Chapter 7
Sophomore Year of High School
"And like Patterson's essay is so unnecessary," Camila clicked her tongue as she leaned against Levi's locker. "This weekend is going to be so packed."
"Are you going to the Summit?" Levi asked.
"Of course," Camila's eyes lit up. "I heard Michelle Obama is attending. I mean it's not confirmed or anything."
"Yeah, I've heard the same," Levi nodded before clearing his throat. "So I was thinking..."
"Yeah?" Camila smiled.
"After the UN Summit, would you want to go grab dinner somewhere?" Levi smiled, knowing very well what it did to the girls around school. The Silvano boys had a reputation around St. Mark's Prep.
"Are you asking me out on a date?" Camila asked, her cheeks flushed.
"If you say yes, then I will match my answer," Levi smiled. "But if you say no-"
"Evelyn Summer," Principal Rutger's voice suddenly boomed over the loudspeaker. "Please come to the principal's office immediately."
Levi cursed under his breath as he shut his eyes and took in a deep breath. Camila waited until the announcements ended to turn back to the boy standing before her.
"I'll text you," Levi said as he began to back away. "But tomorrow night. Dinner. I'll pick you up."
"Okay," Camila smiled.
Levi wanted to feel good. He had a dateâa hot date. But the sinking feeling in his gut didn't let him enjoy the moment. Instead of walking Camila to class, he was heading to the principal's office.
"What the hell?" Levi's voice was laced with anger as he spotted Evie dragging her feet toward the office. "What did you do?"
"Why do you always assume it's me who did something?" Evie looked up, irritation flashing in her eyes.
"What happened to your face?" Levi frowned at the cut above her brow.
"Locker number 125," Evie sighed. "I remember seeing the number right before my face met the lock."
"Who was it?" Levi demanded, frustration bubbling beneath the surface.
"Let's go, Vivi!"
Levi and Evie turned as Mason rounded the corner, hands cupped around his mouth as he chanted Evie's name. He picked her up and swung her around.
"Atta girl," Mason laughed, setting her down. "Florance will think twice before messing with you again."
"Florance Hunts?" Levi raised an eyebrow. "Senior Florance?"
"Dude, you should have seen her," Mason laughed. "Vivi girl was on fire. I've never been more proud."
"This is what, your third fight this year?" Levi turned toward Evie, his frustration reaching its peak. "What the fuck, Evelyn?"
"Levi," Evie sighed, rubbing her forehead. "I don't need this right now. I know I'm in trouble. You can yell at me in the car or something."
"Do you have any idea what the UN Scholars will say if Rutger calls them?" Levi asked, exasperation evident in his tone.
"I don't care!" Evie snapped. "And why do you? You didn't even like me joining your stupid scholars program anyway."
"But you did, and now you're taking up the space of someone who would have actually cared about the internship," Levi retorted.
"Levi, chill," Mason placed a hand against his brother's chest. "Back off, man."
"You know what, Levi?" Evie's eyes narrowed, her voice dripping with anger. "I'll do you a favor and drop out of the stupid internship that won't even matter to anyone in five years. How about that? Good luck to you and that stick you have up your ass."
"Guys, guys," Mason tried to mediate, grabbing Evie's hand to pull her back. "Calm down."
With her blue eyes boiling, Evie snatched her hand away from Mason and stormed into the principal's office.
Levi spent the rest of the day in a haze, his thoughts dominated by Evie's reckless behavior. He sat in class, staring blankly at the board as the teacher droned on about the Industrial Revolution, his mind miles away.
Why does she always have to be so reckless? He thought, frustration gnawing at him. She's smart, and capableâwhy can't she just stay out of trouble?
The school buzzed with the news of Evie's fight. Whispers and murmurs followed Levi through the hallways. He caught snippets of conversations
"Did you hear about Evie? She took on Florance Hunts!"
"She's so fuckin' hot man."
Levi glared at the freshmen boys as they stared at their phone screens, replaying the videos of the fight.
With a sigh, he rubbed his forehead, tending to the splitting headache. He couldn't understand why Evie didn't see the bigger picture. The UN Scholars program was a prestigious opportunity, a stepping stone to something greater. Yet, she seemed intent on jeopardizing everything.
At lunch, he sat with his friends, but their conversation barely registered. His mind kept replaying the morning's eventsâEvie's defiant stance, the anger in her eyes, and the fresh cut above her brow.
"Levi, you okay?" Camila asked, snapping him out of his reverie.
"Yeah, I'm fine," he muttered, pushing his food around his plate.
He wasn't fine. He was worried. Evie's behavior was spiraling out of control.
