Evelyn

Chapter 11:

"Oww! Jesus, woman, you slap hard!" Aidan exclaimed shaking his hand that was turning red.

They had a substitute today in AP Physics which was basically synonymous with a free period and Evelyn, Jace, Aidan, Maia Blackman, Eric Stone and Josh Park were sitting in the back lab table, playing slap jack. Well, technically only three of them were still in the game as Maia and Eric had lost all their cards quite a while ago and there were no slap-ins allowed in order to make the game end faster. The rest of the class was equally as productive, scrolling through social media on their phones, talking and laughing and doing nothing related to physics even though when their teacher came back on Tuesday, there would be an exam. 

"Well, that's the last of my cards." Aidan said grouchily, tossing down a single two of spades. "Screw all of you, I think I'm crippled."

"Now now, don't be such a sore loser." Jace teased, not lifting his watchful eyes from the growing pile of cards.

"Dibs on... Jace winning." Josh suddenly announced, half watching the game, half looking at his phone.

"Gee, thanks." Evelyn's hand shot out, but landed right on top of Jace's as two fives were put down. He was too quick for her. 

"I don't blame him though," her opponent winked at her. "After all, I do rock at this game."

"Oh, shut up." she replied as he and Aidan chuckled.

It was hard keeping an eye on Aidan and the pile of cards at the same time. She had been thinking about what Jace had said ever since the party last Friday. Evelyn had highly doubted it to be true at first, but now, she was starting to have second thoughts. 

 "Whoa!" Aidan called out as Jace and Evelyn's hands slapped down simultaneously. "Daaamn, you guys aren't messing around."

"Shut up and tell us who got there first." Jace nudged his friend.

"Can't say." he shook his head. "Better rock, paper, scissor, shoot it out." 

"It's mine." Evelyn grinned after her paper had beat Jace's rock. She shuffled her deck of cards that was only slightly smaller than Jace's.

"We should hold a slapjack grand championship." Aidan said. "Winner gets their name in the hall of fame."

"Or twenty bucks." suggested Evelyn.   

But then, she had a better idea.

"Fine, we should have a prize for whoever wins this game." she said.

Jace raised his eyebrows and he and Aidan looked at each other.

"If I win, you give me back my parking space." Evelyn demanded. It was possible, she could win this. In fact, she believed she had a high chance of winning.

"And if I win?" Jace countered. 

She shrugged.

"Nothing that endangers my personal well-being, that's all." Evelyn told him. 

"Deal." Jace nodded. "If I win, you get to be my little handyman for an entire day, doing whatever I tell you to do."

"Are you kidding me?" she raised her eyebrows.

"You don't have to do it." Aidan said to them, glancing at Jace with a look that signaled annoyance.

"No, you know what," Evelyn said. "I'm game if you are. But I have to raise my stakes, too."

"Let's hear it." nodded Jace. 

"If I win, not only do I get my parking space back," she continued. "But you're to never look or speak to me again."