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Tuesday, January 7th
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"You're a pretty good artist," Tiffany nods her head in my direction. She studies the sketch of her portrait before flipping through the pages in my sketchbook.
She pauses when she sees the early sketches of Evangeline from the first project. She looks at all of the details, almost memorizing every little thing that I noticed about Evangeline when I was drawing her.
She snaps out of the trance and closes the sketchbook, handing it back to me.
"I can see why everyone really likes her," she says, "She's always been pretty and nice to everyone."
From what I know, they both haven't spoken to each other since the day I woke up from the coma. Maya learned everything from Evangeline over break and told her why they weren't speaking. But Maya doesn't know the full story, only that Tiffany confessed to sleeping with Ethan since the summer.
I opened up to a blank page on the sketchbook, scribbling a question that she might or might not hate me for.
Why did you do it?
She reads the question. She furrows her brows at the question, probably not wanting to answer.
She's about to reply when her door opens and a blonde woman in her early 40s stands there wearing a red nightgown and a black silk robe. Her eyes look watery, tired looking, and as if she's been crying. The dark liner around her eyes are smeared and drops of it are trailing down her face. In her right hand there's a glass full of red wine. It was only 4:36 p.m.
"Mother," Tiffany gasps, "I told you to knock."
"Oh shut it, this is my house," the woman replies, sneering at her daughter. She takes huge gulps of her wine, almost chugging it as if it was water.
I stiffen in my seat, prepared for an insult to be thrown at me. If Tiffany's dad looked at me like I was dirt, her mom wouldn't be too far behind with a similar energy.
"Mom, can you not? I have a guest over," Tiffany says in a low voice, who now stands in front of her mom trying to push her out of the room. "It's not even night yet and you're already drunk."
"Another boy? Why am I not surprised?" Her mom snorts. She strides into the room like it's hers and sits on Tiffany's bed, spilling a bit of wine onto the carpet. "Oops," she laughs, "the maids can clean that up, just like they clean all of your messes up."
"Leave, we're working on a project," Tiffany says with a stern voice.
"For once? I'm shocked. Are you and Ethan done or is this boy also a part of your roster?" Tiffany's mom takes another big sip, drops spilling at the side of her mouth. "I actually took a liking to him, but only when he was Evangeline's boyfriend. I realized that she's the one who makes him look good. No man looks good with a whore at his side."
I was itching to get up and leave. The air was beginning to feel heavy and I didn't want to hear all of Tiffany's mom's insults. I hated being in the middle of an argument. I wasn't close to Tiffany to even get the idea that her family was like this. It all just adds to the mystery of how some of these people's families really are when they all have the same amount of money.
"Well they've broken up," Tiffany says, "He doesn't want her anymore."
"You broke them up. You were greedy and you wanted what they had," her mom says, "You'll never be like her and you'll never make us proud." She stands from the bed. "I could tell you've been eating too much this holiday season, you should really work hard in the gym or else your teammates won't be able to toss you in the air."
Her mom finally leaves us and I see Tiffany's shoulders relax in relief. She clears her throat, "She's not supposed to mix her alcohol and meds, but she doesn't listen. It's a consistent coping mechanism for her when my dad leaves for his out of state cases."
I nod at her. I wasn't going to judge her knowing that I also had a family member that didn't know what boundaries meant.
It was too awkward to even make a joke about something or even move on from the disturbance, so I packed up my stuff. We were pretty much done and Tiffany had a driver take me back home.
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Thursday, January 9th
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"She's always had a complicated relationship with her parents," Maya says, standing by her locker before the first class starts. "Her dad is rarely home and when he is, he's shut in his office working at his computer like a workaholic. Her mom is either home all day drinking, or out spending her husband's money like she didn't have a mental breakdown the night before."
What's wrong with her?
"Tiffany never told us what exactly is wrong, but it might just be stress or separation anxiety. I mean Tiffany says she gets like that everytime her dad leaves. She said they would rarely ever go out on dates anymore ever since her mom was put onto meds and her dad started becoming this big shot lawyer."
She was pretty mean when she saw I was in Tiffany's room.
"Yeah, don't take too much offense to it. She's also thrown some kind of shade at us whenever Evangeline and I would go over. I'm surprised she didn't have a tantrum with you there."
Tantrum?
"Yeah, she once threw her expensive fine china dinnerware at the wall after Tiffany reminded her about her meds. Later that night she thought it was a good idea to drive her car and almost crashed into some kids at a park."
And she didn't get into trouble?
"Well Tiffany's dad is like best friends with the Mayor and gave them some slack. I think they just got a warning and took the license away. The whole school heard about it and Tiffany was embarrassed for a whole week. After that, everything went back to normal."
Why doesn't Tiffany say something to her dad about her mom's insults? Doesn't seem normal to me.
"It won't change their relationship, she says that's how her mom has been since she could remember," Maya says with a shrug. "This was back in Freshman year so maybe that's why you didn't hear about it."
Maya's eyes avert towards something behind me and her brown eyes round.
