Evelyn's Tale

-Thirty One-

"Just what exactly do you mean by that comment, Liebgott?" Evelyn demanded, walking over to him. Lieb knew he was in trouble because she had called him by his last name.

"Nothing," he shook his head. "It's just that-"

"-What?" she continued. "Why is there no chance of me ever wasting away? You trying to say I'm fat?"

"No," Liebgott tutted at her dramatics. "Not fat exactly."

"Dear God," McClung muttered to himself as Grant and Jackson rolled their eyes at one another. On the other side of her, Babe moved away a little. He didn't want to be too close in case Evelyn went to punch Liebgott and caught him by accident. Genuinely though, Liebgott deserved whatever was coming to him.

"Not fat exactly?" she repeated Liebgott's words and tilted her head at him.

"No," Liebgott shook his head, seemingly oblivious to the upset he was causing. "But let's face it, you're not the skinniest of people."

"Fucking idiot," Malarkey mumbled to Babe who nodded in agreement.

Evelyn's face fell. Tears began to pool in her eyes, but she blinked them back. No way was she allowing herself to cry. Not a chance. She knew she wasn't what most people considered to be skinny but she actually rather liked her figure. She felt that she had lumps and bumps in all the right places. Funny that Liebgott hadn't complained about it before. Funny how neither he, nor any of the others, ever complained about the pin up girls in magazines whose figures weren't too dissimilar to her own. So why, in front of all these people, did he feel the need to say something now?

"Oh Ev, don't get upset," Liebgott said, realising that she actually seemed to be hurt by his comment.

"I'm not upset," she snapped, her green eyes blazing at him furiously beneath her long dark lashes. "I am, however, furious."

"Ev, I didn't mean anything bad by it," Liebgott tried to explain, reaching for her arm. She yanked it away and looked as though she was going to murder him. He looked around the guys for help but they all just shook their heads at him. He was on his own with this one. "Come on, don't you think you're being a little over sensitive?"

"I don't know, am I?" she snapped. "Overly sensitive, fat female. How the fuck do you all cope with me, I wonder?"

"Where are you going?" Liebgott asked, as she headed towards the door.

"Out. Because if I look at your face for even a second longer, I'm gonna smack it."

She yanked open the cellar door and slammed it shut with a bang. None of the men moved as her angry feet stomped up the stone steps. They just looked at Liebgott in disbelief. In the corner, Speirs just lit up a cigarette and chuckled to himself.

"You're an idiot, Liebgott," Babe tutted at him, as he edged towards the door.

"And what the fuck has it got to do with you?"

"She's my best friend's sister, so a lot," Babe told him curtly. "He aint here to make sure she's ok, but I can do it for him."

Evelyn wasn't hard to find. She stood across the road in the crumbling doorway of what was once someone's house, muttering angrily to herself.

"You ok Ev?" Babe asked, as he approached her.

"Fine," she answered, but the tone of her voice said otherwise.

"Mind if I stand here with you?"

"If you really want," she shrugged.

Babe lit up a cigarette and watched her. She looked so much like her brother from the side. And when she was mad she had his exact scowl. The similarity was frightening actually.