by Karla Luna
“Yeah…” I gritted my teeth to keep myself from shouting at her or punching her square in the face. Never before in my life did I hate a person so much. Actually, I did, many times before. So that was clearly a big lie. I didn’t exactly hate her, though. I just didn’t like her. Huge difference.
“Well, I’ll see you later then!” She smiled widely and just then, I saw right through her little façade. She hated me just as much as I disliked her, didn’t she? That much was obvious. But why? Hmph, probably because I was the total opposite of her.
Oh, my bad, you’ve probably been wondering why I was standing here, in front of the school in the first place. Well, obviously Zavier had his cute little Mathletes meeting. And since Jesse was our ride, he and Ethan had no choice but to stay wandering around the school for an hour. They had nowhere else to go. Clearly, they had no lives.
But I… oh, I got myself a wonderful full hour of detention for being late this morning. Our History teacher wasn’t the one who gave me the detention though, it was one of the Deans seeing us walking in too late, yet again. Zavier got a lunch detention since he was obviously busy right now. But come on, that was just unfair. I wish he had gotten detention with me, because I was really not looking forward to seeing all the losers in detention.
Okay, so maybe I was also a loser for being there, but detention was never fun unless you had some real bad boys in there with you.
I fucking spoke too soon.
“All right, you little delinquents.”
I looked up at our detention-supervisor-teacher-dude, and I was annoyed with him already. I had my feet propped up on a desk, so when he walked right past me, he pushed them off. I just glared at the front of the classroom, wanting to punch Davne’s face in so badly at the moment. He was smirking as if he had won some huge prize ever since he saw me when he walked in.
Goddammit! I should’ve skipped this detention. But it was better to get things out of the way instead of getting into even more trouble. Gotta keep it in the down-low sometimes, you know?
“Detention is served to people who don’t take school very seriously.” Oh, here we go… “So we give you an hour of nothing to do, because we want to waste your time just like you guys wanted to do in the first place.” He smiled at us, as he walked around his desk to collect a few things. “I will be in the teacher’s lounge. But if I hear a single peep coming from here, I will not hesitate to keep you here for two more hours.”
Before I knew it, he was gone and out the door. I huffed and put my feet up on the desk again, while I hugged the upper half of my body. I threw my head back and closed my eyes, wanting nothing but a nice nap.
Of course, not all wishes come true.
“So what brought you here, bunny?” I took a deep breath and moved my head to the right. Davne was in detention along with a creepy guy in the corner, playing with a lighter that didn’t even seem to work, two silent Goth girls, and two jocks by the windows. None of them seemed amusing to me. And if I moved or walked around, I was so sure that Davne would be following me. If I escaped, he’d follow me, too.
“You know, I don’t think you’re the listening type. I want to be left alone,” I snapped at him as I turned to give him my best glare. But he seemed amused and looked me over. He just didn’t have anyone else to bother, did he? Were there really no other bad girls or good girls here for him? I thought bad boys were supposed to go after the good girls! I wasn’t good! I mean, I guess I could be good (if only I wanted to be), but that rarely happened. In fact, it only seemed to happen when Zavier was around.
“Of course, I’m not the listening ty—”
“Please leave,” I interrupted him before he went on any further. Excuses, excuses. I know I said I was attracted to this guy, but he really got on my nerves. With Drake, I easily got along with him. In reality, I was terrified of him, yet I felt safer than ever when I was with him. But when I was with Davne? Meh, sure, I wanted to make out with him to shut him up, but I also wanted to slap him with a chair.
“You know what? I have a little deal for you.”
“Oooh, how exciting,” I sarcastically stated while boringly picking at my nails. Gosh, they need to be re-painted. I should’ve brought my black nail polish.
“I promise, cross my heart and hope to die.”
“Please do.” Okay, this guy was giving me perfect opportunities to lash out at him, and it wasn’t like I’d pass up the chance to!
