Finding Everett | ✔️

Chapter Twenty Three

This chapter is a little shorter than I liked and the ending is like ... whoa, where did that even come from?! But whatever haha it happens. This isn't like ... my FAVORITE chapter, but whatever lol

Thanks for reading guys and check the authors note out okay? Kind of important for readers to know. :)

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The day and road trip both dragged on at an unbearably slow pace, slow enough to drive both young adults out of their minds. Both were a little cramped, they were seriously hungry and just overall tired and exhausted.

Now, as nighttime fell, Lizzie dilegently searched for a place they could roost for the night at. 

Lizzie had her window down, the cool night air and wind blowing her brown hair in every direction. Her index finger tapped repeatedly on the steering wheel as she let her imagination take over her thoughts.

Something had been on her mind for a while now.

Something she dared not touch.

Well, not until now anyways, now that her exhausted state peaked because ... the more sleepy Lizzie got, the more she thought of Everett. The more she thought about Everett, the more she wondered about the subject of his vision.

When she first met Everett and Jesse, it was brought to her attention that Everett, at one point in time, had his sight. The loss of vision came at a later date.

So when exactly was that? And how did it happen? At any previous time, Lizzie never would have let the question pass her lips. But she and Everett had a bit of a sturdier relationship now. They confided in each other and confessed things.

This one thing however remained a secret. And since neither had anywhere to run at the moment . . .

“Everett?” she asked, treading the waters lightly. For all she knew, Everett was tired and cranky from the long drive. She hoped they could find a campground soon since they brought a two room tent for the trip.

Everett made some grunt from beside her and she cleared her throat. “So, I had a question – and if it's too personal or not something that you want to talk about, then just let me know and we'll skip this completely,” she told him, giving Everett a full disclosure.

He huffed out air, sounding strangely like a chuckle, before he replied, “You're making me nervous, Liz. Just ask.”

Lizzie inhaled deeply, before quickly rushing out, “Everett, how did you lose your sight?” She held her breath; the silence in the car choked her and she wasn't sure how she could breathe with the palpable tension in the air.

For a long while, she wasn't sure that he would even answer. But finally, he took in a deep breath and said, “When I was eight. It happened when I was eight,” he started, his voice slightly strained. Everett kept his head turned towards the window, shielding his face from her eyes as he told his story.

“I honestly don't remember a whole lot of what happened. But the main gist of it was that the last inspection at the local high school hadn't been taken that seriously or something and a gas line didn't get checked out. Anyways, all the kids in my class who loved science type things were invited to go on a road trip. The few of us who actually cared basically took a field trip to the local high school to watch the older kids in their class."

Everett sighed and his head leaned back against the seat. He positively hated talking about this subject. Sure, he couldn't see the look of pity that crossed Lizzie's face when she heard the story, but he would hear it in her voice. And he just couldn't take that sort of thing.

While he and Lizzie had become strong friends, he still didn't want her pity. That was just too much to handle and he wouldn't be able to think straight if the pitiful sorry's came from her.

“We were watching the older kids doing a project, something involving beakers and chemicals and whatever. Basically a bunch of stuff none of us understood, but thought looked pretty cool. But anyways, the gas leak had been there for about a week. Long story short, the fires beneath the beakers were lit and next thing you knew, it was practically a fireball. All the kids were knocked down. I can vaguely remember screaming and crying from where I landed. But the next thing I can find in the cache of memories was me waking up and freaking out."

Lizzie, by this time, found a rest stop area and pulled in, the windows up and the car turned off. She waited with baited breath for the next section of Everett's story, those only sounds filling the air were his deep breaths and the cars passing them by.

"It was terrifying, Lizzie," he whispered, shaking his head. "Little kids are always so afraid of the dark and suddenly I lived in it. I woke up and I begged my parents to turn on the lights, to just make the darkness go away and make everything safe again. It took hours for them to calm me down enough for the doctors to explain what happened."

Everett once again shook his head and wiped his hands down the front of his face. "At that age, the technical stuff didn't matter much to me. All I knew was that I would be living in my own nightmare and that was enough to send me over the edge."

Lizzie sat quietly, her eyes watering a little. Her heart went out to the eight year old Everett; she herself hated the dark as a child. She still did. She tried to imagine the feeling and shuddered.

Without thinking, her hand flew across the console and grasped his tightly in an attempt at comfort. "I know it must suck and ... and I honestly have no idea what you're going through. But please, please understand that I don't pity you. I just see you as an incredibly strong person who made it through a lot."

Silence stretched between them and it felt like there really weren't anymore words that could be said that had not yet been spoken. So, with another squeeze of his hand, Lizzie let go and started the car.

Within a few moments, they were back on the road and it felt like both were scrubbed brand new, free of secrets.

