Mavis Mikhailo

09/11/2015

If I'm being completely honest I've been needing to get out of this shit hole of a town for a long time. But it takes work, I guess? I've been saving all the money that comes my way since before I graduated high school. My mother never wanted me to leave her house, let alone the state. When it was time for me to apply for colleges she shut me down, then came up with wonderful excuses such as, "You're sister needs you" or my personal favorite, "I thought you loved me." My sister, Willow, was adopted by a loving family about a year and a half ago. 

After years of going to different foster homes and coming back to my mother and fathers house she was adopted just in time. That doesn't mean it wasn't a pain in her mothers asses when my parents wouldn't give up parental rights. And if you are wondering it was. In the last foster home I was in I met two boys that were staying there, their names were Thomas and Eliot Mikhailo. They became like brothers to me, I myself call them my brothers. I was at the home for a total of 6 months which were the best 6 months of my entire life. I felt like I truly had a family, I would even see my sister from time to time. But like all good things, it came to an end at one point. I was in the kitchen making popcorn when I over heard our foster parents at the time, Margot and Julian talking about Eliot getting adopted by an interested family in San Diego. 

I was confused at first but I went and asked them what they were talking about. That's when they called the three of us own stairs and broke the news. The Couple did not want Eliot's brother Thomas, but only Eliot. I actually met the couple that adopted Eliot, Mrs. Cooper and Mr.Cooper. They sure as shit put on a great cover up. I could always tell a fake when I see one. Growing up the way I did I had to. After Eliot got adopted it only went down hill from there. My parents got me back. Then Thomas took his life shortly a month after. Margot and Julian hosted a memorial at their home for Thomas, which Eliot came back for. 

Since then Eliot and I have been in touch. We call and text from time and time again. He told me I should go to San Diego and he would find me a place to stay. Eliot would have offered me a place to say at the Coopers, but they do not like me one bit! And if I'm being honest the Cooper's sons are really fucking creepy. We set a date for him to pick me up, since I was forbidden by my mother to get a car. That date is today both sets of parents are out of town. His on a church retreat since Mr.Cooper is a pastor. Then my parents out in Mexico getting shit faced. It's my 18th birthday today and It's now or never.

I get up from my twin sized mattress that's covered in taco crumbs from the night before. I check the alarm clock next to me on the bedside table that reads 3:30 am. I am just in time. I put on my unicorn watch and throw away the empty carton of cigarettes in the trashcan in the corner of my shoebox room. The trashcan is full of empty beer cans and surrounded by the ones that did not make it into there. I grab the vape thing my sister got me in hopes that I would be saving more money. Then the notepad with an illegible list on it and the two hand rolled joints on a rolling tray I put them in the pocket of the mens xl leather jacket, I got from good will days before, then put it on. I scrabble to put on some sun-bleached black high-top converse and my backpack that was packed hours ago in the corner of the room. I check the pockets of the jacket to see if I have my wallet which I do not. This starts a minute long panic, which then I find it under my pillow. After I go into my vent to grab a shoebox which has stacks of money in it, which I grab. I put it in the inner pocket of my jacket and race down the stairs. As I open the door I hear honking that's fucking blaring. I open the front door to see the one and only Eliot sitting in a bright blue old mustang. That is definitely not his. I begin walking to the car when I hear the crazy cat lady from across the street yell from her window,

"Can you get your car to shut the fuck up it is 3:30 in the fucking morning. Some of us are trying to get beauty sleep." She screams at the top of her lungs.

"Well, Sherry I don't think that beauty sleep is doing much for you!" I remark. Sherry violently shuts her window.

" I see you're still the ferocious cunt I know and love," Eliot laughs. I hop in the car and grab one of the joints I rolled hours ago.

"Just for you, I remember how my brother used to like to smoke while driving he used to say' When I'm high I just don't mind the little things like angry drivers, mom, babies, traffic.' This strain is strong so if I were you I wouldn't smoke the entire thing," Eliot signals me for a lighter as he pulls out of the street. Once I light it for him he begins to cough. "I told you, now before you get mad we need to make a few stops," He rolls his eyes. " What happened to 'Don't worry E I will be ready right when you get there,'" He snarks.

"I'm sorry, I just need to get a few things from the mini mart right off the freeway," I give him puppy dog eyes. He could never say no to those eyes. Ever since I knew him he would always give in, it was his weakness. "God damnit blondie those eyes again. Those are the eyes you give a police officer when you are trying to get out of a ticket," Eliot rolls his eyes.

"Hate to burst you're bubble but I'm not going to be blonde for that long," I reply. He turns toward me and with the "You got to be fucking kidding me" look.

