Finding Eve

Chapter 2: Seeing the Town

"Eve Moore, sadly not a wizard. Who's the quiet guy?" Matthew looked over at the boy in the middle.

"That's Drake. He's not usually this quiet. He was just dumped by his girlfriend." Matthew explained, a sympathetic look on his face.

Drake suddenly came to life and smacked Matthew in the back of the head. "Shut up, prick," he growled.

"I was just joking! It's not my fault you've never had a girlfriend!" Matthew cried, clutching his head.

"Never wanted one," Drake responded simply, glancing over at James and Kate. "I see Kitty is here, which means...," Kitty? he moved his eyes to me, and they seemed to widen a fraction, but I must've been seeing things because in a moment they were back to normal. "Sorry about my manners, I'm expecting a call from somebody," he muttered, absentmindedly glancing down at his phone, then back at me. "You are?"

"Eve," I answered. He leaned forward in his seat, resting his elbows on the table. His dark blue eyes pierced into mine. No, scratch that- being this close, I could see faint green rings outlining the blue. I could also see a faint stubble on his chin. Wow, I've never taken this much notice of a stranger before.

"That's not your full name, is it?" He asked as if it was a question, but I knew it was more of a statement. He kept his elbows on the table, still staring at me.

My eyebrows widened; nobody had ever questioned my name before. "No it's not," I answered, trying to mask my surprise.

"Then what is?" James asked curiously.

"It's Evelyn, but if you even think of calling me that, I will leave your body somewhere it won't be found." My threat mostly aimed at Matthew, as I could already tell he would be the one to use it to bug me.

My dad's the one that picked out my name, but he didn't stick around long enough to see how it suited me, so why should I keep it? Evelyn fit a perfect, preppy type that ended up being mayor or something. Eve was more me.

"Whatever you want," James said with a shrug. I smiled at him, then my eyes flickered over to Drake, and found him still looking at me with his elbows on the table. He shook his head as if clearing his thoughts.

Then Matthew's voice came from beside me, "Are you straight?" He asked bluntly. I turned away from Drake with my eyebrows raised and laughed at Matthew's openness.

"Unfortunately, I can't help my sexual orientation and, yes, I am straight." I laughed again.

A deep laugh came from across the table and I looked up to see it was coming from Drake. He looked good laughing-- it made his eyes twinkle in the most mesmerizing way.

James rolled his eyes. "You are addicted to sex," he muttered to Matthew.

"Aren't we all though?" Matthew retorted, and then I was reminded why I had to come here, and I stopped laughing.

"No," I muttered. I looked up and saw that Drake heard, and was looking at me oddly.

So much for not showing weakness.

♕♕♕

"Where to now, babe?" James asked Kate.

We were all stepping out of the pizza place, James and Kate were walking at the front, Drake and Matthew were arguing behind them, and I was walking slowly at the back, observing them. They seemed nice enough, but anyone could seem nice at a first glance.

Even my old New York friends, the ones I'd known since diapers, abandoned me at their first opportunity. I went to a party with them, I trusted them, and they did nothing when they saw how messed up I was. I mean, they watched me drink just one beer, and didn't question it when I started stumbling, slurring my words?