It was now noon, meaning I was finished with school for the day and was now heading to get Jason from school like I did everyday. Imagine my surprise when I got there and have his teacher tell me that someone had already picked him up.
I furiously walked towards my house, calling our landline in the process. My mum wasn't even in town, neither were any of our relatives so who the hell had picked Jason up and where was he at?
''Pick up, pick up, pick up'' I murmured, walking as fast as I could, trying not to get ran over by any cars in the way, a scenario that seemed very possible, considering my eyes were as wide as they could be, but I felt blind. The more no one answered the phone, the more my heart raced and everything around me seemed a big blur.
I would die if something had happened to Jason, especially while I was supposed to be the one responsible for his safety.
Before I started blaming the teachers for letting Jason leave with a possible stranger and thinking about how that possible stranger could potentially be some dangerous drug addict that now held my little brother hostage, someone answered the phone.
''Sup, sis?'' I heard Cole's voice from the other side of the phone. Oh, he's dead. Like, Jon Bellion's song 'Dead Man Walking' is shaking in its boots with how dead my brother is right now.
''Sup, sis?! You come home -again- when you were supposed to be at the other side of the country with no warning whatsoever, pick Jason up without telling me anything before doing so and the only thing you have to say to explain yourself Is 'Sup, sis?' Are you kidding me?'' I yelled at him now standing still, putting a hand over my chest and sighing deeply. I was furious at my brother but at least Jason was okay and in good hands.
Kind of.
''Calm down, my flight got canceled and I decided to stay with you guys for today. When I came home I remembered it was time to pick Jay up from school, so I went and surprised him'' he calmly explained as if it was obvious.
''Just- warn me next time you decide to do something like this, okay? I'm coming home, we'll talk then'' I said and hang up, putting my phone in my pocket.
I loved my brother but sometimes he just acted stupidly. Real stupid.
On one hand, It felt good to know I wouldn't be entirely alone with Jay tonight, you know because I'm paranoid and would probably spend the entire night with a rolling pin in hand, guarding the house.
On the other hand, though, it would be a little harder to get out of the house to meet Aiden with Cole home. I could find some sort of an excuse to get out, but would he believe me?
Oh, sweet fudge, how did this happen.
I got home and practically ran towards Jason, hugging him as if my life depended on it. ''Eve'' he chocked out ''Eve you're kind of squeezing me here'' he continued and I finally let go, realizing I could actually choke him in an attempt to hug him.
''Do I have to make you think I got kidnapped to get a hug too?'' Cole said from the edge of the kitchen counter on which he was leaning against. ''Haha, very funny'' I said but walked up to him to give him a hug as well.
''How have you been doing lately? We didn't exactly get a chance to talk with everything that happened'' he said, nodding towards Aiden's house and rolling his eyes slightly.
''I've been... good. Yeah'' I said with a slight nod, putting my hands in my pockets and looking around. For the sake of being honest, it was a little awkward- being alone with my brother after such a long time. We were okay when being with a lot of people, but suddenly it felt like we had nothing to talk about when we were alone.
After an awfully long and awkward pause during which the only thing that could be heard was the sound of the TV playing and Jason passionately screaming at it- or its characters, both of us spoke at the same time ''-Listen'' we started, together, and shyly laughed ''You go first'' we said in unison once more ''Nah, you go first'' we said, getting slightly annoyed but laughing, still.
''Okay, you go first I'll say what I have to say after'' I said, putting my hands up in surrender.
''Okay.. so here's the thing. Remember what I made you promise me when dickhead left?'' he said, referring to Aiden, making me glare at him and remind him to stop calling him that because it was getting as old as the cheese we had in our fridge.
''I still want you to keep your promise'' he said and turned his gaze in mine, locking it there, making me sigh, reminding me that the word I had given him was now long gone.
''Okay'' I said in a voice as high as a dolphin's, knowing better than anyone that not only was I lying to him but I also planned on seeing the person I shouldn't see, a few hours after that exact conversation.
Saving me from a situation in which I'd probably have to lie again, Jason came to my rescue when he called for Cole from the living room with the excuse that he wanted to help him do a research for school.
Right then, my phone buzzed and I took it out of my pocket, praying it wasn't a text from the person I shouldn't be texting, a fact that'd be pretty impossible considering he doesn't even have my new number.
Unknown number:
Don't be late tonight ;)
Me:
How do you have my number?
Unknown number:
I have my ways. Tell Cole I said hi
THAT SON OF A MELTED CHOCOLATE.
I didn't have any doubt about who it was, only Aiden would risk losing a limp that easily but the only question was; how did he get my number?
''What are you glaring at your phone for?'' Cole snapped me out my investigator/murderer phase. ''Huh? Oh, that? It's NOTHING'' I said a little too loud. I wasn't scared of my brother, I never was but right now I felt so guilty for lying to him so much, that I just couldn't control my vocal chords.
''Yeah, okay. What's for lunch?''
