"So, Ave," I glanced at the thin girl beside me. She was curled up in the passenger seat with her head resting on the window. This girl was distant, I could tell that already. "Is it okay if I call you that, Ave?"

"I've never had real nickname before," she whispered, her eyes glue to the window. "I think it's nice."

"Wh-What do you mean, I real nickname?"

The car grew silent. I knew in that moment that she wasn't going to answer me, probably because she'd been called some really cruel and hurtful things in her time on this Earth. I found a little comfort in the fact that I'd given her something nice to go by. Still, I worried about her. She was so pale and thin. I'd hoped today that she might put on some clothes that fit when we left the house, but the young girl was still dressed in rags. The only difference now was the clean scent coming from her body, and now her honey colored hair was wavy and tangle-less all the way down her back.

She didn't really want to be here with me today. I knew it'd be a task just to get her into the mall and make her pick out things she really liked. That's why I called in some of my friends to help. My time with the ladies had shown me that when one is a wreck, you don't really want to bring another female around her unless they're good friends. I guess that's why I didn't call Lisa or Cass to help me shop for her. I figured Jack, Zack and Rian would be a little more comforting to her. They did have the best personalities that could light up a room.

I put the car in park and killed the engine. Avory still hadn't moved from her place in the seat, and for a moment I believed she was asleep. That was until she let out a groan and pushed open her door, her frail body almost hitting the concrete. From that moment, I knew today would be more work than fun.

"Please, don't make me feel like a charity case," Avory whispered on our short walk to the mall doors. "It's bad enough that you had to take me into your home, I don't need you taking pity on me as well."

"You're not a chairty case.." I trailed, trying to think of the right thing to say. I would be grateful when she opened up a little more, then hopefully I wouldn't have to bite my tongue to avoid being hateful with her. "Look at this way, Ave. You're starting a new school tomorrow. You're in a house that can actually give you attention. This is a fresh start for you, I'm just trying to make sure you start it off right."

"Why?" She stopped walking just before I could open the door. People were moving around us since we were blocking the way. Her green eyes were clouded with something I couldn't quiet place. "You have no reason to be kind to me, Alex. In time, you'll think I'm nothing more than a waste of space just like everyone else does."

"Yeah," I snorted. "Only if you don't change your attitude. I'm trying to be the bigger man and be nice to you. Now please, could you suck up whatever type of pride it is you've got and let me take you shopping? If not for me, then for my mother. She wants us to get along, you know."

Avory's eyes trailed to the ground. For a moment, I thought she was going to cry, but instead she nodded her head and followed me into the mall. A sigh of relief hit me when I saw my friends sitting at a table in the food court. I waved my arms to motion them over. They took a second to look from me to Avory. I'd already told them she was my new foster sister, but I hadn't given them much details on what she's like or what she looks like. Finally, they came our way.

"You must be Avory," Rian broke the silence, forcing a smile to his face. Avory looked up at him, something that seemed close to fear flashed in her eyes, and she took a step closer to me. "I'm Rian. Don't worry, I don't bite."

"Don't let him lie," Jack laughed, "he totally bites, but only if you let him. I'm Jack."

"Hey, Avory," Zack mumbled. Maybe he could break through her walls. He was just as reserved as she was when he met new people. "I'm Zack."

We stood around awkwardly for a moment, none of us knowing what to say. Avory glanced at each of the guys, taking in every inch of them. The more she soaked them in, she became brave enough to step away from me. She was looking straight ahead of her now, her eyes no longer glued to the floor, and I took this as our sign to begin clothes hunting.

"So, Ave," I started, glancing at my best friend for a moment. He was saddened by the sight of the girl. "Aside from sweat pants, what kind of clothes do you like? There's a skate shop right over there. More punkish-goth stores a little further down, uh, stuff like A&E is on the second floor.. There's even old lady stores if you like to feel fancy.."

"I like the stuff you guys wear," Avory's voice was small, but she made herself flash me a gentle smile. I wondered exactly what she meant, because Jack and I were both wearing tight skinny jeans and band tee's, but Zack and Rian were the complete opposite. "I mean, your shoes, the way your pants fit. I like the logo on your shirt, too. What's Blink?"

"Only the greatest band to ever exist!" Jack yelled, jumping up and down like a giddy little girl. "You've never heard of them?!"

"I don't listen to music," her head was pointed to the floor again. "But I like your shirts."

"How about this?" Rian tapped her on the shoulder, instantly, she pulled away. He frowned, keeping his distance as he continued to speak. "You just try on a few shirts and jeans, that way we know your size. From there, we can pick your clothes for you."

"Yeah," Zack smiled. "But you have to pick out your own shoes. Girls are so weird about their shoes!"

I chuckled to myself, relaxing more around the new girl as my friends tried to make her feel at ease. I really don't know what I'd do without them. I was still unsure about Avory and whether or not we'd get along, but for the time being, I'd do my best to set a good mold for her. I could only hope that, in time, she would open up to me. Honestly, I was curious to know her story. What happened to her to make her wince at someone's touch, what made her scared to be around new people, or just people in general. I wanted to know why she'd been tossed out of six homes before she came to ours and I was desperate to know why we were her last hope.

Notes

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