Evergreen

Chapter 30

Love can change the world in a moment, but what do I know? - Ed Sheeran

*

Now that the fog of alcoholic bliss had dissipated, Everett was struck by the gravity of what he'd done the night before. He'd kissed a girl who wasn't his girlfriend and refused to apologize for doing so, making him look like a massive dickhead. Oh, why had he accepted so many alcoholic drinks? He was sure that he wouldn't have had such a terrible lapse of judgment if he'd been a bit more sober. But, as things were, his girlfriend was mad at him, his friends were mad at him and his Mum was mad at him.

"Where were you at half 11?" she cried, "You could've been anywhere - I was worried sick that you'd got into a car accident, or something."

"I was still at the party, Mum," explained Everett patiently, and murmured to himself: "would've been better if I'd left then, though."

"Why?" said Mum, suddenly on high alert, "Did you do something bad? Did someone do something bad to you?"

Everett threw his tear-stained face down into his pillow. "I messed up so bad, Mum, you don't even wanna know."

And that was how Everett came to be standing outside Amelia's door at half 9 in the morning with a guitar on his back.

*

"What do you want?" said Amelia snappishly; not the joyful Amelia that he'd always known. It made Ev's heart ache to know he'd made her feel this way.

"I would like to talk to you," said Everett calmly, stepping into her landing. Amelia gently pushed him back.

"So you think you can treat me like you did last night and show up here like nothing's happened?" cried Amelia. It looked like tears were welling in her beautiful brown eyes; her long brown waves were in tangles that indicated she hadn't brushed her hair.

"No - tell you what, maybe we can sit in the front garden and talk?" Sighing, Amelia came down the outdoor steps to sit on the dew-drenched grass with Everett. The skies were grey and foreboding, the clouds swelling with future rain. But the flowers - tulips, dahlias and geraniums - were bright and blossoming.

"Okay, Amelia, I am really, really sorry about what happened last night," said Everett, "I shouldn't have talked to you like I did, and I shouldn't have done what I did with Delilah, and I promise you that nothing like that will ever happen again."

Amelia folded her arms. "Thanks. But that still doesn't change the fact that you enjoyed kissing her - you made that abundantly clear last night, in front of everyone."

Everett took in a deep breath. "I am so sorry that I said that, Amelia. I guess I just enjoyed it because of her mint mouthwash and cherry lip balm."

"Well, guess I'll start using mouthwash then," said Amelia decidedly.

"I didn't mean that I don't enjoy your kisses! In fact, I think they are better than Delilah's - you taste like strawberries." Amelia allowed herself a small smile, and she extended her hand to Everett in a show of forgiveness. He held hers tight, and they lay down in the grass for a while, watching the sun brighten up the once-grey clouds.

"So, why did you bring your guitar?" asked Amelia once a few minutes had passed. His other hand was gripping the neck of the guitar and plucking random strings from time to time as a nervous fidget. He moved the hand that was holding Amelia's towards the sound hole and played a few chords, as if in answer to her question. The chords turned into the euphonious melody of a song that sounded slightly familiar to Amelia, and Everett sang the lyrics to 'How Would You Feel?' in his calm, alto voice. She listened with a smile that only broadened when he sang the line: