Chapter Text
— a v a —
“Fuck, Mary’s gonna kill me,” Ava mutters to herself as she pushes through the crowd around her.
The 3pm World History class she had enrolled in purely out of obligation had run longer than expected, ending at 5:25 rather than the usual 5:00. That gives her exactly 5 minutes to get to her car and drive to Mary’s house for their 5:30 band practice.
If her calculations are correct, it’s a 5 minute walk to her car (if she forgoes her usual after class snack stop, which would be crime… so make it a 7 minute walk) and a 15 minute drive to Mary’s house. That would make her roughly 17 minutes late. Ava is briefly proud of herself for her quick math before dread falls over her again. Mary is going to kill her.
The walk through the building is brisk. Ava stops at a snack machine just before she leaves, cursing as it refuses her crumpled up dollar multiple times. Once it begrudgingly accepts, she presses a few buttons and grabs her reward from the slot below.
When Ava finally steps out into the parking lot, she pauses for a second. Memory isn’t her strong suit and it certainly isn’t serving her now as she attempts to remember which aisle she parked on. She clicks a button on her car keys a couple times, listening for the chirp of an alarm in the distance.
Once she zeros in on it, she rushes into her car, tossing her backpack in the backseat before clicking her seatbelt. Her old red Mazda Protege backs out of the parking spot and Ava shoves an Oreo into her mouth before switching to drive and careening out of the lot.
—
“I’m here!” Ava bursts through the door of the garage loudly at exactly 5:56. If looks could kill, Ava would’ve been dead before she even spoke. Mary stands up angrily from her spot on one of the couches against the wall.
“5:30 Ava, we ALL agreed 5:30,” Mary snaps, pointing one of her drumsticks at Ava before continuing, “not 6:00.” Ava shrugs before replying, “Class ran late. There was truly nothing I could do.” She pouts out her lip a little bit, tilting her head to the side and giving Mary her best puppy dog eyes, “please forgive me, Mary. I swear it won’t happen again.”
The older girl rolls her eyes and mutters a clearly audible, “yeah right,” as she walks towards her drum set, sitting down with a huff and crossing her arms over her chest.
Mary is all bark and only a little bite. She had been around since freshman year of high school, informally assigned the keeper of Ava and Camila. She’s the voice of reason, for the most part, but she comes with a quick fuse. Quick to fight, quick to argue, quick to anger.
She got better when Shannon joined the picture junior year, noticeably softening up around the other girl. It wasn’t long before they started dating. That’s around the same time the band was born. Mary on the drums, Shannon on guitar, Camila on bass and Ava as the lead vocalist.
Mary was gutted when Shannon broke the news that she would have to leave the state for college, having been accepted to her dream school across the country. She was supportive though, wanting the absolute best future for her girlfriend. And honestly, they’ve been doing pretty well with the long distance thing, visiting each other on holiday breaks and keeping close contact through their phones.
Ava finds it admirable, almost romantic, that they can keep their love alive from so far away. She’s pretty sure they’ll be back and better than ever as soon as they get their degrees.
Ava glances back over to the couches, looking over the rest of her friends as they get up from their positions. Camila rushes over and wraps Ava in a tight hug, placing a quick kiss on her cheek. Ava giggles as they break and Camila takes her spot in front of Mary’s drum kit, picking up her bass and taking a few seconds to tune it.
Camila is Ava’s closest friend and the one she’s known the longest. They met when they were only 6, both scared and feeling alone. They had been placed in the same orphanage and bonded pretty quickly after that. They told each other everything, and still do.
They kept in touch even when Camila was adopted shortly after she turned 10. Ava would visit Camila’s place as often as she was allowed. Which was pretty much every day since the sisters at the orphanage honestly couldn’t care less what the kids did.
After school they would spend hours together before Ava would trudge back to the Orphanage.
It was the easiest choice in the world when they decided to move into a little apartment together for college. Being roommates seemed like it was what they were born to do. Ava can’t imagine loving anyone more than she does Camila.
