After some frustrated whining and groaning, Ava managed to take a few Stellar notes just as the downpour began to ease into a light drizzle.
She didn't want to risk catching a cold, so she searched the entire room until she found an umbrella to shield herself from the rain. Despite finding a coat and scarf in the wardrobe of 'her' room, she didn't feel comfortable wearing them. And so, she settled for the umbrella.
As usual, Ava debated taking her phone, well, Keys with her, and then decided to bring it along. But before leaving, she wrapped it in a scarf to protect Keys from the rain because of Keys' complaints about catching a cold.
Per usual, the two quickly resolved their little drama and in no time, Ava was ready to go.
After all the drama, Ava decided to take her phone with her since she was unfamiliar with Luxeville and barely remembered the route to her new apartment.
As Ava stepped outside, she realised she needed slippers and quickly returned to get them. Once at the gate, she held her phone to her ear, pretending to make a call before speaking into it.
"Keys, should I take a cab or can I take a walk instead."
But Keys kept mute. "Come on now! It's not the time for the silent treatment." Ava complained.
"I will give the silent treatment if you don't prioritise my health." Keys replied.
"What do you mean?" Ava asked.
"You left the scarf inside." Keys answered.
"Oh, that. Sorry, I forgot." Said Ava, before she turned around and went inside for the second time.
When she got in, she immediately spotted the scarf lying on the sofa. And with a long sigh, Ava went over to pick it up, before wrapping it around 'Keys'.
"Happy now?"
"It's a little warm here. Therefore, I can not give you a straightforward answer." Keys answered Ava who hissed.
For the third time in less than 3 minutes, Ava returned to the road again, hoping Keys would tell her what to do next.
"So?" Ava asked, raising the phone to her lips, since she couldn't hold it up to her ears like she did previously.
"Can I get a straightforward reply now?" Ava further inquired.
"It's okay." Keys replied.
"Great. So, I'm waiting." Ava said.
"For what?" Keys asked. Facepalming at her fate, Ava then scoff laughed before answering.
"You know what, Ms. Keys! I asked you for the location of the nearest restaurant or eatery. Anywhere I can get food. I'm hungry, goddamn it!" Ava nagged into the phone, which was completely covered by the scarf.
"You never mentioned all these. You only mentioned 'a cab, or a walk'. So don't nag at me." Keys replied curtly.
Letting out a frustrated groan, Ava closed her eyes and exhaled deeply before opening them.
"Fine. Can you direct me to any eatery? I'm hungry. Very hungry. Please" Ava pleaded.
"Take a left turn and head straight." Keys directed Ava, who immediately did as she was instructed.
**
After a few minutes of banter and some awkwardness, Ava and Keys returned home with enough groceries to last for a couple of days, since Ava would be the only one eating.
And about eating, Ava had quite a challenge with that, as she struggled to take a bite of the unfamiliar meal and worried about a possible allergic reaction.
But a couple minutes more, Ava realised she had no choice, since her stomach literally roared at its emptiness.
The thought of eating was a lot for Ava, but she had no control over her stomach's reactions, so she had to succumb.
Surprisingly, within six minutes, Ava had finished her meal, surprised at how delicious it was. She hadn't expected it to be so good! It was a savoury delight!
Dinner was a chaotic affair as Ava abandoned all sense of decorum while eating. If Keys had been in human form, she would have likely rolled her eyes in disgust at Ava's manners. She ate like a deserted pig, literally!
Eventually, after 'dinner' Ava decided it was time to call it a day, a very long day. But she couldn't, since she couldn't close her eyes.
Everything kept replaying in Ava's head as she struggled to make sense of how she ended up in Luxeville with a fully furnished apartment and everything in place.
Her suspicions of the city being the setting of her book only added to her confusion. The butterfly mark, the people, the food, the lifestyle - it was all too surreal for her to comprehend.
That couldn't just be a discussion for another day, could it? Yes, she might not freak out at the many strange things she expected would happen in the future, but it didn't mean she didn't have questions. Ava was overwhelmed by the multitude of questions circling around in her head.
Surprisingly, after dinner was the first time Ava was thinking about work and the meeting she was supposed to attend earlier in the day. It was also the first time she remembered Madam Chen.
'What if I try calling her?' Ava thought to herself, before she picked the phone from the nightstand, and tapped on it.
But just like before, only the time was displayed. It read 11:43 PM, but Ava couldn't care less.
She just needed to try making a phone call to Madam Chen. But there was no call icon on the screen of the phone, so she was left with no other option…
"Keys." She whispered into the phone, but got no reply.
"Keys. Can you hear me?" Ava whispered again, but got no reply.
"Please answer me. I promise I won't bother you after this anymore." Ava begged. But almost immediately, she heard someone yawn through the phone, causing her to deepen her brows in confusion. She wasn't expecting that!
"What is it?" Keys asked in a stern voice.
"Oh, I thought you were yawning seconds ago." Ava replied.
"One of my many issues with you is that you have no ounce of straightforwardness in you." Keys answered. "One would expect you to go straight to the point, and tell me the reason you woke me up." Keys added.
"Oh, you were asleep?" Ava asked in amusement.
*Silence*
"Sorry." Ava said with an eye roll, before she continued. "So the thing is, I wanted to make a phone call, but I couldn't. Do you mind helping me out?" Ava asked.
"Yes, I do mind. Goodnight." Keys answered, before apparently shutting out, not minding Ava's exasperated sigh, which were accompanied with cuss words.
Ava hoped to have the courage to trash the phone by morning the next day, since it had proven to be totally useless.
How was she to get a new phone? She'll probably buy one.
'Yes! Yes Ava! Smart queen! That's who you are!' Ava mused with a wide grin.
'But what if it doesn't work out?' a Voice in her head rang.
'It will!' Ava muttered.
She was sure this one was going to work out. All she needed to do was get a new phone, and take it up from there.
'Heck yeah I will!' the elated Ava thought happily. Now she had a goal in mind, and she hoped it would be many steps closer to finding out the secret to her unforeseen reality. But most importantly, she hoped it'll help aid her to leave Luxeville! That was the major point of it all.
With a grin plastered on her beautiful face, Ava hoped for the best. And if she had the thought of sleeping before, it was definitely the last thing on her mind right now.
The thought of 'home again' brought Ava to life, embodying the true meaning of her name.