Tell me how we're not alike
But we work so well
And We don't even know why
Funny how the star crossed right
But we work so well
And we don't even know why
You can call it fire and ice
Cause we work so well
And we don't even know why.
- Why, Sabrina Carpenter
27| Evelyn (Part 3)
Everything seemed quieter after the confession to her own self. Evelyn heard the wind rustling against the window. The weather was so different from New York, it reminded Evelyn more of home every time. She knew there would be no snow this winter here.
Evelyn sat up and looked around the mess she had made. Her tears had trickled down the side of her cheek and dried there. They were falling effortlessly now. Evelyn was not even trying to stop. Maybe letting out would feel better.
The bedroom door creaked open and Evelyn looked up. Dad stood in the doorway looking down at Evelyn with his eyes wide.
This four years living with dad, he had never once come up to Evelyn's room to check until it was extremely necessary. It never was extreme for him. Evelyn remembered having anxiety attacks, sleepless nights with hours of crying, but never had he come up to check up on her, until recently.
What was he doing here today?
Evelyn knew there was nothing to hide from him. It was already too late. Evelyn's room was an absolute mess and so was she. Her t-shirt was soaked in tears and her eyes were puffy. He could see right through her if he wanted.
Dad stared at Evelyn. Evelyn's lips trembled in emotions. She was trying so hard to contain the sob that was threatening to come out of her throat.
Moments later, he closed the door and walked away.
What did Evelyn expect? Years of indifference couldn't change in a single moment. He said he was trying. Evelyn couldn't tell how.
The tears streamed like a fountain anyways. Now it had a newfound reason to. Evelyn didn't try to stop.
The door opened again. Evelyn didn't look up this time. His footsteps came nearer and a tissue box was passed to Evelyn's way. She glanced up. Evelyn's dad sat down on the floor, few feet away from her with his head hung low.
Evelyn's eyes found a resolution to spill even harder. She sobbed while shaking. She took the tissues with her trembling hands trying to wipe the tears away but it didn't work. Emotions had gone override just in the sight of her father.
Evelyn couldn't tell how long she cried, until Dad's one arm closed around her shoulder. Evelyn shook in tears with her head in his shoulder.
"How about Japanese for dinner?" Dad asked after a moment.
Evelyn nodded yes. "I'll order Sushi."
Evelyn wiped the last tears away with the tissues he brought. Dad stood up.
"You want anything else?" He asked.
Evelyn nodded. She looked up at him. "Chocolate."
She figured she sounded like a little girl asking her dad for chocolate.
Dad smiled.
Evelyn stared at him. Evelyn rarely saw him smiling, only sometimes when his team won football matches. Now he was smiling down at Evelyn. He looked younger. He was younger than any of Evelyn's friend's dad. He had Evelyn when he was a college freshman, earlier than any dad.
"Okay, young lady." He gave a look around the room. "Clean the room as well."
Evelyn stood up right away. "Okay."
Dad walked out of the room. Evelyn went to the bathroom and washed her face. Looking at the mirror, she found her lips turned into a half a smile.
He really was trying, wasn't he? Everyone deserved a chance. Evelyn took a deep breathe.
She arranged her room and got down for dinner. Dad had already served it. They sat down.
The food had brought water to her mouth. Evelyn felt extremely hungry. The stomach knots were gone for now.
"Any good?" He asked glancing at the food.
"Great actually!" Evelyn said devouring her dinner.
"Hmm how's school?" He asked.
"What else? Homeworks, assignments, tests. Senior year can't help." Evelyn said.
She liked the fact that she had caught up with almost all of it. The perks of being a friend of a nerd who really liked library, aka Mason. The marks of the test were more "good-looking" than she expected. If Evelyn actually paid proper attention and worked hard as much as Mason or Rita, she might have a chance of scholarship even.
"Hmm, any choice for college?" Dad asked.
The only thing Evelyn knew was, she was going back home to New York. That was the choice. If she made it, it would be NYU or maybe Columbia. Evelyn didn't wanna bring up NYC now, that would ruin the mood.
"Not really. I still haven't decided." Evelyn replied.
Dad didn't say anything. He nodded in reply. "How's your friend?"
"What friend?" Evelyn asked as she finished her dinner, all of it. That was an improvement.
"Mason." Dad asked.
An involuntary blush crept up in Evelyn's neck. Her cheeks felt hot. "He's umm, he's good. He's fine."
Evelyn gulped. She glanced at Dad's way. He was looking at Evelyn with a smile.
He laughed a hearty laugh. Dad really was in a good mood. Everything seemed better.
"You don't have any other friend, do you?" Dad asked.
"Of course, I do!" Evelyn protested taking the dishes to the sink.
"I haven't seen any of your friends sneak into your room and spend their day there," Dad commented still smiling.
Why is everyone so nosy?
Dad knew about the Mason invasion. Of course he did.
"I am glad, the ladder comes handy." Dad said.
"Dad!" Evelyn complained.
Dad laughed a little more. "Okay, okay."
Evelyn blew air out of her nose. She was red in embarrassment. Her heart nonetheless was full and was swelling.
"I am going out of the town for a few days to run some errands. Will be back soon." Dad said taking his dish.