After about 40 minutes of driving we finally get to the mini mart that's out of town. As we get out of the car I can see Eliot grab the door, "Ladies first." He says trying to be all proper and polite. "If you really meant ladies first you would be the one walking in." I roll my ears while walking into the store. Comments that hint at his sexuality don't faze him. I got the sense from about the time I met him that he was gay but we never talked about it. It is more of a "We know what we know, that we know" type of thing. Eventually I get to the isle that has the hair dye I was thinking about going red but in Eliot said, "You don't want people do think you're a fire crotch then get disappointed when they see the bush is the color of Hannah Montana's hair" So I decided to go with black. I grab a pair of sheers also. I reach into my pocket for the checklist and check Hair dye off of it. I go to clerk at the front of the store who looks like he just got out of prison, who rings me up. He looks up and points saying, "Uh is that your friend?" I look over to see Eliot with a watermelon under his shirt acting like he is pregnant. He is mumbling words that I can barely hear.

" Yeah, do you want me to buy that?" I point at the watermelon he had just taken out from under him. The clerk shakes his head. "Do you have a bathroom by chance?" I ask. "Yeah, here is the key." He hands me the key and I drag, high as a kite, Eliot to the bathroom with me. I grab the box dye from the bag and open the box and start doing following the steps on the instructions. By the time I am done mixing the powder and liquid Eliot is passed out on the floor. That floors fucking disgusting. I think to myself. The floor had all sorts of sorts of stains from the looks of it, it could pass as shit stains. While pondering in thought I start putting the black dye all around my hair and using pretty much every ounce that was in the bottle. Right as I am about to wash it out Eliot begins to wake up.

"I told you it was strong," I laugh.

I begin to wash the hair dye out in the sink staining the entirety of the sink. In like ten minutes it was all washed out and I get the sheers that are still in the bag and begin to chop my long, long hair. Piece by piece. Eliot is watching my every move amused by it all.

"Why are you cutting it?" He asks.

"Because I want to, and if you haven't noticed I've never been able to do things 'because I want to,'" I remark.

"Getting back at mommy dearest?" He stands up to look at me in the mirror. Then looks down in the sink to see all the black wet hair in the sink along with the assortment of black stains along with it.

"Not in the slightest," I smile. I throw the empty bag in the trash along with the box dye box and the bottle it was in. We leave the store but on our way out I have a question that has been pondering my mind for the past few hours.

"Where'd you get the car?" I ask as we get into the car that might as well be stollen.

"I know what you think, but no it's not stolen it's my dad's," He says while turning the key into the car to start it.

"So does Mrs.Cooper I know I am staying with you guys?" I ask Eliot.

"Actually you're not staying with us, unless you have had a change of faith. A pal of mine owes me and you're going to stay with him and his family for a while if that's alright."

"A pal? And since when does Eliot Cooper do favors for anyone?" Eliot turns over to me in disregard to the question I had just asked him.

"He's just a friend Maeve, and his name is Peter. Also don't even get me started. I am doing you a favor right now." After that we start bickering like how we used to when we were younger. He explained to me that Peter was caught for possession a bit back and he took the fall for him.

"I really think you're going to like his older brother he is just like you. He might be even smarter than you. He is currently on a dark matter research team at Stanford researching some particle shit. I tune out after a sentence when he starts talking bout his work. You should ask him about it. He actually also graduated early just like you," He smiles. Eliot always was my biggest supporter along with Thomas since we were young. 

"Elio, you know I'm not into that stuff anymore," I reply.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

The topic of college and science in general was a sore subject between us. 2 years ago I got offered a full ride physics scholarship at Princeton. I ended up turning it down because I didn't think I could do it. I honestly felt like an imposter in my own body. That I didn't deserve it. It was the biggest argument Eliot and I got into. He thought it was for the best if I went, when he heard I turned it down we didn't talk for months. Eventually he came around and said it was my decision to make.

"I know I know, but I just thought that you two would be great company." That's when he started to sound like a dad. I tuned him out after that. 

It was about an hour or two till we got to Peter's house. Eliot parked about a block away from it for what ever reason.

"So it is the green house with the paint chipping . It's hard to miss when the rest of the houses are remodeled all around it," He said.

"Why didn't you park closer?"

"Their mom doesn't like me that much. Or like at all. She's a nice gal just she doesn't like her son hanging around a convict." He joked.

"But it's alright I'll come by tonight. She works grave yard shift and pretty much all the time." He continued.

