Finding Everett | ✔️

Chapter Seventeen

So the last chapter was glitching out really bad on the web. The first page of the chapter kept repeating. I ahd to delete it because it just wouldn't fix. So I had to repost it and if you guys would be so kind as to revote and comment again, I would really appreciate it.

The chapter had like ... 380 votes. And I don't remember the comment count but ... ya know. lol

Oh, Wattpad, what a bittersweet relationship we share.

* * * * * * * * *

When Everett woke up the next morning, he felt light and weightless. He stretched his limbs out lazily and sighed with contentment.

No more school.

But even better, the night before kept replaying and on what seemed to be instinct, Everett's arm extended to his nightstand, grabbing the music box there. He gave the knob on the bottom a few spins before setting it back down carefully. Music filled the quiet morning air in his room and he let a smile slip.

For the first time in his life, Everett felt like things were falling into place.

His foot moved to the melody and he locked his hands behind his head as he, not for the first time, thought about the giver of the music box.

Everett still couldn't wrap his head around the fact that Lizzie cared enough to hang around him. He kicked and screamed and pushed and she still hung on. That alone meant more to him that he could ever express in words.

So he decided to express it in song. As the music ran out, Everett jumped out of bed and raised his arms over his head. He hoped it would pop a few more joints back into place before he sat down at the piano for a few hours. He didn't plan on playing for very long.

Just enough so he didn't lose his touch.

Ruffling his hair a bit, Everett went for the door and opened it. His steps faltered, though, when he heard extra voices in the living room. His eyes widened and the door flew open the rest of the way as he padded down the hall.

Everett whipped around the corner into the living and the living room fell silent.

"Everett!"

"Jeffrey?"

    * * * * * * * * * * *

"What are you doing here?" Everett asked, confused.

That earned him a chuckle from his older brother. "Thanks for the welcome. I appreciate it. Can't a guy come back and visit home to congradulate his siblings on graduating?"

An arm came around Everett's shoulders and shook him a little, his facial expression earning a chuckle from his family. "We're really sorry that we weren't able to get here yesterday," Jeffrey told everyone. "But we just got caught in bad traffic and with a six month old in the car it just made things a bit difficult, you know?"

Everett felt him shrug his shoulders a bit and move away. "So, you excited to be out of school?" he asked excitedly, leading Everett to the couch.

"Well, yeah, I mean ... it gave me something to do during the day, but I'm glad I don't have to sit in a classroom all the time," Everett replied as he squirmed in the seat he took.

"Do you have any plans for college?" Allison asked softly from across the room. She always had a very soft spoken voice and sometimes Everett found it difficult to understand her. But not too much noise existed in the room at the moment, so it was fairly easy to hear her words.

"Uhm ..." Everett hadn't told anyone but Jesse about the colleges that wanted him. He kept it as his own little secret. Of course he knew that the secret would be exposed eventually. But he still didn't know what he wanted to do, so he just told her, "I don't know yet. But I wouldn't mind doing something."

Everett could feel eyes on him, in particular Jesse's. Jesse wanted Everett to tell their parents or at least Lizzie of his oppurtunities, but he just couldn't bring himself to do it. Somehow, it just seemed like his own little secret. And Everett liked that.

So much of his life became exposed and raw for the rest of the world to see once Lizzie showed up. He just needed to feel at least something as his own again.

The conversation drifted away from Everett and onto Jesse, who told them all about his job he got at an auto shop. He loved it and appreciated learning new things about cars. For someone who leaned toward the artistic side of life, Jesse obviously found it fun and exciting to learn something that involved being more hands on and getting a bit dirty.

Everett realized how much fun that sounded like. He would love to know how to do those sorts of things.

Mentally slapping himself across the face, Everett forced his attention back on his visiting brother. As the rest of his family exchanged conversation and pleasantries, talking about their life, Everett just sat there taking it all in. It was nice having the family back together again.

It really had been too long in Everett's mind. Realizing that he hadn't even really gotten ready for the day, Everett felt himself turn red and stood up. "Hey guys, I'll be back. Gotta go get dressed and stuff," he told the room.

He didn't bother waiting for a response, because really, what would they say?

* * * * * * * * * * *

Everett was ready about thirty minutes later. After a quick shower, he felt a bit more refreshed and awake, ready to take on his older sibling. He hoped they would have some good conversation since they hadn't spoken in forever.