“I’ll leave Zavier alone completely,” he continued, completely ignoring my remark. “I won’t even say ‘hi’ to the guy. I won’t even look at him if you want! I know you care about that geek. Why do you, though?” Right then, an image of Zavier popped into my head. He was smiling sweetly at me, nervously adjusting his glasses as he looked down. I didn’t know the whole reason why I cared about him. I just knew I did, and that was all there was to it.
“None of your business.”
“Wow! Well, okay.” He chuckled before continuing. “But if you like nerds so much, then I can talk nerdy for you just as easily.” He cleared his throat and I rolled my eyes, watching the clock tick ever so slowly. Go faster, dammit. “What do you say we go back to my room and do some Math, huh? Add a bed, subtract our clothes, divide your legs... and multiply.”
I grimaced. “You are disgusting. And you clearly got that from the Internet.” He wasn’t smart enough to come up with that. It was too good.
“So maybe I did. But come on, I know you want it.”
I laughed at that. “Want what? Because if you’re talking about a dick, you clearly don’t have one.”
He glared at me and I knew I was starting to get to him. Come on, just a little bit more and I’d make him combust.
“Anyway.” Dammit, he just couldn’t stop talking! “Since I see you so much with him, and…” he put his hands together, pursed his lips, and gave me innocent eyes, “… since he seems to mean so very much to you…” My eyes went wide once I realized what he was doing. I immediately turned to glare at him while reaching out to grip him by the collar. I pulled him close so that he could see just how serious and angry I was. “Whoa, whoa, you want to do it here?” he whispered while looking around. But no one was really paying attention to us. “I’m honored, but I’m not into the whole public thing like you.”
To shut him up, I gathered saliva in my mouth and spit it right at his face. Yes, not very lady-like, but I didn’t give a fuck if I was or wasn’t being lady-like. I just wanted him to close his stupid mouth already.
The spit was rolling down his cheek as he clenched his jaw and started to breathe heavily. Then he wiped it off before looking at me again.
“Listen, if you so much as hurt him, I am not kidding, I will not hesitate to kill you.” Never in my life had I threatened someone like this. Usually Drake did it for me, but that was because he loved me so much that he’d rather die than let someone kill me. But what was I doing? Protecting a boy I’d known for about a month or so? “I’m not afraid to, Davne. Don’t challenge me.”
“Little Evelyn, I always get what I want,” he hissed, and we were both into a really heavy glaring match. None of us dared to look away. “And since I want you,” he paused to look me over while biting his lip, “I’m willing to make a tiny little deal with you.” I only continued to stare him down, tightening my hold on his collar. What the hell was this stupid deal of his? “I’ll leave him alone, completely, if you hang out with me in secret.”
“What?” I whispered, almost seeming stunned. But I wanted to know more, if it was for my teddy bear.
Davne smirked. “Evelyn, it’s obvious that you would do anything to save that kid. And, well, I like threatening people this way. It’s really fun for me, if you can’t already tell.”
“You’re fucking sick.”
He only laughed it off as if it were a compliment. And who knew, maybe in his world, it was.
“I might be. But come on, bunny. We’re bad people. We don’t care about anyone but ourselves.” Those words
hit me like a brick. “I just came back from juvie. You and I both know what I’m capable of. And even if you try to kill me, or even go for a restraining order, whatever, I’ll always be one step ahead because I’m stronger. Let there be no bad blood between us. So what’s it gonna be? It’s easy. You don’t have to see me in public or at school. I won’t even exist to you during that time. But when it comes to seeing each other in private, well, I expect to be with you. No one has to know. Not even your precious little Zavier. Be with me in secret, whenever you’re free, and I won’t hurt little nerd boy.”
I hated this. And it was stupid. But if he was stronger, and could do more damage, what other choice did I have but to protect Zavier?
Goddammit! I was fucked.
20: Forget Yesterday
•Evelyn•
It had only been a few days since the detention, and it was now a Tuesday, also the beginning of November. My therapy session for the week was just done, but I was distracted and pretty quiet for most of it. So Stormy decided to let me think for a while on my own, until I felt comfortable enough to tell her what was on my mind.