"I'll see you soon then. Love you loser." I shape a heart in my hands and get out of the car beginning to walk away. He stays like he always does to make sure I make it in okay until I know on the door. I knock just about three times when I hear the tv inside pause and footsteps gather to the door. A women slams open the door. She's blonde very pretty although she looks like she's been up for days. When it's open she says, "I'm not interested in joining the church. Have a good day." She then almost slams the door back shut when my hand stops it from closing all the way. "Do I look like I am recruiting for the church of christ?" I ask with a puzzled look on my face. The women turns back, "You're right, who are you?" A long pause occurs as a try to figure out what to say. "I'm a friend of Peter's he said I could stay here for a few days." She returns with an even more puzzled look. 

"I never heard about a friend staying for a few days but come in." Opens the door for me and guides me to the couch.

We both sit down and she flashes a back of cigarettes, "You smoke?" I signal the juul thing my sister gave me from my pocket. 

"You're generation and their new spiffy pussy cigarettes. Either way your destine for lung cancer." She laughs. She lights her cigarette then offers me a drink from the kitchen that's near by. I decline and she continues, "So how'd you get here?" 

"Well, my brother dropped me by he's from around here." I respond with a brief smile.

"Oh I probably know him. I know everyone in this town. Or they probably know me. Not for good reasons at least." She inclined.

"Oh Eliot. And what's your name by the way?" I ask.

She sits for a while in amusement, "The little brown boy that got adopted from those shady church people? I always had a bad feeling about them then when I heard he got arrested for possession I wasn't too surprised. I don't blame him I do smoke my share myself. And if I got adopted by two pastors I myself would be high as a kite all day. And my names Ellyanah I'm Peter's mom."

As soon as I was about to respond a mob of kids came busting through the door. 5 to be exact. One taller boy around 15 had blonde curly hair very long. Then a girl around 13 years old has dark straight hair, polar opposites of the first kid. Then another girl about a year or two younger that has brown hair and fair skin very, very short. Then two younger boys twins to be exact. 

"Mom what are you doing home?" The oldest asks.

"No 'Hi mom how was work? Love you mom?'" Ellyanah wondered.

"Sorry, how was work?" The oldest looks over to see me sitting there on the couch.

The rest of the kids start sporadically going about the house all at different locations, except for the oldest who stayed.

"Oh my I almost forgot you must be Mavis. I'm Peter as you already know. I see you already met my mom and saw my siblings. Other than James he's at work right now, he doesn't get back till late usually. From what Eliot told me you and James are a lot alike." Peter exclaimed.

"So I've been told by Eliot too." I give a sort of fake laugh, like all people do when they say something meant to be funny but in all seriousness it really isn't at all.

"Peter let me get this straight so you have never met her?" Ellyanah asks as it seems like smoke is coming out of her ears.

"Before you get angry, she had no place to go and I don't think anyone would want a girl staying at the Coopers." He responds.

When Ellyanah said the Coopers were shady she wasn't kidding. Other than Eliot there are two boys then their parents. The two boys, Abel and Andrew, had been accused on multiple counts of sexual assault. So when Eliot didn't want me staying there he had a good reason. 

"Fair argument Peter, but she's going to have to help at Pete's." Ellyanah says hesitantly.

"Pete's?" I ask.

"Our family friends, Pete, owns a restaurant and bar named Pete's. Once one of us kids turns 14 we start working there. It's my moms way of making us have something to do after school."

"I don't go to school?" I respond.

"You don't?" They both ask

"Graduated early top of my class." 

"What are you 15? You really are a mini James." Ellyanah adds.

I don't really know much about James, but he seems like a bit of a card himself. 

"Well, you should still come down to Pete's tonight with us Pete is doing his annual competition where whoever drinks the most before passing out or vomiting gets their tab paid for." Peter says.

"Alright." 

Hours had passed. I'm sitting on the couch reading one of the books which was Ivan Turgenev's first love that was sitting on the bookcase right next to the tv. It was It was about 7 at night and the event starts at 9. Peter had showed me where I would be sleeping for the next few weeks or months. 

I would stay in the room him and his twin brothers share because in his words "You don't even want to stay in the same room with his sisters. Ellyanah or Elly as she says I should preferably call her was fine with me staying there with Peter's pending sexuality that was one thing they all knew but didn't talk about and the twins, Noah and Lucas's, were nothing to worry about. James had his own room, since he was the oldest and had a girlfriend. Apparently no-one really liked, Sarah? Sophie? Sadie? No, it's Stacy. Well, none of them liked her they said she was in their words "A pushy manipulative cunt." I haven't met her so I couldn't form an opinion.  I was cut off by my train or thought when I heard the front door slam open.

