Evelyn had never wished to melt away more than she did in this particular moment.
Despite her supposedly "noise-cancelling" headphones, Evelyn could still hear the faint chatter of her fellow passengers, the idle beeping of the plane's interior, and the roar of the massive jet engine just outside the minuscule window. There was just so much noise. If she wasn't so anxious, the sounds of the people around her probably wouldn't have bothered her so much, however that was definitely not the case today. Evelyn shut her eyes, scrunching up her face.
Today was the day her life was starting over. An utterly unwanted reset on her entire existence.
She thought back to her life in suburban Chicago, before her it all had completely fallen apart. Her heart ached at the thought of coming home from school to her parents, Anthony and Christina Masen. Her beautiful parents, in their beautiful home, with their simple, beautiful, perfect life. At least, it was perfect to Evelyn. As each second passed, she could feel the miles between her and her old life piling up on her scarred heart, making the emotional burden of the past two months even more difficult to bear.
It was still strange to think of herself as an orphan. She remembered waking up that fateful morning two months ago, her only worry being about what she was wearing to her friend's birthday party that night. Stupid party, she thought for probably the billionth time. If she hadn't have gone, then maybe her parents would still be here. Or, and she didn't know if it was better or worse, she would be dead with them, having gotten trapped with her mother and father as their home burned around them. She clenched and unclenched her fists, shaking the thought away. She couldn't feel guilty for being alive anymore. She knew her parents wouldn't have wanted that for her.
Evelyn blinked, a single tear sliding down her rosy cheek. She quickly swiped it away with the sleeve of her sweatshirt, keenly award of the nosy old woman watching her out of the corner of her eye while she pretended to read a magazine. She was used to it, though. Being emotional in public was a no brainer when a girl loses her parents on the same night.
The girl let out the breath she had been holding, settled down in her chair, and stared aimlessly out the window, wishing simultaneously that she could make the plane turn around and that the plane would move faster so she could get this whole day over with.
***
"Evelyn! Evelyn! Oh, Ev, I'm so happy to see you!" Marie Masen squealed, running towards her now grown-up niece. Evelyn, with her bronze hair and piercing green eyes, was the spitting image of her father, Anthony. The last time Marie saw her niece, the girl was 10 years old and in love with the world around her. Now, even though she had a warm smile plastered on her face, Marie couldn't miss the loneliness in her eyes, even if she wanted to.
In moments Evelyn was pulled into a bone-crushing hug by her aunt. She was shocked at first. It had been a long time since someone had shown her physical affection, the feeling now foreign to her. However, it was not altogether unpleasant, so slowly, she wrapped her slender arms around Marie.
"It's good to see you too, Marie," said Evelyn, closing her eyes and breathing in the smell of evergreen and rain that lingered in her aunt's hair. "Thank you so much for letting me stay with you. I know it's not ideal, but–"
"Oh hush, Ev, you know it's no problem for me to take care of you. You're family, and I love you. Of course I'm happy to take you in." Marie talked as she grabbed one of Evelyn's bags from the airport floor, and began to lead the way to the Port Angeles Airport's parking lot. Evelyn adjusted her backpack, picked up her remaining bags, and followed close behind.
The Pacific Northwest air immediately attacked the girl's senses as soon as she stepped out into the light drizzle. First, she noticed the cold. Although Chicago gets cold in January, Washington was more wet, and she could immediately feel the difference. Evelyn breathed in the unique aroma of wet pavement and evergreen trees, her heart sinking at how different and uncomfortable it felt. Fat raindrops sporadically fell onto her hair and clothes, so she quickly flipped her sweatshirt hood up and tried her best to keep up with her energetic aunt. A quick glance to the sky confirmed what she already had expected: the sun was no where in sight. Marie prattled on about the high school in Forks as they hurried to the car, Evelyn answering shortly as best as she could. She felt that her brain was in a fog as dense as what surrounded the trees towering over them, and the speed and energy her aunt currently had was hard to keep up with.
Soon, Evelyn and Marie were on their way back to Forks huddled in Marie's faded yellow Volkswagen Beetle, Evelyn's bags mercilessly stuffed in the trunk and backseat of the tiny vehicle. She had been afraid of the hour-long drive back to Marie's house; she didn't know if she could handle talking to someone she barely knew for 60 straight minutes. Thankfully, Evelyn didn't have to speak too much, since Marie turned up the radio. As her aunt hummed along to the song emanating softly from the dash, Evelyn averted her gaze out of the window. Raindrops raced down the glass and an endless wall of green flew by. While beautiful, she wondered if this too, would grow to feel like a cage to her.
***
Marie pulled into the driveway of an obviously old, modestly-sized Victorian-style house. As Evelyn stepped out of the car, she took in every detail: the faded blue siding, the barren trees in the yard, the dead plants in her aunts flower bed, and the aging wooden swing hanging just by the door on the porch. She smiled sadly, remembering how her father used to swing with her when they would come to visit. She had had such happy memories here when she was growing up; she couldn't help but think of how ironic it was that she was back under such depressing circumstances.