I turn around and Evangeline is standing there with a surprised look on her face. She looks a bit more put together this morning compared to Monday. Her eyes aren't red and glazed over and her outfit looks more pristine and clean how it usually is.
Her eyes are wide as globes while she looks at me. I could see her taking in my appearance too.
"Evangeline," Maya says, but Evangeline walks away before she gets a chance to say more. "You have to talk to her." Maya gives me a look, already pushing me forward to chase after Evangeline.
I look at Evangeline's figure growing smaller as she disappears within the cluster of people in the hallway.
Maya gives me a knowing look and I sigh.
I will try to talk to her during class.
The bell rings and I dismiss myself from Maya. We both head our separate ways for the first period. I trail behind everyone that's heading in the same direction.
When I enter the classroom, Evangeline is already sitting at her new seat staring at the white board and jotting down the notes for today's lesson. I see an empty seat by her and almost push away a guy that was about to sit down.
He gives me a look, but I shoot him a dirty look back and he rolls his eyes. He walks away and sits beside another student instead. Evangeline shakes her head and continues to jot down things into her notebook.
I set my stuff down and sit beside her.
"I thought you were trying to keep yourself away from me," she says. She averts her eyes from the board and furrows her brows at me.
I didn't think it was going to make things worse.
She snorts. "Nothing could fix the path that I was already going down," she says.
I heard about Harvard.
"How did you hear about that? I only told Aurora," she says, her eyes rounding at me.
She told me, well the group chat.
"Groupchat?"
I'm in a groupchat with Maya and Aurora.
"So you're taking my friends as well?" She arches her brow.
I shake my head. It was the only way that I could relay my messages or ask things about you without asking you directly. I still wanted to see how you were doing.
"Why avoid me in the first place? I was literally right by you the entire time when you were in the hospital. I don't get it." She shakes her head at me, hurt evident in her eyes.
Can we talk after school?
She hesitates for a second before she replies. "Sure."
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Maya told me everything about what was going on in school with you when you left. We started texting each other and she was practically spying on you for me. I couldn't just act like you didn't exist to me.
"Why didn't you just tell me in person that you wanted space rather than think that you were a bad influence on me?" She asks, "you weren't a bad influence on me at all. In fact you made me realize that you were the only few people that knew something was going on with me and bothered to check. You beat up Ethan for me without me asking you to. Why did you even do it in the first place?"
I also didn't ask you to ruin your academic accomplishments for me. You ruined your grades and lost your place in the student body for me. I felt horrible when Maya told me it was because you were skipping school to be at the hospital with me.
"Oh fuck being the class president! No college cares about that once you start school in the fall," she says, getting up from her spot on the bed in irritation. "You nearly died and you're still worried about me? Gosh Ambrose, I was worried about you and you almost died twice!"
Twice?
"Yes you literally seized on your bed and flatlined!" She yells. "I stood outside of your room and watched the doctor and nurses bring you back to life."
I wish you didn't have to see that.
"Well I did and I hate that you pushed me away after I witnessed that," she mutters. She turns away from me, avoiding looking into my eyes—at me. She knows I can't call out to her.
"Why were you with Tiffany yesterday?" She asks all of a sudden, finally looking at me.
She's in my art class. We were partnered together. She's supposed to be my muse.
I see a hint of jealousy in her eyes. There was nothing she had to be jealous of. Absolutely nothing.
Don't tell me you're jealous?
I couldn't help but feel the corners of my lips curve up.
"I'm not, but I thought it was odd for you to willingly hang out with Tiffany. Not that I'm judging, but still."
I couldn't help but feel my ego inflate with that thought.
Why were you talking to Traye yesterday?
She pales at my words and shuts her room door.
"How do you know about Traye?"
Can you just answer my question and then I'll answer yours?
She sighs and nods, heading to her bookshelf. She pulls out a small trinket wooden box and brings it to the bed and settles it down between us.
"I went to London over winter break and some of my mom's side of the family were there. Well my older cousin kind of went through a mental breakdown right in the middle of college," she says, taking out little plastic baggies. "He said that he took speed and that helped with relaxing from the stressful exams and classes he was taking."
Did he encourage you to take them?
"He said there were other options like weed, but I could never smoke," she says, "Instead I tried one xanax pill. I've taken one before when Tiffany would invite us over for a slumber party. I'm not a drug addict, I was just stressing out and having anxiety over the thought of having to tell my parents that I was rejected from my dream school."
I could've sworn you looked out of it. I narrowed my eyes.
She shakes her head. "I took one, just to calm me down a bit. I heard about Traye and what he could give you if you asked him and offered enough. I'm not about to go down a terrible path because of something that was out of my control."
So why take them?
"I was going to, but Josh quickly found out and convinced me not to do it if I wanted to end up like our second cousin, Jared."
What're you going to do with these?
"I was thinking of giving them back to Traye and getting my money back," she says sheepishly.
You do realize he won't give you your money back, right? He probably spent it already.
"Shit, you're right. So should I just flush them?"
I nod. What else would you use them for?
"Promise you won't tell anyone about the pills? I can't have my parents or anyone find out that I was taking these for my anxiety."