In the afternoon, during a free period, he wandered to the library, seeking solace among the quiet stacks of books. He found a corner table and sat down, burying his face in his hands.
Why, Evie? Why do you always have to make things so difficult?
He glanced at his phone, half-hoping for a message from her, an explanation, a joke to crack the ice, a random picture she snapped, a funny cat video, something to ease his mind. But there was nothing. Just the growing buzz of gossip and the weight of his own concerns.
As the final bell rang, Levi headed to his locker, the usual chatter of the students blending into a distant hum. He knew he had to confront Evie, to make her see reason, but he also knew it wouldn't be easy. She was stubborn, fiercely independent, and more than anything, reckless.
By evening time, the worry didn't lift. Luckily, Levi's brothers mentioned nothing about the fight during dinner but he was sure his mom would find out from Debbi by morning time.
Levi tried to focus on his homework, but his thoughts kept drifting back to Evie. He was usually the one she turned to, the one she confided in. The fact that she hadn't called him after the fight, that she hadn't sought him out, gnawed at him.
As the hours ticked by, Levi found himself lying in bed, staring at the ceiling. He replayed the day's events over and over, wondering what he could have done differently. Should he have been more supportive? More understanding? He just wanted to keep her from making mistakes that could ruin her future.
It was past midnight when he heard the faint sound of voices outside his window. Curious, he got up and peered through the blinds. In the dim light of the moon and streetlight, he could make out Evie standing in the street with her bike as Mason climbed over their townhouse gate.
Levi's heart sank. Evie always used to call him when she needed to talk or when she had something on her mind. But now, she was turning to Mason. He felt a pang of jealousy and hurt. Was she really that mad at him? Had she ever been that mad at him? Levi opened his window and stuck his head out.
"You did good today, though. Standing up to Florance like that," Mason said as he grabbed his bike and met Evie in the street.
Levi's jaw tightened. Mason's words only made him more worried. They weren't helping her stay out of trouble; they were encouraging her recklessness.
"What are you two doing?" He asked. He caught Evie's gaze over Mason's shoulder and for the first time in the whole day, Levi felt as if some of the tension in his shoulders eased. Evie's eyes twinkled with the childishness she always had as she stepped forward and held out her arms.
"Rapunzel , Rapunzel," she said, standing under Levi's window. "Let down your hair."
Levi rolled his eyes, despite the flips inside his belly at seeing Evie laughing again.
"You are more than welcome to come along with us," Evie invited. "Just don't yell at me or lecture me."
"See, that tells me you're about to do something stupid," Levi said.
"So come with me," Evie laughed. "And stop me."
"That's not my fuckin' job, Evelyn," Levi muttered. But he found himself pulling on his jeans and sneakers anyway. Grabbing his phone, he quietly climbed down from his window.
As his feet hit the ground, Evie grinned and threw her hands around his neck, catching him off guard. Levi's hands landed on her waist and he pulled her a bit closer.
"When you're with me, nothing bad ever happens," Evie said.
"Yeah, yeah," Levi grumbled, though he couldn't suppress a small smile. "Where are we going?"
Pulling back, Evie wiggled in Levi's arms, "To the zoo."
"The Central Park Zoon?" Levi's eyes widened. "Are you crazy? You're going to break into the zoo?"
"You're already out of the house," Evie laughed as she hurried back out to the street and grabbed her bike.
Levi shook his head, glancing at Mason who just shrugged and mounted his own bike. Levi sighed, but the adventure had already sucked him in. He followed suit, pedaling after them as they rode down the empty roads.
The night was cool and still, the streetlights casting long shadows on the pavement. The city was quiet, a peaceful contrast to the chaos of the day. Levi watched Evie as they rode, her laughter echoing in the night. Her hair flew wildly in the wind, and her eyes sparkled with that unmistakable glint of mischief.
She looked kind of pretty like this, Levi thought, the wind in her hair and a carefree smile on her face. He felt a strange mix of admiration and exasperation. How could someone be so reckless and yet so full of life?
Mason rode alongside them, his bike's wheels whispering against the asphalt. He was grinning too, clearly enjoying the thrill of their midnight escapade.
As they approached the park, the trees loomed like silent sentinels, their leaves rustling softly in the breeze. Levi felt a twinge of anxietyâbreaking into the zoo was a step beyond their usual adventures. But seeing Evie's excitement, he couldn't help but be drawn in.
"Just promise me you'll be careful," Levi called out, his voice a mix of worry and resignation.
Evie turned her head, her smile radiant in the moonlight. "When am I not careful?"
