Ava was fuming as she walked through the dark alley, clutching her heavy bag full of chocolates and snacks. Who would have thought such a small indulgence could weigh so much? She cursed her poor sense of direction, regretting her decision to go out alone.

After what felt like an eternity of wandering left and right, Ava finally stumbled upon her new home. She walked in to find Aunt May and Emily seated at the dining table. She greeted them, washed her hands, and joined them.

"Look at your sister, see how elegantly she's sitting," Aunt May said with a scoff.

"Yeah, because she's a clean freak," Emily retorted, rolling her eyes.

That was the last straw. Ava had been disrespected by strangers outside, and now this. She wouldn't stand for it.

"Just because you don't know anything about manners doesn't mean I'm like you!" Ava shouted.

Both Emily and May were taken aback by her outburst. Before they could respond, Ava stormed off to her room and flopped onto her bed. She rummaged through her bag and found the blue Takis. She started munching on them, tears streaming down her face—not from sadness, but from the spiciness.

She quickly devoured the first packet but stopped herself before opening the second. She needed to save some for later, just in case. Her tongue was on fire, so she took deep breaths to calm down.

A knock at the door broke her trance.

"Go away, Emily. I'm fine!" she shouted, only to be surprised by Aunt May's voice.

"It's not Emily," May said softly.

Ava was shocked and decided to let her in. "Yeah?" she said, more politely.

"I just wanted to apologize. I didn't mean to offend you. Manners are important, you know..." May trailed off, clearly nervous.

Ava was confused. Why was her aunt apologizing? "Why are you saying sorry? I was just angry and I shouted, that's all," she said, trying to comfort her.

"I know, but don't fight with your sister. She's family. She was just upset because I told her to mind her manners. She wasn't trying to put you down," May explained, her voice cracking.

Ava didn't know what to say. They sat in silence for a moment before Ava broke it.

"I know she didn't mean it that way. Don't worry, this won't affect us," she said with a warm smile.

For a brief moment, Ava saw a glimmer of hope in May's eyes, but it quickly faded. May examined her face closely.

"You weren't crying, were you?" May asked cautiously.

"No, well, sort of. I ate Takis—the blue ones. They're really spicy," Ava admitted.

"You love snacks, don't you?" May asked, sounding more at ease.

"Yeah, I do," Ava replied.

"Me too! I have a stash in my room," May said with a small, elegant laugh.

"Really?" Ava asked, feeling a connection forming.

They continued talking, and Ava realized her aunt wasn't so bad after all. She felt a sense of belonging, something she hadn't expected.

Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all, Ava thought, except for that creep and his girlfriend.

---

The next morning, Ava woke up feeling refreshed and happy. She changed into a new dress and started making a to-do list for the day. "Decorate my room, go for a morning walk, get familiar with the place, call Mom... What else?" she pondered. Unlike Emily, she didn't have a ton of extracurricular activities.

When she joined May and Emily at the breakfast table, Emily looked half-asleep. She had never woken up this early. May was on a call and left soon after eating. Ava noticed a worried expression on her aunt's face, beads of sweat on her forehead. Must be something urgent, she thought, and decided to let it go.

Suddenly, Fredrick appeared. "Ava and Emily, you both need to participate in the summer camp event. Since you're new, your grades are low..."

"WHAT?!?!" Emily screamed. "I was top of my school, and now I have to help in summer camps to get good grades?" She sighed deeply.

Ava, on the other hand, didn't mind. She loved kids and had experience babysitting.

"Is there ANY way I can get out of this? I'll do anything! Please!" Emily begged, using her puppy dog eyes on Fredrick.

Emily was the complete opposite of Ava. She didn't like kids at all and had even bet Ava $100 she wouldn't have any.

"Ms. Emily, I hate to say it, but you have no choice," Fredrick said, avoiding eye contact.

"Hey Fredrick, what if I do her part? I'm okay with it," Ava offered.

"But Ms. Ava, you also have to participate. Can you handle it?" Fredrick asked.

"Yeah, I can. Don't worry, I can keep it under control," Ava said, grinning.

"THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!" Emily hugged Ava, almost choking her.

"Emily... I... am... dying..." Ava managed to say.

Emily quickly let go. "You can't die yet."

After catching her breath, Ava asked Fredrick, "So, when is this summer camp?"

"Tomorrow," Fredrick replied.

---