Growing Pains

Chapter 4 - Abel and Evie (11 years old), 2011

"Why are you wearing that hat?" Abel asked as he picked up Evie from her house, or castle as he liked to call it, to walk to school together. 

Evie groaned as they walked down the long driveway together, past the rose gardens, and out through the tall metal gates, pulling her beanie off her head to show him the blunt bob that her mother had insisted on giving her over the weekend.

Abel grinned, patting down the baby hairs that stuck up from the friction created by the wool material.

"Don't you dare laugh, Abel Taylor-Moon," Evie cried, stuffing her hat back over her head. They had just turned the corner onto the main street. "Mummy says it's 'high-fashion', inspired by this season's runway," she said, rolling her eyes, "She needs to stop using me as a guinea pig for her new collections."

Abel laughed, pulling her towards him to continue walking with his arm around her shoulders. He couldn't resist the urge to pat her beanie-covered head. "It looks fine, and it'll grow out in no time, don't worry."

But at school, the kids were relentless. "Look everyone, Evie looks like a guy!" Her classmates laughed and jeered, as she lowered her head and pulled her hat lower over her ears.

Abel tugged her towards him, away from the crowd. "Don't listen to them. I love your hair. You're still Evie," he smiled reassuringly. But before he could crack a joke to make her smile again, someone yanked her hat off her head and tossed it into the crowd, causing another uproar of laughter.

"Didn't think you could get any uglier, Evie," Liam, a boy in their class, jeered.

Abel turned to face him. Fists clenched. "Give her back her hat."

Liam walked toward the crowd behind him with a triumphant grin and stood over Evie's green beanie. "Why don't you come and get it?"

Abel glared at him, ready to charge at him, but Evie touched his sleeve. "It's okay, Bel, let's just go." He looked down at her and took in her flushed cheeks and glistening eyes.

"It's not okay," he shot back angrily and paced towards Liam with his fists balled tight.

"I said, give her back her hat. And while you're at it, say you're sorry."

"Aw, is she your girlfriend?" He spat out, "Or should I say, boyfriend?"

Abel swung his fist towards Liam. 

Ten minutes later, Abel and Evie were in the principal's office, hair awry, slightly red and bruised, slouched in their chairs, and looking annoyed. Liam was getting patched up in the nurse's office. He'd come out slightly worse off (with a sprained wrist and bleeding lip), courtesy of Evie's shiny new Doc Martens.

Before Principal Richards could open his mouth, Evie stood up from her chair abruptly. "It wasn't our fault!"

Principal Richards raised an eyebrow. Abel looked up and whispered harshly to Evie, "What are you doing? You're going to get us into more trouble."

Evie ignored him. "Principal Richards. Liam started it by taking my hat. Abel was just defending me." She stared hard into his blue eyes as if daring him to disagree. 

"Even so, he didn't have to throw the first punch, now did he? And you didn't have to join in, did you?" Principal Richards reasoned. Abel's stomach dropped. He did have a point. 

Evie started panicking. She shook her head, "I asked him to hit Liam. It's my fault." Abel tugged at Evie's arm harshly.

"What are you doing?" He whispered angrily. She gripped his hand tightly in response.

Principal Richard's expression softened ever so slightly. He knew this pair well, at first struck by their unlikely friendship. "Now, you're lucky that Liam is mostly fine, and that the both of you have terrible aim and missed most of your shots. But let's start with the truth, shall we?"