Levi shook his head, laughing despite himself. "All the time, Evelyn. All the time."
But as they reached the gates of the zoo, his concerns melted away, replaced by the thrill of the night.
"You've really lost it this time," Levi muttered, shaking his head with a smile.
Evie grinned, her eyes sparkling. "Come on. It'll be fun!"
Mason was already testing the sturdiness of the gate, his fingers curling around the cold metal.
"Piece of cake," he declared, beginning to climb. Evie followed suit, her movements agile and quick.
Levi hesitated for a moment, but the sight of his brother and Evie halfway up the gate spurred him into action. He grabbed hold of the bars, the metal biting into his palms, and started to climb.
One by one, they scaled the gate and dropped down on the other side, landing softly on the grass. They exchanged triumphant grins, hearts pounding in unison.
"Welcome to the zoo," Evie whispered dramatically, spreading her arms wide.
The trio crept through the darkened pathways, their laughter barely contained. The animals were mostly asleep, the air filled with the soft sounds of rustling leaves and distant nocturnal calls. They wandered past the lion enclosure, pausing to peer through the bars at the sleeping beasts.
"They look so peaceful," Mason whispered.
"What do you think they dream about?" Evie pressed her hand against the glass and peered at the lions. She watched them carefully as Levi watched her.
After a while, Evie led them deeper into the zoo, her energy infectious. They found themselves at the penguin exhibit, where the birds stood like tiny sentinels, some still awake and waddling around.
"Look at them," Evie laughed. "They're adorable!"
Levi couldn't help but smile as he watched Evie's delight. Her face was lit with pure joy, a stark contrast to the anger and frustration from earlier. She caught his eye and smiled.
They continued their exploration, stopping to mimic the flamingos' one-legged stance and to make funny faces at the slumbering gorillas. Mason, always the clown, performed a mock safari tour, narrating their journey with exaggerated gestures and a terrible British accent.
"And here we have the elusive Evie in her natural habitat," Mason announced, causing Evie to double over with laughter.
Levi's worries faded as the night went on, replaced by the simple joy of being with his friends. They stumbled upon a small fountain and took turns jumping over the streams of water, their laughter ringing through the empty zoo.
Eventually, they found a quiet spot near the sea lion pool, where they sat down to catch their breath. The water shimmered under the moonlight, the night air cool and refreshing.
"This was a good idea," Levi admitted, his voice soft. "Crazy, but good."
Evie leaned her head on his shoulder, her eyes half-closed. "See? I told you nothing bad would happen when you're with me."
"He's looking for the bathrooms," Evie sighed.
Levi took a deep breath, deciding it was now or never. "Evie, we need to talk about what happened."
Evie groaned, lifting her head and rolling her eyes. "Levi, don't start."
"No, listen," Levi insisted, his voice firm but gentle. "What's gotten into you? This isn't like you. Why do you keep picking fights with people?"
"I can handle myself," Evie replied, her tone defiant.
"That's not the point," Levi said, frustration creeping into his voice.
Evie stood up, crossing her arms. "Why do you always have to lecture me?"
"Because you're being so stupid!" Levi said, standing up to face her. "You're too smart to be acting like this. And you're hurting Debbi and Jason. Do you even think about your parents?"
Evie's expression softened for a moment, but then she shook her head. "You're always so serious. You need to lighten up."
Levi sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I'm serious. You need to-"
Before he could say anything more, Evie stepped closer, closing the distance between them. She looked up at him, her blue eyes searching his face. Then, without warning, she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him.
Levi froze, his mind racing. The warmth of her lips against his took him by surprise, but he quickly melted into the kiss, his hands finding her waist. For a moment, everything else faded awayâtheir arguments, his worries, the world. There was only Evie.
When Evie finally pulled back, Levi stood there, breathless and stunned. His mind raced as he tried to process what had just happened.
"What was that?" Levi demanded, his voice edged with frustration and confusion. "You can't just..."
Evie's expression faltered, uncertainty crossing her features. "I...I don't know why I just did that."
"Fuck, Evelyn," Levi took a step back, his hands shaking slightly as he tugged at his hair. "What the fuck? You don't know why you did that? My fuckin' god. I wanted my first kiss to be with someone I liked and you just..."
Realization dawned on Evie's face, and her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. She threw her hand over her mouth as her eyes widened.
Levi ran a hand through his hair again, trying to calm his racing thoughts. "You can't just kiss me like that. What the hell?"
"I'm sorry," Evie whispered, her voice barely audible. "I just thought....maybe..."
"Maybe what?" Levi interjected, his voice still laced with frustration.
