A Sour Taste (for Jay)

"Oh, you damn well know." Maisie hissed, but she kept her voice down, growling the words at the girl. "I could turn you in right now, what the fuck are you doing here!?" It would be so simple. She'd sing and knock the girl out, and get someone from the school to pick her up and jail her or something. She had it in her back pocket, but didn't do it. That definitely didn't sound too humane, though, and she wasn't about to do her asshole uncle any favors. Would that be a mistake? It would depend on how Ava took it, but there was a crowd, so she was sure she'd be fine. Maybe. Regret began to seep in on how she handled the situation, but she kept a bold face.

What could she say? No excuses that didn't involve outing Ed came to Ava's mind. She blinked a few times, desperately grasping at thoughts that had left her mind as quickly as the panic has set in. She cleared her throat, sat back, and finally pulled out the cigarette she'd been fingering since the girl approached. With it held loosely between her lips, she grabbed the lighter she had left the blonde borrow and lit up, taking a few puffs before relaxing again.

"You wouldn't turn me in," she said, calling her out. "You've got too much of a rebellious streak to do something like that. Besides, you haven't asked what I can do for you in return yet." Truth was, there wasn't much Ava could do, but if she could manage to bluff her way out of this, she would do it. Exuding confidence she was only faking, the redhead crossed her legs and stared at the blonde.

Rebellious streak? What did she know about her? It was true, of course, but something about the surefire way she said it made Maisie want badly to sing and turn her in. It was only at the prospect of 'something in return' that she stopped herself. She blinked, leaning back and grinning. "What can you do for me?" Get drugs? Men? She had access to both. She eyed her cigarette, and regretted throwing it away to appease her. She was obviously a hypocrite.

"I'm sure you've heard of all the things these people have done," Ava said, drawing it out like she was telling a story. She gazed at the people passing by, choosing her words carefully so as not to attract any attention. The two girls on the bench had been smoking and it was keeping people away enough that she didn't have to keep her voice down too much. She still struggled to come up with something to tell the blonde.

"Frankly, I can get you almost anything you want," she said. She took another drag from the cigarette. "Money, sex, drugs, a vacation, an escape from whoever's oppressing you."

It surely intrigued her, but she felt like it was all a lie. She gave the girl a frown, more so a decisive pout, looking down at her uniform. She wasn't wearing the sweater, like she never did, the first few buttons undone. She tried her best to make the uniform right, but she couldn't stand it. She couldn't stand the school. But would she join these people for it? "I've heard too many bad things about you. You're lying." Her tone was harsh and accusative, but there was something there. It was thin, unlayered, not as solid as her tone usual was when she'd made up her mind about something. She smoothed out her skirt absentmindedly.

Ava made an impatient tch sound through her teeth, shaking her head. She took one final breath through the cigarette before tossing it next to the first one and stamping on it. Returning her hands to her pockets, she looked at the blonde again, a know-it-all smirk on her face.
"If you wanna believe that, kid," she said. "But don't say I never offered you anything."

She had heard the somewhat uncertain tone in the girl's voice. Her face might have said one thing, but Ava had learned to listen hard to voices and tones.

There was silence, and Maisie crossed her arms, looking off into the distance. Kid, huh? Was she a kid for doubting her? This girl had guts talking so carelessly. She didn't know her power, what she could do. Maisie thought through the scenario of knocking her out again and again, but when she opened her mouth to speak after a few minutes, she went the opposite direction. "I'll do it," she said. She could no longer stay at that school. Her mother and uncle, stabbings and comas. It was too much. "But if you're lying, I walk."

Relief washed through Ava when the girl finally spoke and agreed. It saved her from getting caught out here. Plus, the girl seemed to be getting something out of it. With a smile, she turned towards the blonde, extending a thin, cold hand towards her.
"You'll be the first to know," she said brightly. "The name's Ava."

Maisie gave a vacant look out in the direction of the campus, and turned to her. "Maisie," she said, clenching her teeth. "So what do I need to do to get paid?" She cut right to the chase. She assumed she'd have to spy or something; inform on her uncle or something. Her eyes brightened at the idea. He looked over her like she was such a weak child. She had the upper hand now. Over him, over her mother, over everybody.

But only if she got her pay.

Ava took her hand back, eyeing Maisie closely. So it was money the girl wanted. Quietly, she wondered what the blonde had to offer and how much it would be worth.
"Well, what do you have to offer? Because it depends on what you can do for her." She could see the excitement at what she was doing lighting up Maisie's eyes.

"Her." Maisie let out a short laugh. "I thought she was fake. A mask for a bunch of loser thugs." Loser thugs she was now a part of. Hopefully she would get something out of this, and at the first doubt of her usefulness, she smiled thinly. The girl pulled a cigarette from the bag she set beside her, gesturing for the lighter. "I can put people to sleep. I can get past anyone and steal anything you need." She smiled thinly and closed her eyes to a fresh beam of sun poking through the overcast. "I'm also a Wright."

"Oh, she's real," Ava said, handing over the lighter without a hassle this time. She smiled with one eyebrow raised like she was about to share a secret. "Although someone could easily say she isn't. I've never seen her in person, only received orders from on high."

The name caught the redhead's attention. Wright? Wasn't that...?
"You're shitting me," she muttered in awe, looking at Maisie with new eyes. "Oh boy, I've hit the jackpot." She laughed harshly.

"I'm not your food stamp." said Maisie. The jackpot? Really? Vocalizing such a pathetic objectification was stupid. She could back out any time she wanted to. Of course, she wouldn't do that two minutes after signing up. She lit the cigarette and blew clouds into streaks of passing sun. "I'm real, though. Headmaster's is my uncle. He's a real tool, I can get you what you want if you return the favor aptly." She felt like a drug dealer, or a prostitute. Surely someone illegal.

The teenage rebellion was strong. Ava had been like that for a short while with her parents when she was younger. But she could appreciate what Maisie wanted to do, being related to the headmaster of the academy. It seemed like pressure that would be almost too much for a younger person.

"Didn't mean to suggest you were," she said. Her need for a smoke had finally been satisfied. She watched Maisie smoke idly for a second. "I'll make sure you get what you deserve."

"Perfect." Maisie pulled out a disheveled book from her bag, ripping out a small scrap of paper, and she rapidly scribbled something down. She handed it to Ava to reveal her number. "Call me if you need anything," said Maisie, getting up and stretching. "I'll see what I can do. For now..." she glanced to the campus glumly, but there was a devious sparkle in her eye as she said, "I need to get to seventh period." She took a drag from her cigarette and walked away, her stride mimicking the pride she had for herself. Badass spy Maisie Meyers. Everyone needed to watch out.