You know I'd never tell anyone your secret. None of them.
I could see a genuine smile appear on her face as relief took over her facial features. I was glad that she was beginning to look a bit more like her usual self. I was stupid for pushing her away and thinking I was doing something good on my end.
"You know I thought you hated me," she says quietly. Playing with her fingers atop of her uniform skirt.
I could see goosebumps arise on her exposed thigh from the way her skirt had ridden up. I quickly look up and she's already looking at me.
Why would I hate you?
"You hated me in the beginning," she says with a shrug.
Only because you were trying to boss me around and you cared too much about the school. In which they showed that they didn't really care about you in the end.
"Ouch," she says with a chuckle, "you're right though. I was just trying to prove to everyone rather than myself."
I still think you were doing a pretty good job. I don't think anyone has been listening to Jane. The upcoming dance looks pretty boring.
"You've been going to the meetings?" She asks with a surprised look on her face.
I shake my head. No, Aurora said something about the winter fest dance since she's going to try to be a part of it.
"I wouldn't think that in a million years you would be friends with girls that don't fit your aesthetic," she laughs.
I mean we're friends or acquaintances?
I never really thought of putting a label, but we were more than just neighbors and classmates. It was obvious she cared about me on a deeper level. She went above and beyond at always making sure I was on top of my school and even sacrificed her school days to stay with me at the hospital.
"I thought we were already ten steps ahead of that," she says playfully rolling her eyes, "I mean I think we're like mega best friends."
She tended my wounds after I got into a fight with Ethan. She trusted me enough to tell me about her darkest secrets and wasn't afraid to cry in front of me.
Can best friends find each other attractive?
Evangeline cocks her head to the side, questioning what I had just said. "Ambrose, are you saying you find me attractive?"
You're the only girl in school that made me think twice about what I felt towards you.
Her lips part in shock. "What were the two thoughts?"
The first thought was if I was beginning to like you when you learned sign language for me or when I learned that you stayed with me at the hospital by my side.
She searches for something in my eyes like a sign that I was lying. "And the second thought?"
That I wish I would've kissed you when I had the chance a while ago
"Ambrose," she says my name quietly, like a ghostly whisper.
You were still technically with Ethan.
"But I'm not right now."
Was it butterflies or was it nerves that stirred in the pit of my stomach when she said that. It was true. I could do anything technically, since she was no longer with Ethan and she is single. Was that confirmation that she wanted me to kiss her though.
Do you want me to kiss you?
Kiss me. She signs to me.
I can hear the rain outside violently hit the windows of Evangeline's room and how the wind howls ever so often. I can hear how hard my heart beats against my chest from the excitement of kissing someone new and the nervousness of kissing someone I like. Can she hear it too?
She's looking at me, waiting for me to make the move. Her eyes flicker from my eyes to my lips and back up to my eyes.
"Evangeline!" I hear Evangeline's mom call from down stairs.
"Shit that's my mom," she says, sighing. She gets up from the bed about to walk out of the room.
I stand up and grab her arm. She spins around and faces me and I plant my hands on the sides of her face before I finally crash my lips onto hers.
I wasn't going to let another mom interrupt the moment again.
Her lips tasted like the strawberry gloss she was wearing. They were warm and delicate to the touch. I tried not to use too much force, but I couldn't help but feel like I was going to devour her. I finally felt her kiss back with the same, if not more fire into the kiss.
I didn't care who was calling out or why they needed her. I wanted to have her first and be selfish. I wanted all of her to myself.
I felt her body finally react to my touch as she molded herself against me. Our clothes only in the way of keeping us from getting much closer than we could. Her hands reached up to my hair and entangled her hands in them. I felt her tug the strands on the back of my head, emitting a soft moan. It was too late to feel embarrassed. Not when I'm practically making out with the most beautiful girl in this cursed town.
My hands slid down to her waist, trying to bring her in closer as if it were more possible while I still kissed her like a hungry man.
"Evangeline! Get your ass down here now!" The authoritative tone in her mom's voice was enough to snap us out of the trance.
"Shit I think I'm in trouble," she says quietly against my lips as we pull away.
Her lips are smeared with whatever was left over of her lip gloss, while I'm sure mine were covered in it.
What did you do?
"Stay and find out."
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A/N: Y'all better be giggling and kicking your feet after you finished the chapter, cause I sure as hell was heheheh
I know 30 chapters for a damn kiss 🙄 If y'all wanna tussle, we can tussle!
I'm still working on planning on how many chapters this book will reach so I might be heading towards 45-50 chapters(?) I'm not quite sure but it's somewhere in that range. Plus I also tend to write bonus chapters so the entire book will mostly be looking at 60-65(?) I think lol
I don't want to drag on too much of the story where it won't progress, hence the time skips and changes of pace and POVs just so it won't get boring. The JUICY parts are coming, just wait patiently please!!
I really hope you guys liked the chapter and we're getting somewhere. I will be going back to Evangeline's POV next chapter and showing her POV about what happened before the last two chapters and so on :)
Please vote and comment if you can and I will see you guys in the next chapter :) <3
- N ♡