"I'm sorry, Levi," she whispered again, her voice cracking. "I...."
Before Evie could finish her sentence, Mason returned from his search for the bathrooms. He noticed Evie's distressed expression and Levi's agitated pacing immediately.
"What's going on?" Mason asked, his brow furrowing with concern.
"Nothing," Levi grabbed his baseball cap off the floor and turned towards the gates. "Let's get out of here."
_______________________
Wendy
"Are you done yet?"
Wendy asked, turning around to look at Lily sitting on the floor of their dorm room hunched forward by the mirror.
"Just a few more minutes," Lily said as she carefully drew in her eye liner. "My make up is almost done. I just have to blow dry my hair."
"Ugh! Lily!" Wendy complained as she sunk lower into her chair and stomped her feet. "It'll be dark there! No one will see you're face."
"I am not going out there without looking presentable," Lily replied. "And I'm doing the bare minimum. Just like you requested."
"You look like you just left a photoshoot," Wendy muttered.
"Can you stop complaining and help me pick out an outfit?" Lily clicked her tongue. "Seriously, you can look however you want to look but I take pride in my appearance."
"What's wrong with how I look?" Wendy asked.
Lily looked over her shoulder, "Really? You're wearing shorts and an old band t-shirt and you have a baseball cap on. Where are you trying to go? I'm confused."
"I'm sorry," Wendy frowned. "I forgot that we were invited to the Reyes and Silvano wedding tonight."
Rolling her eyes, Lily ignored her friend's taunt and went back to fixing her make up. Behind her Wend continued to groan and complain until Lily jumped up to her feet and grabbed her hair dryer.
"Fine! Fine!" Lily groaned. "I'll just blowdry and not use rollers."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
"Can you please change?" Lily asked. "You have such beautiful curves. Curves I wish I had an ounce of. Take off that t-shirt. It's doing nothing for you. Please."
"No."
"Please, please, please," Lily clasped her hands together and begged. "You can wear one of my dresses."
"No!" Wendy protested.
"So you're going like that?" Lily asked. "This is how you want to go?"
"You begged to go to this party, lil' mama," Wendy laughed. "I don't have to go anywhere tonight."
"But-"
"Nope," Wendy crossed her arms over her chest. "Now do you're hair or I'll change my mind."
"But-"
"Five......four..."
"Okay, okay!" Lily gathered all her things and ran into the bathroom.
Wendy sighed and kicked off her sneakers, plopping onto her bed with a huff. As the sound of the blow dryer filled the dorm, she glanced around the room, her eyes eventually landing on Lily's desk. Neatly framed photos of Lily's family stared back at her.
She picked up a picture of Lily with her parents, all three of them beaming with joy in front of a scenic backdrop. Wendy's heart ached a little as she studied the photo. Lily's parents looked so proud, so supportive. Wendy's own family photos, back home, told a different storyâforced smiles, tense postures, and a noticeable absence of warmth.
She traced a finger over the glass, lost in thought. Another photo showed Lily with her siblings at a beach, their laughter almost audible through the image. Wendy couldn't remember the last time her family had gone on a trip together, let alone shared such genuine happiness.
Feeling a pang of sadness, Wendy hugged her pillow tighter. She envied the stability and love Lily seemed to have. As she lay there, the distant whir of the blow dryer seemed to amplify her loneliness, making the room feel colder and emptier.
As Wendy carefully placed the photo back on the desk, Lily's phone began to ring, the cheerful ringtone breaking the somber silence. Wendy glanced at the screen and saw "Mason" flashing across it.
"Lily?" Wendy shouted over the sound of the blow dryer. "Mason is calling!"
"Can you pick it up for me?" Lily called back from the bathroom. "Tell him I'll call him back in a few!"
Wendy hesitated for a moment before reaching for the phone. She swiped to answer and brought it to her ear.
"Your sister is getting ready for her wedding," Wendy started.
A laughter bubbled out of Mason, "What?"
"She's in the bathroom," Wedny sank to the edge of the bed. "Doing her hair."
"Going out tonight?" Mason asked.
"I'm not sure if I'm supposed to tell you," Wendy said. "I forget which brother is uptight."
"I'm the only brother you should be concerned about."
"Oh?" Wendy questioned. "And why is that?"
"Because I'm the only brother still waiting to see pictures of the Legos," Mason chuckled. "Did you like it?"
"I guess."
"You guess?" Mason laughed again. "Did you even open the box?"
"No need," Wendy lied. "I already have this set at home. You're not the first one to come up with the brilliant idea of getting me Lego flowers."
