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pre: red light on the wedding night
02. ❝ turning a blind eye ❞
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✨☕️✨
[ TWO WEEKS AGO ]
EVERLEIGH MAE MORGAN knew everything. She loved gossip, she loved hearing everything that goes down in her neighborhood. She loved hearing all about high school drama — who has gotten detention for doing something stupid to who broke up with who. All the gossip that didn't involve her.
Being away from home for two weeks was annoying her. Don't get her wrong going abroad for the first time was an experience, especially it being Florence and Siena. Two of the most beautiful cities she has ever been to, places that felt like all the love stories could be written about. If she had the money or had that type of money, there would be no doubt in her that Florence could be her home. That and she was in love with their sandwiches.
But she also felt homesick. As much as she loved going abroad; she missed Chicago, her best friend and her boyfriend. The girl wanted to be back in her room gossiping with Agnes while her boyfriend rolls his eyes at them and continues to play one of his games on Game Boy. That's pretty much how they spent their time together in her room. Unless it was a Tuesday night when the trio watched the newest episode of Dawson's Creek on The WB.
She really missed all of that while away, hence why as soon as she got home and found out there was a party going on a few blocks away from hers. The dropped everything and sneaked out. And by 'sneak out' she means she lied to her dad about her whereabouts.
As soon as she arrived at the party location, a bubble of thrill filled up inside of her. She was crashing a party, a party that she wasn't even invited to in the first place. Sure she'd feel even better if the two people that mattered the most to her were by her side but they weren't and she wasn't going to depend on them either. (Unless you had any of their pagers, you'd think otherwise. The pagers that they weren't answering in the first place).
She wasn't going to second guess her decisions and whether showing up unannounced to some senior's house was such a good idea. Even if her gut was feeling heavier by each second passing by and every instinct of hers was screaming for her to turn around. But she didn't. She was just being nervous.
Or she tried to tell herself that.
Slowly making her way up the pavement to the house, the music seems to get louder with each step she takes and once reaching the door handle, she invites herself in. There is no way she'll wait outside for someone to open the doors to her, the doors that no one would hear ringing anyways.
Just as she walks in, the whole house was filled with teenagers; some passed out on the floor or on the couch, some playing truth or dare, never have I ever or beer pong. And then you had the ones making out like there was no tomorrow.
''Everleigh!, '' A familiar voice calls out, making his way to her and once she meets the boy who called out her name, she smiles.
"James," Stepping on her tiptoes she wraps her arms around the guy she has known for most of her high school years. He was her library and study partner, in all honestly that's the only reason why the two were friends in the first place. She wasn't really sure they were friends considering they don't hang out outside the school but they were friendly with one another and shared secrets here and there. Like one of them being his crush on her best friend Agnes.
Breaking from the hug, the two step back as he says, "I thought you weren't back for another day.''
"Well, you know me,' She shrugs smiling and pushes hair from her shoulders, '' I have to make an entrance.''
"That I'm not surprised,'' He chuckles, " Blaze and Agnes didn't tell me you were coming.''
Her attention perks up at the mention of her best friend and her boyfriend, "Wait, they're here?"
He nods his head as he points at the upstairs, "Yeah, they went upstairs with the rest.''
"Oh, cool. Thanks, James. " She pats his shoulder as she moves past him, making her to the direction the two were located at.
Moving past the bodies, she reaches the upstairs where it was less packed with guests and by less packed she meant like two or three people standing outside the hallway and the rest either entering and exiting the same room.
Without second guessing, she decides to follow everyone's suite and see if the two were with the rest. That's the only explanation she had on finding them and hoping that's where they were in the first place. She just wasn't expecting to turn the door knob and walk in the scene in front of her, making that excitement of hers to fade just as quickly as it came.
Her best friend, her summer camp companion. The person she trusted the most was also the one to break it as she watches her placing hands around the boy she loves and pulls him closer to her, making their lips meet with one another.
And her boyfriend didn't pull away either.
Not straight away at least.
She was sick.
"Oh shit, it's Everleigh!" Someone shouts. She doesn't know who. She doesn't care but someone does and that someone was also the cause of Blaze pulling away from Agnes.
Just as his eyes meet hers, she shakes her head taking steps back and closes doors behind her. Everleigh turns around, her back facing the door as she holds onto the knob.
For seven years, seven whole years she has lived in Chicago not once she thought the girl she met in a summer camp and the girl who also introduced her to Blaze in the first place would hurt her the way she did.
She regrets coming to the party, deep down she knew this was a mistake but does Everleigh ever listen to the signs in front of her? Not really. The only time she will follow any type of signs will be the ones when she's behind the wheel and that was it. And the rest she will just turn a blind eye on.
Maybe this was what she was doing? Turning a blind eye.
