Evangeline (Unedited)

24

N A P
(I currently have the routine of someone who is on summer vacation, and it is not okay. I haven't been enjoying my writing lately so I apologise if it seems a bit worn thin. Enjoy anyway!)

"Thank you," I told the door boy as he opened them for us. He smiled at me, and I smiled back.

I could see clearly the shades of green his eyes were; swampy, yet bright. It was contradicting, but I have to admit I looked really deeply into them and I probably looked insane. Luckily, he also seemed to get embarrassed as I noticed when I snapped out of my trance, he snapped out of a similar one.

I followed them into the elevator, still glancing around the lobby. No matter how long I might be staying, I don't think I'll get used to how this looks. It was so extravagant, but so weird for me.

"Hey, Leo?" I interrupted the quiet tension as softly as I could, the elevator doors opening. He looks at me as we step in. "Who, um, was that woman? You guys seemed... worried."

They make eye contact and he shrugs. The doors begin to close and my stare draws to the door boy one last time. We made awkward eye contact until the doors were closed.

"I don't know. It was just weird that she was so persistent, I guess. Besides, with Lukas' track record, it's best to steer clear of strangers that know our names."

"What does that have to do with—Lukas?" I confused myself about what to call him. Saying 'Lukas' feels weird because I've never actually met him, why should I talk about someone I've never met as if I know them, but not saying it feels disrespectful because he's still a person and their brother?

"One of his dealers beat Andreas up a little while back 'cause he didn't get paid, or something." Noah spares no effort to conceal the truth, making my eyes widen. Leo groans at the bluntness and looks up as if he's pleading with a higher power to save him from his twin's stupidity. As much as it freaked me out, I appreciated the honesty. In a life where everyone is constantly lying, or leaving me out of things, even bad honesty is better than none. "It's also New York. Didn't you deal with creepy strangers in Chicago? Learn about stranger danger?"

I reflect on his question. I never met new people, unless they were visiting our home or someone I met at school.

"I didn't go out much." I look at the ground, rapidly looking back up when the machine dings again, doors opening. Alessandro and Theo are waiting for us, talking with each other by the window. Alessandro notices us first, body facing us before his head turns.

"So you did or didn't?" He asks again like I'm stupid. I glare, but catch myself and stop.

"I did, I've just never had to use it. It's not really... habit for me." I explain, hoping he'd let the conversation rest. He did, thankfully.

"Boys, Evie." Alessandro greets, his body seeming more closed off than usual. He wasn't necessarily a welcoming person, objectively, but for some reason, I felt able to talk to him more than I have with anyone before; excluding Elio, and apparently Noah. "Leo, Noah, I would like to speak with both of you in my office. Evie, you're free to do whatever you please." He dismisses me, and before I can speak, the boys follow him.

Theo stares at me as if trying to figure me out. I inhale a shaky breath and gesture to the shoe closet, He nods and backs away as if he felt that he needed to give me space. I quickly walk to the dark closet, not bothering to turn the light on.

I cut off my internal, meaningless rambles that never seem to stop as I walk back out, now in my socks. Theo smiles at me as he walks upstairs, and I guess I'm supposed to follow. I also walk up the stairs and he walks to the elevator, turning to close the door, and jumping.