The Prey and the Predator

Evoni had gone to lie down on her bed as soon as she re-entered her room, ignoring Alistair completely, who was sitting calmly on the couch in front of the window sill.
She did not cry or weep, because to her that was weakness, instead she remained lying on the bed, the thump of her heart being the only thing she could feel.
What would her father do to her? She thought. Evoni had always been the good child to him, she had never told him how he really disgusted her, she always listened (well, pretended too) to what he had to say, always apologized for things that went wrong even though it wasn’t her fault and she always did what he told her to do.

She was never rude or disobeying in front of him, never boastful about her achievements that were always cast aside, and never, never did she tell him how much she hated his entire being, never did she tell him who he really was- A person who tore everybody down mercilessly, who made everyone feel insignificant even though they weren’t.
He was the most arrogant, racist person she had ever met. He and Evoni were complete opposites.
He always boasted about things he did. He always put people down. He judged anybody he saw as negatively as he could by the tiniest of things. He reproached everybody, and always found their flaws. If people didn’t agree with him, or see things his way he would hate them and shun for the rest of their lives. He always held grudges and never forgave.
How Evoni hated him- but she refused to do or say anything, because she owed him her life.

“I heard everything that happened.” Alistair said from the couch in front of the window in a matter-of-a-fact tone. “You know you shouldn’t speak to your family like that.”
Evoni turned, loathing built up in her as she stared at Alistair.
“DON’T YOU DARE TRY TO TELL ME WHAT TO DO OR HOW TO ACT! They are NOT my family!”
“Calm down.” He said. “You’re just a child-”
“I MAYBE A CHILD IN YEARS!” she screamed “BUT IN UNDERSTANDING, I HAVE LIVED THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS OF YEARS!” – It was true; her academic intelligence was far greater than her age…and her understanding of things and life around her was that of a person who had lived a millennia of pain.
Before she knew it Alistair was in front of her, mere centimetres away. He had either of his hands on her shoulders roughly, looking down at her intently.
“Do not yell at me.” He said his voice dark and spine chilling- his eyes flashed red. “And do not try to lecture me about understanding- I have lived on this earth far longer than you could ever comprehend.”

Evoni suddenly realized she was letting her spite and hate for her father affect who she was. She smiled at Alistair; his face became unreadable for inside him he was filled with shock and confusion.
“I doubt you’re that old.” She said teasingly, shaking off her anger as though it were nothing. “I bet that you’re just really stupid and don’t know how to count.”
For a moment he didn’t say anything, but then smirked.
“Oh really? Is that what you think?”
“Uh huh!” she said smiling.
He chuckled quietly to himself and let go of her.
“So what’s all this about first honors? What does that mean?”
“You don’t know what honors means?” Evoni asked.
He shook his head.
“Well…at school- you know what school is, right?” she asked before she went any further, he nodded. “At school, if you get an ‘A’ grade average- ‘A’ grade being the highest grade you can get- you get first honors….and if you get second honors that means you have a ‘B’ grade average, the second highest grade you can get.”
“And…I’m guessing that not many or your family get First honors?” he asked.
Evoni shook her head.
“Tom’s an Idiot…he’s in year 11 and he’s failing all his classes, even though he’s repeating this year…And my mother wasn’t that smart, she dropped out of school in year 10, and father…well, he was smart when he was younger…but that was a long time ago.”
“What do you mean? How old is your father?” Alistair asked.
“60…so when he was my age he was doing really hard work…well, so he says. He said when he was my age he had studied books and things that are…how does he put it? Things my ‘undeveloped and stunted mind wouldn’t even be able to comprehend in even my dreams’. In other words, if I get a good grade it doesn’t matter, because if he were my age he could do so much better…well that’s how he sees it.”
Alistair looked down at Evoni, his face still unreadable.
“Well…” he said. “He may just be saying that to push you so you do the best you can.”
Evoni laughed.
“No, it’s much more than that. Tom fails every single class…and father doesn’t even care. But as soon as somebody shows the slightest ounce of intelligence he cuts them down while he can so he can remain in his position as the most intelligent member of the family, to him that seems like the ultimate status one can hold.” Then Evoni smiled. “But that doesn’t matter!” she said, casting the subject away completely. “I’m still happy, so who cares?”
She ran back over to the book shelf and began reading her book again humming childishly to herself.
Alistair had never met a human that left him speechless. He had never met a human who shocked him as much as this child did. Because Evoni, was jaded by her fathers torment at times, and at other times she wasn’t. She was the strongest human he had ever met, because even though she was continually picked on and victimized and treated lower than insignificant, she was still able to be happy and be who she truly was without letting her hatred condemn her.

