Evergreen

Chapter 26

Who says that my dreams have to stay just my dreams? - Ariel from The Little Mermaid

*

Everett drummed his fingers against his legs, humming to himself in auspicious anticipation. Meanwhile, Amelia was leaning her head against his shoulder. They were waiting outside Sally's office at the RAF cadets centre - waiting for a verdict on Amelia's RAF membership. Sally and Felipe were in there, discussing in voices too quiet to discern.

"Come in," barked Felipe, shattering the silence. Everett squeezed Amelia's hand before she approached the office door. "Both of you."

The pair took their seats on the blue swirly chairs that faced Sally's imposing red chair. Sally was sitting in it, a sombre expression on her face.

"We have come to a decision regarding Amelia's RAF membership," began Sally. Amelia took a deep breath, her heart hammering with hope. "Thank you for giving us the tape, Everett. It was quite -"

"Just tell us the decision!" snapped Everett. He'd waited a week; he couldn't bear to wait any longer. "Sorry. Proceed."

"Very well. Amelia will not be regaining her RAF membership."

"Why not?" cried Amelia and Everett at once.

"Because the cameras run on a different electrical system from the control panel."

"But the fact that the camera cut out proves that lightning struck my plane," Amelia pointed out. "So it is highly likely that it impacted the control panel too."

Sally flicked some of her purple hair with her finger. "Likely, but not certain. I'm sorry, but RAF policy dictates a 'better safe than sorry' approach."

Everett sighed angrily, taking his girlfriend's hand under the table to show solidarity. He was about to stand up to leave when Sally spoke again.

"And Everett - it is against RAF policy to hack into the plane cameras. Therefore your RAF membership must be revoked."

Felipe tore Everett's badge from his shirt - the latter stood still, uncomprehending. Somehow, by trying to make things better, he had made them ten times worse.

"You are dismissed," said Felipe. Amelia had to nudge Everett to stop his staring into space. She led him into the corridor quietly - the calm before the storm. Surely he would soon start punching a wall, ranting and raving about the unfairness of life and the stupid rules that the instructors stuck to like gum to the underside of a school table. But a few minutes passed, and still he was silent.

"Are you okay, Ev?" asked Amelia.

"I didn't think that would happen," whispered Everett. His voice was unusually flat and emotionless. It made Amelia feel unsettled.

"Yeah, I didn't expect it either. Today is a really, really bad day."

Everett shrugged like he didn't even care that his life dream had been snatched from him. "The weather isn't too bad. I think the sun's coming out."

Before Amelia could say anything, Everett walked off in the direction of the car park.

*

It was a normal day at school. Everett attended his lessons, played noughts and crosses with Marty in Maths and talked about films with his friends at lunchtime while gobbling a cheese sandwich. He wasn't thinking about having to rethink his entire future career. He really wasn't.

He shared snacks with Hassan as they hung out at the local park after school together. Jade was busy, as usual, and Marty had a pile of homework he'd procrastinated on to catch up on, so it was just the two of them. Little kids were spinning each other on the roundabout as fast as they could, screaming as they tried their best to hold on. A group of teens were playing a game of Uno on a patch of grass beneath an oak tree, debating the rules every two turns. Everett and Hassan had taken the swing set as their territory. Each of them was sitting on a swing.