In Love with the Quarterback

Chapter 5

Evelyn's P.O.V

You're beautiful. You don't need to hide behind your hair.

Holy crap! I look around and put it in my backpack. Boy my friends are gonna have a heyday with this one. 

"Evelyn dear?" Mrs. Peacock asks me.

"Yes?" I ask.

"I'm gonna be gone next month when you're in here, so I was wondering if you're up to handling the library by yourself."

"I would love to, but i'll mess up." I tell her.

"Don't worry dear. Anything you don't understand, just write it down and i'll help you figure it out when I get back." 

"Thank you." I hug her and she chuckles. She hands me a small set of keys.

"Their copies. I had them made back in the summer. The front door, the work room, and the class set room." She hands them to me. 

"Thank you." I smile.

"You're welcome. Did you find the boxed set of Macbeth?"

"No. I called Mrs. Feller and she said she turned it in, which she did, but she was the last one to check them out." I look around and suddenly, I get an idea. I dart back to the room I was in earlier, but it suddenly feels empty without Mark here.

'If Hale finds out, he's gonna have my head'

I find Macbeth and I smile. I grab it, shut the door, and make a note and put it off to the side for Mark to come get. I smile knowing I get to see him again.

"Smiling I see." I jump and fall off the chair. I start laughing.

"Nope not smiling." I try to hide it.

"Evelyn dear, I know what I saw when Mark was in here." The door opens and she smiles, "speak of the devil." I put on a smile as he walks up to the desk.

"Did you find Macbeth?" Ahh crap, don't fall for him. He's a player, no matter how many times he tries to get me to worship the ground he walks on.

"Yep. It's right here." I grab it and check each book out. Then something dawns on me. "What made you walk into the library? I got the impression you're too good for libraries." I hand him the books and the receipt of the due date.

"My teacher." He says and leaves. He looks like he was lying. Hm weird. The final bell rings and I text May but get a text by her instead.

May: We're here!

Me: Ok give me a few minutes.

May: Roger that.

I smile 

"Bye Mrs. Peacock, have a good rest of your day and see you tomorrow."

"Bye dear." I leave and walk down the hallway to Hale's truck when the whispers start.

"She's only doing it for attention. A shy girl like her has no business even breathing the same air as Mark Jensen." 

"I heard she's stuck up, thinking she's better than everyone else."

"She's gonna get a reality check."That one voice I recognize from the bathroom. I speed walk to the truck, open the back door and hop in. We drive off and I relax.

"Evelyn, everything ok?" Hale asks me. We're driving to the ice cream shop and we find a parking spot. I grab my phone and wallet as Hale locks the truck. I give them a surprise hug.

"Was it worse than what you told me?" May asks which I nod in agreement. We walk into the shop and I can tell Hale is tense. 

"Hale, everything ok?" I put my hand on his shoulder and he looks down at me. 

"I'll tell you later." I nod and I give my order to the lady working. She gives me the price and I look down in my wallet and don't have the change.

"Aw crap." My mind is working overtime just not to freak out. 

"Here I got it Evelyn." Hale comes up and gives the change to the cashier. I tell the cashier thank you and I walk back with Hale to a table.

"Thank you Hale. I'll pay you back soon, I promise." I tell him and he shakes it off.

"Just helping a friend." I smile and give him a kiss on the cheek. 

"Ok girl, spill what happened at school." May comes up behind me and sits next to me. I tell them the whole story from Chemistry to the library incident.

"Why would someone want to steal Macbeth for pete's sake?" Hale asks. I giggle and smile.

"I don't know, but I did find them. But Hale, please don't do anything stupid from what i'm about to say." They both look at me funny. "The first time in the room, I was with Mark. He leaned against the doorjamb, but the second time it was just me, it was really lonely without Mark there. Then as he was leaving the first time, I had some weird thoughts, and then when I asked who made him come to the library, I can tell he was lying when he said that his teacher sent him." 

"Evelyn, remember what I told you." 

"I know, but I feel like i'm developing feelings for him and me getting death threats. I even got accused of being stuck up." I start crying and I feel two set of arms around me.

"You're not stuck up Evelyn, but if you do end up being friends with him, you get to introduce him to us." 

"Yeah I will. I want your and my family's approval. After all you guys know me." 

We finish our ice cream and we drove to my house.

"Hey mom, i'm home." I say as I open the door and it's deathly quiet. I look at my friends and they have the same look on their faces. I look and find a note on the counter in my moms handwriting.

'Evelyn, your father and I are out. Luke is in charge. Have fun and see you later. Don't wait on us for dinner.'

-Hazel

"Well then. Hey Luke?" I hear two sets of feet rustling around upstairs. I walk upstairs and knock on Luke's door and instead hear a girls voice. I smile. 

"What do you want Evelyn?" Luke asks. I start grinning and he gets a bit freaked out.

"You met someone, didn't you?" Luke blushes and I laugh. "My big brother finally met someone!" I give him a hug. "Congrats!" Luke laughs.

"Ok Evelyn, you caught me." He smiles like the cheshire cat. I grab his arm and pull him downstairs and tell him to sit on the barstool. My friends sit down too. 

"You guys hungry?" They nod so I start making fettuccine Alfredo.

"So how'd it go today Evelyn?" I stop and look at Hale and May. 

"Do you know Mark Jensen?"

"Yeah he's the younger brother of my best friend. Why? If he hurt you, i'll murder him." I run around to Luke and put my hands on his shoulders to calm him down.

"No he didn't hurt me. Apparently, i've been getting notes telling me to stay away from him." I grab the letters from my backpack and spread them out in front of Luke and my friends. 

"This one isn't a note to stay away." Hale tells me. 

"I noticed it in the library after Mark left." I finish up dinner and we sit down at the table. After, i'm saying goodbye and thank you to Hale and May when she runs up to me.

"Don't block him out, but still keep your guard up." May tells me.

"If he does anything to you, I want to know so I can give him a little chat about messing with my best friend." I smile as I give them hugs and I wave to them as they drive off. I walk back inside and Luke is cleaning up the kitchen. I give him a hug.

"Good night Luke." 

"Good night little sis." He ruffles my hair and I smile, heading upstairs to get ready for bed.