Evoni got dressed for sleep and lay in her bed, Alistair taking his now acclaimed seat on the couch in front of the open window. He watched Evoni as she tried to fall asleep, his face unreadable…yet somewhat bored.

“Somebody’s approaching your door.” Alistair said and disappeared.
“Huh?” Evoni asked, not understanding.
Just then there was a knock at her door.
“Oh…err, come in.”
The door creaked open and a streak of light leaked into the room.
“Hey Evoni, just wanted to know if you wanted to come out with…me and my friends tomorrow?” he asked, his voice trailed off.
Evoni could not contain the shock, Tom, who she had just had a fight with and who never wanted her near any of his ‘mates’, was asking her to come out with him and his friends? Had the whole world gone completely insane!?
“Err…” was all Evoni could manage to say in a position like this.
“Look.” Tom said. “I’m not asking you cause I want you to come…but today when my friends dropped me off to the picnic this morning, the guy driving, Andrew, really liked you…and we were all going out tomorrow to the pictures and we all have our girlfriends…but Andrew is currently single…so I thought you would like to come along with us…who knows? Maybe you’ll like him.”
Evoni paused for a moment taking it all in.
“You really think I want to come?” She asked. “You really think I would go to the pictures with this Andrew guy, who says he likes me, though doesn’t even know my name and let him feel me up inside the picture theatre!?” Evoni could feel her blood boil. “I am not some common slut!”
“N-no.” said Tom. “No, it’s not like that…he just wants to make friends with you-”
“Oh really? I’m sure he has more than just friendship on his mind. Why are you doing this anyway, Tom?”
“I’m doing this so Andrew won’t be a loner when we all go out. He’s my friend, so of course I care about him.”
“You sound gay.” Evoni said.
“I’m not gay, I’m bi. Anyway, I have a girlfriend.”
“Oooh…and which mental phylum did she come from?”
“Look Evoni. I’m offering you to come out and have a good time with my friends and I, okay? I know I don’t do this often-”
“You don’t ever do this.”
“- but just come, alright? I promise Andrew won’t do anything to you.”
“Oh, so now you’re playing the protective big brother?”
“What is it with you tonight, Evoni? You and I have never had a fight until just then at dinner...and you’ve never been this…well, mean to me.”
Evoni sighed.
“I know, I’m sorry.”
“Do you have your period or something?” he asked.
Evoni laughed.
“You’re the one who sounds like you’ve got your period.” Evoni joked.
He smiled.
“So will you come?” thinking he had won her over.
“No…like I said…I’m not a slut…and Andrew maybe your friend, but he’s not mine.”
“Great.” Tom mumbled to himself angrily shutting the door, but then a sudden hand slammed on it and pushed it open roughly with such force that it nearly swung back on its hinges. It was her father.
“You WILL go with Tom tomorrow!!!” Yelled Evoni’s father. “I do not want to see you again! I don’t care if you don’t come back or not! But you will go with Tom and do as he says! Though…I don’t see why Tom would want YOU with his friends…nobody would.” He hissed through clenched teeth.
Their father turned to Tom and he smiled kindly at him.
“Tom.” He said with a perfectly controlled voice, though he was smirking darkly from how he had just treated Evoni “Evoni will go with you tomorrow…if you don’t want her with you just send her off somewhere for the rest of the day. I don’t want to see her tomorrow, or any other day as a matter of fact, she can come back to the house at night, when I will be in my room and can pretend that she got lost. She’ll pay for her own movie ticket.” Their father marched off.
Evoni didn’t say anything as Tom stood still for a moment. He then turned to face her.
He smiled.
“Wow, you really pissed off dad. Oh well, looks like you will be coming tomorrow.” He said looking down at his phone and ringing a number.
“Hey, Andrew.” He said holding the phone to his ear. “Yeah, it’s me. Good news, she’s coming…” he said, closing the door and walking away from her room.