Evelyn's Pendant

29.

I arrive at the hospital almost an hour later due to the bus taking its sweet time, and also having to sneak by Hannah and Mia as quietly and slowly as possible to make sure they wouldn't catch me. I had a feeling they wouldn't support me going to visit Hazel after what she has done to me, but I think I have a valid reason to go see her. Getting more information about Evelyn is something I've never thought I'd need. I knew everything about her, or so I thought.

    I can't help but be worried about what she will say about Evelyn. Should I trust her? Probably not, but she said she loved her. I have to think she knows something that I don't.

    My thoughts continue to race as I walk through the hospital entrance doors and see Asher, obviously in distress. He's in the lobby waiting for me.

    "Take me to her," I say sternly to him.

    He nods and leads the way down lots of corridors; we don't speak as we speed walk toward the elevator and climb up two floors. It's painfully silent - but I don't have the need or want to talk to him. I just need to get Hazel to talk to me.

    "This is her," he says while standing outside of room 323. He's fidgeting with his hands and his eyes look glossy. I roll my eyes at him and enter the room, filled with beeping machines and bright lights.

    Hazel lays on the hospital bed with a tube going up her nose with numerous machines and wires attached to her. My heart immediately sinks and I feel a sense of guilt.

    "Hazel?" I say quietly as I close the door behind me.

    She looks half dead. She's pale in the face and doesn't move, but her eyes are slightly open and puffy. "Hey," she says with a sad smile. Her voice is raspy and harsh.

    I slowly make my way over to her and sit on a chair. I feel uncomfortable being around her right now given our last interaction, but she doesn't seem to resent me for it right now. The only thing comforting me right now is knowing she's too messed up to move if she wants to try and hurt me again.

    "So..." I say sheepishly. "Are you... okay?"

    She winces and lets out a dry cough, kind of answering my question.

    "We're not so different, you and I."

    "What do you mean?" I say.

    "Losing Evelyn was the worst thing that could have ever happened to me. She was my world," a tear rolls down her cheek. "Just like she was to you."

    I nod - a little confused. I need to know more before I can believe that. I need to try to hear her out, though. She's my last connection to Evelyn besides my parents.

    Hazel takes a deep breath. "I met Evelyn my freshman year of college in Colorado. That's where I'm from. I decided to go to a local university because I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with my life or future career, so I was doing my general education there," she explains. "Evelyn and I had a class together, and clicked almost instantly. Within a couple of weeks, she was my best friend." She clears her dried throat and sniffles. "But we were so different at first," she chuckles. "She was so sweet and innocent. Only at school to learn and get her degree. But, after meeting me, she turned into someone else. More like me," she says. "I was always looking for a thrill, you see. Drugs, alcohol, that sort of thing. Evelyn was curious, so she joined in," she admits.

    "What?" I say in disbelief.

    "Evelyn wasn't who you thought she was, Lillian."

    "You got her into drugs?" I yell.

    "Evelyn got herself into drugs and alcohol."

    What the hell? I can't picture Evie on drugs or drinking... Or even associating herself with people who do. It just wasn't like her. It wasn't her at all.

    "Why didn't she tell me?" I say sadly. "She would have told me! Everything!"

    Hazel slowly shakes her head. "You were too young. Too impressionable. She didn't want to be a bad influence for you."

    "You're lying," I say with anger in my voice.

    "You think I would lie to you right now?" she asks as she gestures at the room we're in and I sigh.

    "How did you know I was her sister?"

    She lets out a raspy giggle. "Your name... Duh. Plus, you look just like her. Just different noses," she teases.

    I stay silent with a few tears escaping from my eyes. I thought I was done crying over Evelyn, but seeing Hazel in this state plus the sudden shock of learning about who my sister really was has gotten my emotions all over the place. I'm angry. I'm distraught. I'm sad.

    How does one react and cope when their best friend/sister was all a lie?

    "I need to go," I tell Hazel and quickly get up to leave the room.

    "Lillian," she says, stopping me in my tracks and I turn to face her. "I'm sorry," she says with a pained face.

    I just nod. "Get better, Hazel," I say and leave the room.

    Asher is right outside the door, startling me out of my congested mind.

    "Uhh..." he mumbles. "How did it go?"

    "I don't want to talk, Asher," I say while trying to make my way past him. He grabs my wrist and spins me around to face him. I gasp and instinctively slap his hand away as hard as I can. He groans in pain and shakes his hand off while gritting his teeth.

After taking a breath, he says, "Why are you pushing me away, Lillian?"

I scoff. "You're joking, right?"

"No!" he grabs at his hair in frustration and paces back and forth. "Hazel's in there, helpless, and I can't do anything but wait it out. She attempted suicide too, Lil. I need you to stay," he says while looking me in the eyes and leaning towards me.

"Sounds like a familiar situation," I mutter while backing up. "Think about what you just said and fuck off. Need I say more?" I push him out of my way and press the button to the elevator.

"You're being unfair."

"Unfair?" I let out a laugh. "Do you even hear yourself right now?"

He groans again. "I know I should have been there for you when you needed me, I understand that now, but I was scared-!"

"I don't care, Asher. Leave your excuses to yourself," I snap.

The elevator opens up and I walk inside, facing Asher with my head held high.

"Please, don't go. Talk to me."

"I have nothing left to say besides goodbye, Asher."

The elevator door closes and I hope to never see his sorry face again.