Before the Ever Green (BTEG #1) ✔️

Chapter 17

I took a nap after school. I wake up now, looking at the clock which reads 6:47 p.m. Shoot! I have less than 15 minutes to get ready. I head to the bathroom Mom had put in the attic when she moved me up here 13 years ago. I take a quick shower, and brush my teeth and hair when I get out. I grab the towel, and wrap it around my hair, while I get dressed in a white strapless dress and a pair of maroon lace-up shoes Mom calls 'Keds'. The dress comes down to about 3 inches above my knees, with a cool lace skirt. My hair is 75% dry when I braid it in a side braid.

I hear to doorbell ring. I can hear Mom's door open, and the small noise of voices. Mom laughs, and I hurry to put on my ring, the one I found in the dirt by the bridge and swing. It's so simple, but beautiful. I take a deep breathe, and look at myself in the mirror. Okay.

I walk down the stupid creaky stairs, and give Mom a hug before leaving with Everett. "Have a good time!" She yells in the distance. I raise my hand to let her know I heard her. I can feel her smiling, even though I can't see her. But, I can hear her close the door.

"Where are we going?" I ask

"No where," he says, and I stop, before saying, "Are you stealing my lines?" and he responds with, "No. I'm taking them and turning them into my own," I laugh before running to catch up with him. I try not to ask any more questions while we walk through a lovely path of multicolored flowers. The grass is really green, which is something you don't see much around here. I'm not sure if you can see green grass anywhere anymore. It hardly ever rains, and when it does, it's minimal. The big-cities are always watering grass, so maybe they always have green grass, but not here.

There are a lot of rocks on the ground, and though I am wearing good shoes, I can still feel the sharp ones, "Are we there yet?" I ask

"Only a little further," He says, and I slump my shoulders and keep walking. The scenery is beautiful, and I can see the sun setting. We've been walking for at least half an hour when we finally reach our destination, "It's beautiful!" I say, shocked. A little more shocked than I mean to sound. There is a blanket laid out on the grass, with food scattered. There is a beautiful view of a stream, and a large mass of water, that I guess is a lake.

"Do you like it?" He asks when we sit down

"It's not like anything I've ever seen." I say

"I found it about a month ago, I wasn't sure if it was private property, so I'd watch it each day, and no one would come, so I assumed it would be okay to come here, and look," he points to the sky, "The moon is in perfect view,"

I laugh, "It is," The moon really was in perfect view. You don't have to crane your neck to much, and you didn't have to crane it at all if you lay on your back. I do lay on my back, and so does Everett. I shield my eyes, because the light is so bright. I am pretty sure I'd go blind if I continued to look at it.

I turn my head to look at the flowers. They are so beautiful, I wonder if they look like that everywhere. I grab a grape out of the small container, and plop it in my mouth. I wonder.

"What are you thinking?" Everett asks, and I turn to look at him.

"Things," I say

"Okay. What kinds of things?" He asks, like he is eating his sentence through, very carefully.

"I am just wonder what the rest of the world is like," I say, "I've never left this little town in my entire life, so all I know of the world is what I read, and what I know of this teeny tiny portion of the world."

"Oh," he says, "Well, I can tell you where I come from, it's not a lot different than this, besides the fact that there are bigger buildings. A lot bigger buildings, actually."

"Where are you from?" I ask, actually curious.

"No where I plan on going back to,"

"Why?"

He takes a breathe, "It's just a good place. There aren't good people, and you are always being watched."

I want to ask more questions, but I don't want to upset him. I just grab a strawberry and take a bite. I see turtle in the distance, slowly crawling over to us. I stand up and go over to him. Bring him back, "Who's this little guy?"

"Turtle,"

He sighs, "I know he's a turtle, but what's his name?"

"Turtle," I say, again.

"You named the turtle, turtle?"

I nod, "My Dad apparently did the same thing. He had a cat when my aprents first met. Her name wasn't cat, but C-at (See-at) and he wanted to get a husky and name him D-O-G."

Everett laughs, "I am starting to think turtle is a better name for your pet,"

"Thank you for seeing it my way," I laugh. I can see turtle opening and closing his mouth, so I grab a strawberry, and put it in front of him, "There, you little pig," I say. He takes a bite into it, and we both laugh.

Everett is a good friend. I am glad to call him a friend. I am glad he is willing to be my friend. It's kind of weird, tough, I am 16 and have never had a friend close to my age. The youngest 'friend' I've ever had, besides Everett, was 30 something. This person would be the janitor. All my other friends were the seniors who didn't know or remember my mom, so they weren't afraid of me, I guess.

Having Everett as a friend is different. So different, because he is my age. He isn't afraid of me at all, and sometimes it scares me. I am constantly wondering why he's so nice to me. I guess it's just another question I'll never have answered, like why I get sick every month. I won't figure out that one, because non of the doctors will examine me.

"We should probably head back," Everett says, helping me up

"Thank you, for everything." I say

"No problem," He smiles a gorgeous smile, "I'm glad to help...I've been listening to the rumors. You must have a hard time," he says

"Something like that." I say, "They'd probably kill my mom if it weren't for the laws,"

"They're just afraid. But, being afraid can make people do unthinkable things, sometimes."

How was it Everett knew exactly how I felt?

I wish I knew.