Destined

Seventeen

Evelyn

White and blue halls pass seemingly in slow motion until I'm finally sitting in the seat assigned to me in French class. Our teacher, Mrs. Austen, had phrases written across the board that she wanted us to attempt on figuring out. She always does this, she finds it humorous to see what we come up with but applauds us when we're correct.
"Good morning, someone please tell me what I wrote on the board. If you don't know, take your best guess." Mrs. Austen says once everyone has taken a seat. I look towards the front, reading carefully as she picks someone by the windows to give it a shot.
"Something that isn't right?"
"Incorrect," she scans the students until her eyes reach me. "Evelyn, do you know what it means?" She knows I do, I'm usually the only one that does which is sad considering most of us have been taking French since we were in fourth grade.
"Doing is better than saying." Her grin sends approval.
"Correct, good job." Her hands clasp together. "Doing is better than saying. Why do you all think that is?"
"People judge you by your actions and don't care what you say even if you're correcting something you've done." The guy who had originally given his answer stated.
"If you say something without following behind with actions, how can anyone be sure you're telling the truth?" She asks.
"They can't," another guy answered.
"Mrs. Austen, why can't something without actions be truthful? Surely, it should be able to be." I ask.
"Can you give me an example?"
"Well, if you love someone that's something you feel and it isn't always easy to show them and they could tell you if you don't show it in a certain way you must not feel it."
"You're referring to sex aren't you."
"Of course I am. Anyone can have sex with whoever they want but that doesn't necessarily mean they love their partner. It's not an action, it's a feeling. I guess in a way it's both true and not true that doing is better than saying but how is someone supposed to see the difference?"
"You'll know when it happens. It's a feeling like you said but instead of it being solely based around sex, deep down you'll know when somebody means what they say if they aren't capable to show or haven't just yet. Although, doing never hurt anybody." She tells me and even though I'm unsure to as of why her words resonated with me. I look down at my desk, thinking for the rest of the class.
As the lunch bell rang, my whole class basically ran out of the room leaving behind a cool breeze to fall upon Mrs. Austen and me, who gave me nod, telling me goodbye.
It's fine. I can live with not being told about the history of this necklace. I can live with people bullying me and my friends deciding to be wary of me. I can live with my mother thinking I'm someone different than who I was prior to Alexander's appearance. I can live with not having a decent relationship with him too so it's fine, promise. What's not fine, however, is having to endure Ashley hanging all over Daniel at school and in everything she posts; I'm not sure if she realizes how much he doesn't like her. He's started hanging around the group again which doesn't bother me. We're civil enough that it doesn't create any awkward tension for anyone else which I know they're all thankful for, I just didn't think he'd come back to everyone so quickly especially with me around. Way to show me wrong.
"Hey, how'd the talk go?" Lia suddenly bursts out when she shows up at the lunch table. I feel Daniel watching.
"What talk?" I ask, my eyes following her movements of getting comfortable.
"The one with Alex." She says like it's obvious.
"Oh, you're calling him Alex now," I joke, trying to move away from the talk I planned on having that went unexpectedly.
"Would you prefer I call him Alexander." She laughed as my face scrunched. I don't like that. I don't like that idea even in the slightest.
"No, no," I say quicker than I should've. "I like being the only one to call him that."
"Why? Thought you two didn't like each other and were barely speaking."
"I don't know, there's just something about it."
"About it or about him." She laughs, I don't like where this is going.
"What are you implying?" I fear the answer.
"I think you know exactly what I'm implying. Deny it or not, I know how you're truly feeling."
"He's repulsive and won't talk to me about the necklace anyways." She hums, now picking at the lunch food she bought.
The rest of the lunch break, I made sure to not look over at Daniel while Ashley was leaving her scent on him. I kept watching Lia every couple of minutes but mainly stayed inside my mind about our conversation. How could she think my feelings for Alexander have become something different after how he's treated me, and how I've treated him. My phone buzzed, lighting up the screen with a notification from the man of the hour. Lia checked it out and her whole facial expression changed from food to 'I told you'.
"Would you look at that." She smirks, leaving me to roll my eyes.
"He's just picking me up, that doesn't mean anything."
"Sure it doesn't." I groan and get up from my spot. "Where are you going?"
"I'm over this." Is all I say, then turning around and leaving the cafeteria. She has no right to be bugging me about Alexander like this. No, right at all. She was literally just getting on his ass about him acting the way he does and now she's doing this? I don't think so. A hand on my shoulder brings me to a halt. "What, what do you want?" I say before actually seeing who it was who stopped me. "Oh, Daniel, hi."
"Are you okay?" He asks, taking his hand off of me.
"Not exactly but I'll live."
"Is there anything I can do?"
"Why do you care?" I snap.
"I just want to help."
"You can't help me, Lia can't help me, no one can help me but myself. Okay? Don't know if you remember but that's what you wanted me to do. Get help." I don't want to speak with him, why does he think I'd even want to be near him outside of our friend group? I can be civil there but that's as far as it goes right now, especially after Lia.
"Can I at least wait with you when you have to get picked up?" I look him up and down, clearly appearing confused.
"You heard that?" I ask, he scratches the back of his neck sending me a nod. "Great so then that wasn't the only thing you heard."
"No, it wasn't but if he's who you're wanting to pursue then I'll accept it. I'll support you." What the fuck. What is with everyone assuming I have a thing for a middle-aged man who's been best friends with my parents since forever and a day? Every time people see us together, we're giving each other shit.
My shoulders slouch, hand going to cover my face. "I don't want to pursue anybody. I'm content being by myself and besides, he's not my type."
"You sure about that?" He pushes as if he doesn't believe me. I send a look his way as if he's crazy.