"Well, what do ya think?" Asked Marie, offering Evelyn what she hoped was a comforting smile.
It took everything in her, but she returned her aunts gesture with the most cheerful smile she could muster. "It's perfect, Marie. Just like I remember."
"Alright, then it's settled. Welcome to Forks, honey." Marie squeezed her shoulder comfortingly, then grabbed two bags and marched up the rickety steps into the quiet little house. Evelyn picked up what remained of her belongings and followed, slowly recognizing each room as she passed it and followed Marie up the stairs.
Although the outside seemed a little worn down, Marie Masen took pride in the love and care she put into the interior of her home. A cozy fire was burning in the living room fireplace, with clean wood floors and freshly dusted furniture. The living room was a light shade of green, with mostly antique furniture except for the couch because Marie swears that the one she had in college is the most comfortable she has and ever will sit on. The kitchen is bright, with sunny yellow walls and a window to let the morning light in. Evelyn has always admired how her aunt was not afraid of a little color, and as she caught a passing glimpse of each room on her way up the stairs, her fingers began to itch with the need to open her sketchbook.
At the top of the creaky steps, Marie turned right to lead her down the hall to the bedroom her parents used to sleep in when they visited. Evelyn had always slept on the couch downstairs, or in Marie's bedroom downstairs with her. Looking back, it seemed like so long ago to her. She would give anything to be the carefree child of her memories, running around this place in search of the next adventure. Instead, and she hated to admit it, she couldn't wait to leave all traces of her life behind. She just had to make it through another year and half of school until she could take ownership of her life, her freedom.
"Okay sweetie, here we are. I tried to fix it up a little before you came, I didn't really know what you'd like so I kind of just ..." Marie trailed glancing back at her niece.
Evelyn surveyed the room carefully. It still looked familiar, but she could tell her aunt had changed it up quite a bit from what she remembered. In place of the dark red drapes and comforter, she found a white, blue, and yellow quilt adorning the neatly made bed. Transparent white curtains hung on the window, filtering in what little light the clouds allowed into this town. An aged oak dresser was against one wall, with a small mirror hanging above it. There was a simple desk across from the bed, and a rocking chair in the corner by the window. By the chair, a bookshelf that matched the dresser sat empty, likely cleaned out by her aunt in preparation for her arrival. Evelyn smiled as she gazed at her new bedroom. It was light and simple, and seeing as her life was most definitely not that, it was a welcome change, a step towards healing and getting back to normal.
"It's perfect, Marie. Thank you so much," said Evelyn as she stepped into the room.
"It's nothing, I just wanted to make sure your were comfortable. Do you want me to help unpack? I told Brenda I would be back at the restaurant, but if you need me I'll stay."
Evelyn suddenly remembered that her aunt had a business to run, and though she would have liked her to stay, she didn't want to bother her more than she already believed she had.
"Oh no, that's okay. It'll probably take me a while, anyway. I wanted to shower and have some time to get settled in, anyway." Evelyn said, hoping her tone of voice didn't sound too forced.
"Are you sure? Because I can just call–"
"Go! I'll be okay," Evelyn laughed, pushing her aunt out the door. Marie turned around, and gave her a knowing look.
"I'll be back for dinner, and I mean it when I say do not hesitate to call if you need anything!"
Evelyn was shocked for the second time that day when Marie pulled her into another hug. "I'm just so happy you're here, Evvy. I want to make sure you're happy too, that's all. You know I worry!"
The brunette smiled down at her aunt, meeting a pair of Masen green eyes so similar to her own. She could tell the woman had aged since she last saw her, with streaks of gray beginning to settle in what were once smooth, brown curls. Her eyes crinkled when she smiled at Evelyn, a sign of a life filled with laughter. She remembered the way that used to feel, and although she felt broken now, she was determined to get her life back on track. She wanted to feel normal again.
Evelyn pulled away, and after a few more goodbyes and "I can still stay"s, she finally watched Marie hurry through the rain, which had picked up a little bit, to her yellow car and drive away. She stayed leaning against the window for a while after that, listening to the soft plink plink of raindrops hitting glass. She noticed that although the weather was not ideal, people still seemed as busy as ever. A family of four, all dressed in rain boots and coats, laughed as the children skipped down the sidewalk in front of her house. There was a man trimming the hedges in front of his house across the street, and a woman with her hood up was jogging around the corner and coming down her street. She supposed that it should be expected; the rain hardly ever lets up here, and the people of Forks wouldn't let a little rain slow them down.
She sighed, the glass of the window fogging up, and turned to her scattered belongings waiting for her on the unfamiliar bed. She was starting to feel lonely again, and she figured unpacking would keep her mind busy for the time being. With that, she turned the radio on the desk on, opened her first suitcase, and put her restless hands to work.