13 (evans wild ride to turning 16)

Chapter 8 (Patrice)

I went home without going to any classes. I walked all the way from the school to my house. I really needed a license. The walk from the school was only about a mile, pretty reasonable. Most kids in my grade didn't have a car, so pretty much everyone walked everywhere. Appleton was a tiny town in which made getting a car kinda useless.

My mom was asleep on her recliner when I got home. I went straight up to my room and flopped onto my bed. All I wanted to do was cry.

Ever since I was little I'd hated to admit to crying, it made me feel like a baby when I cried. For some reason the tears always came, whenever I was upset or angry or happy I cried. I knew I wasn't a pretty crier either, I sobbed.

Fighting with anybody made me cry, especially my mom or Evan. Evan started fights most of the time. Usually they were valid, but today he was on edge about something. My fault probably. I definitely wasn't going to apologize to him though.

I wasn't usually a person to strike back in a fight, but some petty feeling made me want to text Brett and Richie. Helping Richie definitely wouldn't come from the kindness of my heart, it would be the opposite.

Before leaving Evans house that morning, I'd explained everything, then I used his phone to text Brett. I hadn't been smart enough to remember to grab my phone off of his dresser though. Luckily I knew that Evans mom kept a key to the house under the welcome mat. It would only take a couple minutes for me to sneak in, grab my phone, and dash back out.

Quietly I slipped off of my bed and raced down my stairs. My mom was awake. Shoot. I could see her standing in the kitchen, she was waiting for me.

"Are you going to tell me where you were last night?" She asked. She looked like a mess in her pajamas, holding a cup of coffee. My mom was going to spend the next hour lecturing me about how unsafe it was for me to spend nights at my boyfriends. I wanted to lie to her, it seemed like I'd been good at that lately.

"I was just at Evans." I told her. She raised her eyebrows at me, as if I wasn't there more than home anyways. "I lost my phone so I couldn't tell you."

"And why couldn't you have just come home?" She began to pour another cup of coffee. For the first time in my life, my mother was right. Why couldn't I have just come home?

"I dunno, it was late and we just figured it was best for me to sleepover." She had this version of me in her head that was just the epitome of evil for some reason.

"Whatever you say Patrice." She rolled her eyes. When she did that it kind of reminded me of Evan. Over time I'd noticed similarities between them but never really paid much mind to it. After fighting with him today, it was just screaming at me.

When I'd told him I hated him I hadn't exactly meant it, I was just upset with him. Running away from him wasn't what I meant to do either it just sort of happened.

I walked away from my mom and out the door. I didn't even bother to put shoes on, because it would only take a minute. I ran straight across the street to Evans lawn, the grass was still wet from the morning dew. It must've only been 9:30 ish. 

  Last year when my mom kicked me out of the house Evans mom started keeping a key under the door for me. She'd once told me that she thought of me as her daughter. I'd hoped that she meant it and she wasn't just trying to be nice. Bethany was more motherly to me than my own mother ever was.

I knelt down on my knees and turned the welcome mat over. Just like magic the key was right there. I got back up and turned the key in the keyhole.

The house smelled of fresh laundry and cookies, just what I'd always imagined a home should smell like. His mom was probably home, but she wouldn't notice me. I booked it straight for Evans room, my phone was hopefully still sitting on his dresser.

"Evan is that you?" His mom walked
out of the laundry room. "Oh hi Patrice."  She was holding a basket of clothes.

"Sorry Bethany I was just grabbing my phone." I walked into Evans room and grabbed it off the dresser.

"It's alright honey." She said "You know we're having Bob and Charlotte over for dinner tonight, you're welcome to join." Bethany and Charlottes dad had been dating for the last couple months, she was really happy about it.

I wasn't going to make it to her dinner, I'd made up my mind about helping Richie. Was it petty? Absolutely. He would get over it. "Yeah, I'll think about it."

I said goodbye to Bethany and ran back across the street.

My mom wasn't in the kitchen when I got back to the house. I sprinted back up to my room and flopped back on the bed. My phone was dead. I plugged the charger into my phone and stared up at my ceiling.

Once I heard it buzz on I texted Brett "I'll be there, make sure to pick me up." He liked the message.

                                          —

At 6:15 I received a text from Brett that said "here." I had straightened my hair and put on my little black dress. I ran down the stairs and  opened the door.

Bretts car was parked in my driveway. Evan was standing across the street on his porch. We made eye contact, it was tense. Suddenly Charlotte walked out the doorway.

I'd only ever met her a few times, but I knew her and Evan were fairly good friends. She was a petite blonde girl who was extremely extroverted. Her and her friends use to be terrible to me.

She made sure I saw her then put her hand on Evans back. I felt my heart drop to my stomach. What was that? I was still holding eye contact with Evan. I broke it and ran down the steps to Bretts car.