Ava is dragged out of her thoughts as JC pulls her in for a sloppy kiss, wrapping his arm around her shoulders lazily. “Hey babe,” he says with a wide smirk. Ava gives him a tight smile in return, before pushing him lightly to his guitar behind her.
JC came around shortly after Shannon left for college. The band took a bit of a break once classes started up, not sure what to do without their guitarist. Sure, Ava could play, but she wasn’t very confident in her abilities to play and sing at the same time. Mary met JC in one of her classes and when the band was mentioned, JC was hooked.
His cool guy mentality got the best of him and being a rock star seemed like the perfect way to have girls crawling at his feet. At Mary’s mention of the band’s break, he offered himself up gladly.
Does Ava like JC? Sure, he’s fine.
Well, no. That's a lie. He’s kind of an asshole. If she had known how he truly acted she never would’ve started hooking up with him about a year ago.
Now she was really only dating him for the band. It’s what everyone expects. Or at least, that’s what she thinks. Not to mention, if they did break up, they couldn’t really continue playing together. And the band means everything to her. So for now, she puts up with him. At least he’s attractive.
A male voice rings out from the couches with a delicately posh accent, “can you guys play my favorite this time?”
Michael has stretched out fully on one of the couches, now that it's empty, his head laying on his hands and his feet kicked over the armrest on the opposite side. He continues, “it feels like it’s been forever.”
Ava had been introduced to Michael in a slightly different way. When she turned 13, any hope for being adopted had been swept from her brain. She was a teenager. Families didn’t want teenagers.
They wanted little kids that weren’t messed up too bad from the system. Kids that weren’t troublemakers yet with too many years of trauma to undo. That wasn’t Ava. She wasn’t meant to have a family. She had Camila, that was enough. She would age out of the system and figure it out from there.
But one day she was plucked out of St. Frances' Orphanage and placed into a huge house, just short of a mansion. One with too many rooms for the amount of people living there.
It was then that she was introduced to Michael Salvius, a boy only a few months older than her. It was then when she was introduced to Jillian Salvius, her new mother.
The first few months with her new family was rough. She closed herself off, like a cat hiding under the bed. Maybe it was because she didn’t feel deserving of any of it. Why would a rich single mother want to adopt some random broken 13 year old? Slowly though, she started to warm up to Jillian and Michael.
Jillian was kind, warm and incredibly loving. Anything either of them needed, she tended to. When Ava showed her interest in art, Jillian had one of the spare rooms changed into a studio. When Ava mentioned that she and her friends were thinking of starting a band, she bought their instruments and offered the house up for practices. She never treated her any less than her biological son.
Michael was nice, funny, and in need of a friend. Ava filled that spot. They bonded over dumb jokes. Climbed trees behind their house even when they were probably too big for the smaller branches. Michael taught Ava how to ride a bike, and blow a bubble with chewing gum, and how to sneak into the kitchen at night without getting caught.
Eventually, he felt just as much of a sibling as Camila. And now, he never misses a practice or a gig or an art show. Ava appreciates and loves him more than she’d ever care to admit.
Mary scoffs, “your favorite changes every other week, pretty boy.” This earns a glare from Michael as he picks his head up. Mary returns it before both of their faces turn into teasing smiles. “Yeah, I guess you’re right,” he sighs dramatically as he flops his head back down, “Misery Business then.”
Ava smiles as Mary’s drumsticks click together and they start up the song.
~ Now Playing: Misery Business by Paramore ~
I’m in the business of Misery, let’s take it from the top...
— b e a t r i c e —
“I’m just saying, the workload for this class has definitely been the worst by far,” Lilith complains as they leave their Calculus 2 class. Beatrice lets out a hum of assumed agreement as they walk, adjusting the strap of her crossbody bag.
Lilith continues, “not to mention the professor is a complete rookie. Did you know it’s her first year teaching? I’ve heard she just copies the lectures of her colleagues. Amateur.” Beatrice hums again, keeping her eyes straight in front of them as they cross the quad.