It was just that ever since I made that deal with Davne, I couldn’t stop thinking about it, or the bad things that would come off it. His words just wouldn’t stop haunting me and I’m afraid I’d go crazy if they didn’t.
“Be with me in secret, whenever you’re free, and I won’t hurt little nerd boy…. You and I both know what I’m capable of…”
I badly wanted to tell Stormy, but I was afraid of what he would do to her, too, if she were to find out. I didn’t want to hurt Zavier and his mother. That’d be horrible. I couldn’t go to the police, either. I knew that even Drake would’ve had his ways, so of course Davne had his. I just couldn’t do anything and that was the whole truth.
Fuck. This was all messed up. This was why you shouldn’t mess with bad boys. They were dangerous. I wasn’t scared of him. I was just scared of what he could do to these people, especially one in particular.
“Evelyn? Evelyn… Evelyn!”
I snapped back to reality when I saw a hand waving in front of my face.
I blinked and swallowed hard. Then, I took a look around the room to check out my current surroundings, and I realized that I was in the living room. The TV was on a random episode of Supernatural that I had already seen, but it had a very low volume. All I really heard was my racing heart and ragged breathing. I slowly looked to my right, and saw Zavier smiling sweetly at me.
“You okay?”
He was the most adorable thing in the world. All I had ever been taught was bad. This world was bad, and dangerous, and unfair… and all the other words synonymous to that. And yet, here I had Zavier, who proved those things to be wrong. He didn’t let this fucked up world get to him too much. He studied to follow his dreams of becoming a teacher or maybe the future fucking president, just to prove people wrong. He was also sweet to the people who might’ve been rude or annoying to him. And he was shy and nervous, but despite awkward situations he usually persisted just so he could get comfortable later on. I had never met anyone quite like him. And I didn’t think I ever would. Dammit! I needed to leave this place. I wanted him safe, and me being away was safer than anything. If only I could, but sadly, things just weren’t that easy. The best thing to do was go along with Davne’s deal. Sure, I’d hang out with the prick, but I’d do anything if it meant he’d leave Zavier alone and alive.
“Yeah,” I lied, giving him a fake smile. “Where were we?”
“I was starting to tell you about Joss. You asked, and I think it might help with the whole…” He trailed off to let me remember.
Oh, right. We had our own little deal to go through, too.
I took a deep breath, sat cross-legged on the couch and faced him. He nodded and licked his lips before putting one leg up on the couch to face me as well.
“Don’t be nervous,” I said while grabbing his hand and squeezing it to reassure him. He looked down at our interlocked hands, and then slowly entwined our fingers together, shocking me a bit by the little movement. “Okay, tell me.”
He moved his eyes back and forth. “Tell you what exactly?”
I deeply sighed. I agreed to help him, but I hated how I had to talk to him about Joss. Maybe Davne should’ve gone for Joss. That idea seemed way more pleasing than Zavier being with her, and Davne being with me.
“Just tell me exactly what you see in her and, um… just tell me...”
“Evelyn…” His eyebrows knitted together in concern and slight confusion as he sat closer to me and slowly brought his hands up to cup my cheeks. “Don’t… why are you crying?”
My eyes went wide at that as I searched his face. What? I’m not…
Bringing my hand to touch my cheek, I felt the wetness and realized I was indeed crying, without me even realizing it. When did I start to cry? But more importantly, why was I crying? I didn’t understand it. I hadn’t cried since… well, a very long time ago. This was so odd for me. I didn’t just cry for no reason. What was happening to me?
“I’m sorry. Did I do something?”
“Stop!” I snapped at him before he continued. He was taken aback. I looked up at him through my lashes and saw his adorable brown eyes gleaming with worry and even more confusion. “Stop being so nice to me, Zavier.” I can’t take it. I’m afraid… I’m afraid I won’t be able to protect you one day.
