Buried Wishes ✔

Chapter 22: You're Never Gonna Lose Me, Boo.

~ [Evelyn] ~

"Why can't I come over today?" Mason asked into the phone after I refused a visit. I was getting ready to head out and his voice on the speakerphone wasn't helping me with the weird headache I was having from last night's dream. Or nightmare.

I had a dream I was with Liam. Permanently and happily. And a dream it shall remain.

"Because I haven't heard from Harper and I need to see if she's okay," I told him as I grabbed my keys and dropped them into my bag.

"Oh" was all I heard from him as I picked up the phone. Did he not like Harper?

"Okay, I gotta go, but I'll text you later, alright?" I held the phone near my lips.

"Okay, Ev. Good luck." The line was immediately dead.

~o~

I knocked on her door to find it unlocked and ajar. Worried, I stepped in and closed the door, locking it. The place was dead silent, and as I made my way to her room, I noted the many things in this place that carried memories of our friendship.

The scratched up TV was something we drove by twice and decided to take it to her home to use. It worked great, despite the rough marks on the sides.

The purple velvet curtains were made from cheap fabric bought at the flea market, where we got chased by the live chickens we set loose.

Even the rug was a result of a crochet class we took the summer before college, the summer we deemed to be the best we ever had, because we had each other.

I stepped into her room, which was a mess. Piles of clothes everywhere and pillows on the floor. The mattress wasn't aligned with the bed frame, so I walked over to push it back with my knee. Just as I was about to pick up the pillows on the floor, I heard a groan come from the bathroom.

I walked over to the bathroom door, hearing my own feet make the pitter patter sound that resembled rain hitting flat puddles on the sidewalk. The door creaked as I peeked in to see Harper passed out on the floor next to the toilet. There were several bottles of various types of alcohol, along with two party size bags of Hot Cheetos. She ate and drank her way through most of them.

"Harper..." I said gently as I helped her sit up.

"Shhh. Stop screaming, Ev," she slurred as she continued sleeping in her upright position. Her head hung to the side, resting on her shoulder and it made me laugh.

"How are you feeling?" I whispered as I rested the back of my hand on her forehead. It felt like sticking my hand in an oven.

She didn't answer and I started to help her onto her feet. We struggled to reach the bed, but when we did, I made sure she was tucked in because the girl was shivering. I rushed to the kitchen looking for all the things I needed to make some soup. Chicken noodle should help.

The soup took me half an hour to make, during which I rushed in and out to force water down her throat. Throwing up can really dehydrate a person. She was delirious, but I made sure that she wouldn't choke on the liquid.

I stood in the kitchen with the soup about to boil over, but I was stuck in my own thoughts. I did this fairly often, even back in high school. I would let my eyes focus on some random space and then get lost in my own world.

~ [Flashback] ~