There was a brief pause on the other end of the line. When Mason spoke again, his voice sounded noticeably less enthusiastic.
"Oh, I see," He said. "Well, I thought you might like them."
Wendy felt a pang of guilt at his disappointed tone. She hadn't meant to make him feel bad; it had just been an offhand remark to keep the conversation light.
"I appreciate the thought," she added. "They kinda pretty."
"Glad to hear that," Mason replied, though the cheerfulness in his voice was dampened.
"Lily will call you back soon," Wendy said, feeling a bit more awkward now.
"Alright, thanks," Mason said, his tone polite but not as warm as before. "Talk to you later."
"Yeah, later," Wendy replied.
As Wendy ended the call, she placed the phone back on Lily's desk and leaned back, staring at the ceiling. The sound of the blow dryer finally stopped, and moments later, Lily emerged from the bathroom, her hair perfectly styled and her makeup flawless.
"I'm ready!" Lily announced with a triumphant smile.
Lily's smile faltered when she saw Wendy glance at her phone, noticing the lingering expression of concern. Lily picked up the phone, staring at the screen with a hint of unease.
"What did Mason say?" Lily asked, as she looked at Wendy.
"He just wanted to check in," Wendy replied, trying to sound casual. "I told him you'd call him back later."
Lily's eyes searched Wendy's face for a moment before she nodded. "Alright. I hope he wasn't rude or anything to you."
Wendy shook her head. "No, he just seemed a little disappointed. I might have joked around too much."
Lily's brow furrowed slightly as she placed her phone back on the desk. "Mason's not sensitive like that. He'll be fine. I'll call him later."
"Yeah," Wendy said, nodding. "Ready to go?"
Lily gave a smile, though Wendy could see the concern lingering in her eyes. After a few seconds, she turned her attention back to the mirror, giving herself one last look-over before grabbing her purse.
"Okay, let's go!" Lily said, her voice regaining its usual cheerfulness.
Wendy forced a smile and got up from the bed, ready to head out. She quietly followed Lily to her car and climbed into the passenger seat. As Lily adjusted herself and pulled out of the drive way, Wendy pushed the small guilty monster in her mind and locked him away in an empty cell in her brain.
"So what are you going to do when you see Gabriel tonight?" She asked Lily to distract herself.
"Honestly, not a single clue," Lily snorted. "When I see him, my brain stops working and I forget how to function like a human being. Music starts playing in my head."
"What?" Wendy laughed.
"Yeah, you know that song by Katy Perry? Teenage Dream?"
"Oh god," Wendy rolled her eyes.
"It plays on a loop in my mind!" Lily laughed through the deep blush creeping up her neck.
"You need help," Wendy grabbed Lily's phone off the console and opened her music app. She shook her head with a small smile on her lips and hit play.
"Wendy, why!!!" Lily screeched as Teenage Dream began to play on the speakers.
"Sing with me," Wendy turned toward Lily. "You think I'm pretty without any make up on. You think I'm funny when I tell the punch line wrong."
"I know you get me, so I let my walls come down," Lily joined in.
"Down!"
"Before you met me, I was alright. But things were kinda heavy."
As Lily continued to sing, Wendy's phone buzzed in her pocket. She raised her hips and pulled it out of her back pocket and quickly checked the text message.
Wendy, my love, Mom's not doing so good tonight. Could you stop by? I'll send Robert to pick you up from campus.
Wendy started at the message as her heart pinched and the air in her lungs deflated. She gripped the phone rightly in her hands while the smile slipped from her lips.
"You make me feel like I'm living a teenage dream, the way you turn me on!" Lily's voice pulled Wendy out of her head as she quickly closed the message and shoved the phone back into her pocket.
"I can't sleep, let's run away. Don't ever look back, don't ever look back," Lily continued, eyes on the dark road as they drove down the highway.
"My heart stops when you look at me, just one touch now baby I believe," Wendy sang but she couldn't stop thinking about the message. "This is real. So come away with me and don't ever look back, don't ever look back."
"We drove to cali and got drunk on the beach," Lily paused and gasped. "You want to go to the beach this weekend?"
"And get drunk on the beach?" Wendy arched her brow. "Oh, by the way, do you plan on drinking tonight? One of us can't and since it's you're car-"
Before Wendy could finish, her phone began to ring. She pulled it out and stared at the name on the screen, ready to send it to voicemail. But Lily turned the volume down and out of habit, Wendy picked up the call immediately.
"Yeah?" She answered.
"Wendy?" Jesse, Wendy's parent's housekeeper's voice greeted her. "Did you see my text?"
"I did," Wendy nodded.
