Evergreen

Chapter 2

Adventure is worthwhile in itself – Amelia Earhart

*

People tended to assume that Everett was the kind of guy who was always making new friends. After all, he attended all the popular parties and was a self-confessed daredevil. But the truth was, making friends was tough for him. He wasn't sure how to act or what to say most of the time, and he tended to overthink what he was going to say so that by the time he'd decided on something, the moment had passed. Not to mention the fact that he sometimes stuttered in front of strangers.

However, he was determined to befriend Amelia. The only problem was he was clueless about what to say to her. His fingers hovered over his phone, overthinking every draft that he typed. At one point, he pressed the send button instead of backspace, sending her a half-completed draft. Panicking, he sent a follow-up text to explain.

Everett: hey, how i
Everett: sorry, I accidentally clicked send
Amelia: it's alright! I do that all the time.

Everett grinned. Even her texts seemed to resound with her friendly voice.

Amelia: out of interest, what were you writing?
Everett: I was writing how is school, just tryna come up with an icebreaker question
Amelia: that's a good question. It's alright, wbu?
Everett: good
Amelia: care to elaborate?
Everett: yes
Everett: I have mock tests at the moment, which I hate, but ill need to do well in them to become a pilot
Amelia: I want to be a pilot too! What a coincidence!
Everett: Well, we both go to RAF cadets, so it is kinda likely

There was a natural pause in their texting conversation. Everett was just wondering if it had ended when Amelia sent him another text.

Amelia: what year are you in?
Everett: take a guess
Amelia: hmm, year 11?
Everett: yes! are you year 11 too?
Amelia: yeah.
Everett: do you know what you're doing after year 11?
Amelia: dunno. I guess as a future pilot, I should study maths and science at A-level but I'd rather go to college.
Everett: that's cool. I'm gonna go to a sixth form college to study maths, physics and music.
Amelia: wow, organised!

After four minutes, Everett was sure that the chat was over. After all, he didn't want to make Amelia uncomfortable with her lack of scholarly plan.

"Everett!"

He nearly fell off his bed in surprise.

"Yes, Mum?"

"You're gonna miss the bus if you're not quick!"

Eyes darting to his clock, Everett realised he had five minutes to shower and brush his teeth. There was no choice; he'd have to do both at once.

As he got his navy blue uniform on, he remembered with horror that today was his English mock exam. Today of all days! Just his luck!

*

"That test wasn't too bad," said Jade, commencing the obligatory post-test talk. Everett wasn't in the mood.

"Not too bad? It was awful!"

Jade carried on, oblivious to Everett's mood. "I wrote about how Rossetti uses the theme of purity throughout her poem..."

Everett half-listened to Jade ramble on. Sometimes he wondered how the smartest girl in year 11 had become part of their friendship group when he, Marty and Hassan weren't particularly smart. Maybe it was Marty and Jade's mutual fanaticism for films, her fun nature or her exciting background. Jade used to live in the Philippines and she told endless tales about it that greatly intrigued Everett. However, he had to seem nonchalant about it. All the popular kids had to be cool. Even if a cow jumped over the moon, they had to act like nothing had happened.

As for Everett, he'd never had an interesting life story. Sure, he often sought an adventure like going abroad or having a crush, but nothing book-worthy had happened to him. No big enigmas or tragic events or magical powers.

Everett liked it like that. Despite his fervour for adventure, he didn't desire huge dramas. There was plenty of that in EastEnders.

*

On coming home, Everett was pretty tired. What with the English mock exam and the following lessons, it felt like his head was spinning. He stretched out on the brown sofa and dumped his backpack on the floor, willing to take a nap for ten minutes, or maybe longer, depending on his drowsiness –

"Come on, lad! RAF cadets today!"

Immediately, he sat up and looked at the clock. It was half past 4: that left him less than ten minutes to get ready. He got prepared like a whirlwind, yanking his uniform off its hanger and applying hair product much faster than usual. Joyful anticipation filled him. Planes and Marty and Jade and Amelia and planes and -

"Let's go!" called Dad, swinging the door wide open. Off he went!

*

Today the sky was crowded with large clouds – cumulonimbus clouds, as Jade quickly informed her friends. Such clouds could mean they wouldn't be flying this afternoon, but Everett remained optimistic about it. He had to because he could feel himself getting nervous about talking to Amelia. His heartbeat was picking up like a drum in a marching band; he already found himself stuttering among his friends. How would he ever make friends in this state?

"Hi, Amelia," he said, putting his hands in his pockets to hide the sweat.

"Hi, Everett. Hi Marty and Jade."

"What's your surname?" he asked. It was a weird question, but miles better than standing in silence.

"It's Oddoni. I'm part Italian on my dad's side."

"Oh, wow, that's so cool!" said Marty, "I'm just plain old English, as much as I'd like to have foreign ancestry. I'm guessing you've been to Italy?"

"Yeah, of course! I normally go to Lombardy, where my relatives are, though last year I visited Venice. The buranelli were brilliant. They're Venetian biscuits, by the way." Amelia continued to tell them about her travels, and the way she described them reminded Everett of how he'd felt on his adventures abroad. He remembered going to France on a school trip in year 7, looking around in wonder, taking in the feeling of going abroad for the first time, soaking in the sights. He'd wandered around the shops and swum in the sea, splashing his mates.

"Earth to Everett! I asked if you've been to Italy," said Amelia. Coming out of his daydream, he frantically tried to think of something to rectify his social faux pas.

"Er, no, I haven't. Though I'd like to go one day to Ben Nevis. I mean, Venice!"

His friends laughed, so Everett laughed along too.

Today's lesson was on landing techniques. Each cadet took turns taking their plane up high in the sky and safely approaching the runway. In his ardour at being in the cockpit, Everett only descended at the last possible moment.

The chief RAF instructor, Sally, announced reports of the cadets' performances in front of everyone. It was a thoroughly motivating way of getting her cadets to follow instructions properly.

"Jade Castillo. Very safe and right on target. Stellar work."

"Marty Pocock. Your landing was too reckless; take better observations and go slower."

"Amelia Oddoni. Nearly on target; you just need to be more consistent with the controls."

Here it was. Everett took a deep breath. He hoped that Sally wouldn't roast him. His hopes were in vain, however.

"Everett Earnshaw. Head in the clouds, as usual. Need to be quicker at descending."

Marty and Jade laughed at him while he awkwardly held his hands in his pockets and pretended that he didn't mind his mates mocking him. Amelia rolled her eyes. He had no idea what it meant. Maybe it would be better if he wasn't aware. Ignorance is bliss, after all.