"And just what exactly is going on here?" Lenny demanded.
If not for the fact that Evelyn was in shock at their early arrival home, not to mention her instant regret with having Brandon try to sneak out her bedroom window as opposed to simply running to the kitchen and looking casual, the sight of Lenny's enraged face would have been comical. Blood red and tilted slightly downward, the look exaggerated the double chin he tried so hard to hide, while the thinning hair around his bald spot stuck nearly straight up in windblown tangles. As he stared at the couple over his glasses, perched precariously on the tip of his nose Evelyn suppressed a giggle. She couldn't help but think he looked like an angry psychiatrist out of a children's cartoon.
"I was... I mean, we were just..." Evelyn said, stumbling over her words while attempting to suppress her own mixed emotions. It was hard to think of a reasonable excuse as to why she would have a boy sneaking out of her window when she was struggling to hold back both laughter and tears. No good excuses came to mind.
"Both of you," Lenny said, pointing to each in turn, "kitchen. Now." Without another word he turned on his heel and stormed into the kitchen, leaving the pair to face down Becca's disappointed glare. A rare expression that was somehow worse than any fit of rage Lenny could muster. All of Evelyn's humor melted away at the sight of it as the weight of Becca's raw emotions pressed against Evelyn's chest like a band of lead. Evelyn steeled herself for the inevitable yelling, but it never came. Becca didn't say a word, she merely sighed and followed Lenny silently to the kitchen, shooting Evelyn a look that was once again worse than any yelling Lenny could produce.
"Oops..." Brandon said, "so much for a good first impression, huh?"
"Yea, you could say that." Evelyn sighed. "Well, let's go and get this over with, and hopefully smooth things over a bit." She looked over to find Brandon still hanging half out of the window, his usual humor replaced with the grinding sensation of shame. Somehow it helped, knowing he cared enough to actually feel ashamed of his actions as opposed to simply being annoyed at the inconvenience of getting caught. She held out her hand and helped him back inside, selfishly enjoying the quick tingly rush of excitement coming from Brandon as their hands touched.
"Where's Puck?" Brandon whispered, glancing around the room nervously.
Evelyn chuckled. "Don't worry about him, he has a way of vanishing when he needs to."
Brandon nodded, brushing off his pants in what was obviously more of a delay tactic than an actual need. "How much did you say they knew about him?" He asked, nodding towards the open door.
"Like I told you before, they knew about my past, and the part he played in it. But to them he was never a real part of it, at least as far as they or any other grown-ups were concerned. Since he was always thought of as my imaginary friend who got me into trouble, he was never exactly someone they liked me to bring up."
"That happen a lot?"
Evelyn couldn't help but laugh. "Yea," she said, "you could say that."
"What part of 'now' didn't you two understand?" Lenny called from the kitchen.
Brandon winced. "He sounds pissed."
"More like disappointed," Evelyn said taking Brandon's hand, "come on, let's get in there."
Both Lenny and Becca were already sitting behind one end of the table with two chairs pulled out at the other, giving Evelyn the impression that they were about to sit down to an interrogation. Becca's disappointment was still thick in the air, overshadowing Lenny's anger and filling the air like a cold, grey fog. Evelyn shuttered, closing off the flow of emotions. A trick that was mercifully becoming easier by the day.
"Young lady, you have exactly thirty seconds to give me one reason as to why you would think it a good idea to bring a boy into the house while we were away, and why you felt it would be better to sneak that boy out the window as opposed to bringing him out where we could meet him." Although a bit of the edge had abandoned Lenny's voice, the anger and disappointment remained. Still, Evelyn was thankful he was forcing himself back in to his usual habit of getting all the facts before jumping to any conclusions.
"Sir, it's all my-"
"You'll have your turn," Lenny snapped, holding up his hand without looking at Brandon, "I want to hear this from her." Brandon wisely shut his mouth.
"We were just-"
"Nope." Lenny said, the edge back in his voice. "I want a reason, not a story."
"I was only-"
"Still not what I want, and time's running out!" His face was turning red again.
Evelyn slumped in her chair, defeated. She had always known this day would come, the day that in her heart she knew her parents both dreaded. But it was a day that had to come, and a confession that had to be said. "Because he knows about me, and I wanted to talk about it."
Although the words came out in nothing more than a meek whisper, they may as well have been shouted vehemently in their faces. Both were taken aback, faces suddenly pale, breath cut short. It was a moment Evelyn didn't dare to open herself back up to emotions, instead closing her extra senses down a tightly as a child closes his eyes against an imagined monster under his bed.