She didn't make a scene, she didn't shout, she didn't claw her best friend or her boyfriend. She simply walked away.
How does one react in such a manner? How does one react when you find your best friend kissing your boyfriend ━ the love of her life? She didn't know. Everleigh never thought she'd have to experience that type of scenario at all. In the moment, she felt nothing. She just felt as if someone passed her heart to Edgardo Alfonzo like it was some sort of a foul ball and he threw it to one of the batters with the force allowing it to shatter in million pieces.
She didn't want to be there. In the house, near the room or even in her own skin. She felt sick to her stomach. The scene replaying in her head like it's on a loop. So she left. But things never go as they are planned ━ never in her favor. Just as she reaches the staircase, the doors swing open and she hears his voice, "Eve, wait!"
She didn't stop, she pushes past whoever came in her way, small apologies being murmured under the breath or even ignoring James' concern. Once reaching the end of stairs, her boyfriend manages to catch up with her and gently grabs her arm, making the girl stop.
Spinning around she squints her eyes at him, pulling away from his touch, "What? Surprised to see your girlfriend?"
He opens and closes his mouth like a fish out of water and she crosses her arms over the chest, "W-what are you doing here?"
A dry chuckle escapes her lips, shaking her head, "That's seriously what you're going to ask me after what I just witnessed? Are you serious?"
A couple of teens slowly start surrounding them, grabbing their attention. Blaze takes a step closer to her as she stays put, "What you just saw," He points at the upstairs, "I didn't know she'd do that."
"Right, like I will believe you. " She scoffs.
"You have to," He states, taking another step closer to her. The two only being a few inches away from one another, "It was nothing ━ I didn't think she'd ━ Eve, please." He stammers out and Everleigh takes a step back at his attempt to apologize.
She didn't know what to think. For once she didn't. She wanted to believe him because that's what you do, you trust your boyfriend and his words. This time she wasn't so sure what to believe, she was still processing the kiss between her so called best friend and her boyfriend. The audience that gathered around them didn't help her either.
Before more people started to gather around them she waves off her boyfriend and starts moving backwards, "You know what? I don't want to hear it. Just leave me alone."
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"I'm starving." Everleigh announces plopping down on the chair seated by the counter. Her words mostly directed towards the diner boss.
Glancing at her, his eyebrows crease together as he pulls a face, "What?"
"I'm starving?" She repeats again. Her statement became more of a question.
"How?"
"Well," She sighs heavily, " My lightly pinkish internal organ, located approximately beneath the left rib is yearning for food, therefore creating the feeling of hunger. May I have a nourishing substance to satisfy the sensation please?"
His expressions didn't change the slightest. If anything, he looked at her as if she just gave him the most disturbing news he has ever heard. Maybe this type of behavior was familiar to Luke from before but he didn't comment about her in-depth hunger, "But you had breakfast with Dean and Rory like an hour ago."
"Exactly," She points out with a smile forming on her face, "That was an hour ago. Now I'm bored and boredom equals hunger."
"How?" He asks again.
"I just told you." Now it was her time to pull a face at him, "Do I have to repeat myself again?"
Knowing he will not win the argument he sighs heavily, "What do you want?"
"Now we're talking."
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Here's the thing — Dean knows Everleigh better than anyone and sometimes better than she knows herself. Hence why he wins the title of her best friend. Chances are he always knew what was wrong with her even if she didn't know it herself and he has learnt to be patient with her. Because if he wasn't, she had the tendency to push people away and he learnt that the hard way.
Dean also knew something happened between her and Blaze. The two were his friends as well (which they seemed to forget from time to time). He was used to them being so couply with one another that he picked up that there was something off.
When Blaze moved to Stars Hollow he didn't know — Blaze was avoiding him at all costs for the past two weeks, actually. Dean heard rumors of another family moving from Chicago to Stars Hollow from Miss Patty but he didn't know who exactly. That was until he ran into Blaze right outside Le Chat Club.
He may have tried acting like nothing was wrong but just taking a glimpse of the guy he knew Blaze hasn't slept properly for a week, the dark under eyes was the biggest and easiest giveaway. Or the fact that Blaze was agitated by the mention of Everleigh's name.
Which also leads to her — the biggest mystery he has ever met. The girl will always manage to surprise him by the remarks she makes or the things she decides to do. Not once she'd stay the same.
So when she suddenly decided to make a sudden visit to him at Stars Hollow he knew something was up.
When Dean still lived in Chicago, she'd always go to him when she got in fights with Blaze, especially the bad ones. The two didn't have to say anything to one another, they'd enjoy their company in complete silence. Or even when her dad got in bad arguments with his girlfriend Bonita — well, his ex girlfriend now. She didn't like seeing people fight, it made her uncomfortable and if Blaze wasn't there, Dean was her back up.