And it felt great.

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It took a while, but finally, Lizzie found a place where they could sleep for the night. A campground that didn't look like it was from a horror film appeared to be the obvious choice. It was cheap as well, making it perfect fort he two friends.

Now, after a dinner of sandwiches and chips, Lizzie and Everett were laid out on a large blanket outside their two room tent Lizzie pitched earlier. The campground they rented a spot in already lost the loud buzz of people that existed when they first arrived; earlier, people were out with fires, roasting marshmallows, hot dogs and sharing stories. Now, it seemed that there were only a few people still awake, including Lizzie and Everett.

It seemed like the conversation the two shared brought the them closer. Everett felt a bit more free, almost like a weight lifted from his shoulders. He hadn't spoken about the way he became blind since it happened and it felt really good to speak about it. Better than he ever thought it could.

"I really wish you could see this," Lizzie said softly from beside him. Honestly, Everett wished he could see it as well.

"Describe it to me," he requested, closing his own eyes though it didn't matter much.

A soft smile crossed Lizzie's lips and she got herself comfortable before she began. "Well ... uhm, it's black." Everett snorted and she quickly shushed him with a backhand to his chest. He chuckled, as did she, and Lizzie started again, "It's black but ... but it's so much more than that. It's the darkest blues and the darkest purples blended together in practically a symphony of colors, with diamonds dotting the entire surface."

Lizzie shook her head and sighed. "It's picture perfect."

Everett smiled and replied, "It sounds amazing." The way Lizzie described the world beat out the real thing in his mind. He couldn't remember a whole lot from when he did have his vision, but even the few memories couldn't compare to the words pouring from the mouth of the girl next to him.

As Lizzie continued to describe the world they were surrounded by, Everett couldn't stop his hand from reaching our and thankfully, Lizzie seemed to get the message. Their hand linked together and rested on the ground between them.

Everett's heart pounded inside his chest and a warm feeling spread throughout his body. His eyes were closed and he felt an overwhelming sense of satisfaction and relaxation.

This wasn't a new feeling to him. Not since Lizzie and he began growing closer. For not the first time, he wondered if this feeling is what everyone spoke about. That tingly feeling everyone said they felt around certain people.

Basically, he wondered if Lizzie and he actually had some sort of connection. Everett began questioning his feelings towards the girl. Did he like her? No, wait - scratch that, he definitely liked her.

Everett just wanted to suss out which way he did like her. He thought of all the moments they shared together, the moments when Lizzie made him feel normal. Everett treasured those moments. He loved every second that she made him feel like a regular guy, as though his impairments and flaws didn't matter.

Those were special moments, cataloged away in his mind for every rainy day.

The smile on his face grew wider as he realized what this feeling really was. Way down deep, right in the center of his heart, Lizzie made a home. A small section in there where she always stayed and reminded him of the good things in life.

He heard of those moments before, in movies and stories that he listened to.

"Ready to get some shut eye?" Lizzie asked from beside him. He nodded and she stood quickly, helping Everett to his feet as well. Lizzie led him into the tent and to his section. "Okay, your sleeping bag is all set up and there's extra pillows and blankets in here as well."

Everett clambered down onto the makeshift bed and listened as Lizzie zipped up his side of the tent before flopping into her own.

Suddenly, Everett felt so tired. He just wanted to sleep for days on end. The guy never realized how much just sitting in a car took out of you. It shouldn't have taken so much energy. Slight guilt filled him when he realized that he didn't even drive; he literally just sat there and did nothing but chat with Lizzie and Keep her company.

"Night, Everett," Lizzie mumbled quietly. In just a few minutes, she was already snoring and Everett snickered because the girl he loved sounded a bit like a chainsaw.

Everett's eyes popped open and his jaw went slack at his own thoughts. Okay, maybe that word came off a little strong. While he felt something for her, love wasn't it.

However, he definitely felt something. He wondered ... hoped ... that she felt the same thing he did.

And as he laid there, thinking of all those moments from earlier, thinking of every moment Lizzie and he shared, every smile and laugh ...

Yeah - Everett was most definitely, irrevocably, head over heels in like with his best friend.

And for some reason, he didn't regret it all.

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WHA .... WHAT JUST HAPPENED?! I don't even know why I wrote this ending. I hope that sent your feels into freaking over drive because it's cute enough for ME to throw up hahaha I didn't intend for that to happen at all.

So what about that back story, huh?

*NOTE* I might be changing Everett's age. I realized his back story might not line up age wise, so if you feel the same way, just know I already noted that and am working on a solution! Anyways, hope you enjoyed the chapter regardless.

There might be typos because I wrote this while watching Thor and I'm not gonna lie ... it's a little hard to focus when Chris Hemsworth is on the screen lol

Love you guys! - Kim