The Traps of Black Swan

Ava didn\'t know feelings can be controlled but tears never lie.

Aaron couldn\'t believe it, even after getting caught while crying, Ava tried to appear unaffected and smile. But this time, she didn\'t smile to mask it. She was genuinely happy to see him again. When her eyes formed crescents, the leftover teardrops in her eyes rolled out sparkling under the sunset reddish-orange rays.

His hand involuntarily made up to her little face that was tear-stained, flushed like red cherry, making her look more delicate and heart aching.

Ava slightly moved back from his hand and wiped her tears away, clumsily. She wanted to lie so that he wouldn\'t ask her anything about her tears. She just wanted to be a simple girl in their mind, without having to tell them about her terrible life at home.

As though he could read her intention, he didn\'t ask why she was crying, instead, "Are you hurt anywhere?" He questioned looking at her slender limbs to find if she was physically hurt.

Ava dropped her legs down the bench and sat properly like a lady, the society and her uncaring mother expect her to behave. She again flashed a smile to forget the reason for her tears. "Nope… Senior Aaron, did you come looking for me?" She knew neither Aaron nor Nikun live in that regency.

He sat down next to her thinking why she was so stubborn that she never shares her problems. People could easily misunderstand her as the happiest person on the earth. Whereas she was the strongest, he ever came across.

"Did you enjoy your day?"

Ava excitedly nodded her head. Enjoy? That was a small word for a girl who most of the time spent her birthday locked in the bedroom. "It was the best day." She cheerfully accepted. It was the day she would never forget.

He extended her the envelope which had pictures. "Here you go." The envelope was the same as she gets from her grandfather, filled with notes. She never wished for money, so she misunderstood as Aaron was giving her money as another gift.

She shook her head to deny it, "Senior Aaron, you already gave me a pretty dress." She brushed her hand over her skirt pointing it for him, "I don\'t want anything else."

Aaron was confused without knowing her thoughts. So he teased, "Are you sure, Ava? I won\'t give this to you later."

Ava nodded in determination, still thinking of it as money. "I am certain."

Aaron opened the envelope and took the pictures out as he responded, "No problem, I will keep it."

He started shuffling the pictures and Ava\'s eyes widened in surprise. She shifted close to him, her eyes were literally sparkling looking at her pictures. She often exclaimed in amazement and giggled, pointing at Nikun, "Brother Nick looks so funny."

When it flashed to her that those pictures were for her and there was no money in the envelope, she immediately regretted rejecting it. She sheepishly grinned at Aaron. The latter was having fun anyway, he teased her more. Ava knew he was playing her, so she tried to snatch it away, chased after him in the play area. She laughed, whined, pretended to be sad before she got her hands on the pictures.

Both had totally forgotten the time. The sun had reached the horizon and the lights were flickering on. Ava hid the envelope behind her, catching her breath after a lot of running. She wanted long legs too.

Aaron was sitting on the swing when she stood in front of him to ask for his suggestion, "Senior Aaron, what could be a good choice for return gifts?"

Aaron didn\'t think it\'s for them so he asked her back to help her, "What is your budget? And the age of the person."

Ava recalled how much money was in her locker, "I didn\'t count this month\'s pocket money yet. I probably have nearly 5 plus million..."

Aaron almost bit his tongue while she continued, "The age of the three is the same as you. The gift is for you, Sister Mehak, Brother Nick."

Aaron composed before asking, "Do you know the number zeroes in 5 million?" She could practically get a car, hire a driver for herself instead of walking daily. Forget about it, she could get a small house for herself. Looking at her parents\' treatment, he doubted if they would even give her a penny.

Ava pouted, she grabbed a stick from the ground and wrote the numbers excluding that month\'s pocket money.

Seeing her even write down the digits of hundreds, he realized she wasn\'t lying and that made him dislike her parents more. Going back to her question, he swung front on the swing and pulled her closer.

"The gift I want is very very valuable." He exaggerated the fact.

Ava\'s face fell upon hearing him. She bit her inner lip as gave it a thought. She carefully asked, "Do you like anything that I could get for you?" It was more like a plea.

"Of course." He blatantly accepted, he first time successfully reached her face and pinched her cheeks, "I want you. Will you come with me?"

He was thinking she might cry, or blush or get scared but she paused then she giggled adorably without pushing his hand away. "I am not a thing. How can I gift myself to you?" She innocently asked, finding his words funny.

Aaron let go of her soft and smooth cheeks. He didn\'t laugh with her, he answered her seriously without caring he was being too straightforward. "By becoming my girlfriend." Her head tilted and he continued. He didn\'t just want her to be his girlfriend, "... Then I will marry you after you turn twenty-one." He proposed to her without using fancy words to impress her or carried chocolates and flowers to induce her.

Even though she was innocent, she wasn\'t dumb, not to know what he meant. However, for her, being a girlfriend meant two taking care of each other, being together, and not liking somebody else. Then marriage meant living together, supporting each other. In her dictionary, it was that simple.

Ava gave it a long thought. Aaron waited patiently watching her little face, he doubted if she took him seriously or understood anything he said. He was thinking he should have waited for her to grow up when she asked in confusion.

"Do you like me?" 

A girlfriend and boyfriend are those who liked each other. Nobody likes her as far as she knows.

Aaron\'s lips curled wider so he had to look away, bit his lower lip to control his smile. Who said she was dumb? Even though her definitions were simple, she was smart. But he still felt like he was fooling her innocent brain.

He poked her forehead, "I like you that\'s why I asked you to be my girlfriend."

Nobody likes her in the family being together for so many years. So she questioned, "Why?... Why do you like me?" 

She always asked questions so it wasn\'t new for him. He didn\'t want to say anything stupid to her question but something that could make her understand in simple words.

"Because I found someone who makes me smile. That\'s you." That\'s simple he could put it up for her. 

Looking at her smile, he felt like his confession and proposal were probably the smoothest anybody ever had.

For Ava, who always saw her parents getting irritated at her presence and the sight of her, she indeed felt pleased hearing that she makes Aaron happy.

Anyway, the bubble of his happiness burst when Ava innocently responded, "But I like you, Brother Nick and Sister Mehak as friends" 

Or else, should she become their girlfriend too? Ava was confused.

Friendzoned Aaron: "..."