The Other Side: The Awakening.

Chapter Nine: Evangeline.

CHAPTER NINE.

'Caleb Waters was my best friend!'

Oh, Brandon. You are so full of shit, Suzanne thought bitterly to herself. 

Considering Brandon and Caleb were roommates, the school had selected Brandon to speak at Caleb's memorial service. However, Suzanne realized that Brandon didn't know anything about Caleb at all.

Suzanne had only spoken to Caleb once, and yet she knew more than Brandon. He didn't even know Caleb's correct last name, for crying out loud!

As Brandon continued dramatically rambling on about his close friendship with Caleb, Suzanne let her eyes wander to Caleb's family. 

His mother looked terrible, her brown hair disheveled on her head, and she had bags under her eyes. His dad's eyes were red, and had his arm around his wife. Caleb's grandmother, Mrs. Winters, was sitting in a wheelchair, looking grim. Her nurse was standing loyally next to her.

Suzanne wanted to go console the family, but couldn't bring herself to do it. Ever since she screamed after seeing Caleb at his own funeral yesterday, she had run away. Suzanne didn't know how she would explain her outburst to the family.

Suzanne could barely understand it herself. Had she really seen Caleb's ghost? Or was she hallucinating, due to the side effects of her sleeping pills?

She felt a sudden urge to call Kat and confide, but decided against it quickly. Kat would only become worried about her. Suzanne wanted Kat to focus on school. If Kat became worried, she would surely fail.

Suzanne realized Brandon had finished his pointless speech. The school's Dean walked up to the podium. 

'Thank you, Mr. Gomez,' he said. 'Now, I'll invite another friend of Caleb, Luke James, to the podium.'

Suzanne had never heard of this Luke person. However, he seemed to be popular. The entire school population was at the memorial. The entire school population cheered for Luke. Everyone except Suzanne. 

Suzanne gasped as she saw Luke walk onto the stage. 

That soft, brown hair. She would recognize it anywhere. It was the guy whose bed she had fallen asleep in. The night of the party where Caleb had exchanged troubles with her.

Luke looked at the crowd. His green eyes scanning everyone. He took a deep breath.

'Hi, I'm -um- as most of you know, Luke James,' he started. 'I have something to confess. I've kept it a secret, because I was embarrassed to admit this.'

There was a hushed silence in the crowd. Suzanne could've probably heard it if a pin had been dropped. 

'Caleb Winters...was my brother.'

Gasps rose up from the crowd.

What's so bad about that? Suzanne wondered. 

'My real name is Luke Winters. I didn't tell anyone about my family because I was ashamed. But now that my brother is dead, I'm not hiding it anymore,' Luke said, and walked off the stage. 

'I really don't get why they're so dramatic,' Suzanne mumbled to himself.

'Wait, don't you know the history of the Winters' family?' Cass gasped from beside Suzanne.

'Where did you come from?' Suzanne asked in surprise. 

'I saw you, and came to chat. But then I was stunned to silence when Luke made his confession.'

'Oh, please don't be so dramatic, too,' Suzanne rolled her eyes. 'I don't get what all the commotion is about. So what if Caleb and Luke are related?'

'I can't believe you don't know,' Cass repeated, shaking her head.

'Don't know what?'

'The Winters' family history.'

'What is it?' Suzanne asked, curiosity taking over. 

'Well, it started 50 years ago, in 1966. Evangeline Winters, Caleb's grandmother, attended this college. According to the rumors, she was very decent and smart. One day, her roommate took her to this awesome party. Around midnight, she started freaking out and ran out of one of the rooms, covered in blood.'

Cass paused her story, because it was time to light the candles. She took a lighter and lit the girls' candles. 

'Can you continue?' Suzanne asked.

'Sure,' Cass said. 'So, Evangeline's was hysterical. Finally, her roommate and other friends calmed her down. Then she explained what happened. She claimed how some "demon" had tried to rape her. Since she was covered in blood, they kinda believed her. But when they checked the room she had run out of, there was a frat guy, dead on the floor. Everyone realized what had happened, the frat guy tried to rape Evangeline, and she killed him to escape.'

'That's the story?' Suzanne asked. 

'Nope. That's just the beginning.' 

The girls walked up to shrine in Caleb's memory and placed their candles beside it. Cassandra continued.

'The way she had killed him was really freaky. She had dug his eyes out, and then broke his neck. Well, since he had tried to rape her, Evangeline wasn't put in prison because it was self-defense. So, imagine this- now Evangeline is totally popular, her life is going perfect because everyone knows her and is feeling sympathy for her. She's still scarred and I don't blame her, but she totally makes use of the popularity. Within 24 hours, Evangeline is the most popular girl on campus. Then, one day, she started freaking out. She ran around campus, she lost it. She screamed, 'I know what it wanted! I know what it wanted! I have to get rid of it!' No one knew what she was talking about, but a few hours later, she threw herself down the stairs. She did it in an attempt to kill her baby, which she had just found out about. She succeeded.' 

Suzanne placed her hand over her mouth. 'My gosh!'

Cass continued her story. 'Evangeline's popularity changed from sympathy to hate immediately. Everyone said she was wrong to kill her baby. Even though it was a rape baby, she shouldn't have done it. It would've been better to even put the baby up for adoption rather than murder it. Everyone started bullying her, calling her a murderer. Eventually, Evangeline left and no one ever saw her again. Her future son attended the same school, and found out about what had happened there 50 years ago. He immediately made his children change their last names. Apparently, Luke changed his, but Caleb refused to change his last name.  Who knows how many kids Caleb and Luke's dad have, they probably all changed their names.' 

'Wow, I can't believe--'

Suzanne's sentence was cut, because someone grabbed her arm and spun around.

'You probably want answers,' Evangeline Winters said to her. 'I live at 133 Tinsel Avenue, four blocks from here. If you want answers, visit me.'

Her faithful nurse then pushed the wheelchair away, Caleb's weeping parents close behind.