~~~
''Honey, you asked a pro. Just wait until he falls asleep and then leave. If realizes you were gone just say that you went on a walk'' Bailey said from the other side of the screen. Cole had gone out to get cigarettes and I took that as my chance to ask for help.
''There's no way he'll fall asleep at 11pm, do you even know my brother?'' I said, stating the obvious. I thought of all the excuses I could use, none of them sounding genuine, probably because they weren't. I could tell him I was going to a friend's house, but then again who'd believe I had to go see a friend at almost midnight?
''Tell him you have to come see me'' she suggested and it would've seemed like a good excuse if it hadn't been for all the things I just thought of.
''Dude, I'm telling you he won't believe me'' I said, banging my head on my nightstand.
''Question.''
''Say it''
''Why did he pick that hour for you guys to meet and not something earlier. Like If he wanted to meet you at night, he could've chosen something earlier when it'd still be dark'' she asked, making me ask myself the exact same thing.
It was obvious that we couldn't be seen together during the day but that specific time just seemed too... specific.
''I... I don't know'' I replied, frowning.
~~~
It was around 10 pm and I still didn't know how the hell I'd manage to find a believable, totally not sketchy excuse to meet Aiden -who needs all of his limps to be on his body- without Cole knowing. Until that happened, I couldn't even sit properly. Both Jason and Cole looked at me, then looked at each other, raising their brows slightly.
I don't know if It was the fact that I was constantly switching from sitting up to fix my shirt, then tying my shoelaces, then sitting cross-legged, then putting one leg on top of the other while basically trying to jump off the couch, but I didn't exactly look calm.
''Is everything okay, Eve?'' Jay asked me, hugging his Jigglypuff to his chest. ''Yeah! Yeah, everything's great'' I said, giving him a smile similar to what a horse would look like if it smiled.
''Yeah, okay'' Cole said, his lips turning into a thin line. ''Oh, Evelyn! I forgot to tell you, I'm going out tonight''
SAY WHAT NOW *queue the bulging eyes*
''Yeah, a bunch of my friends are going to a party downtown and told me to go find them, you know, for old time's sake'' he replied, casually.
''Oh, that's cool'' I replied, mentally doing a victory dance since now I could leave. ''You don't mind watching Jason alone, do you?'' he asked, bringing me down from my high horse, realizing that this whole time I hadn't thought about Jay. ''No, no I don't'' I said, pushing my lips into a thin line.
I took my phone out, ready to text Aiden that I couldn't meet him and we'd have to find another way to meet when my phone buzzed cause I had gotten a text from the number he had texted me from before.
Unknown number:
You better watch out, better not pout, your grandma's at the door wearing that awful looking gown. Mind helping me finish the lyrics, Eve?
What in the world?
I started typing exactly that, not even trying to make any sense out of his text when the doorbell rang. ''Kids! How long am I going to have to wait out here?'' I heard my grandma say from the other side of the door. I widened my eyes and looked back at Aiden's text. How the hell did he know?
Cole opened the door, revealing our grandma -who was, by the way, wearing an awful looking gown- with a huge smile on her face. ''Missed me?'' she said and Jason tan to her arms, hugging her.
We all talked for a while and she explained to us how our mum had called her to come check on us, in case I wanted to go out and couldn't. My mum's sudden change of behavior was a topic I could think about until I turned into a responsible human being -we all know that's never going to happen- and though you'd expect me to be freaking out over the sudden change, I didn't know what to think on the matter except for the fact that I'M FREE BABY.
After talking to her a little bit, Cole left to go to that party he was talking about, while I was in my room pacing back and forth. The question in my head remained unanswered on why he had chosen that time and place, the fact that he knew about my grandma coming making things even more complicated for me.
If he knew, he was close enough to see her but then why couldn't he meet me then?
My phone buzzed in my pocket -for the millionth time tonight- and I guessed it was a text from him since it was almost eleven.
Unknown number:
Look presentable, we're going out.
Me:
Since when is going to a deserted park considered going out?
Unknown number:
We're not just going to the park. No questions. Just be there.
''No questions. Just be there'' I read again pushing my brows together. I got ready, though I had no damn idea where the hell he would take me. I didn't know many things but I knew one; I was tired of not knowing. Want to hear the worst part? I wasn't even allowed to ask.
I looked myself in the mirror one last time and took a deep breath. I'm ready. I took my keys and phone and left. Jason and grandma were sleeping on the couches so I didn't have to explain anything, making things even easier. I sighed and looked at the closed door in front of me. I was scared about tonight, more specifically scared about what I'd hear tonight. Taking another long breath I decided it was time to draw the line even If I was scared.
Tonight would be the night I got my answers.
~~~
Someone say DRRRRAMA is coming in the next chapter y'all ain't ready. I'm not ready.
- I have soo many drafts saved and i want to post some of them but i'm not sure. We'll see.
-I've been fighting with a Rubik's cube since this morning
-IT'S HAWT
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