Lego

Going Underground

{Sophia}

"Wow!" I exclaimed, looking at Evie from the sofa where I sat cuddled next to Calum.

"Damn, Evie. Is that new?" Calum asks, reaching out to touch the sleeve on Evie's leather jacket.

"Yep." She grinned.

"Where did you get it?" I asked.

She shrugged, "don't know, it was delivered here this morning. It was addressed to me, don't worry." She laughed.

"And you opened it? You're brave." Calum said.

"Well, I got a new jacket out of it. Anyway, guys, I'll see you later." Evie waved walking to the door.

"Hey. Where are you going?" I turned to her.

"Out."

"With who?" I call, but she's out the door before I've even finished asking.

× × ×

It had already got dark by the time Evie got back. She looked tired, and worn out. I had gone out with Calum, and got back, before she had. I tried to talk to her but she just mumbled something about showering and carried on up the stairs. I called Calum about it, and apparently Ashton had arrived not long after.

I wasn't quite sure about the connection since she doesn't even talk about him anymore, but Calum told me what Michael had said to him last month, about Ashton buying a lady's leather jacket, and Mikey thinking it was a present for Evie. 'Why would he have kept it for a month before giving it to her?' Was my response. Calum, along with Mikey on speakerphone told me their theories, it was far fetched, but not impossible.

× × ×

The next morning, as I was walking past Evie's room I heard soft singing, which was strange. Evie didn't sing, ever. She loved music, yes. She listened to it all the time, yes, but Evie didn't sing. I pressed my ear to the door, trying to hear what the song was. To my surprise, I could make out the slightest sounds of crying, not loud, just small sniffles as she took breaths between the lines of what I now recognise as Mcbusted's Beautiful Girls Are The Loneliest.

I felt my own eyes well up with tears. Evie was lonely? She seemed so happy though. I shouldn't be assuming that she was crying for herself, it could be anything. She could just be feeling sad, I know she hides her sadness from us. I didn't know what to do. I knew what I wished I could do, the one thing I would always do when Evie shut herself away like this. So I threw caution to the wind and went downstairs.

I search the house quickly, my parents had already left for work, which was a relief since this could backfire horribly. I took a deep breath and made the call.

"Soph?"

"It's Evie."

The line went dead as soon as I said those words. I didn't really know how to take it, so I just made my way back upstairs, sitting on the floor with my back against Evie's bedroom door. I felt in a way, closer to her, I listened as her voice changed with her emotions, the sadness starting to become more angry as she sang a different song.

"I will never be your stepping stone, take it all, or leave me alone. I will never be your stepping stone, I'm standing upright on my own."

I heard a frantic knock on the front door about thirty minutes later. I get up quickly, running down the steps and pull it open. I stand frozen for a moment, "you came." I say quietly.

"Where is she?"

"In her room."

Ashton pushed past me, taking the stairs two at a time. I was stunned, when he had hung up, a part of me thought he honestly didn't care. I started thinking about what Calum and Michael had said. I didn't hear screaming, or things being thrown or broken. All I heard was Evie say in surprise, "what are you doing here?" Before her door was slammed shut.