The Discovery of Evelyn Taylor

Chapter 8

xXxXxCHAPTER 8xXxXx

By Monday, I didn’t even have to think about where I was going. I bypassed Kristy’s hangout and went straight to mine in a daze. It was natural. Thinking of it as my hangout felt right.

Everyone was already there but I’d been late arriving. Mum or Meg, whatever I was to call her, had been in one of her moods so I’d had to catch the bus. The bus had been late so I’d missed the first ten minutes of my first lesson.

The teacher let me off though because it had been my first time late. No one spared me more than a quick glance when I entered. Why would they? I was Evelyn Taylor. The quiet one with the crazy friends. That was the only way they knew who I was.

I was Evelyn Taylor.

The nobody.

By now I was used to it but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t care. I wanted to be noticed. I wanted to be able to enter a room and have at least one person raise their head and smile at me in greeting.

It would never happen. I knew that better than anyone.

I used to tell myself, ‘This time it’ll be different. This time I’ll be different.’ But those were useless goals. I would never do anything to make them happen.

I was nobody.

But I wanted to be somebody.

Eddie and Nina were seated side-by-side but talking to different people. Robbie and Owen were talking to Eddie and Darry.

Did Darry know? Had Darry always known and just chosen not to tell me?

Matty was playing on his phone and talking to DJ. And DJ’s girl, Lilly, was talking to Nina.

There was one person missing though. The person I wanted to see the most. With a resigned sigh I re-adjusted the strap on my shoulder and started forward. I was coming up behind theguys when arms wrapped around me suddenly and a head of blonde hair was thrown into my face.

I hugged her back just as tightly, burying my face into her shoulder. I needed that. I needed a hug.

Faye pulled back and gave me a sympathetic look. “You okay?”

I nodded and gave her a tentative smile. “I guess.”

She knew everything. Well she should. I’d rang her last night once I’d finally got my head around it. I was still so confused though.

Why hadn’t they told me sooner? Especially Dad?

Faye must have seen some of my emotions displayed on my face despite my effort to hide it. “C’mon. We’ll go eat somewhere else and talk.”

I nodded, gratefully. “Okay.”

She led the way towards the empty picnic table on the other side of the library. It was shaded by the tree above it and was usually vacant except for when the occasional person appeared but they never stayed long. We had to brush loose leaves off of the table top and seats but it was always covered in them.

I wasn't hungry.

Faye ate and eyed me for a while before talking. “What are you going to do now?”

It was the same question she asked me last night.

My answer was exactly the same. “I don’t know,” I shrugged, “I really don’t.”

“Well what did Will say about it all?”

A little smile emerged as I recalled the memory. “He doesn’t care. Apparently I’ll always be his sister no matter what.”