Arq University’s campus is stunningly beautiful. Huge trees fill empty spaces between the large modern buildings, gravel pathways weaving through. On the outside, the buildings are crisp and white, but surprisingly, the interiors give off more of an academia aesthetic. Warm and inviting.
Beatrice knew that she was meant to attend ArqU as soon as she had stepped onto campus, feeling immediate comfort as she toured the place. The final selling point was the library, which is probably the largest building at the university, with 3 floors worth of books and no shortage of cozy study spots. In fact, there are cozy study spots sprinkled everywhere. The perfect campus for her.
Beatrice inhales deeply as she takes in her surroundings.
Lilith looks over at her curiously, one eyebrow arched, “what’s up with you?” Beatrice looks at her friend finally, seemingly snapping out of some sort of trance, “what?”
Lilith furrows her brow. “You heard me, Young,” she knocks her shoulder into the other girl a little too roughly before adding, “you’ve been acting off since last night.” Beatrice shrugs noncommittally. “Nothing is ‘up’ with me,” she responds, making small air quotes around ‘up’.
Lilith scoffs, “alright, sure.” There are a few moments of silence as they walk, before Lilith speaks up again, “listen, I know you. And I know when something is wrong with you.” She takes a second, expecting a response. When she doesn’t receive one, she practically scowls, “did something happen? Did someone fuck with you? Do I need to kill someone?”
“God, Lilith, no!” Beatrice returns before she lets out a small sigh. She fiddles with her bag strap again for a few seconds. “My parents called me last night,” she admits quietly, staring down at her hands as she folds them in front of her while they walk.
Lilith nods slowly, the anger in her tone subsiding only slightly, “ahh.” She pauses for a moment, trying to pick her next words carefully, “do you want to talk about it?” Beatrice responds immediately, “no.” Lilith nods once and they continue their walk in relative silence.
Lilith and Beatrice had known each other since childhood. Lilith’s parents worked for Beatrice’s, which meant that they met at every party they were forced to attend. They were enrolled in the same private schools. When Beatrice started piano lessons, Lilith started violin lessons, which led to many performances together to impress potential business partners.
In the beginning, they weren’t too fond of each other. They only spoke out of obligation and even when they did it was mostly pleasantries. It was only when they were around 12 when they started to bond, finding comfort in each other, and finding out they were actually pretty similar.
They both held high expectations, both from their parents and themselves. Their personalities meshed well. Beatrice being calculated, studious and calm, and Lilith being calculated, studious and well… not so calm.
Beatrice and Lilith could be akin to a handler and their angry dog. They became inseparable. They didn’t need anyone else as long as they had each other.
This pattern continued through their high school career. Lilith would pick fights and Beatrice would reel her back in. Beatrice would let someone walk all over her and Lilith would put that person in their place. It was a dynamic that worked for them.
And Beatrice was and is Lilith’s soft spot.
Lilith was there when Beatrice realized she liked girls. For her first girlfriend. And she was there when Beatrice subsequently got her heart broken. She was there when Beatrice attempted to come out to her parents and was cut off until she admitted the error in her ways. She was Beatrice’s shoulder to cry on when she had to tell her parents that she “recognized her sin” and had “prayed for forgiveness.” When she had to tell them that she, in fact, didn’t like girls at all.
And for Lilith, Beatrice was there when her father passed. When her mother started drinking excessively and shut her out. Lilith practically moved in with her junior year and never really left after that. When it came time to apply for colleges, they applied to the same ones and (unsurprisingly) both got accepted to their first choice.
It was unspoken that they would be roommates in college. It was equally expected from both of them. So they researched apartments near campus together and moved in as soon as they could, reveling in their own space away from their parents.
The family business couldn't be ignored however. To placate her parents, Beatrice took her major in finance, settling her true passion for literature as her minor instead. Lilith, in turn, took her major in marketing, being promised a position of power alongside Beatrice in the YoungTech company. Their friendship was and is easy. They understand each other and everything is unspoken. Mostly.