At the moment, Everett stood in the kitchen, making pop tarts and waiting for them to come out of the toaster. Footsteps entered the kitchen and since they were a bit unfamiliar, he knew it had to be either Jeffrey or Allison. Judging from the weight put down on each foot, definitely Jeffrey.

Allison was way lighter on her feet.

"Hey, Jeff," Everett called over his shoulder, greeting his brother again.

A hand clapped Everett on the shoulder as Jeffrey mumbled a greeting in response. He stood next to Everett and went silent. But it didn't feel awkward. Just felt like two brothers standing in the same room, which Everett admitted felt nice.

"So, Everett ... how's life? I mean, friends? A girlfriend maybe?" Jeffery suddenly asked from beside him.

The boy in question let out a bark of laughter (which shocked his brother) and shook his head. HIs pop tarts popped out and he grabbed them, laying the two on a plate. "Friend? Yes. Girlfriend? No. But ..." Everett paused for a moment and said, "My friend is a girl."

"Oh?"

Surprise laced his older brother's voice and Everett couldn't help but think of how great it felt to render Jeffrey speechless. Everett's change in his life's outlook seemed to throw out perks at every corner.

"How did that happen, huh?" Jeffrey teased, nudging his younger brother with his elbow and found himself surprised when Everett returned the gesture.

"Oh, you know, Jesse brought her home for school stuff, yadda, yadda," Everett replied, dismissively waving his hand and turning his head the other way. "She's literally the most annoying person ever," he finished. But his voice held absolutely no malice, no frustration and no annoyance. Instead, he sounded a bit fond of the girl that Jeffrey knew nothing about.

Everett could tell that Jeffrey wanted to chew on that for a while, as he went silent for a bit. What he couldn't see, though, was the happy smile that Jeffrey let spread across his face.

"I'm really happy for you, Everett. That's really great that you're getting out of your shell and finding some friends," he told his brother, putting a hand on his shoulder.

Everett nodded. "Yeah, I'm happy too. She even got me a gift for graduation ..." he trailed off.

"Can I see it?"

Oh, how Everett hoped that he would ask! He really wanted to show off the present that he loved so much. Everett nodded and rushed off to his room to get the small music box. He gently lifted it from his nightstand where he left it last night and took it in the other room.

"Please be careful with it," Everett told Jeffrey sternly, letting the older of the two cup his hands around the small piano and pick it up.

"Whoa," was all Everett heard.

He frowned a little and asked what Jeffrey's problem was.

"Absolutely nothing. It's just ... wow," Jeffrey explained oh so eloquintly. Upon seeing Everett's annoyed face, he continued, "It's just really beautiful, you know? It's got violins and flowers and the wood is just perfect. Does it do anything?"

Everett nodded. "Yeah, it plays a song. The knob is underneath if you want to listen."

Jeffrey did just that and the melody Lizzie picked out flooded the kitchen. Everett could tell his brother didn't know what to say and he liked that. In fact, Everett would go so far as to say he felt a bit smug about the whole thing.

The song inside the music box came to a close and Everett knew that his older brother didn't know what to say.

"Everett?"

He hummed in response.

"You are seriously one lucky guy, you know that?"

And for the first time in a really long time ... yeah, he did.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Everett, Jesse?"

Denise and Peter came around the corner, making Everett and Jesse turn their heads in their direction.

"We're taking Jeffery and Allison out for dinner, okay? Can you guys manage watching Cole and Violet for us? Cole is already asleep, but Violet is being a bit stubborn."

Allison and Jeffrey definitely deserved a night free from children. Everett wasn't sure how much they got out anymore. He didn't really chat with his older brother a lot, but he knew kids took up a lot of time.

Maybe I should call Jeffrey up more often, he thought to himself. Then he realized his mother asked a question and returned his attention to that.

The two boys found themselves nodding in response to her question, Everett being a bit more hesitant. The idea of taking care of a small person actually terrified him. But Jesse seemed to be pretty on point with things, so maybe it wouldn't be so bad after all. Who knows? Maybe they could invite Lizzie over for a bit as well.

Yeah, that would definitely take down the worrying a bit. Pulling his phone out of his pocket, Everett hit speed dial three and waited for her to answer. He could already hear the front door closing and knew that his family would be on their way in just moments.

And sure enough, there went the car.

"You've reached the house of awesome, how may I help you? Lizzie answered, her words slightly garbled.

"You answered the phone while eating again, didn't you?" Everett sighed into the phone, shaking his head.

