I'm finally registered for online school. I'm in a nursing program to hopefully become a doctor in two years. I'm three months in. I sometimes have to go in for labs and dissections but it's fun. I mostly try to draw everything I see so I can study when I'm back home.
"You done with school for today?" Evan asks, he catches me eating a bowl of cereal. Today's test was hard and I just want to burry myself in blankets and go to sleep.
"Thank god." I groan.
"School isn't that hard."
"That test was brutal. I get my results back in two hours." I sigh, not wanting to take another bite of my food. If I pass this test I can be in all honors classes and graduate faster.
"Joseph is coming back this weekend." Evan says as he pulls out a smoothie from the fridge.
"Doesn't he come every weekend?" I question. What's so special about this weekend?
"He's only getting to do that because the military base is close by. Eventually he will have to leave."
My stomach sinks at those words. Leave. I've left, Sawyers left, Joseph is leaving. Who next? It probably won't be long until we have to pick up and leave again. Evan has been pacing in his office longer now. I know know something is up, and I think it has something to do with Whit. He's planning something and we're in constant danger.
Evan has warned me that I can be doing something and I wouldn't know if someone were to kidnap me, especially the dangerous people who work for Whit. They want whatever Sawyer has.
"Leaving...." I whisper.
"What?" Evan questions. I sit up straighter, almost forgetting he's in here.
"What? Oh nothing." I tersely smile.
"I have a very important meeting. Don't scream, yell, bump into anything that can make a loud noise and for the love of all things good, please let Avery know when she comes back. She always barges into my office." He gives me a pointed look and I nod, swallowing hard at how harsh his words are.
"What kind of meeting?" I question.
"I told you. An important one." He tersely smiles at me.
"Oh, Sawyers attitude." I glare at him. He rolls his eyes, takes his smoothie and walks out.
I guess it's an important meeting. That only means one thing, I ease drop.
I wait fifteen minutes and I hear him talking. It's mumbles and the closer I get to his office door the more the floor creaks.
"I'm home." Avery calls out and I rush over to her.
"Shut up." I whisper and wave my hands and gesture for her to stay quiet.
"Why?" She questions confused. I point towards Evans door,
"He's in an important meeting." I whisper, she nods and takes off her coat.
"Today was exhausting. Some lady yelled at me for cutting in line, when I did not. And even if I did I let her have her spot back, but she still made a scene. She threatened to call the cops." Avery rolls her eyes. "I wish Sawyer was there, he would have done something. He would have Knick picked some guilty things she's done just by looking at her and black mailed her to the end of the freaking line." She breathes out.
"Really? Tell me more." I nod, slowly walking to Evans door. Avery lies down on the couch, eyes closed as she rants about her day, too into her story to notice I'm not paying attention to a single word. She'll fall asleep eventually.
"You said you would be able to find him. I expect you to find him." I hear him bang something on his desk as he speaks angrily into the phone. "You're highly intelligent and highly functional, I'm not paying a bunch of idiots to find my brother. You said you would, now hold up your end of the bargain."
They're talking about Sawyer.
"Sawyer." I whisper.
"No. No! That's not good enough. If it's not done by Friday you won't have a job. I will ensure that your career will be ruined. Gone." He states. No scary angry voice, no disappointment, just steadiness.
I need to figure out who he's talking to.
"Good. See you Friday." He quickly hangs up and I run back to the couch with Avery.
"Mhm, go on." I speak out loud, trying to act as natural as possible.
"You do realize you're talking to someone who is asleep." Evan is standing right behind me and I look at Avery who is dead asleep. Evan sighs,
"We need to talk." He pulls me off the couch and into his office.
"So this is what it feels like to be sent to the principals office." I look around his office, black everything and a single plant by the window. It's dark, yet cozy. Sawyers office is a different story, it's clean, organized but more like a nerd lab with a couch, more inviting.
"I know you were listening."
"I wasn't listening." I move forward on the chair I'm in. He again gives me a pointed look.
"I'm far from being anything like Sawyer." He says as he fixes papers in order. Looks like I struck a chord with my earlier comment. "I do try to let you in on certain things, if they pertain to you." He softly smiles. How is he related to Sawyer?
"Okay." I nod, not sure where this is going.
"I've been trying to track down Sawyer, with very high tech technology. But it seems to be impossible. I am by no means giving up and will continue to find him no matter what it takes." He nods and I nod, not believing what I'm hearing.
"When?" I question and he quickly shakes his head.
"Opal, this type of research and preparing can take years. Your hopes shouldn't be too high." He sadly smiles and I lean back into the chair. My heart racing wanting this to be as true as possible, but if it's going to be that long I'm not sure how to feel about this information.
My smile falls, "I think it would have been better if you didn't give me hope and then take it away." I get up and slam the door as I walk out.
I stay on my lap top using internet pictures of dead bodies as inspiration for my drawings. They're the closest things to zombies and it helps with medical information.
"Hola, la cena esta casi lista." Nancy knocks at my door.
I smile, a little confused by how fast she is speaking, "dinner is ready?" I question, translating what she said.
"Yes, almost ready." She smiles and I nod.
"Okay, thank you." I tell her, proud that I'm finally picking up Spanish.
Everyone is quiet during dinner. I take the laptop downstairs and try to ignore everyone.
Evan is reading the newspaper and for some reason him being so calm is getting on my last nerve. I start typing harder.
Avery notices the tension as well as Nancy.
"How was school?" Avery smiles, nervously.
"Pain in the ass." I glare at her. I'm not sure why I'm acting this way but my anger is boiling.
Evan puts his newspaper down and glares at me.
"What?" I question, challenging him. He studies me before ignoring me.
"Obviously you two had a disagreement." Avery cuts in.
