Above All Else, Evie

IV

The sun glared off of the silver car, sending glimmering rays of light shooting off everything, blinding the driver momentarily and succeeding in pissing her off.  Despite it being early fall, San Antonio was still as hot and sunny as if it were the dog days of summer, and of course the air conditioner in Evie's little car wasn't working. She grumbled something to herself about gross, sticky, and stupid boys. The car squealed and ground as she rolled to a complete stop in front of the familiar yellow house. The house and the temperature seemed too happy for such a despairing time and pissed Evie off even more than she already was. Max hadn't answered any of her phone calls all day, being ignored was something Evie found very unsettling. She clambered out of the car and slammed the door, announcing loud and clear her arrival.

    A curtain swayed as someone quickly snuck a peek out of the window, it didn't go unnoticed. With loud stomps she stormed her way to the door, completely ignoring the doorbell she let her fists slam on the door. The piece of wood swiftly swung open leaving an unimpressed young women staring at her. Megan Mccluskey stood in the doorway. Her blonde hair tied into a perfect ballerina bun on her head, a petite light blue blouse floating on her delicate frame and matched perfectly with a pair of white pants, she looked like the ice queen she really was. Evie inwardly cursed herself for forgetting that of course Max's family would be home, the whole world was on pause.

    "Hey Megan, is your brother home?" She winced with embarrassment. The sixteen year old eyed her up and down, thriving on the older girl's discomfort. Megan's cold eyes were the same color of her shirt, they met Evie's sparkling emerald one's unflinching.

    "Maybe he is, maybe he's not. Either way he doesn't want to talk to you." She nonchalantly announced. Before Evie could come up with some kind of sly remark she was rescued by Mrs. Mccluskey, Max and Megan's mother. Since kindergarden, when Evie had the older woman as a teacher, she had earned a soft spot in her heart.

    "Evie! Darling, please come in. Max is in his bedroom, hasn't come out since he saw the news.." She trailed off looking the other way, knowing what it meant for the both of them. Evie tried to swallow the knot that was forming in her throat; she found it increasingly difficult.

    "Mrs. M would you mind if I went up and saw him?" She asked trying to not show her true feelings of complete hopelessness. However, no one could hid it from the Ms. Ice Queen Megan, a small smirk played at her lips.

    "Oh of course, Honey!" The elder woman exclaimed. As Evie brushed pass, Mrs. Mccluskey gently squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. Megan's eyes didn't leave Huxley's back until she was out of sight, the unsettled feeling Megan gave her didn't leave even after that though. She didn't know how such a kind woman produced such an evil spawn.

    Max's bedroom door seemed to loom ominously in front of the young adult. Unlike the first time she knocked that day, she let her knuckles fall gently on the door. The fire that had burned in her seemed spent, and she was left filled with smoke. From behind the door she could he a startled shuffling, a bang, and then a familiar voice irritatedly grumble "shit" as something loudly hit the floor. After the click of the lock sliding out of place, the door was pulled open.

    Evie gulped as she stood standing there, staring at the guy who was supposed to be her boyfriend, the guy she went to prom with her senior year, who picked her up at work and went to late night movies with her, who started as one of her very best friends. She looked up at the ceiling studying it as she tried in vain to blink back her tears. When she looked back down, and made eye contact with Max's big brown soft eyes she couldn't contain the tears that fell. She gripped him tightly in a hug. After a few seconds, he gently returned the hug.

    Pulling away Max looked down at Evie. He gently pushed her chin up so they were looking each other in the eyes. No words were needed, they could see the dismay and horror in one another's faces, they had no idea what was going to happen next in their lives, only that they wanted to act like everything was normal for just a little while. Wanted to pretend like they were going to eventually get to say the "L" word to one another, and that they would get an apartment together after they finished out their first year of college and saved up their money, and continue to go on there silly dates to the bowling alley. They both knew that wasn't going to happen anymore.