He heard Lizzie swallow and knew she had to be grinning. "Yup. So what's up? I'm pretty sure you didn't call to ask about my eating habits." There was a momentary paused before she continued, "Wait, you didn't, right? Cause honestly, that's a little weird."

Everett chuckled a bit. "No, Lizzie, I did not. But I do have a favor?" When Lizzie hummed in response, he said, "Okay, my brother and sister in law are in town. They have a little baby girl that they want me and Jesse to babysit and I really think it would be more fun if you were here." The words came out rushed and Everett wondered if she even heard him.

But then her reply came. "I'll be there in fifteen!"

The line went dead and Everett smiled, putting his phone away. He leaned back in his chair and waited for Lizzie to arrive. Violet was being quiet, anyways.

But all good things must come to an end, right?

Before Everett could get really comfy, Violet began whimpering and whining, her voice carrying through the living room. Everett shifted uncomfortably, unsure of how to proceed. Cole was a little over a year old now and not once had Everett had any experience in helping out.

He was way out of his element.

The small cries slowly grew in volume and Everett was internally freaking out. He had no idea where  Jesse went; he just disappeared and Everett didn't know what to do. Maybe he went to check on Cole? That left Everett on his own completely with Violet.

Gulping down his fear, Everett shakily stood and followed the small cries of his niece. Dropping down to the floor in front of her, he started to talk, "So, I don't really ... well, I'm not really sure what to do here,  but you seem upset so ..." he trailed of and lifted one hand to find the chair Violet sat in. Once his fingers found the fabric, he trailed up the side to find the little girl herself and eventually started to rub his thumb in circles on her arms, neck and smoothed his hand over the tuft of hair on her head.

Her cries slowly came down in volume, much to his relief.

"You really got some vocal cords there, Violet," he muttered mostly to himself.

He shook his head and rolled his eyes.

For some reason, the action eliceted a giggle from the baby in front of him. Shocked, Everett couldn't help but smile a little. Deciding to push his luck a bit, he gently prodded her side and once again, a shrieking giggle erupted from her. Everett chuckled as well and began gently tickling her, making her squeal and laugh.

To his surprise, it was actually quite fun to do.

"Aw, she likes you," Lizzie announced as she entered the room. It startled him considering she hadn't rung the doorbell. She just sort of let herself in. Which in reality, Everett was pretty okay with. He felt so comfortable with her that it didn't bother him.

The fifteen minutes since they spoke went by rather fast and he couldn't believe the reason came in the form of a tiny little human.

As she spoke, Everett could hear the smile in her voice and felt her sit down next to him on the floor. Her hand gave him a bottle, which probably contained water from their fridge. After taking a few sips, Everett mentally gave himself a high five for guessing right.

"Isn't she too young to, you know, actually figure out who she likes and who she doesn't?" he asked. He decided to completely forgoe the greetings. Technically, they already greeted each other on the phone.

Oh, wait - no, they didn't.

"Nope," came the reply. Lizzie wiggled around a little it, probably to get closer to the baby in front of them. "Babies know who they do and don't like. That's why, even when they do everything perfectly right, some adults are just hated by babies." Lizzie chuckled a little and then poked Everett.

"You should hold her!"

Everett felt his eyes blow up in size and he shook his head. "You are seriously out of your mind. Where did that idea come from?" Everett reinforced his statement by shoving himself further away from the child in front of them.

"Oh, come on. All you gotta do is like ... literally, just hold her. I can help you and everything!"

“Lizzie, I can't, okay? This one just isn't going to happen, no matter how hard you push,” Everett told her stubbornly, planting himself firmly in his spot. Lizzie would not win this time. He wouldn't let her.

If he couldn't see the baby, then how could he make sure he held his niece properly? He wouldn't be able to see her discomfort. How would he make sure her head wouldn't get bumped against anything? There were far too many risks and Everett was not willing to take any of them.

"Oh, please!" Lizzie resorted to begging after a moment of silence. Everett pictured her on her knees, hands clasped together as she pleaded with him to hold Violet. He sort of wondered why she was so obsessed with it. "You can even get up the big comfy recliner. I'll place her on your chest and ta-da! Cuteness overload!" she exclaimed happily. Seriously, Everett didn't know the last time she seemed so happy.

And that, for whatever reason, sealed the deal. With a sigh, he heaved himself up and landed in the fluffy arm chair. Throwing his arms open, he declared, "I'm ready for the drooling wonder!"

