breathe// 5SOS

56

Ava

"Your dad is here Ava," Michael called, "Come here for a second love,"

I grabbed my bag and sluggishly walked to Michael, seeing a present in his hand.

"This is a cookbook you can give your dad for Christmas, is that okay?"

"Thankyou,"

"Talk to me chic, you've been quiet,"

"I'm stressing about Christmas,"

"You don't need to, dad will make sure it's all okay,"

Despite the obvious tears in my eyes, I nodded, letting him carry the present. He answered the door and whispered a bit to dad, then handed the book over and hugged me.

"You'll have fun. You can always text me,"

"Come on poppet, we are going to have a chill evening,"

I took dad's hand and walked back to the car, hanging my head and slamming the door as I got in. Then, I started to cry.

It was overwhelming- the thought of presents and people.

"Hey, hey, are we crying about Christmas? A time for you to relax with your family?"

"I can't relax; not all of my family is here, and when Marcus arrives he will hate me anyway because I've been so miserable,"

"Well you won't be miserable, because as long as you just follow what I say, Christmas will be fine. He also won't hate you Ava, you shouldn't keep saying that,"

"He will, and he won't want to stay, and it will upset me because I already love him which is a big thing for me, and I want him to hug me, not hate me. I want to see him round school, or at the weekends and to watch films, but when he actually sees me he won't,"

"Why won't he ay? You've spoke on FaceTime, he knows you a little poppet,"

"He'll think I'm weird and ugly, and miserable, and that I don't want to talk to him. I know he will try so hard but what if he doesn't understand I feel all the things I just said because he is still a kid afterall- am I stupid?"

"I think you're worked up, but you're not stupid. You're nervous, and Christmas is a whole new experience as well as meeting Marcus,"

I put my head in my hands and shook my head, bouncing my knee.

"Ava,"

"Please can I have a moment dad," I mumbled, though it didn't sound like him. Perhaps my own mind was driving me insane.

"Ava,"

I turned round, staring at the hazel eyes identical to mine. Then, I turned to dad, who had his eyebrows raised with a smile on his face.

Almost as if I'd never stopped crying, the tears were back as I climbed into the back, and felt his arms around me.

I gripped his shirt like he would disappear any second, incase he was just in my mind.

He smelt like freshly washed cotton, and his hugs were tighter than I expected. He was quite toned, and lookedmuch older than Harry up close.

"Marcus," I whispered, feeling him rub my back, "are you real?"

"The last time I checked I was,"

I knelt up and hugged him better, burying my head in his shoulder.

"I can't stop crying,"