"We have to do something," Hailey whispered to Ashton, their bodies in the hall adjacent to the doorframe.
Ashton murmured back, "I know but what?"
There, in the room they were staring into, was Evelyn and Kate. She was laid down on the bed, curled up into a ball next to him. He couldn't touch her- didn't know how to comfort her or in what way other than being there in her presence.
It was better that way anyways- Evelyn didn't really feel like being touched by anyone right now.
It is better if I just sleep here until I die.
She knew it was slightly dramatic, but she couldn't help it. Her life was crumbling all around her, consistently.
Rarely was Evelyn able to eat, do anything other than stay in bed. She couldn't even sleep, just staring at her wall of her room until her eyes got dizzy.
It was horrible.
"Alright," Ashton turned abruptly on his feet and left down the hall. Hailey, confused, jogged after him, watching him pulling out his phone as he stuffed his feet in his shoes. She blinked, confused.
Ashton turned to press a kiss to her forehead, "I texted Calum to come over here in my place; he should be here any minute."
She nodded, gripping his shirt to stop him from leaving, "But where are you going?"
He sighed for a moment, ruffling his hair, "Michael's."
Then, he left.
It was a quick drive to their mom's house, Ashton quickly getting out and knocking on the door. To his surprise, though, he should have already known, the door was unlocked. He stepped into the house unsurely, looking around for their friend.
Drunken clatter led him down the hall to a side room. It was an appalling sight. Michael, Patrick, and what Ashton only vaguely recognized as the drug addict group of the school were all seated on the couches together.
Beers were half drunken, spilled over. Pizza boxes piled up, with other junk thrown around. It, quite literally, looked like a frat house.
Of course, Karen enabled this behavior.
But out of everything he saw, the most surprising was Michael's hair color- he dawned a new, dark purple on his head.
It really was a midlife crisis- in his teenage years. He had always dyed his hair during big moments in his life, and it appeared this was a big enough moment for that.
"Michael!" Ashton shouted, kicking a few things out of his way to get closer to the boy. It was still unnerving to see him so unorganized.
Michael laughed sluggishly, "Ashton! What are you doing here?'
"Your sister is miserable! Luke broke up with her for your fucking bonehead," Ashton gritted as Michael's face began to lose the smile. His eyebrows furrowed heavily.
He tired to stand up, falling back once more in his seat when he couldn't hold himself up, "Yeah well, it had to happen."
Ashton launched at him, gripping Michael's shirt so hard that the tightening nearly caused him to choke.
Patrick and the other guys jeered, but he ignored them. They weren't helping Michael anyways.
"Your sister does not eat, does not sleep, barely even breathes," Ashton let those words ring in Michael's head before continuing, "All because of you."
Michael avoided his eyes as Ashton scoffed, shoving him back in his seat.
"That bitch deserves it," Patrick chimed in.
In one motion, Ashton spun around, knocking his fist into Patrick's face. The force collided into the couch behind him, blood trickling down his face immediately.
Patrick's friends stood up, about to pick a fight with him.
Ashton picked up a beer bottle and smashed the end, turning to face them with a look of rage in his face.
TW// MENTIONS OF RAPE.
"I'm not scared of a little bitch boy," Ashton gritted, "You think you're so tough? Touching a girl when she says no? Raping a boy because he's drunk and can't push you off?"
Patrick tensed in his place, turning on his feet and walking out. The rest of them all got up angrily, leaving the room and presumably out of the house.
Ashton turned back to Michael, tossing the broken bottle onto the floor with the rest of the shattered glass.
"Go back home Michael, or I'll make it hell for you and your mom."
——
Calum arrived quick, though much too slow for Hailey. He sped down the streets as fast as he could, nearly getting pulled over by the police, all for the girl.
He walked down the hall into Evelyn's room, seeing her motionless in her bed with a blank stare.
"Hey Eve," Calum softly broke the silence in the room. She didn't move at the words, simply shifting towards Kate on the bed.
He moved away, allowing Calum to get closer to her. With a soft touch, Calum placed his hand on her back.
"Why don't we," Calum brushed her hair lightly, "Go take a shower? How's that sound?"
Evelyn shook her head, though her matted hair and mascara stained face proved to need otherwise.
She was in such a bad shape- it was pure luck they had a week of school canceled because of some gas leak at school.
None of them could imagine her going to school, neither could they imagine just leaving her here.
Hailey stepped into the room now, kneeling next to Calum, "I'll help you shower."
