PREGNANT HIGH SCHOOLER I

Ava's smile grew wider as the Lanes stood before her. Their faces twisted in displeasure at the sight of her smile, and her calmness seemed to disturb Claudia more than she showed.

She was shocked at how Ava smiled at them as if their presence wasn't worth even a flicker of apprehension, when just the week before, Ava had been on her knees, crying for them not to kick her out of their house when they had threatened to.

Claudia's fingers twitched at her sides, itching to wipe that infuriating grin off Ava's face. She understood the meaning of the smile, and knowing where Ava came from, it annoyed her that Ava suddenly thinks she's better than them.

She needs a reminder, Claudia thought darkly as she pressed her nails into her palm. Ava may have found her so-called real family, but she's still nothing. Still beneath them. And if she's forgotten, she'll make her remember, even if she have to beat it into her.

Claudia leaned forward, "You're not even going to greet us now, Ava? Instead you're smiling. What's so funny?" She asked bitterly. "Is this some new attitude your rich family taught you?" She let out a short, mocking laugh, before her lips curled cruelly. "Wipe that smug smile off your face, you little weasel, before I do it for you."

Ava didn't stop smiling. If anything, the curve on her lips grew wider. "And I'm supposed to listen to you, why?" She asked almost laughing.

Her adoptive family all exchanged glances, wondering how Ava had the guts to speak back to Claudia. When Ava was living with them, she was so scared of the woman that she couldn't even look her in her eyes.

"You know you haven't changed a bit, Claudia. You're still a joke," she said in a sweet voice, stunning everyone. When her eyes shifted to Patrick, he stiffened. "You brought your pussy of a husband too. Honestly, I didn't expect to see you guys here. I'd say it's a pleasure to see you, but that would make me a liar, and you all know I'm far from this."

While Patrick's look turned grim, Claudia's jaw tightened, but before they could muster a reply, Emily beat them to it. "You're calling mother a joke, and father a pussy, Ava?!" She spat. "Is this the way you're supposed to address us after everything we did for you?!"

Ava tilted her head to get a better view of Emily. Half of her body was hidden behind Claudia. "What do we have here?" Ava feigned surprise at Emily's presence. "Oh... Your little mini brat's here too, Claudia. The whole family is. How delightful."

The words were enough to set Emily's face ablaze with fury, and her hands balled into trembling fists. Before she could spit out a response, Simon pushed past the rest of the family, and didn't stop until he was towering over Ava, glaring down at her like he could crush her with his presence alone.

"You ungrateful little piece of shit," he snarled. "What is this? What's with the stupid attitude?!" His voice rose with each syllable. "You think just because you've found your precious real family, you're better than us? Let me remind you--"

He leaned in closer, practically hissing. "You're nothing but a pathetic little orphan who got lucky. Do you hear me?!" When Ava didn't respond, he pushed, "Say yes, you little scumbag!"

Simon's words didn't elicit the reaction he wanted. Ava didn't flinch, or even act like she was spoken to. Instead, before any of them could blink, she slapped Simon.

"You will not speak to me like that, do you hear me?!"

Claudia's hands flew to her mouth to hold in her gasps, while Emily openly gasped. Patrick's eyes widened in shock, and Simon's face turned.

Ava folded her hand to stop it from feeling numb. The slap from earlier made her hand sting, but she didn't regret any bit of it. She'd do it again even if she was going to come back to this life again.

It was for all the brutality she'd been subjected to, and their guts for coming shamelessly to this mansion after everything they did to her.

As she stared at her shocked faces, her smile widened. She began asking herself how and why she was so scared of these people in the past. How could she not have seen that they were all just a bunch of insecure people who projected their inferiority complex on her?

Simon's finger flexed at his side. He was so dumbfounded that it took a minute before his brain registered what just happened. Ava slapped him. He gritted his teeth as he turned to face her once more.

"You stupid bitch!"

As his hand came down to her head to hit her, "Ah Ah," Ava warned. His hand froze midair. The look Ava gave him was no longer amused but deadly. "One more inch," she said, "and I'll personally make sure that your fingers are chopped off."

The sheer certainty in her tone made a chill run down his spine, but not only him, the rest of his family too.

"Are you that brave... Or are you just that stupid to think that you'd hit a Whitlock and walk away freely?"

Simon's anger faltered. Ava was threatening him. It didn't make any sense to him, but at her threat, he could do nothing other than mop, wondering when she turned into a completely different person from the one they knew.

"You hit Simon and now you're threatening to chop his hand just because he wants to knock some sense into you?" Patrick asked. "How much of an ingrate can you be, Ava?!"

Ava's eyes darted to the guests that walked past them that stared, including the ones that lingered around the hallway. Her adoptive family were beginning to gather attention, one she started to enjoy.

"We practically raised you, you wretch. Instead of compensating us for basically saving your life when everyone left you to starve on the street now that you've found your real parents, you call us a joke and threaten Simon?!" Patrick continued.

Noticing the attention that they now attracted, Claudia decided to take advantage of it. In barely a week, a lot had changed with Ava, this, Claudia couldn't deny.

She couldn't stop wondering why, but with the slap, the threats and the smile on Ava's face despite their harsh words, she couldn't outrule that her pushover adopted daughter who they could scare by getting physically violent with was gone. She couldn't just stand and watch Ava humiliate her family. She was going to do same to her.

"Even after smearing our family name by getting pregnant during high school, we still didn't abandon you, Ava," Claudia's voice became timid. "Do you think it was easy becoming the talk of the neighborhood?"

Ava gritted her teeth at Claudia's words. This was the first thing that got her this evening.

Few feets away, a pair of six eyes watched the drama unfold.