I look back at my computer and check for my grade. Immediately all the anger inside me disappears when I see I have a perfect score.
"I got a perfect score." I stand up excited, how is this possible. I mean I studied my butt off for this.
"I'm sure you weren't the only one." Evan cuts in.
I stop my happy dance and I glare at Evan.
"Hey! That wasn't very nice." Avery grabs onto Evans arm.
"What do you know about nice, Avery? You tried to kill me." I seethe, my anger rising.
"And you," I turn back to Evan. "For someone who doesn't want to be like Sawyer, you're more like him than you think. Asshole."
I grab the closest thing to me and throw it to the ground, not caring about the shards of glass or food that is now dirtying the kitchen floor.
"Hey! That's enough!" Both Avery and Nancy yell.
"No. I've had it with you all." I point to Evan and Avery.
My arm burns as anger builds up and I feel myself needing to release my anger.
"Opal, you're not you when you're angry." Evan says. He slowly tries walking toward me but the burning in my arm is making me irritated. I lift up my sleeve and see the scar coming back almost as if it were a fresh cut.
"Sawyer said this would happen." Evan says and I back away, not wanting him to come closer.
"Stay way. I'm fine."
"You're supposed to be checking if you have a fever every day."
"I have." I lie.
"You know you're sick." Evan says and I shake my head.
"I'm fine." I slowly state.
"No." He calmly says and I hate seeing him like this. How can he be so calm?
I scratch at my arm and yell in pain.
"Just leave me alone."
Evan is close enough to reach me and he pulls me toward him. I kick and thrash against him.
"Opal, you're burning up." He says.
"I'm fine. I don't have a fever!" I scream, unable to control my anger anymore. I know I'm sick and I know I have a fever but the irritation and anger over power how I respond and I can't help myself, it's like an itch and I need to scratch it.
Evan calls in Nancy.
"Sawyer taught you what to do in this situation. Get the medical box, it has all her stuff." He snaps at her as he holds me down into the couch. Avery holds my feet down and Evan holds my arms.
"It hurts." I cry, angry. "Why is it back? I thought the medicine worked." I look at Evan.
"Let me insert it into her leg."
The fever eventually gets too high and I pass out.
"I heard you caused quite the commotion." I hear Joseph's voice and I stir awake.
"I hate both of your brothers." I croak. I check my arm, scar is completely gone, and my anger.
"Why?" Joseph chuckles.
"You lived with them, you should know why." I roll my eyes. He hands me a glass of water.
"I want to hear it from you." He says, amusement dancing in his eyes and for a second I see Sawyer. I immediately smile.
"You're smiling like an idiot." Joseph says and my eyes refocus and it's not Sawyer sitting in front of me.
"If Sawyer were here I'd strangle him." I get back to my rant.
"I'd pay to see that." He says and I sit up.
"You're here early. Evan said you'll be here this weekend. It's only Wednesday." I question.
"I get two weeks off before I'm deployed, again." He says.
"I got a perfect score on that test I told you about."
"Ah, yes. The one where Evan mocked you."
"I want to strangle him to." I sigh.
"You know he didn't mean it."
"Sure." I roll my eyes.
"Anyway, Evan told me as soon as you wake up he wants to talk to you."
"No, save me." I plead.
"I tried stalling but he knows you're awake." Joseph shrugs.
I sigh and get out of bed. I feel like I can breathe and the weight has been lifted.
"Good luck." Joseph squeezes my hand.
When I'm outside Evans office I walk right in and sit. He ignores my presence and continues to write on some papers. He takes his time and finally looks up.
"I just want to apologize for my behavior." He says and I nod waiting for him to continue. "I'm sorry."
"No, I'm sorry. I didn't mean what I said and I didn't mean what I did. I'm sorry." I quickly say.
"It's Sawyer." Evan looks down almost embarrassed. "I hate how that arrogant son of a bitch is always right." I look at Evan confused.
"What, what about Sawyer?" I question.
"He knew your sickness would come back. He wanted me to provoke you, really make sure you'd get angry. It was a test. I didn't mean anything I said. I just needed to provoke you."
"I thought what he gave me was a cure." I ask.
"No. It's an antidote to suppress whatever is inside you. I thought he told you this?" Evan questions.
"It's been so long. I honestly don't remember half the things he's said to me." I rub my hand against my head, trying to remember.
"I think you should apologize to Avery." He points to the door and continues writing. I swallow my pride and head to her room.
I softly knock on the door. I open it when I don't hear anything.
"Hey..." I whisper. Avery turns to me, mascara dripping down her face. She's crying.
"I've made a mess." I stand awkwardly in the room.
"Evan told me everything. Everything." She says. Did he really tell her everything?
"So you know everything?" I question, not really knowing the extent.
"Yes. I know Sawyer isn't dead. I know about time travel and I know you're sick. I know I tried to hurt you. But what more can I do to prove how sorry I am?" She cries. I don't think I've ever seen her this sad.
I stand there thinking.
"I'm sorry."
"Can we just agree that all of this happened because of men?" I say and she sniffles. I jump onto her bed.
"We're the only girls here. We gotta be a team and not against each other. I am sorry, I didn't mean to throw whatever I said into your face." She frowns and nods. She pulls me into a hug.
"Men suck but we're both in love with one." She laughs.
"Friends?" I ask, making sure were okay.
"No, family." She smiles. "You're stuck with me, sister."
"Sister." I smile. We snuggle into the blankets.
"Shall we end this horrible day with a sappy movie?" She questions. "The notebook?" She asks and I shrug.
"I've never seen that movie." I laugh.
"What?" She gasps and she grabs the remote and turns the movie on.
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Hey! I'm going to try and double update ^.^
Part 2 coming soon ❤️