On the Sidelines

Chapter 10 Evie

"Maybe he really does need help. You said he joined that class because he sucks at writing, right?" I was helping Sasha with her homework when the text came through. Needing her opinion, I showed it to her.

"Well, yes."

"So? What's the big deal? You write for a living, it makes logical sense for him to ask for your help." She's right, that's what I'm doing here.

"I guess so."

The sound of a key interesting itself into the doorknob catches our attention. Sasha perks up. "We can ask Alyssa." Said girl is opening the door, exhaustion evident in her features. Sash told me she's been spending a LOT of time with her boyfriend. Like more time there than she spends here.

I'm worried. Every time I see her she's more worn down than the last time.

"Hey." She glances up from her phone, jumping from surprise.

"Evie! Jesus. You startled me." She offers a weary smile while clutching her chest.

"Sorry." My frown deepens the longer her half assed smile stays on her face. It's barely ten in the morning but she's dragging her feet like it's ten at night. She looks seconds away from passing out. "Are you okay?"

She plops down next to me on her bed, sagging deep into the mattress. "I don't know Evie." She sighs, her tired pale blue orbs meeting mine. "I really like Jasper but he's getting...." She trails off but she doesn't need to explain further. He's always been a little controlling but lately any of Alyssa's spare time has to be spent with him otherwise he goes ballistic. It's a little scary.

"I feel stupid even asking but, why not leave him?" Sash has turned her chair around to face us.

"It's not stupid. I want to, I really do, but I'm worried about how he'll react. I've never been afraid he'll hit me but I am afraid of how bipolar he is. One minute he tells me I'm his everything and that he couldn't live without me, the next I'm a worthless whore that's replaceable." She slowly rises to sitting.

Worry eats away at my insides. She's never worried about him getting physical, but I have. I met his ex a month ago and while she didn't outwardly say it, she hinted that he isn't about 'asserting his dominance' anyway he may see fit to.

"So, let's lighten the mood. Whatcha doing now, maybe I can help." No one stops the attempt to change the subject.

"I'm struggling with my essay. Evie offered to help." Sasha whines out. "It's so annoying."

"Anything you don't understand or don't want to understand is annoying to you." My deadpan response earns me a wink from her. "We were also talking about Tanner."

"What about him?"

"He texted me a little while ago asking for help with our assignment for creative writing. He said Sean's laughing at every other sentence he writes." I sigh as I fish my phone out to show her the sting of texts from the last few days.

She scrolls through them silently, her face showing no emotion. I know she doesn't like him much. I know she sees him as an entitled jock. Whether she's right or not, that's just how she views him.

"Have you told him?" I startle. Tell him? Why would I? She never told me I could. I understand I went through loads of trauma and abuse because of my father but so did she.

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because it's not just my story to tell. I didn't want to tell him if you didn't want him to know. I know you don't like him so I didn't bother to bring it up." She hands me my phone back while releasing a resigned sigh.