an apple. Emma's face pales, yet Alex sits there seemingly intrigued. I think I might have just signed my death warrant.

Sh!t. Oh well.

"I think your blood pressure is skyrocketing. Better have your girl go cool you down somewhere." I point to Barbie Doll behind him and he just slams his hands on the table making everyone shift to pay attention to what is going on at our table.

Great, an audience.

Just what I needed.

Ryder narrows his eyes and they become cold as ice. He begins to smile maliciously.

"That's right. Ms. Ava Sinclair thinks she rules everyone around here. The Sinclair name won't save you sweetheart. Money can't buy everything Princess. I'm surprised you dress like trash but maybe you really are trash being a Sinclair and all." He says so matter of factly that it actually cuts deep. Shock must be written all over my face that he grins even wider like he had just won the war. I have never given anyone my last name. I was hoping my aunt would be smarter than this. I was supposed to be invisible. She threw me under the damn bus!

"How'd you..." I croak out my sentence.

"I did my homework Sinclair." He says and I ball my hands into fists.

"Stop calling me that!" I stand and slam my hands onto the table. Tears prick behind my eyes, but I refuse to cry in front of these pathetic assholes. I watch as Ryder just glares at me with malicious intent. I look to Christian who seems at a loss but he won't say anything to calm the storm brewing inside his brother.

"Seems I struck a nerve. Now you know not to play with fire, Sinclair." Before I know what I am doing, I slap him across the face. I can hear gasps from all around me. Ryders rage deepens leading Christian to hold him back from retaliating. Alex and Emma both come to my side to pull me out of there but I refuse to move. Emma pulls my arm while Alex moves to stand in front of me, but there is no way I am leaving just yet. It is my turn to bore holes into each of these pr!cks.

"You have no f!cking idea what you are talking about! I have never been a f!cking Sinclair. I don't give two sh!ts that that is my last name but it doesn't make me one! F!ck you. F!ck the both of you!" I push past Emma, leaving Alex standing there, running from the cafeteria trying so hard to not break in front of everyone. Nobody deserves to hear my truth, let alone the f!ckwads that decided to air my secret for everyone to hear. I don't want to ever be associated to that name. It is a name that has only garnered immense heartache and pain.

This is exactly why I begged my aunt to use a different last name to get me in here. I pleaded for her to do that one measly favor for me. She never considered me a Sinclair or a part of the family so why start now? I thought she had abided my wish and set me up as "Scholarship recipient". How the f!ck these two found out that I was a Sinclair baffles me. I know they are the big bads of the school but do they even have the intelligence to dig for all the secrets and lies of the students here? Maybe they do. I have royally f!cked myself ever getting on their radar.

I don't know where I am running but once I know I am far away from everyone I drop to the ground and fall apart. Tears flow freely and I scream. I manage to calm myself down after I have cried every single tear, and just eye my surroundings. The only thing I can hear are the birds chirping and the lake water flowing. It is definitely peaceful over here, wherever the hell I am.

Depression hits me once again and everything that I have been burying deep inside of me slowly rises to the surface. The endless nights of people coming in and out of the disgusting apartment that I had to call home. The days I was so hungry but didn't want to eat the sh!t being served at the school, so I'd settle for a protein bar by slamming onto the broken vending machine. The treacherous storming of my mother's feet when I wouldn't do as she said as she stormed into my little area and slapped me or whipped me with a belt that left scars all over me. With depression comes the added intense anger and rage coursing through my veins.

I hate Ryder.

I hate Christian.

I hate everyone that deems them worthy of being called their leader.

F!ck them all.

I rise to my feet and slowly make my way back to campus to the only room that I find solace in. Every class with Ms. Townsend helps me cope with the demons that linger. The music brings me back to some kind of reality where nothing can go wrong. Music class isn't till tomorrow but she said I could use the room whenever I needed it by giving me a spare key. My phone continues to buzz with calls and messages from Alex and Emma but I ignore them. The only thing that can take my pain away is music.

Ever since going to school as a kid, I have been learning piano and have been teaching myself to play songs not needing to know how to read music. My ears listen and they tell my fingers which keys to press. Having at least that to hold on to has made my life a little bit brighter in the darkest of days. I begin to play a melody, just rearing all the hurt and pain once again to escape through my fingers and then I scroll through my phone for Linkin Park's song Leave Out All the Rest.

I dreamed I was missing

You were so scared

But no one would listen

Cuz no one else cared.....

I continue to belt my heart out, because this song right here conveys everything about me and for me. Who the hell would miss me if I did wind up ceasing to exist? What have I actually done in my life to even remotely feel proud of myself?

Don't be afraid

I've taken my beating

I've shared what I made

I'm strong on the surface

Not all the way through

I've never been perfect

For me to have you.....

When I get to the ending, I begin to break down again.

I can't be who you are.

A lone tear falls from my face and I sniffle. I get up and search for a tissue in my bag when I hear something by the door. I storm over and pull open the door to see Christian standing right outside of it. There is no expression on his face and I can't tell what the hell he is feeling or thinking right now and I honestly don't give two sh!ts. My eyes feel like they are popping out of my head and I try to slam the door in his face but he stops it with his foot.

"What the actual f!ck are you doing here Christian? Come to gloat about your brother's performance at lunch? I don't need the reminder. Just leave me the f!ck alone." I gather my backpack, close the cover to the piano and brush past him. He immediately grabs a hold of my wrist and pulls me to him. He cups my cheeks and notices my face is red and my eyes are swollen. Just more ammo he needs to make me feel like a worthless piece of crap.

"Let me go Christian." I try to tug away but his hold on me is strong.

"It's my fault Ryder said that. I told him who you were. I'm sorry. So f!cking sorry." He says with his eyes filled with guilt and sincerity. I don't buy his apology for a second.

"Why would you do that?" I ask both wanting and not wanting to know the answer.

"I knew it would make him mad and I didn't want to watch him make a move on you. He takes what he wants from someone and leaves. He had his eyes set on you from the beginning and I just couldn't let that happen. Knowing you were a Sinclair riled him up to the point where he wanted you gone. He hates the Sinclair family." I tug my wrist away from his embrace and step backwards.

"By doing all that, you painted a huge target on my back. I never wanted to be associated with the Sinclair name. I am not one of them. Those people left me to rot when they very well knew they could save me. I might have the last name but as far as I am concerned, I have only one name and that is Ava. Period. My family is dead to me as I am to them. I wanted it kept like that but no. You decided to have me rise from the dead. I hope you are proud of yourself." He gulps and I turn to walk away.

"Ava." He says to draw my attention back to him and I let out a sigh.

"Stay away from me. Both of you." The pained look in his eye is what I leave him with while I walk myself back to my room, done with the utter sh!t that was my day. I head to my door only to find it slightly open and when I walk in, everything has been ransacked. Clothes splayed across the floor. Books thrown here and there. Bedding tossed with the mattress flipped. The envelope my aunt had given me is no longer there and I sigh.

Sinclair money I didn't want anyway.

I shake my head and drag myself down the hallway to Emma's room. I knock on the door and she immediately opens it looking purely worried about me. She pulls me into her body, wrapping her arms around me.

"Thank god you're ok! Alex and I have been looking for you! Wait, what's wrong?" I feel numb all around and go to lie down on her bed and curl up into a ball. She rushes to my side and cuddles me.

"Someone tore apart my room. Can I stay here?" Is all I can manage to say and she immediately says yes. I see her texting someone but I don't ask who and just close my eyes. Sleep immediately takes me and I drift away to a happier place for the time being. Only in my dreams can I be happy and I can manage to keep the demons that want to hurt me away.