"I just don't understand why you are always at work so late? Is there something you are not telling me James? Is there someone else? You do know that no one will love you the way I do." A high pitched voice said as she was coming through the door.

"Stacy we are making real progress at the lab that's why I've been staying late, okay? There is no one else. There will never be anyone else." I turn back to see a tall scrawny man pretty, green eyes and wet hair from the rain. He is wearing a bowtie and a dress shirt layered with a sweater and coat. He was obviously tipped by this girl that was much shorter than him, he had to look down at her in order to talk to her. 

"I just don't know if I can really believe you. You never have shown me the lab. The lab could just be a whores house for all I know. You don't even care about me." She adds.

"Stacy, I have asked you to come to the university and I would show you the lab and every time you said no! You always had better things to do! You don't even seem interested in my passion! Let you know I proposed 3 times and each time you said no! How should that make me feel!" exclaims, which from looking at him seems like something that was out of the ordinary.

"You have never asked me to go with you to visit the university. This is honestly crazy. You're making this out like you're the victim when you are not!" She pauses.

"Who are you?" Stacy turns toward me.

"Is this who you have been seeing on the side?"

Before I could even get a word in they start bickering even more. From what Peter said he was definitely not wrong. From the way she presented herself and the way she spoke to her boyfriend I could tell she was very insecure and when she felt insecure she would take it out on the people around her belittling them and yelling at them. Just like my mother.

"I'm not sleeping with him. I don't even know James. And by the way my name is Mavis thanks for asking."

"Whatever I'm leaving. Love you James." Stacy said. It honestly felt like whiplash witnessing that conversation just for her to leave and act like nothing happened. 

"That was awkward, sorry you had to be here for that." James acknowledged.

"Indeed it was. No need to apologize." I say blatantly.

"Reading First Love?" He asks.

"Yep." I respond dryly.

"That's one of my favorites, of his novels. Have you read any of his poems? Did you know he was also a poIet and playwright he had many talents."

"I have, and I did know that. Now let me ask you a question. Does she always do that to you?" I inquired as I put the book down on the coffee table not bothering to put a bookmark in it.

"Do what?" He asks.

"Treat you like that? You said you have proposed 3 times. Each time she said no.Why do you keep going out with her if she acts this way towards you? What are you 18 maybe? What's the rush to get married when you have your whole life to be married?" I infer.

"She had the right to say no. I don't know what you're talking about, and what you just saw doesn't happen that much. It's not that I'm rushing to get married it's just that when you find the person you love and you're going to want to spend your whole life with them. By the way I'm 22." 

"Let me guess this is the first girl you have ever loved. First ever relationship? James I've known you for let me see. 15 minutes and from what I can tell she doesn't need to be your first and only love. There are so many people out there." I add with as much sympathy I could give, for someone that lacks in that department.

"I think I should get changed to go over to Pete's. Are you coming?" James asks.

"Yep."

I walk up the stairs following James then making my way to Peter's room. Where I find him laying on his bed with their family computer on his lap and his younger brothers bickering while playing battleship on the ground. 

"So I heard that you met the one and only Stacy." Peter laughs.

"Yeah about that." I say.

"I heard you asking about James about it. The whole proposal is a pretty touchy subject for him. Or shall I say proposals." He laughs.

"We should get going to Pete's" Peter adds.

"Fine by me."

We walked down to Pete's where it was in the less nice part of town. Which was like home to me. Where Peter and James lived it was a nice area. Except the people around his town didn't like his family like at all. The family's only friend from around town was Pete who was a neighbor. We enter the bar to see a sea of drunk people. 

"I hope you have a fake." 

"That I do." I reply.

a/n: Hello I started writing this a while back and I honestly didn't know where to go with it. Half of this chapter was sitting in my drafts for like 3 months. I had the story of Mavis in my head a long time before I started writing it. I was planning to make a teleplay out of it, but one day when I was taking a shit I thought I would much rather put it on Wattpad. I quite enjoy reading the comments on the stories or fan fiction I read they are quite honestly hysterical. Many aspects of the characters lives have happened to me or the people I know. I wrote a draft like I do for most chapters I write for shit and I cut out some of the jokes. They were oddly funny just I didn't want people coming for my throat. This story will not only come from Mavis' perspective but along with the other people in the story. Although I won't switch the point of view half way through the chapter because that always pisses me off, I will have bulks of chapters that switch point of views. For a nice new perspective. Also I honestly didn't know how long is too long so I just cut the chapter off here. Comment down below preferred word count not including the authors note this was about 4,100 words. Also what are votes?