"Where are you?" Jesse asked. "You should come up to the house. It's looking like one of those nights."
"I can't," Wendy said, the little guilt monster breaking out of his cage in her mind. "I'm going somewhere with my roommate."
"Wendy baby," Jesse moved closer to the receiver. "I don't know if I should call Dr. Cooper."
"Just have her stay in her room," Wendy suggested, feeling Lily's eyes occasionally flickering toward her. "She'll be fine by morning."
"No, no," Jesse disagreed. "Your father is home tonight."
"What?" Wendy frowned. "Why?"
"I don't know," Jesse explained. "They don't tell me these things."
"Look, Jess," Wendy sighed. "I really can't come tonight. I promised my roomma-"
"Wendy, please," Jesse pleaded. "Things are getting ugly."
"Well, what am I supposed to do about it?" Wendy asked, her voice raising in frustration. "I can't come."
There was a small pause and the little guilt monster began to feast on all the raw negative energy running through Wendy's body.
"....okay," Jesse answered after a few seconds. "I'll keep you updated."
"Don't," Wendy said as she hung up the call and threw her phone down into her lap.
The car filled with silence as Lily gripped the steering wheel and Kety Perry sang in the background like a whisper, a faint memory of the good time Wendy was just having.
"Everything okay?" Lily asked quietly, her sweet voice squeezing Wendy's chest. She nodded her head and bit down on her lips to keep the tears away from her eyes. Wendy stared at the cars passing by as her leg began to bounce up and down.
"Do you want to talk?" Lily tried again.
"No," Wendy shook her head. Her heart began to sink to the pit of her stomach as she picked up her phone and looked at the message once again. "Don't hate me but can we please make a pit stop?"
Lily nodded, "Sure."
"I'm so sorry," Wendy apologized. "I promise we will go to the party as soon as I'm done. I just have to go home for a few and check on something."
"Of course," Lily said with understanding. "Put in your address."
"Thanks," Wendy grabbed Lily's phone and quickly typed in her address. GPS began to redirect them immediately toward her parent's house.
"Wow, you live so close to campus," Lily said, noticing the one-and-a-half-hour drive.
"Yeah," Wendy said quietly.
"Are you okay?" Lily asked. "Everything is okay at home, right?"
Wendy nodded.
"Okay," Lily frowned, unconvinced.
They drove in silence in the dark as the busy streets turned into long stretches of empty highways. Santa Isabella was far away from the craziness of Los Angeles, hidden between the hills and the oceans. It was a beautiful beach town, a perfect paradise in Southern California. Wendy loved her town. She loved the weather, the ocean, the people. Attending Pacific Crest University has always been her dream. But as Lily drove closer to Wendy's parent's house, she couldn't help but wonder if staying so close to home was a mistake.
"Stay in the car," Wendy said as they pulled into the lavish drive way behind the high iron gates.
"Are you sure?" Lily asked, seeing the way Wendy's shoulders tensed.
"Yeah," Wendy nodded, opening the car door. "I'll be quick. Just stay in the car. Do not come out."
Before Lily could stay anything else or before the guilt monster could grow anymore, Wendy jumped out of the car and ran up to the front doors. She pushed it open and hurried into the marble foyer with it's grand staircase and crystal chandelier her parents had gotten from Turkey.
As soon as she entered, the unmistakable sound of glass shattering welcomed her. Instantly, Wendy was thrown back to her childhood. The same sounds, the same voices shouting, the same smell of alcohol all over the house.
"You ruined my life!"
Wendy looked up as her mother's voice screamed from upstairs. With shaking hands, she made her way to her father's study and pushed the door open.
"I hate you! I wish you would just die!" Amanda, Wendy's mother shouted from the center of the study while Tom, Wendy's father sat on the sofa, running his forehead.
"How could you do this to me?" Amanda cried. "How could you do this to us?"
"What's going on?" Wendy asked, stepping into the room.
"Wendy?" Tom looked up, slightly surprised to see his daughter home.
"Wendy," Amanda sighed with relief as her bloodshot eyes landed on the girl standing before her. "Baby, you're home."
"Yeah..." Wendy said, stopping her mother as the woman came toward her to pull her into a tight embrace. "Have you been drinking?"
"Just a bit," Amanda smiled as she tried to fix herself.
"Let's get you to bed," Wendy took the glass from her mother's hand and placed it on the coffee table. "Do you want to take a bath?"
"No," Amanda shook her head like a child. "We can't leave now. The show just started. Tom? Tell your daughter what you did."