Her coming to Stars Hollow was no coincidence, maybe her dad having a business meeting in New York was, but not her in this small town. Her not mentioning Blaze at all, (and for everyone's information, she does mention him a lot, like a lot) he knew whatever happened was really bad.
Dean has waited almost a week for her to bring it up but she still hasn't and she was leaving tomorrow morning and he was becoming worried.
"Eve," He grabs her attention again as the two walk through the town square, "I know I already asked you this few days ago but are you sure everything is okay?"
She instantly looks down at her shoes, "Yeah. — I mean as fine as I can be."
And there it was, the avoidance of eye contact. She wasn't fine and Dean was worried for her, so he asks, "You sure?"
Everleigh slows down her pace as she faces her best friend, making him stop, "Right as rain." She tries but he doesn't budge, " I'm just taking notes from Ferris Bueller. That's it. I wanted to get away from my responsibilities for just a moment. What's so bad about that?"
"Nothing," Dean argues back with a shrug of shoulders, "It's just you're acting weird and there is something wrong."
"Dean," She places one hand on the side of his arm and the other on her heart, "I'm peachy and soon enough I'll be running out of ideas how else to tell you I'm fine."
Everleigh drops her arms down and Dean closes his eyes before he starts nodding his head, "Okay then. Let's go."
He picks up his pace and she follows. Muddled at his easy answer and no further questions, she wonders. "Wait where exactly are we going?"
Not even stopping he glances down at her, "To Blaze's." Her heart stops for a second as her eyes grow wide, "I mean, we haven't hung out together and you're leaving tomorrow. Rory said he's at Babette's."
"Okay ━ Woah, hold up," She runs in front of him and places her arms out. Making the two stop walking, "W-why ━ What?! No, we...uh can't."
He points a finger at her, "I knew it."
"Shut up, " She whacks his finger away from her face, "You want a medal or something for that big discovery of yours?"
"What's wrong, Everleigh?" Concern laces his tone and her shoulders fall at the mention of her name and not her nickname. He only says her name when he is serious about something and she assumes this was serious.
Taking a moment to get the courage to break her walls she shifts her weight and inhales sharply, "Everything."
The two best friend's sit down by the Gazebo and he pushes further, "What's going on?"
She avoids glancing up at him, her focus on her hands in her lap, "I'm pretty sure my dad wants to move somewhere closer to New York so he can see more of my sister. With all the business trips he makes and all the apartment recommendations he has in his office, that's my final guess."
"I mean, is it a bad thing? New York is only a few hours away from here, meaning we can hangout more and you'll be able to spend more time with Rory." He suggests.
The girl rolls her eyes at the mention of the Gilmore girl but keeps her mouth shut from making a comment. She simply shrugs, "I know that. It's just ━ Beside you and dad, I have no one now."
His eyebrows knit together, "What do you mean you have no one? You got Agnes ━" She chuckles and shakes her head, "What?"
"Agnes and I are no longer friends. I don't want to see or hear from her. Blaze as well." She finally states and once those words left her mouth, her shoulders fall. The realization finally settling in and it stung her heart. Her words repeating as she draws patterns on jeans with a finger, "Blaze as well."
Worried, Dean asks, "Eve, what happened?"
And finally taking a moment to collect her words, she slowly starts telling him all about the party, how she walked into Agnes kissing her boyfriend and how she walked away. The longer she tells him, the faster realization sinks in on her reality now and it sucked. At this point even Starts Hollow can't help her to elude.
Because in all honesty, that's the whole reason why she was here in the first place. She missed her best friend, she did and spending the whole week with him helped reminding her of the old days. That was until she found out about Blaze. The two have been fighting for a while but she didn't think things would get as low as they have now. She just wanted to get away from her problems just for a minute, take a breather because it became too much and she couldn't handle it. Her dad visiting New York again was just a coincidence and that was it.
Having Dean listen and letting all the secrets out was a relief but she also knew his judgmental side and that's where the hesitation came from. After venting to him and taking in all the information she has given, he speaks up again, "So what does that mean for you and Blaze?"
Not being too sure herself, she says, "We're on a break... I think?"
"You two are on a break?" He repeats, not believing for a second.
"Yes...," She glances at him and once she does he has his eyebrow raised at the lack of confidence in her voice. She rolls her eyes, "And no I'm not pulling a Ross right now."
He softly chuckles, "I didn't say you were, it's just ━" His shoulders pulling upwards, "You should talk to him. You both are confused where you stand right now."
"I know that. I'm just not ready. I know he wants to talk, I mean he tries paging me every single day. " Her pager beeps. The girl fishes out the pager from her shoulder bag and checks the display screen. Seeing from who it was, she groans, "Speaking of the devil." Not even making an effort, she puts the pager away and with a heavy sigh she pushes hair away from her face, "Look, I'm not ready to face him and the aftermath, not just yet."