"Okay, I'll see you after school," I tell him, putting an end to that conversation and wishing it never took place, to begin with.
I wish every class the rest of the day had dragged on painfully slow so I wouldn't have to see Alexander but it was quite the opposite. The one time I don't want the day to end and that's exactly what it does. I had a little run-in with Ashley where she gloated over being together with Daniel and that I didn't have him anymore. I told her I didn't care about it but she tried to insist I did, which made her seem utterly desperate for attention and sad for her because I wasn't about to give it to her. I met with Daniel out front and he - to my surprise - greeted me with a warm hug while rubbing my back. We smiled at each other after letting go from the hug and he chuckled.
"I've been wanting to tell you how since we broke up, I've been kind of watching over you just to make sure you were all right. I know that's far from how the past little bit has been for you but I just want you to know, even if you don't want my help, I'll always be there for you whenever you need me. No matter what."
"It's been rough, not just here but at home too," I tell him honestly. "I appreciate your willingness to try. Thank you."
"Of course."
"Now, let me ask you," he hums with a nod. "Are you seriously dating Ashley?"
"Oh God, I don't know what's happening. She's going around telling people we are and she doesn't give me any space but I really think she's more stalker material than girlfriend material." I laugh so hard I can barely breathe.
"She came up to me telling me about how I should be jealous that she's got you and I don't. Now knowing this though, it's even funnier than it was before." It's as if a fit of intense laughter took over and wouldn't let me escape.
"Did she really?" I couldn't speak so nodding was my only way to respond. "She's so... Evelyn, do I have a stalker?" I nodded again, almost on the ground in tears from this conversation. "Oh my God."
A car horn helps bring my excitement down, taking in a couple of deep breaths. I see Alexander waiting for me, glaring over at us. "Looks like this one's me. I'll see you, have a good day." I say to Daniel, he replies in a similar manner as I walk towards the passenger door and setting myself inside. Alexander says nothing to me, he only puts us in gear and drives off after hearing my seatbelt click. We're about halfway home when I decide to open my mouth. "Why are you driving so fast?" Genuinely curious.
"Andrew wants you home." He says through his teeth.
"That doesn't explain why you're driving like a maniac."
"It's a good thing I don't have to explain myself to you then." He snaps at me, I scoff without planning to.
"Well you don't have to be rude about it," I inform him.
"So what are you back with that shithead now?" His words took me by surprise, I mean I knew he wasn't a fan of Daniel but he's just in the worst mood.
"Excuse you."
"Two of you looked pretty cozy." His knuckles are white on the steering wheel.
"Daniel and I aren't even friends anymore. He's being nice to me, that shouldn't be a crime."
"I don't like it."
"It's a good thing you don't have to like it then," I say, mocking his earlier statement.
"There's something about him that... Evelyn, you know he's not good for you."
"Neither are you but I have no choice to be around you."
"You have that choice with him, stay away from him." He doesn't suggest it, it's an order.
"You don't get to tell me what to do. If I want to be around him, I will." We park out in front of the house but neither of us move.
"Evelyn," he begins but I cut him off.
"If you're not good for me, what makes you think you're equipped to tell me who else isn't good for me?"
"I could be really good for you but you wouldn't know that since you're not-"
"Don't tell me I'm not trying. You're the one who's refusing to talk to me about that necklace."
"I'm not the only one refusing to talk about things Evelyn, so don't you say that to me."
"Oh really."
"You can attempt to turn this back on me all you want but he still isn't right for you." I shake my head and remove myself from the car, shutting the door with more force than needed.
"Hello Pumpkin, how was school?" Daddy asks me kindly when I walk through the door. Instead of replying to him, I walked right past him and out to the backyard.
Oh, the nerve of him! What did I do to him to get bombarded with this bullshit today? All I wanted was the day to end and a new one to begin but of course, that didn't happen because that would've been too damn simple. Why does he think he has any right to stick his nose into my business when he doesn't in the slightest.
The front door of the house slams closed and a few words were most likely exchanged between my father and Alexander. The back door flies open, I know who it is. I'd be losing it if I didn't. "Evelyn." He states my name firmly. I swing around a point my pointer finger in his direction.
"No. Don't you dare speak to me." My voice is raised but fluctuating between a few levels.
"Evelyn, I don't know what I have to do-"
"Stop talking to me."
"No." Alexander stood a couple of strides away from me, refusing to move.
"Leave me alone."
"No."
"Jerk." I snap.
"What 'cause I won't leave you alone? 'Cause I won't listen to you? It's not my job to allow you to rule me and dictate the things I do."
"You're an asshole," I tell him.
"You're being very rude right now."
"So, you were being rude in the vehicle." I remind him as if he's forgotten his behavior.
"I was trying to help you."
"You're not trying to help me, you're trying to tell me what to do when it comes to Daniel and I won't let you because he's done nothing to you."
"But he's done something to you."
"No, you did that," I state.
"That was not my fault." He tries to tell himself.
"Yes, it was. Just admit it, you overstepped and it resulted in me getting dumped."
"He's sensitive. If he dumped your ass because of what I said, then he needs to grow up and learn how to defend himself and his girl better."
"What would've you done in that situation. If you were in his shoes and some asshole was saying those things you were?"
"Can you stop calling me an asshole for a minute."
"What would you do?" I ask, ignoring his plea.
"I would've punched that bastard in the face. Because no one, no one, gets to talk about my relationship or the woman I love that way. He's weak, he's sensitive, he's a child who doesn't know when to back his girlfriend up." I held his gaze for a moment, shaking my head. I don't believe he could care about someone that much. "Don't you shake your head at me, it's the damn truth."
"Then why don't I believe you're capable of that much love." My last words as he then watches me walk away from him.