He heard Lizzie laugh and felt a sense of pride at causing that. Suddenly, a weight pressed down onto his chest and gurgling was literally right in front of him. He made a disgusted face and groaned. "Okay, it's making noises. Is it going to barf on me?"

This genuinely worried Everett. Again, the guy didn't take part in caring for the youngest member of the North family, so this territory was completely foreign.

"Dude, chill. I'm right here if you need me, okay?" Lizzie replied. The couch next to him groaned a little and he knew Lizzie had planted herself there, as close as she could get.

Knowing that Lizzie was so close helped. If something bad were to happen, Lizzie would know what to do.

So, Everett hesitantly closed his arms around the small human in his arms and took a deep breath. He could do this. "I got this," he mumbled to himself, leaning back in the chair.

"Hey, you look like you got things under control. I'm going to go check up on Jesse, okay?" Lizzie said after about fifteen minutes. Everett nodded i response. Jesse disappeared a few minutes before Lizzie arrived and he wondered where he went off to.

So as Lizzie's footsteps disappeared up the stairs, Everett didn't protest at all.

After sitting there for a few minutes in the quiet, he started humming.

He had no idea what made him do it, but Everett began humming a lullaby his mom used to sing to him. Violet was still awake, wiggling around a bit and making cute (Everett couldn't believe he actually thought that word ...) little noises. But the more he hummed, and eventually sang quietly, the more still she became.

After just a few minutes, she stopped fidgeting altogether.

Everett halfway wondered if she died. And then he panicked because he really didn't want that to happen. Pressing a hand to her back and turning his head so his ear was next to Violet's head, he felt and listened for her breathing.

He let out a deep breath of relief upon hearing the soft puffs of air and relaxed. He felt a little dumb because, really? How could anything have happened? Everett decided that no one could know of that episode.

And with that, he snuggled back into a comfortable position and waited for Lizzie's return.

“Well, apparently she's found her favorite uncle,"  Lizzie's voice met his ears and he sort of smiled at her words.

Doubt it, but thanks," he replied, yawning halfway through his sentence.

"No seriously!" Lizzie exclaimed. "I'm even taking pictures. She's fast asleep, Ev and it's just so adorabled," she cooed.

Everett pressed his hand just a little firmer on Violet's back and sure enough, her breathing appeared to be steadier than a few minutes ago. He couldn't figure out why she wanted to fall asleep right there, but for some reason - Everett just didn't have the heart to move her back to the baby's sleeper.

So, instead, Everett just smiled and got comfortable, closing his eyes. The TV played on the background, some show he wasn't exactly familiar with. Despite there being a tiny human being laying on his chest, he felt so completely relaxed and at ease.

Everett wasn't sure how much time passed, but before he knew it, voices were echoing from the entryway.

"Oh, my gosh, that's so cute!" That was for sure Allison, obviously cooing over the position of her daughter. Everett heard a small sound and knew she took a picture of the scene.

"She must feel pretty safe with him. Violet doesn't go to sleep for just anyone," Jeffrey noted quietly.

"Yeah, she fell asleep right after I got here and Everett sort of zoned out not too longer after," Lizzie's voice rang out and Everett was surprised. He honestly thought Jesse and she had gone off somewhere.

Good to know he got that one wrong.

By this point, however, Everett gathered from the conversation that everyone thought him to be asleep. He didn't really want that. Plus, he felt bad that he ignored Lizzie the entire time she was here. He usually didn't do that -  they were always attached at the hip these days.

So, he opened his eyes and turned his head in the direction he heard them. "How was dinner?" he asked softly, taking care not to wake the infant.

"It was great, honey. Seems like things were under control here?" Denise asked, much closer than before.

Everett just nodded, feeling an odd wave of exhaustion come over him. Since he didn't do much phsyically, he just assumed it came along with watching a baby and stressing over them.

"Here, let me take her so you can get up," Allison said and moments later, the small weight that pressed up against Everett's chest for the last however long disappeared.

He wouldn't admit to anyone but himself that he kind of missed it.

Everett stretched his arms as he listened to his family talking to each other in low tones.

But unfortunately not low enough. After a few minutes of chatting, whimpers started to fill the room and before they knew it, Violet had woken back up. "Oh, sweetie," Allison cooed and Everett imagined that she was probably rocking or bouncing the baby at this point.

