Evergreen

Chapter 11

She's outta my hands, and I never know where I stand - McFly

*

It was another Tuesday, another cadets session and another chance for Everett to talk to the awesome Amelia. Everett put his hands in his pockets as he walked toward his crush. Today, she looked a little dazed, like she'd just woken up from a half-remembered dream.

"What's up?" he said.

"Oh, not much really," she said, glancing over in the distance. He suspected that she was tired; last week, she'd told him about her part-time job as a newspaper deliverer which involved many early morning rounds.

"Not much for me either, though I cooked a curry last night."

"Really?" she said, though her tone sounded a little disinterested much to Everett's dismay.

"Yeah. Chicken korma. I overcooked the vegetables, though." Even as he spoke, he could tell that Amelia was thinking of something else that she couldn't let go of. Any attempt to talk otherwise was futile.

"Are you tired?" he asked in what he hoped was a polite voice.

"No. I just have a crush on Jesse, that's all." This statement came so suddenly, so out of the blue that for a while, he had no idea how to reply. Ev had been sure that Amelia was starting to like him. Marty was sure of it too (and he had good discernment). Maybe she was trying to make him jealous? No, Amelia wasn't like that.

"He's so cool, isn't he?"

Trying not to show his disapproval of the match, Everett replied: "I can't make a judgement, really, as I don't know him very well."

"Yeah, but can't you see the way he socialises?"

For a moment, Everett observed Jesse. Indeed, he did seem to have a way of talking to people that made them feel cheerful and included in the conversation. What was the word? He had charisma.

Would he admit it? Hell no.

"He's alright at socialising. Is he a friend of yours?"

"No. He's in my Maths class. We sometimes pass in the hallways, and he always says hi to me. He's so kind."

Everett thought that he was kinder, taking the time to talk to her every cadets session, but he kept his lips sealed. Perhaps she would see reason and see that the only reason she liked Jesse was that she only saw the good parts of him (and she rarely talked to him). Time was a great tool for the lover's idealistic imagination to grow.

"And his hair is nice," she added, clearly not sensing Ev's disinclination to continue with the subject (or disregarding it), "so long and brown – it reminds me of Marty McFly in Back to the Future."

He was tempted to talk about the band McFly, but that would tell Amelia that he'd searched her up on the internet. And as much as he'd told himself that it was a perfectly normal thing to do, he was still hesitant to reveal how much he knew about Amelia. So, in an attempt to change the subject, he pursued Back to the Future with all his might.

"I love that film. It's brilliant when you see his disbelief at being in 1955."

Before Amelia could respond, Felipe commanded the cadets to assemble. At least now Everett could leave without her seeing the disappointment in his eyes.

*

Trust Everett to be an open book. He'd been asked by at least five people if he was alright, to which he'd responded: "I'm fine" in the sort of way that tells people that you're really not fine but would rather they mind their own business.