It was a normal Monday in every other house. But not here.
Ava stood in front of the mirror, applying mascara, watching herself transform into the version of herself the world expected to see. Perfect. Classy. Untouchable.
It was her last first day of high school. Her last year trapped in this town she hated every single inch of it.
She reached for her lip gloss when she heard it, booming through the walls like thunder before a storm.
"Ava."
Her hands froze. Her heart clenched. She knew that tone. It wasn't a call. It was a warning.
Then a sharp crash. The sound of glass shattering against the floor sent a silence through the house that was even louder.
Ava stood frozen.
"I said come. Now."
Her father's voice was colder this time. She swallowed hard, setting the lip gloss down. The mask was in place. She turned, forcing herself to move. Each step toward the living room felt heavier than the last.
Her father stood at the head of the table, hands wrapped around his coffee, eyes sharp and unforgiving. The moment he saw her, they locked onto her like a target.
"You will not embarrass this family, Ava. Do you hear me?"
Her mother flinched but said nothing, staring at the broken pieces on the floor as if they held all the answers.
Ava's heartbeat pounded in her ears. This wasn't new. The rules. The expectations. The perfect image she had to maintain.
She had always hated her father's job. She never asked to be a preacher's daughter. Never asked to be raised in a world where everything was sin, where her every move was judged. Where she had to be someone she wasn't.
And her mother? She was no better. Silent. Weak. Always looking the other way. Ava resented her just as much. Maybe even more.But it hadn't always been like this.
Once upon a time, there had been another daughter in this house. Her older sister lara
The golden girl. The firstborn. The one who was supposed to carry their father's legacy.
Until she ran away.She left everything behind. The family. The church. The rules. Disappeared into the night with her boyfriend and never came back.
And from that day forward, Ava's parents changed.
Her father became harsher. Her mother became smaller.
And Ava? She became the replacement.
The perfect daughter. The one who wouldn't run.
At least, that's what they thought.
"I asked you a question." His voice was lower now. More dangerous.
"I hear you," Ava said, forcing her voice to stay even.
She had played this role for years the obedient daughter, the perfect girl. The one who never made mistakes. The one who never talked back.
But inside, the storm was already brewing.
She knew better than to argue. She knew better than to fight back. So she stood there, swallowing the fire burning in her throat, nodding as if she agreed.
But later tonight… she would be somewhere else.
Somewhere she could breathe.
Somewhere she was Storm.
And as her father turned away, his anger simmering beneath the surface, Ava let out a slow breath.
She knew one thing for certain.
One day, she wouldn't come back.
She would be free.
Ava looked at her mother one last time before turning away. She knew her mother wouldn't say a thing. She never did. But a part of her still hoped.
Nothing.
So Ava left, quickly wiping the tears from her face before they could ruin her makeup. She grabbed her bike and pedaled toward school.
Her father had a car, but never once considered it his responsibility to drive her. Every one of her friends had their own cars, yet she was stuck on this damn bike.
Her family wasn't poor. Far from it.
In fact, they were the second richest family in town. Right after the Fischer family, Chloe's family.
And Chloe's brother? Zane The person she hated most.
Ava didn't head straight to school.
Instead, she took a familiar detour Lilly's house.
Her best friend was already waiting on the porch, tying her sneakers, her blonde curls still damp from a morning shower.
"Rough morning?" Lilly asked, taking one look at her.
Ava scoffed. "When is it not?"
Lilly's mom, standing by the car, smiled warmly. A real smile. Not the tight-lipped, hollow one her own mother wore.
"You girls ready?"
Ava had always felt closer to Lilly's mom than her own.
She was warm, understanding. She never judged. Even when she corrected Ava, she did it gently never once breaking her heart with a single word.
Just like Lilly.
Ava slid into the backseat, letting out a quiet breath.
At least for now, she was safe. For now, she could breathe.
But when night fell, Ava would disappear. In her place, there would only be Storm.
She always wished the car ride would last longer. In that space, she didn't need to wear a mask. She never put her AirPods on it was the only place where she could just exist, not like a perfect, plastic doll.