"I'll be right back," Everett stated, standing and leaving the living room. "I bet Violet would really like the music box ..." he mumbled as he left, heading down the hallway.

* * * * * * * *

Allison smiled and turned to the rest of the family. "I guess we can all go int he family room? Looks like the living room is taken at the moment." She flashed a smile at Jesse and Lizzie. "Do you mind telling Everett where we went? He seemed pretty bent on having her listen to that music box," she said, tossing Lizzie a teasing look.

Lizzie ever so slightly blushed and replied, "Yeah, I'll make sure he knows."

And with that, the rest of the family left and it was just Lizzie and Jesse.

Lizzie looked over at her friend, waiting for him to say something already. She was so sick of him shutting her out all the time. What happened that made him so secluded all of a sudden?

Jesse finally broke the silence by standing and telling her that he would be back soon enough in a cold, clipped voice.

And that set Lizzie off.

Heaving a breath of air, Lizzie stood as she reached out and grabbed his forearm, saying, "Look, you've been out of it for a while. The last two weeks, you've been brooding and pouting and whatever else you North boys do. I've given you space, but come on! What's going on with you, Jesse?"

"Nothing, absolutely nothing ..." he muttered, yanking his arm out of her grasp.

Lizzie frowned. Tension rolled off of Jesse in waves and she couldn't figure out what was wrong. He seemed fine earlier. Maybe something happened at work that finally caught up with him over the day. If he didn't tell her, then she would just have to guess. “Look, I know it's hard, but you do so much around here. You always put your family ahead of yourself and ...”

“Yeah, well I'm pretty sick of being so selfless, Lizzie!” Jesse fired at her, making her eyes go wide. “You were my friend first and let's be honest here, I'm the one who had a crush on you first. Yet once again, I get shoved aside for my stupid brother!”

His speech left her slightly stunned, doing nothing but staring at the empty space between them. Jesse's chest heaved up and down, before he squeezed his eyes shut and pressed an index and thumb to them.

"Okay, can I rephrase that?"

Lizzie's shocked suddenly washed away, leaving in it's place a roaring fire of anger. Taking one step angrily towards Jesse, she shoved a finger in his his chest - taking him by surprise this time - and said, “What is wrong with you? I spend so much time with you it isn't even funny! Here, I visit you at work constantly, we grab lunch all the time. The only instance when I split my time with you is when Everett is around and I split it evenly!” she spat at him, taking a step back. "I always have!"

“Jesse, I remember seeing you around school; even at graduation, you had an entire freaking posse that followed your every move like some kind of crown prince, okay? And you can't share one friend with your brother? I seriously thought you were better than that,” she finished shaking her head.

“Well apparently you don't know me that well, do you?” he ground out, his fists clenching and unclenching.

“Apparently!” Lizzie began to walk away, but turned around swiftly and sneered out one more sentence. “And we already established long ago that you and I would never date. So dig that idea out of your head right now, North. Even if I had any ideas to date you before, this entire conversation has blown that notion up.”

Then she spun on her heel and left, nearly slamming the door behind her as she went. Panting, Jesse slammed his eye lids shut and pressed his palms against them. The urge to punch a wall seemed to be growing with every single second.

Couldn't Lizzie get it that he was just sick of everyone choosing his brother instead? Maybe the crush thing had been an exaggeration - he just thought she was pretty, but who wouldn't? Jesse never actually liked her like that. It was actually a really weird thing to think about. She was Lizzie, his best friend. That's all she would ever be.

But he just had to slip that in there didn't he? Why did he have to do that and cause all these problems for himself?

The conversation replayed in his mind over and over, with his frustration building with every passing second.

Jesse loud out a frustrated cry before spinning around, ready to storm off.

But instead, he stopped dead in his tracks and his eyes widened.

There Everett stood, his jaw clenched and the most blank expression Jesse had ever seen. He heard everything.

Horror and guilt sped through Jesse's heart and he shook his head, stuttering out, “Everett, look, I -”

“What? You're sorry? Sorry for what! What do you have to be sorry for? After all, I'm just the stupid burden of a brother than you have to be so selfless for, right? Sorry to be such a weight on your shoulders,” Everett grumbled, turning away and stomping down the hall, slamming his door.

Jesse stood frozen in his place looked between the front door and the hallway where Everett just disappeared to.

In a matter of fifteen minutes, he managed to tick off and push away two people he really cared about.

And already, he was feeling the consequences.