Finding Everett | ✔️

Chapter Twenty

So this chapter has been in my head for a while now and I like it because it shows some insight into the childhood Everett had. I'm not big on doing flash backs or anything, so I like to give subtle tidbits and stuff about Everett's life before we started this story.

Anyways, not too much Lizzie/Everett (do we have a ship name for this?) in this chapter, but there will be LOTS to come!

I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and vote and comment! <3

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"Fat chance."

To be fair, Lizzie could already see this coming. She could see it from miles away and she understood, really. But that didn't prevent the exasperated feeling from creeping up inside her bones.

Lizzie leaned against the doorway, a blank expression on her face as she watched Jesse pace back and forth across the living room of the North house. The list of reasons why Everett wouldn't be able to leave the state or even the city seemed to be never ending.

At this point, both Everett and Lizzie just began to tune him out. Both wore a bored expression and occasionally a smirk when he got particularly flustered or would repeat the same reason twice.

That happened several times already and she expected him to do it many more times before this conversation ended.

"Am I seriously the only one who finds everything wrong with this plan?" Jesse asked incredulously as he came to a stop and faced the two. His eyes were blazing with indignation. "I mean, how can you two be so ... so ..."

"Blind?" Everett offered as joke from his spot on the couch. And as the seconds passed by, maybe he couldn't actually see it, but he could definitely feel the glare his younger brother burned into his skin. He had a feeling that Lizzie's head was shaking back and forth at his tasteless joke.

Pouting, he leaned back. "S'just a joke," he muttered. "I should be able to light hearted joke about myself from time to time, you know."

Jesse let out a deep breath of air and replied, "But it's not funny, Everett. It's reality. You can't see. If something bad were to happened, to either of you, what would you do?" Silence followed his question and the argument seemed to be sealed. "Exactly."

"Do you really think I'm going to let something happened?" Lizzie stepped up, narrowing her eyes at Jesse. "I'm not exactly careless, Jesse. I've been on outings with the guy before," she pointed out.

A slight shudder from Everett and a low, "Not the best example ..." made her pinch his shoulder. This was not the time to rehash the NYC incident. In fact, there would never be a proper time to bring that up to the overprotective younger brother.

Thankfully, Jesse didn't seem to hear the comment and continued ranting. "But that's the thing, Lizzie. You can't control everything. You don't have ultimate power and things can happen that you aren't prepared for," Jesse said a bit angrily.

"Okay, seriously, before people start throwing things and getting a boxing match going here, why don't we ask the people who are actually in charge around here," Everett offered, standing and following the trail of tension to the two charged up individuals in the room. Silence fell and he knew they both were looking at him.

"Now I think the parents should really make the final call here. I don't want you two fighting over something that you have no control over. Not to mention one thing, Jesse." Everett turned to his brother and crossed his arms. "I'm not only an adult, but I'm older than you, Jess. I love that you care and have done so much for me but ..." Everett hesitated for a moment before continuing, "But I need to grow up a little, you know? I have to figure out my life after putting it off for so long and I think this would help. Getting away and just ... living."