"Okay." Evelyn replied.
"Till then you have the house all to yourself." Dad said.
All these years, when he was out, dad never told Evelyn anything. Evelyn had had the house all to herself anyway.
"Now, make sure the windows and the ladder is as less used as possible. I won't want my daughter to be.." Evelyn could see where it was going.
"Dad!" Evelyn squealed harder this time.
"No, this is really a serious matter." Dad made a point. He looked like he was trying hard not to laugh.
"Always make sure you are well protected..." Evelyn got out of the kitchen, covering her ear all the way. She was sure she was blushing from head to toe.
Days ago, if anybody said to Evelyn she would be talking to her dad like this, she would've turned away. Now, look where she stood.
Evelyn closed the door with the biggest smile on her face she had had in a while. Suddenly everything seemed easier and at place. If only dad stayed the same like this, nothing would be a problem.
Her anxiety can go and screw itself. Evelyn didn't give a damn.
As soon as she hit the pillow, Evelyn was sleepy. The day was really long and stressful, it had gone from stress level 0-10-0-10, it was quite a drive. It was a good thing that her father and she had finally started to communicate. Communication was the key. They might not have the best father-daughter relationship, still they had distance, that had built up from years of indifference.
Now that he was trying, Evelyn had a feeling, she would finally be happy.
Positive much?
If anxiety was a person, Evelyn would have given it the finger.
She picked up her phone from the nightstand and hit call right away. The excitement and the happiness was contagious and it could not be contained. It should be shared. There was only one person that came to her mind.
Even his caller ID brought a smile in Evelyn's face. She wondered how less it actually took to make her happy.
Mason picked up the phone right away.
"Hello," He said from the other side and yawned.
"Were you sleeping already?" Evelyn asked.
"No, I am doing my maths homework, why?" Mason said.
Evelyn groaned. She had completely forgotten about it. It was half past eleven now and she had no will to leave her comfortable bed.
"You haven't done it, have you?" He asked in a knowing tone.
"You ain't my teacher." Evelyn complained.
"You would get a detention. This is two days in a row." Mason said. He even remembered that.
Evelyn had forgotten done it the other day also. She wasn't feeling like studying after coming back home from Hillfar.
"Whatever. This is not why I called you. Why are you so boring?" Evelyn asked.
"Says Evelyn. That makes the two of us." Mason said. He was still writing and shuffling pages, Evelyn could hear the noise.
"Ouch, that hurt." Evelyn said smiling. If he only knew,what Evelyn had in her mind.
"I talked to Dad today." Evelyn said, her voice reflecting the happiness.
"Yeah, so?" Mason asked. Evelyn could bet he was solving a math.
"I talked to my dad, properly, like a nice daughter and he laughed with me." Evelyn said.
"That's great. What did you talk about?" He asked.
Evelyn didn't need to tell him, it was about him. If he knew, he would fly so high in the sky, he would never come down to earth. He was already a cocky bastard, he didn't need a boost.
"You don't need to know that," Evelyn stated.
"Did you talk about meeee?" He asked in a sing-song voice, like he knew.
This guy. God knows why I even consider liking him.
"No, why would we even do that?" Evelyn asked.
"I met your dad the other day, by the way." Mason said.
"You what?" Evelyn asked. Maybe that was how dad knew about his invasion.
"I was just coming down the ladder. He was in the ground. I looked down and he was looking at me. I couldn't decide whether to go up or down." Mason said.
"You should have screamed help. I would have saved you." Evelyn said.
"I considered that option. Your dad looked like a fire breathing dragon, shooting fireball through his eyes towards me. So I decided, I better die in the hands of a dragon. At least, it would be considered a heroic death." Mason replied.
"How come I not know this?" Evelyn asked.
"Well, it was not my best moment to share with you," Mason said.
"Hrmph, did he make you do sit ups?" Evelyn asked.
" Nope. I made it down. He was staring at me with his hands on his hip. I stared at him.He stared at me. I stared at him some little more. He stared at me some little more." Mason said. He was surely exaggerating by now.
"Then what? You realized you are in love with my dad?" Evelyn asked.
"No!" Mason replied. "He attacked me, with his fangs and claws out in broad day light." Mason said.
"Mason," Evelyn breathed. They were so far away from reality now, " You should write fantasy."
"And you said I am boring." Mason said. Evelyn could feel him pouting literally.
"Back to the story, this time, no fantasy." Evelyn demanded.
"Okay, milday." Mason replied. "He asked me a bunch of questions, like where did I take you and and...." He trailed off.
"And what?" Evelyn asked.
"And nothing," Mason said. There was something in his voice. He was lying.
"Spill." Evelyn said, "Spill right now."
"He gave me a dad talk, you know dude to dude, man to man talk. Nothing that would interest you." Mason said and cleared his throat.
"He did what?" Evelyn blinked and covered her mouth. "What had been dad up to lately?" She whispered.
Mason cleared his throat again. "Umm, I think I should, umm do my homework. See you at school. Night."
That was awkward.
Evelyn groaned. The thing between them was absolutely going nowhere. It was either ship or sink. Evelyn was not looking forward to the latter.
She might even consider the name Mavelyn now.
• • •