Evangeline (Unedited)

25

S H A K E S P E A R E
(20k views!! Thank you so much!)

I wasn't prepared for how lonely the first few days and nights were going to be in their penthouse. In the new room. I feel like I was waiting for it to be chaotic, unbearable even, so that I'd feel justified in not feeling as comfortable and happy as they wanted me to be. Maybe so I could hide behind the strangeness rather than the guilt of being in their home, infiltrating their lives.

I usually just stayed in my room, leaving when someone would come to get me, or the many times I ventured to the rooftop after Theo recommended it to me. I didn't even know it existed.

It was a dwindling garden, that once looked to be luscious and green but was now dried up and sad. I felt upset looking at it, and have spent the past few days tending to it in hopes that maybe it will flourish again. Nobody bothers me up there. I've begun to think they just don't go to the rooftop, for whatever reason. It really is beautiful. Overgrown grass covered the middle of the roof, and planters and flowerpots scattered around with no care. The soil had escaped the pots, vines and leaves protruding from the plants. A few benches were around the sides, and a table with chairs sat directly in the middle like it was being serenaded by life. Or, a life that was slipping. The big glass pane door let me look into the penthouse when I was sitting up there. I never saw anyone, except for Alessandro, whose room was on the same floor, wrapping around the garden.

My fingers graced over the pages of the book I was reading. I had read it a thousand times, yet I still got overly excited and sad when things happened. Somehow, I still seem to notice things I didn't before. My stomach began to rumble and I sighed, closing it, and setting it beside me. I eyed the overgrown spider plant beside me.

"I'm so bored," I told it, subtly looking around to make sure nobody saw me. It didn't respond, obviously. "How do you sit up here all day? How are you still alive?" I whisper.

I looked away, pushing myself off of the grass. I brushed my overalls off and walked towards the edge of the roof, leaning over the tall concrete walls, and looking down. I immediately regretted it when dizziness overcame me, making me back up with a grunt.

It took a moment for me to shake off the nauseating feeling being so high up gave me, but when it did, I opened the tall door, careful not to shut it or open its door hard. It creaked as it moved, opening enough to let me in. I felt the air conditioning pierce my skin, making me shiver. It was very different than the heat outside, even that high up. Unfortunately, there were no trees, and barely any shelter from the sun, which drilled into the top of my head whenever I went up. I walked past the doors to Alessandro's room and went to the stairs, which were hidden beside the elevator shaft. I was very pleased to see the stairs when I first tried to come up here.

The boys have made many offers trying to include me, like watching movies or going on walks, though when either of the twins asks me the latter, now one of the older boys comes with us. I didn't think it was abnormal, but hearing them complain and blame it on me being here makes me think differently.

I wasn't really finding comfort in the sunrise anymore. It just reminded me that I'd have another lonesome day, wondering when everything would feel normal again. I would still sit awake for hours, watching the city burst with life, listening to lyrics of songs on my new phone; courtesy of Alessandro. I cried when he gave it to me. It was so nice, and I felt cruel for being so happy, and wanting to give it back all at the same time. I hear the quiet clatter of Tommy going to work bright and early, of Andreas, carrying piles of his art around, the silence that glided along the floors whilst everyone was sleeping.

I walked as silently as I could, grimacing every time my sneakers would squeak. I kind of liked the stairwells. They were always empty and they reminded me of the school stairwells back home. As weird as that sounds, it felt more familiar than the wealth I was constantly surrounded by.