✨✨Shortlisted for 2017 WATTYS!✨✨
Losing any human sense sucks.
But for Everett North, losing his vision at eight years old made his life a living nightmare.
Angry and hurt, his sanctuary became the world he found in music and he shut out the wor...
Everett realized that as of late, a lot of things involving Lizzie felt comfortable and like home. It was hard to believe that he, at one point in time, hated her with every fiber of his being.
But now? The reversal in his attitude still punched him in the gut. Now he enjoyed her presence , the sense of calm that followed her everywhere. Contrasting how he used to tense when she came near, now he relaxed. Even when they were silent, not speaking a word, it never felt awkward. It surprised him considering he still had awkward moments with his family, even though he had been working on that more recently.
"Well, I think I like it," Everett announced as he reclined, moving his shoulders back and forth on the seat. Sighing loudly, he closed his eyes and lightly tapped his foot to the beat on the radio. His mind wandered off into a little corner, the comfortable silence in the car making the corners of his mouth turn up.
"Are you excited for tomorrow?" Lizzie suddenly asked, her voice serious.
Everett blinked several times before asking, "What's tomorrow?"
He felt a hand smack his arm playfully. "The party! Remember? I told you we were all going to have one big party. You, me and Jesse," she explained.
Everett found that memory locked away and his jaw dropped before he began to sputter out, "But ... but I thought you were kidding! You can't seriously expect me to go to a party, right?"
Everett felt the car come to a stop and assumed they were back at his place; the engine ceasing to run also dropped a not so subtle hint. He opened his door just the same as Lizzie and she came around the car to link her arm with his.
"Oh, come on. This is going to be so much fun," she exclaimed, leading him up to the door of his home. "And don't worry, I'm not going to leave you alone. Yeah, I saw that look, buddy!" Lizzie chuckled when she saw Everett's face contort into an uncomfortable expression.
They stopped on his front porch and Everett felt his body being turned. Lizzie's hands rested on his shoulders and she said, "I promise you'll have fun, Everett. It's gonna be low key, fairly small. Music will be loud, but not overwhelming. You don't have to worry about it being one of those ragers you hear about in the movies."
Everett forced an assuring smile on his face, but Lizzie saw through it. Poking him in the cheek, she stepped away. "Put your party shirt on, buddy. We're going to have a blast tomorrow. Anyone who says otherwise shall be immediately discharged from the gathering!"
"It's gonna be the lamest party ever and I will probably die of boredom," Everett dead panned, hand grasping the door handle.
"Nice try!" Lizzie shouted back, her car door slamming right after.
Everett shook his head as the sound of her engine faded and turned the knob of the door, stepping inside his home.
"Everett! Good, you're back. Ready for a celebratory dinner?" Out of nowhere, though that seemed like a broad horizon for Everett,
Nodding his head, Everett tugged on his graduation gown and said, "Just let me take this off and hang it up." He slowly made his way down the hall and into his room. Slipping off the silky graduation gown, Everett fumbled for a few seconds to find a hanger somewhere in his closet. He realized a little too late that his cap still sat in the seat of Lizzie's car.
"Oh, well ..." he muttered, sliding his gown across the hanger and slipping it back in the closet. Leaving his bedroom, Everett grabbed the jacket hanging on the back of his door before shutting it securely behind him.
"Ready when you guys are," he said as his feet entered the kitchen not sure if anyone heard him, but unwilling to say it again any louder.
Footsteps entered the kitchen from his left and by the squeak, he recognized it to be Jesse. "Hey." Everett made himself busy getting a can of soda from the fridge and cracked it open.
Jesse made some noise of recognition, something like a grunt, and it made Everett frown. While he and Jesse had a lovely heart to heart a couple days ago, Jesse seemed ... tense. At least when Everett was around. Everett didn't know if it continued while Jesse hung out with others, but didn't feel it his place to ask.
Though he did feel a twinge of curiosity as to why his normally relaxed and collected younger brother seemed on edge. Everett rolled his bottom lip into his mouth and chewed on it momentarily before releasing it and trying to shake off all the thoughts. Maybe Jesse was just stressed about the party.
Yeah, that's it, Everett thought, feeling proud that he arrived at a proper conclusion instead of being all negative and bitter. Lizzie would be happy to know that, as well.
"Okay, boys. Let's get out of here and go celebrate!" Denise said excitedly, her hand resting on Everett's shoulder. A month and a half ago, this would have bothered him. Having someone else, even family, in his personal spaced set him on edge. But the relationship he shared with his family somehow became less strained and they acted like a normal family. Well, most of the time.
Cole came squealing in the room next, most likely being carried by Peter and after doing a final check up on everyone, Denise deemed it acceptable for them to leave the house.
"Finally. I'm so starved ..." Jesse muttered from beside Everett.
Everett let his younger brother pass him and then half smiled at the thought that ran through his head as listened to the rest of the clan.
Man, I love my family.
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Again, not entirely certain what made me write this chapter this way. I keep getting these ideas and I'm like, GOOD GRIEF CAN I JUST GET TO THE GOOD STUFF ALREADY?! I don't want you guys to get bored hahahahaha don't forget to VOTE COMMENT SHARE TWEET!!!