"Amanda, let it go," Tom rolled his eyes. He rose from his seat and walked over to his desk, avoiding looking at Wendy. Wendy watched him put out a cigar and clip it before putting it in his mouth.
"Why?" Amanda questioned. "Are you ashamed to tell her?"
"Mom, watch out," Wendy grabbed her mother's arm and pulled her away from the shattered glass on the floor.
"Your father moved her into the lake house," Amanda pushed Wendy's arm away and stepped forward, her heels stepping over the glass shards and her long evening gown sweeping the floor. "Our lake house, Wendy. The one you and I used to go to every summer. He moved her into our lake house!"
"For god's sake, Amanda," Tom's voice boomed. Wendy flinched and the urge to hide under her childhood bed began to overtake her.
"You know I had no choice!" Tom continued. "She's having a baby."
Wendy's gaze snapped up toward her father, "A baby?"
Tom looked away once again, leaving Amanda laughing at her husband's cowardness.
"Victoria is having another baby," Amanda announced. "Congratulations, Wendy baby. You're going to be an older sister..... Again."
"Dad?" Wendy looked at her father, her heart pounding inside her chest. "Is this true?"
Taking a long drag of his cigar, Tom stared out the window. Wendy waited for him to answer but his silence was enough to supply her with all the information she needed.
"This is the kind of man I have to live with," Amanda spat. "This spineless bastard. We went back to her. After everything we have been through, he went back to that whore."
"Don't call her a whore!" Tom yelled.
Angered, Amanda picked up her drink once more and threw the glass across the room. Wendy screamed as the glass hit the bookshelf beside her father and shattered like a firework.
"Mom!" Wendy yelled. "Stop it!"
"Me?" Amanda cried. "Why don't you ever tell him to stop? He's the one who has hurt you the most. He has other children, Wendy. He doesn't love you."
"That's not true!" Tom walked around his desk and pulled his wife away from Wendy. His large hands cupped around Wendy's face and their warmth shocked her. "Daddy loves you very much, Wendy. Don't let her tell you otherwise."
"It's all a lie," Amanda pulled at Wendy's arm. "If he loved you, he wouldn't have gone back to her."
"Leave her out of this!" Tom pulled Wendy behind him. "Stop filling her mind with your bullshit, Amanda. You can't make her hate me."
"She already hates you," Amanda said. "She hates you more than I hate you-"
And just like that, Tom's hand raised and flew across Amanda's face. Wendy flinched as her mother cried out, digging her nails into her palm.
"You hate me?" Tom's anger boiled as he grabbed the back of Amanda's neck and pushed her down onto the sofa. "You hate me, you stupid bitch?"
"Stop, stop!" Wendy jumped forward and grabbed her father's arm. "Dad, stop it! That's enough!"
"Victoria is staying at the lake house!" Tom yelled, releasing his wife's neck and shoving her to the floor. "Get that through your fuckin' head, Amanda."
"Dad, please," Wendy pleaded as her mother began to weep on the floor. "Stop."
"This is the last time," Tom warned. "Any more of this and I swear I'll divorce you."
Before Tom could say anything else, Wendy rose to her feet and grabbed her father's arm. She guided him toward the door and opened it to let him out. But as soon as the doors opened, Wendy's eyes landed on Lily, hovering and hesitating by the top of the stairwell.
"I'll take everything!" Tom continued to yell as Wendy and Lily stared at one another. "I'll take the house, the company, the money, Wendy. I'll take it all."
"Please," Wendy looked to her father. "Stop. Go to your room. Leave."
Tom suddenly seemed to realize Wedny was by his side. His eyes flashed with anger as he grabbed her arm.
"Let's go," he said.
"Go where?" Wendy asked.
"We're leaving," Tom announced.
"No!" Amanda shouted from inside the study as she climbed to her feet and ran after her husband and daughter. "Wendy, no!"
"Dad, stop!" Wendy protested, trying to pull away from her father as he began to drag her down the stairs.
"Wendy!" Lily caught her friend's arm, stopping her from tumbling down the stairs.
"Tom, no!" Amanda cried, running after them. "Let her go!"
"Dad, stop!" Wendy dug her heels in but her father was stronger. She could feel Lily running after her as Tom dragged her to the door.
"Lily, help my mom," Wendy said, looking over her shoulder. "Take her upstairs."
Lily, shocked and frazzled, ran back to the stairs and grabbed Amanda before the woman sank to the floor on her knees.
"Jesse!" Amanda cried. "He's taking my baby! He's taking my baby, Jesse!"
"Dad, stop!" Wendy finally managed to pull herself away from her father just as Jesse came running out of the kitchen. "I'm not going anywhere with you."
