Above All Else, Evie

V

The days had begun to tick by since the tests had been given out. Slowly everyone was starting to get letters with the names of their new "fiances" and addresses and all the information they needed on their new life, including the date that it would start.  Some people didn't have to leave, their assigned person was coming to them, while others had to leave their entire life behind. Evelyn felt like she was waiting to hear how many months she had left to live.

    She stood in the kitchen going through the motions of making Jack a bagel for breakfast. They had been spending an abundance of time together, with everything closed, and nowhere to go. They decided to start most of their days together with snuggles and a possible movie, before they moved to playing with legos or heading to the park. However, things were finally starting to open back up. Max had to start back at school at the beginning of the week and Evie had gone back to work the previous day, and the local college would finally be opening at the beginning of the next week. Life felt like it was finally getting back to normal.

    "Huxley is my bagel ready?" Jack's sweet little voice pulled Evie from thoughts.

    "Oh yeah." She responded as she handed the young boy his breakfast.

    "Thanks! You're the best big sister I have, even if you're deaf!" He exclaimed as he took his breakfast and begun to walk away.

    "I'm the only sister you have!" Evie mocked offense, "And what is that suppose to mean young man?" She laughed.

    "Your phone has been ringing non-stop for like ten minutes!"

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    "What time does your mail come?" Artemis asked for the tenth time in the last three minutes.

    "I told you, it should be here any minute, are you on your way over?" Evelyn sat on the front steps of her house. Impatiently waiting for the mail. Artemis had received her letter. She refused to open it, even after her mom had tried to force her. She wanted to open it with her best friend by her side.

    "I'm literally thirty seconds away, I'm so dead when I go home though, like mom is going to be pissed I'm driving.." Evie couldn't help but let out a small chuckle, Artie always pestered her on her priorities, she couldn't help but realize the irony. Artemis held her entire future in her hands but was still more worried about the scolding her mother would give her. Evie toned her best friend out as she caught sight of the mail truck coming down the street. She hung up on her friend without giving her a warning. Her short legs couldn't take her to the mailbox quick enough she felt like. Anxiously she watched as the vehicle stopped at her neighbours house. Then slowly as if time had been frozen, come straight towards her. The mail woman gave Evie a sad smile. She knew what she was waiting for, and she handed it directly into her shaking hand. No words were shared just a two looks of unease. As the mail carrier drove away, Artemis's little black car came swinging into the driveway. She swore that woman shouldn't have gotten her license. She hadn't even shut the car off as she jumped out.

    "Did you get it?" She demanded to know. Evelyn couldn't find the words to answer and just weakly held up the envelope.

"Okay let's open these suckers up!" The blonde haired girl cried out.

"Can we at least go inside?" Artemis shut her car off and the two made their way into the house. The found themselves standing in the kitchen.

"Okay on the count of three we open them." Evie told her best friend, the petite girl just nodded in agreement, she was exploding with need to know.

"1, 2, 3.." They counted together. Artemis ripped hers open on two, she lacked the practice of patience.

"Is this a sick fucking joke?" Artemis screamed.