Evelyn debated it sluggishly in her head before sighing, slowly shifting up with her hand holding up her weight. Her elbow cracked under her body.
Calum and Kate exited the room, closing the door behind them as Hailey gently guided Evelyn to the shower.
She slowly undressed the girl, completely complacent. Hailey started to reach to the necklace around Evelyn's neck when she was stopped.
It was Luke's chain, with the ring still on it. The black ring that he gave her for Christmas, the one that she refused to take off ever since.
"Don't," Evelyn croaked, her voice barely there from all the crying.
Hailey nodded.
Evelyn stepped into the shower and sat down.
Hailey lowered the showerhead, adding shampoo in her hand and beginning to run her fingers through the girl's hair. Gently, she cleaned the matted hair on her head, unknotting it carefully until it was smooth once more.
Evelyn closed her eyes to avoid shampoo in her eyes, the cold water enveloping her and chilling her body down to the core.
First, my mom, then, my brother, and now, Luke.
She can't handle this anymore.
Hailey finished showering the girl, helping her stand up and wrapping a towel around her. Carefully leading her back into the bedroom, Hailey laid out clothes for Evelyn.
"I'll be right outside," Hailey murmured, closing observing Evelyn, "Get dressed and met us in the living room."
Evelyn nodded wordlessly, watching Hailey step out.
Life cannot continue this way. Not for her- it would only end with her numb and bruised. She stared at herself in the mirror, the towel wrapped around her body.
In one move, she turned around, walking back into her connected bathroom. She opened the mirror cabinet to find a pair of scissors- usually there for where she cuts her dad's hair.
Except it wasn't her dad's hair she would be cutting.
She closed the cabinet, fixing her hair on both sides of her shoulders. Her beautiful, brown hair nearly met her waist as she never really cut it. It was rarely on her mind, cutting, fixing, curling her hair.
Until now.
She had to do something, get rid of this weight on her chest- and this was the only way that made sense to her.
Evelyn brought the scissors to one side of the hair, leveling the sharp edge to just above her shoulders. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes.
In one motion, she applied force to the scissors, cutting her hair.
A surge of energy poured through her, flooding her senses in the form of adrenaline. She wasted no time cutting the other side, making it also above her shoulders.
Elated was all that she could feel.
Then, with a careful eye, she leveled the hair so that both sides would match each other. She had cut enough hair in her lifetime to know the tricks of making it easier on her.
Pushing all of the hair to the back and turning to the side to make sure it was even, Evelyn was happily surprised to see it all connecting and leveled off.
I'm not that bad.
She dipped her head into the sink, turning on the faucet to let any cut hairs wash away. Then, Evelyn dried off, putting on the clothes that were laid out for her.
It was an oversized sweatshirt that she immediately recognized to be Luke's. Her heart plummeted- it wasn't Hailey's fault that she didn't know. But it hurt nonetheless.
She put it on anyways- it still smelled like him. Then, a pair of sports shorts that reached just above her knees.
Blowdrying her hair to ensure it was all the same length while dry, she was satisfied.
Cutting hair is more than an impulsive decision. It's about change. It's moving forward.
Hair holds a lot of stuff. Your old emotions, patterns, thoughts, and memories, as well as both dirty energy, and spiritual energy, if you meditate a lot, are all stored in the hair.
Many times when people go through a major life change, they change their hair. Cutting off all of that enables you to start fresh.
Starting fresh.
Evelyn slowly opened the door, stepping out. With soft patters of her feet, she made her way down to the living room, where all her friends were sitting.
Calum noticed her first. His eyes went wide, looking at her hair with awe.
Hailey followed his eyes, turning around to see the girl.
"Your hair!" Kate screamed, jumping up and running over to touch it, "It's all gone!"
She meekly pushed him aside, "It's still at my shoulders," Evelyn managed to mumble.
Hailey came over as well, circling the girl impressed, "How did you learn to cut hair like that?"
Evelyn shrugged, not answering.
"It's beautiful," Calum finally spoke up.
She looked down at the ground, mumbling a quiet thank you to the boy in front of her.
"Just needed some change," She lamely offered an explanation, though they already assumed that of her.
Change.
Too much change has been out of her control lately.
At least she could choose to change this one.
//
ugh. these are really fun to write but also really sad because i don't want to write them apart and sad. but at the same time, it's going to work at the end soooo.
anyways, how is everyone? i hope you're all doing well. just finished finals week and i am SO relaxed now thank god.
anyways. cheers!!!
mwah, luke forever.
-m <3