The next day, Ava woke up feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the day. She had a busy schedule ahead of her, with a debate practice session in the morning and a meeting with her coach in the afternoon.
As she got dressed and ready for the day, Ava's father reminded her to eat a good breakfast and to stay focused. "You're doing great, kiddo," he said, giving her a warm smile. "Just remember to relax and be yourself, and you'll do fine."
Ava smiled back, feeling grateful for her father's support. She headed out the door and made her way to school, where she met up with Elijah and the rest of the debate team.
Their coach, Mrs. Johnson, was already there, setting up the debate room and going over the day's schedule. "Okay, team, let's get started," she said, clapping her hands together. "Today, we're going to practice our opening statements and work on our rebuttals."
Ava nodded, feeling a surge of excitement. She loved debating, and she was eager to get started. The team spent the next few hours practicing their speeches and discussing strategy, with Mrs. Johnson offering feedback and guidance along the way.
After the practice session, Ava met up with Elijah and they grabbed some lunch together. "How's it going?" Elijah asked, as they sat down at a table in the cafeteria.
Ava took a bite of her sandwich and nodded. "It's going well," she said. "I'm feeling more confident every day."
Elijah smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "That's great to hear," he said. "You're going to do amazing, Ava. I just know it."
Ava felt a warmth in her heart, knowing that Elijah believed in her. She smiled back at him, feeling grateful for his support.
As they finished up their lunch, Ava's phone buzzed with a text from her coach. "Hey, Ava, just a reminder that we have a meeting at 2 pm to discuss the debate schedule and logistics," the text read.
Ava nodded, even though Mrs. Johnson couldn't see her. "Got it," she typed back, before turning to Elijah. "I have to go to a meeting with my coach," she said. "But I'll catch up with you later, okay?"
Elijah nodded, smiling. "Sounds good," he said. "I'll talk to you later, Ava. Good luck with your meeting."
Ava smiled back, feeling grateful for her elder's support. She headed off to her meeting, feeling confident and prepared for the debate ahead.
Ava was sitting in her room, going over her debate notes and practicing her speeches, when she heard the sound of the front door opening. She looked up, expecting to see her father coming home from work, but instead, she saw a figure she hadn't seen in a long time.
It was her brother, Max.
Ava's eyes widened in surprise as she jumped up from her bed and ran to the door. "Max!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around him. "What are you doing here? I thought you were still away at college!"
Max smiled, hugging her back. "I surprised Dad and came home for a visit," he said, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "I couldn't stay away from my favorite sister for too long."
Ava laughed, feeling happy to see her brother. "I'm your only sister, so that's not saying much," she teased, playfully rolling her eyes.
Max chuckled and ruffled her hair. "Hey, that's not the point. The point is, I'm home, and I'm here to stay for a while."
Ava's father, John, came into the room, a big smile on his face. "Hey, kiddo! I see you've met your brother," he said, laughing.
Ava nodded, still grinning from ear to ear. "Yeah, I'm shocked," she said, looking at Max. "I didn't think you'd be able to get away from college so soon."
Max shrugged. "I had some time off, and I thought it would be great to come home and visit. Plus, I heard you're doing really well in debate, and I wanted to come and support you."
Ava felt a warmth in her heart, knowing that her brother was proud of her. "Thanks, Max," she said, smiling up at him. "That means a lot to me."
As they talked and caught up, Ava couldn't help but notice that Max seemed a bit different. He seemed more serious and introspective, and she wondered what had brought about the change.
As they sat down to dinner, Ava asked Max about his time at college. "So, how's school going?" she asked, curious.
Max hesitated, looking at their father before responding. "It's been...interesting," he said, his voice measured. "I've been learning a lot, but it's not all been easy."
Ava's father, John, looked at Max with concern. "What do you mean?" he asked, his voice gentle.
Max sighed, rubbing his temples. "I just mean that college is a lot harder than I thought it would be. And I've been having some...personal issues, I guess you could say."
Ava's eyes widened with concern. "What kind of personal issues?" she asked, feeling a sense of worry.
Max looked at her, his eyes serious. "I'll tell you later, Ava. It's not something I want to talk about right now."
Ava nodded, understanding. She knew that her brother would tell her when he was ready, and she was just happy to have him home.
As they finished dinner and started to clear the table, Ava couldn't help but feel grateful for her family. She had her father, her brother, and Elijah, who was like a brother to her. She felt lucky to have such a supportive and loving family.
But as they were finishing up, Ava's phone buzzed with a text from an unknown number. "Hey, Ava. I've been watching you. You're really good at debate. But you're not as good as you think you are."
Ava's heart skipped a beat as she read the text. Who was this person, and how did they know her? She felt a sense of unease, wondering if this was some kind of prank or something more sinister.
Ava's heart was racing as she read the text. She felt a sense of unease and wondered who could be behind the message. She looked up at her brother and father, but they were both oblivious to the text.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Max asked, noticing Ava's concerned expression.
Ava hesitated, unsure of whether to share the text with her family. "It's just a weird text," she said, trying to brush it off.
But Max's curiosity was piqued. "What kind of weird text?" he asked, walking over to Ava.
Ava showed him the text, and Max's expression turned serious. "This is creepy," he said. "Do you have any idea who could have sent this?"
Ava shook her head. "No, I don't. It's from an unknown number."
John, Ava's father, walked over to them, concern etched on his face. "What's going on?" he asked.
Max showed him the text, and John's expression turned grave. "We need to be careful," he said. "This could be a prank, but it could also be something more serious."
Ava felt a shiver run down her spine. She didn't like the idea of someone watching her, and she didn't know what to do.
As they stood there, trying to decide what to do next, Elijah walked into the room. "Hey, what's going on?" he asked, noticing the concerned expressions on their faces.
Ava showed him the text, and Elijah's eyes narrowed. "This is not good," he said. "We need to report this to the authorities."
As Ava and her family were discussing what to do about the text, Elijah suddenly spoke up. "I think I know who might be behind this," he said, his eyes narrowing.
Ava looked at him in surprise. "Who?" she asked.
Elijah hesitated, as if unsure of whether to reveal the information. "I've been noticing someone lurking around school lately," he said. "A new student, I think. He's been watching you, Ava, and I've seen him talking to some of the other debaters."
Ava's eyes widened. "What's his name?" she asked.
Elijah thought for a moment. "I think it's...Ryan," he said. "Yeah, that's it. Ryan Thompson."
Ava's father, John, frowned. "I don't know anyone by that name," he said.
But Max, Ava's brother, suddenly spoke up. "I think I do," he said, his eyes serious. "I've heard of a Ryan Thompson from college. He's a bit of a troublemaker, and he's been known to stalk people online."
Ava felt a chill run down her spine. "What?" she exclaimed. "Why would he be stalking me?"
Max shrugged. "I don't know, but I think we should be careful. If Ryan is behind this text, he could be capable of anything."
As they were discussing what to do next, the doorbell rang. Ava's father, John, got up to answer it, and Ava could hear the sound of voices in the hallway.
Suddenly, John walked back into the room with a tall, dark-haired boy behind him. "Ava, this is Ryan Thompson," he said, his eyes serious. "He's the new student I was telling you about."
Ava's eyes widened as she looked at Ryan. He was tall and lean, with piercing blue eyes that seemed to bore into her soul. She could feel a sense of unease emanating from him, and she knew that she had to be careful.
"Hi," Ryan said, his voice smooth and charming. "I've heard a lot about you, Ava. You're quite the debater, aren't you?"
Ava felt a sense of discomfort as she looked at Ryan. She didn't like the way he was staring at her, and she didn't trust him.