Evelyn's Pendant

28.

I trudge my way back to the apartment, bones aching and sweat dripping down my forehead. I slowly open the door and make my way inside.

    "Lillian!" Hannah yells as I limp inside. She comes over to me and hugs me lightly and I tightly hug her back. I look and see that Mia is in tears in the middle of the loft. I gesture to her to come over and join us in a group hug, and she does.

    "I'm so sorry to both of you. You guys were right, that was a bad idea."

    "It's okay," Mia says while pulling away. "You helped confirm my fear of parties," she chuckles.

    I pull away from Hannah and notice that she has a black eye and I wince.

    "And I got into my first fight!" Hannah says enthusiastically.

    We all end up bursting out in laughter together.

    "I'm guessing your talk with Hazel didn't go so well?" Hannah says while eyeing my poor pained face.

    "You guess correctly."

    "I'll get you an ice pack, or two..." Mia murmurs.

    I settle in my bedroom by myself while Hannah and Mia watch a movie together in the loft. I pull out my phone and decide to call someone who should be updated on what happened tonight.

    The line rings approximately three and a half times before Theo answers with his usual questionable tone, saying, "Lillian?"

    "Theo?" I mock him.

    He lets out a laugh on the other end of the line. "Well, that confirms my suspicion. You okay?"

    "Yeah," I say. "Well, most of me is, but I'm fine."

    "What is that supposed to mean?"

    "I'm in one piece," I simplify.

    Suddenly, my phone starts beeping and I pull it away from my ear and see that Theo wants to video chat.

    My heart starts to pound and my cheeks get hot. "What are you doing?" I say sheepishly.

    "I want to see that you're in one piece," he states.

    I sigh as I accept the call and immediately get butterflies as I see a handsome Theo before me in my trembling, sore hand. I can barely see my reflection, so I turn on my light. As I do, panic rushes over me as I see crusted blood under my nose. The side of my bottom lip is swollen and bloody too. Theo sighs and I join him, partially covering my face with a balled, bloodied fist. Ugh. I should have cleaned up first.

    "So, I assume it didn't go well?" he says after gathering my appearance.

    "Well...." I trail off. I get lost in those steel blue eyes.

    "Well?"

    I snap out of it. "It could have gone worse. Hazel's revenge is everlasting," I say as I scratch some dry blood off from under my nose.

    "Lil..." Theo sighs again. "Why don't you just come home?"

    "I have school, Theo, I can't just come home and go through transferring schools again. Plus, my best friends are here."

    "Fair enough, but what are you trying to prove?" he asks.

    "That they can't break me," I exhale. "And that Evelyn's death was an accident."

    Theo goes silent for a few seconds. "What did you say?"

    "Did you not hear me?" I say, frustrated. " I said they can't break me and that Evelyn's death was an accident."