Dammit! Davne already found my weak spot. I couldn’t do this. I had to fight it. I was strong, I was brave, and I was independent. Those words sounded so fake to me, though…
Stop whining and crying like a little baby, Evelyn. Davne’s nothing. You can go through with his plan and nothing will go wrong. Hell, you can punch him in the face, if you want to. What’ll he do to you? Fucking kill you?! Well, if he was willing to, yes…
“I… you’re my friend, Evelyn.” At hearing Zavier’s slightly cracking voice, I turned back to reality and sniffed. “I care about you. If you cry right in front of me like this, I can’t just let it go and move on with my day. I need you to know that I’m here for you. You need a shoulder to cry on, it’s right here.” He chuckled as he patted his shoulder, making me give him a shaky smile. “You need to talk to someone other than my mother, then I’m here. I’m all ears….” He stopped and looked deep into my eyes, making me want to cry all over again. I hated that look. Pity. Sympathy. Compassion. I hated it all. “You need someone to hold you while you cry… and say nothing at all, then I’m right here. Okay?”
I nodded as he slowly grabbed my chin and caressed it.
Ever so slowly, I moved closer to him and put my legs over his thighs so that I was practically on his lap. He just watched me as I lay my head down on his chest. His breathing was slow, and his heart rate was like music to my ears. It was just beating a little faster than normal, but I smiled at it nevertheless. Sniffing, I played with his button-up shirt as he placed one arm around my shoulders and played with my free hand.
“I don’t know what’s wrong, but I don’t usually see a tough girl cry,” he said and I chuckled with him, smoothing out his shirt a little bit. “But it’s okay. Even men cry when they need to let it all out. I cry all the time while reading books, and I don’t mind it.” I chuckled again. “Whatever it is that’s got you like this, forget about it for a moment.” I almost jumped when he placed his chin on top of my head. But I tried to calm down and slowly breathe in and out. “Forget about yesterday, that’s just the past. If you can, also forget about tomorrow. Just take in this very moment.” And I was. Being in the warmth of his arms, well, it gave me a reason to forget about what had happened this past month as if it were just some foggy dream. He was right. I guess Stormy had been teaching him how to talk to me to soothe me down when I felt this way. And I was so grateful for it.
After a few minutes, I heard heels clinking against the wooden floor, and it stopped as I felt Zavier lifting his chin up from my head.
I knew Stormy was back, taking in what was happ
ening and how we were in our current positions. But she didn’t say anything, though I think she probably smiled at the sight. We were getting along and we were trusting each other, and that was probably what she had wanted in the first place.
When a few seconds passed, I heard a soft sigh and then her heels disappeared off into another room. I relaxed again after feeling tense and closed my eyes, hugging Zavier’s waist with the hand that wasn’t interlocked with his. I didn’t want to leave or even move. I wanted to stay here, with my teddy bear, and I didn’t want him to ever let me go.
But it wasn’t long before sleep finally took me over.
I woke up with a gasp once I felt my phone vibrate against my pants. I rubbed my eyes and yawned while looking around. I was in my room, all covered up and it must’ve been around 9pm. I probably fell asleep while Zavier was holding me, so to make me comfortable, he carried me upstairs to my own bed. That was sweet of him.
Where was he though? Oh gosh, probably just in his room. Don’t freak out, he was fine there. I shook my head a little and grabbed my phone, which was still vibrating like crazy. I squinted my eyes, but they went a bit wide once I saw who was actually calling.
Shit, it was Davne. He didn’t want me right now, did he?
I grimaced and pressed the green answer button before slowly bringing the phone up to my ear.
“I’m outside, bunny,” he said. “You have five minutes to meet me here.” I didn’t even get the chance to say anything since he was cut off almost immediately.
I looked down at my clothes. I was still in my skinny jeans from earlier and my black tank top. So jumping up from my bed, I grabbed my black combat boots and slipped them on, along with my cozy grey sweater that reached above my knees.
That was when a thought came to mind. What if Zavier or Stormy walked into my room? They didn’t usually do that, but I was a pretty heavy sleeper, so even if they’d done that, I wouldn’t know.