They finally reach their destination, a quaint coffee shop just outside campus. It’s their usual study/hangout spot, not too busy despite its location and usually pretty quiet. They walk up to the line to order their usual drinks, receiving welcoming smiles from the baristas.
“Same as yesterday, Beatrice?” one of the baristas asks, a small smirk on her lips. She’s leaned up on the counter, arms crossed in front of her chest. Her eyes wander across Beatrice's body unashamedly.
“Yes, Vanilla Chai Latte please. Hot today,” Beatrice responds, handing the barista her card dutifully.
The girl winks and rings her up. “Hot,” her gaze meets Beatrice’s, “got it.”
The barista’s smile widens before she turns to make the drink. Beatrice is painfully unaware that this girl might’ve been flirting with her, as she often is in situations like this. She takes her drink when it’s ready, sending a thankful smile to the barista, who winks at her again before shooing her away, “See you soon, Beatrice.”
Beatrice leaves the counter and Lilith follows close behind.
“You know,” Lilith starts as they sit at their usual table in the corner, directly in front of a large floor-to-ceiling bookshelf, “Lucia has been practically eye-fucking you for the last month. Are you gonna do anything about it?”
“What?” Beatrice’s eyes widen a little bit as she glances back to the counter, where she finds Lucia already looking at her. She averts her eyes quickly. “She- no she has not,” Beatrice stutters, feeling her ears heating up before she brings her cup up to her lips. Lilith raises an eyebrow right before Beatrice continues, “and either way, she isn’t my type.” Lilith rolls her eyes before taking a sip of her drink with a low “mhm.”
It’s been years since Beatrice has gone on a date, Lilith knows this. She knows the last relationship she was in was… bad. And ended even worse. It had kind of ruined the whole love thing for Beatrice. Despite that (or maybe because of that), Lilith has been pushing her to make a move on practically any girl that shows a smidge of interest.
Beatrice isn’t necessarily ready to jump into a relationship. She needs to focus on graduating and studying, not fooling around with some college fling. She needs to move on with her life and start making something of herself. A girlfriend or even a casual hookup could mess all of that up.
At least, that’s what she tells Lilith. And herself.
Beatrice returns her friend’s eye roll before pulling her laptop out of her bag and opening it up in front of her. She starts scrolling through assignments, taking a mental note on which she should start working on first when an email notification pops up on the corner of the screen. She clicks it open immediately.
Good Afternoon Students,
I hope you are all well. I am emailing to inform you that your first quarter projects will be starting up soon. In class tomorrow you will receive your partners. This person will also become your lab partner for the entire semester.
There will be no substitutions or exchanges of partners unless I am given significant reason.
See you all in class tomorrow at 12:00 pm in room 345.
- Professor Vincent
Beatrice hums lightly at the email and Lilith raises her head up from her own laptop. “What was that noise for?” She questions with a raised eyebrow.
“We’re getting our lab partners assigned tomorrow in Biology,” Beatrice replies, leaning back in her chair and trying to hide a smile, “I can only hope they aren't as useless as my Chemistry partner last year.”
“Hey!” Lilith retorts, kicking Beatrice under the table before continuing, “you would’ve failed that class without me.” Beatrice chuckles at the absurdity of that statement, earning a slight smile from Lilith.
“Sure I would’ve,” Beatrice responds, stretching her hands up briefly before beginning her work.
— a v a —
Ava waves to her bandmates as she gets in her car to leave Mary’s house. She opens her phone, checks the time (8:00) and immediately dismisses an email notification, instead opening up Spotify to start her favorite playlist.
The music fills the car loudly and Ava taps along with the drums on the steering wheel for a few seconds before backing out of the driveway and heading to her apartment.
~ Now Playing : Fluorescent Adolescent by Arctic Monkeys ~
You used to get it in your fishnets
Now you only get it in your nightdress…