"You want me to talk to him?" He suggests and a wave of relief washes over her as she nods to his question.
"Just tell him, I'll speak to him when I can and I'll do it soon," She adds and Dean puffs out air but nods along, "You know I always thought Kim was overreacting with the whole running away scene when she caught Jules kissing Michael but I get it now."
"You'll be fine, Eve." He tries to reassure her.
"Kudos to you and trying to be my therapist but sadness is nonexistent in my emotion dictionary. Everleigh does not do sad," She refers to herself in a third person as she stands up, straightening her posture and raising her chin up. Just as her best friend opens his mouth to interject, she continues, "Now that the therapy session is over, let's go back to your house. I want to see Clara before I go."
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Everleigh Morgan hates goodbyes. Especially to the ones she has an emotional connection with but she also learnt that running away from problems will do no good to anyone. That and she really missed her dad. She can barely spend time with him as it was and she was at least happy it was home time.
She appreciated everything her dad did for her because she knew the busy schedule he had was because of her and making sure she had the best future imaginable. He just wanted her to not worry about things financially but he sometimes forgot she also wanted to spend time with him. Talk endless gossip about anything, watch a Mets baseball game or simply laugh at ridiculous things the two saw on TV.
That's what she missed the most. Don't get her wrong, they do that a lot still but after her dad accepted a business deal in New York a month ago, he has been busier than ever. His travel trips went from Hartford to New York and so on back and forth.
But then she arrived at the entrance of the airport and was reminded once again why situations like these at the end of the day lightened her spirit. No matter how long it's been, her dad has been her biggest supporter and a guideline. She has learned more from him than anyone else and she was very appreciative with everything he did for her. He was supportive of her with any decision she decided to make and right now she needed his support and advice.
(Even though she tends to ignore his advice because half of the time he has no idea what he's talking about himself).
Seeing him standing at the entrance with the two suitcases by his sides and him checking the watch on his wrist continuously made the corner of her lip twitch upwards. Almost like he was feeling her stare he glances up with a relief washing over him as his shoulders fall. Everleigh runs up to him and with no warning wraps her hands around his torso, leaving her father startled.
"Woah," He begins with a small chuckle, "It's only been a week, kid."
"I know." She sighs, still not letting go of him, "I just really want to go home and watch Moonstruck while eating loads of cake, preferably red velvet cake."
Confused, he tries pulling away from her hug to look down at her but she wasn't letting go once again, "But you need that when you're sad."
"I know."
"Did something happen?" She nods her head as a response, "Did you get in a fight with Dean?" She shakes her head instead now. Exhaling sharply he rubs her back before pulling away to force an eye contact with his daughter, "Okay then, tell me when you're ready. There are some things I need to tell you as well."
Rubbing the back of her neck she asks, "Can it wait until we get back? I just want to go home now."
Deciding his good news can wait until her daughter feels better or until the two get home, he nods along. "Yeah. It can wait for a little bit."
Knowing the flight won't wait for them to arrive, they finally entered the airport and Everleigh changes the subject to someone else, "Did you see my sister?"
That made him smile, "Yeah, she asked a lot about you actually. She got you a few presents in return. How's Dean?"
"Lonely." Tittering, she glances up at her dad , "The McPheron brothers type of lovely."
"So, nothing has changed?" He laughs.
"Nope."
✁- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
REFERENCES:
☕️ everleigh: " i'm just taking notes from ferris bueller. that's it. "
movie — ferris bueller's day off (1986 )
—
☕️ everyleigh: "you know, i always thought kim was overreacting when she caught jules kissing michael but now i get it. "
movie — my best friend's wedding ( 1997 )
—
☕️ everyleigh: " and no i'm not pulling a ross right now."
tv show — f.r.i.e.n.d.s. ( 1994 – 2004 )
—
☕️ everyleigh: "the mcpheron brothers type of lovely."
book — plainsong by kent haruf (1999)
—
[ other references ]
✨ Dawson's Creek — tv show (1998 – 2003)
✨ Edgardo Alfonzo — former mets baseball player
✨ Moonstruck — movie (1987)
[ supporting cast ]
-ˋˏ mark morgan ˎˊ-
-ˋˏ agnes lopes ˎˊ-
✨☕️✨
yes, mcdreamy plays everleighs dad. i couldn't help myself. patrick and bethany were SO close to interacting with one another on greys, but that didn't happen and im forever annoyed. i could've had the revival content without editing. i might cry.
one more chapter to go and we starting the canon storyline and three more chapters before everleigh meets jess. i actually might start crying from happiness.
(also everleigh's reaction to blaze and agnes and just walking away is how i reacted when my best friend at the time kissed the guy i was with, so im just writing this from my experience because that's the only way i know how to write it).