"What do you mean he knows about you?" Becca asked quietly.
Evelyn didn't need to answer, knowing the question was nothing more than a fleeting hope that she wouldn't tell them what was about to be said. In that moment Evelyn felt both a swell of love for her parents and a fierce determination to force them to accept her choice and trust her instincts. It had always been clear that one of their greatest fears was that one day Evelyn's abilities would be discovered and she would be taken away, either by some institution or the forced wedge of celebrity status. Powers such as hers would be a source of both intrigue and fear by many, and a deep and dangerous jealousy by others. Anonymity was safety, distinctiveness was danger.
But this was something that she had to do, her secret was too big not to be shared with someone, too difficult to maintain without the help and comfort of someone other than her parents. Steeling herself with a newfound resolve, Evelyn forced herself to look both Lenny and Becca in the eye in turn.
"I mean he saw me the night I healed the horse, he saw what I could do and I didn't, I couldn't, deny it. I needed to tell someone I could trust about what I'm going through before the weight of it all crushed me. It's too hard, and as much as I know you're here for me and as much as I love you for it, I still feel alone. I can't feel so isolated anymore and when the opportunity came to share who I am I took it. I'm sorry I didn't come to you first, I really am, but you have to understand where I'm coming from and how hard it's been."
With tears forming in her eyes Evelyn took Brandon's hand, grateful for the warming comfort of his touch. "I trust him, I do. I just wasn't ready to tell you that I shared my secret, not yet at least. I was wrong to act so deceptively, I know, but I just wasn't ready."
Without a word Becca reached across the table and took hold of Evelyn's free hand, tears forming in her own eyes as she gave a reassuring squeeze. Lenny let out a long breath, rubbing his eyes with a single shaking hand before turning his attention to Brandon. "Son," he said, all traces of anger visibly defeated, "do you understand the magnitude of what you know? Do you understand just how dangerous this could be to her?"
Brandon nodded. "Yes sir, I think I do. I just hope I can earn your trust, though at the moment I probably don't really deserve it. For however much it means, I can only promise that her secret's safe."
Lenny nodded, knowing there wasn't much he could do about the situation. "I'm not ready to trust you, not by a long shot. When the first time I see you you're trying to climb out my daughter's window, it kind of leaves a bad taste in my mouth. But I trust her judgement, and I'm willing to let you earn my trust. I won't give second chances on this, I won't be lenient. One slip up, one wrong move, and I'll see to it that you're cut off from her life one way or another. I don't know how, but trust me when I say I'll see it done. Do you understand me?"
Brandon nodded again. "Yes sir, I do."
Lenny sat back. "Well then that's that, not much more I can say about it. I can say, however, that what happed today cannot become habit." He looked sternly at Evelyn. "If you want to bring Brandon here, that's fine, but never without us being home. Ever. But you two will have to wait, because you're grounded for the next week. You'll go straight to school and come straight home. Alone."
Evelyn nodded, honestly relieved at the level of acceptance her parents were giving her.
"You want to start earning my trust?" Lenny asked, turning his attention back to Brandon, "then you'll make sure she follows my rules and comes home. Without you. Then next weekend you'll come over for dinner so we can get to know you, but for now it's time you head home. Evelyn can walk you out to the end of the driveway, but that's all."
Evelyn took her chance and stood up, pulling Brandon up beside her. "Thank you, I'll be right back."
She led Brandon outside, pausing only long enough to let him snatch up his backpack and adjust it on his shoulders. When they reached the end of the driveway he let out a long sigh, his relief palpable. "Well that could have gone better, but at least it's over." He said through a forced grin.
Evelyn glanced at the house. "It went better than you think actually. Thank you for sticking around, I know some guys would have bolted."
Brandon shrugged. "I could never leave a lady in distress!" He declared with a laugh while shooting a quick glance at the house. "But for the moment I better get moving before I either get you into more trouble or suffer through another naked hug. See you tomorrow?"
She took his hand, smiling. "You better."
Asquick as it was nervous, Brandon put his hand under Evelyn's chin and tiltedher head up long enough to kiss her lightly on the lips, his bottom lipbrushing against her own in a way that sent shivers down her spine. With asmile that revealed a mixture of both embarrassment and triumph, Brandon walkedaway without another word, brushing his thumb lightly across her cheek as hepulled away. Evelyn watched him until he was out of sight, relishing the feeling of warm electricity as excitement surged through her chest, as well as thesubtle vibrations of the jewel around her neck. The weekend couldn't come soonenough.