"You want to stay with her?" Tom questioned. "With that mad woman?"
"You both need to calm down," Wendy said. "Go back to your room, please."
"Wendy," Amanda cried from the floor where Lily held her. "Baby, my baby."
"Wendy," Jesse stepped forward. "Go take your mother upstairs."
Wendy, standing at the threshold of their home, looked from her father to her mother. She wanted to crawl into a hole and disappear forever. She wanted to get in the car and drive until the roads vanished and she fell into the ocean. There were tears in her eyes, the salt streams made their way to her lip and onto her tongue.
"Go," Jesse said softly. "I'll talk to your father."
With a small nod, Wendy wiped her eyes and walked back into the house. She picked her mother up from the floor and draped her arm over her shoulder.
"Come on," she said quietly. "Let's get you into a bath."
Amanda clung to her daughter and wept. She followed Wendy up the stairs and toward her bedroom while Lily followed them. Together, Lily and Wendy helped Amanda out of her evening gown and started her bath. Once Amanda stopped crying, Lily walked over to lay out the night gown while Wendy sat by her mother's tub, bathing her like a small child. The girls worked in silence until Amanda was tucked into bed and the lights were turned off.
"Thank you," Wendy whispered as Lily stopped out of Amanda's room and quietly shut the door.
"Where's your room?" Lily asked.
"Down the hall," Wendy pointed.
"Come," Lily motioned.
"Don't you want to get to the party?" Wendy asked.
"I'm not leaving you here, Wendy," Lily didn't bother turning around as she walked into Wedny's childhood room and turned on the light. "Wow."
"What?" Wendy asked, slowly walking down the hall to the door.
"It's so......" Lily's eyes roamed over all the floral decor in the room. "So.....not you."
Despite the horrific evening, a small laugh bubbled out of Wendy. "What do you mean? This is completely my aesthetic."
"This isn't even my aesthetic," Lily shook her head. "Where on Earth did you get a hard-cover copy of Jane Eyre to match your bed sheets?"
"My mom," Wendy sank down on the edge of the bed and looked around. "This is all her doing."
Lily slowly nodded. They walked to the bed and sat down beside Wendy.
"Will she be okay?" Lily asked.
Wendy nodded.
"Does this happen a lot?"
"No, not at all," Wendy said. "This is so out of the blue. So unlike them."
"Oh," Lily's eyes widened.
"I'm kidding," Wendy rolled her eyes. "These are my parents. This is how they are. This is how they've always been."
"I'm so sorry," Lily said.
"No," Wendy shook her head. "I should be the one apologizing. You shouldn't have seen all this."
"I know you asked me to stay in the car but I heard the shouting and I was kinda..... Worried about you."
Wendy looked up, "You were.... worried about me?"
"Yeah," Lily nodded. "Why are you so shocked?"
"I don't think anyone has ever worried about me," Wendy tilted her head. "This is all normal to me. I'm Wendy, I know how to handle them."
A deep frown formed on Lily's face. She didn't know what to say. Wendy sat before her and stared at her hands on her lap.
"I'm going to stay here tonight," she said. "You have the address to the party, right? I think you can still make it."
Lily slowly took in a deep breath. She let it out and kicked off her shoes before gathering her hair and tying it up into a bun.
"Do you have a first aid kit?" she asked.
"In the bathroom," Wendy pointed. "Why? What are you doing?"
"You have a cut on your arm," Lily said as she walked into the bathroom and pulled out the small kit from the medicine cabinet. Wendy scooted back on the bed as Lily came back and sat down before her.
"Lily," Wendy frowned. "Please, go to the party."
"I'm not leaving you here," Lily said once more as she began to dress Wendy's cut on her arm. It was a minor nick, a small reminder of the night's struggles. But Lily took great care in cleaning it up and dressing it. She applied a small bandaid over it and sat back.
"You can't make me leave," she said. "I'm staying here with you."
"You don't have to," Wendy said. "I'm fine. This is normal for my family."
"I'm not staying for your family, Wendy," Lily said. "I'm staying for you. I don't want to know anything about what happened tonight if you don't want to tell me. But I'm not going to leave you here all alone tonight."
"You're missing the chance to possibly dance with Gabriel Reyes tonight," Wendy reminded him.
"He can wait," Lily laughed. "I'll make it up to him at our wedding."
"Oh god," Wendy rolled her eyes. "You're sick. You desperately need help."
Lily laughed as Wendy picked up a pillow from her bed and threw it at her head.
How will all this teenage drama play out for Evie and Levi?
Also, poor Wendy :(
Sorry for the delay :P