Not Today | ✔️

Chapter Forty Two.

"Darling, nobody said that it would last forever
That doesn't mean we didn't try to get there..."

✧✧✧

"I love the smell of freshly brewed drama in the afternoon."

Jerome's voice was distinctly cheerful as he spoke, a smile on his face as he bumped Evelyn's shoulder with his own.

"Stop staring," Evelyn said, embarrassed. Their criminology teacher let a few groups work in the hallway, including both Jerome and Evelyn and Tristan and Tanya, and they were seated across from one another, so it was painfully obvious Tristan and Tanya were having some sort of heated discussion.

"Stop staring?" Jerome asked with a snort. "Why aren't you staring?"

"Because it's rude," Evelyn said simply and Jerome held up a hand to stop her.

"Shh. I can barely hear her," he said and to her shame, Evelyn fell silent and tried to listen, but she didn't hear anything. At least, not from them. Jerome was a different story.

"Could you speak up? We can't hear you!" Jerome said in a tone of voice that was somehow both a whisper and a shout, cupping his hands around his mouth. Evelyn cracked a smile at that and Jerome burst into laughter as Tristan held up his middle finger, without turning to look at him.

Their conversation continued, and Evelyn had been sneaking a glance towards them when Jerome sighed in annoyance.

"Time to take a well-timed trip to that trash can," he finally said, standing up and moving towards the trash can only a couple feet from Tristan and Tanya.

Evelyn stood up, too, trying to tug Jerome back.

"Jerome, no. That's a private conversation," Evelyn hissed.

He just snorted. "Private, my ass."

Evelyn gave up, about to walk back to their spot on the floor, against the lockers, when Jerome threw an arm around her shoulders and guided her to the trash can with him. "C'mon, we're gonna have the best seats in the house."

"Jerome, that's not right. It's not our business," she said, trying to urge him away, when she heard Tanya say her name, and Jerome gave her a look.

"It may not be my business, but it sure as hell concerns you," he said, raising his eyebrows and taking a sip of his juice. How did he even get juice? Evelyn wanted juice.

As much as Evelyn wished she could say she was above it all, she couldn't help but listen intently to their conversation.

"How could you do this to me?" Tanya said and caressed his arm, but he pulled it back like she burned him.

"To you? I didn't do shit to you. The only one I owe an apology to is Evelyn," he said, his voice cold, the way Evelyn remembered it to be when they first spoke in the library.

"Tristan, I know I hurt you when I left, but we can fix this. We already have been."

"We didn't fix anything," he said with a flat look. "We broke something. I broke something that was worth saving."

"You mean Evelyn?" she said. "She can never give you what I can. I'm yours. I always have been."

"You're right. She can give me so much more. And you're not anything to me but a mistake," he said with such venom in his voice that Evelyn was taken aback.

Before anyone realized what was happening, Tanya raised her hand and slapped Tristan across the face, the sound stunning all the students in the hallway into silence. As if she had no control over her legs, Evelyn found herself walking up to them, standing between them, face-to-face with Tanya.