Chicago City Lights

Evelyn woke up the next morning and it took her a few minutes to remember what had happened the day before. Maybe she was being dramatic, but she felt like crying again. The possibility that she and Ben’s relationship, however it was defined, was damaged or changed frightened her. She wondered how, in under a month, she had become so attached to a boy.

But, to her, Ben was more than just a boy. He had become her best friend. She had opened up to him, more quickly than she had to anyone else, but the one thing she couldn’t tell him was how she felt about him. No, it wasn’t love, not yet, but she had feelings that were more than friendly in nature. With each day they spent together, Evelyn had to be more and more careful around him. It seemed everything Ben did made the young girl want to grab him and kiss him.

Even the day before… She knew he wasn’t angry at her, but angry at the situation he was in. Ignoring the fact that he took it out on her, Evelyn thought it was kind of hot, the way he yelled.

She shook her head of her foolish thoughts and climbed out of her bed, walking to her bedroom window and opening the window’s curtain wide. She smiled lightly, despite herself and drew herself a bath, rather than taking a shower. She had a free day, no school, no work. She was supposed to hang out with Ben, but she knew that wouldn’t be happening.

Letting herself into the hot water, she let out a sigh. She closed her eyes and turned on the small stereo that sat on a stool just outside her tub. She let the sounds of Kings of Leon take her away from her worries, her stresses.

*

Ben crawled out of his bed, wanting to punch whoever was knocking on his door. As he walked through his living room and saw the water bottle he had thrown the day before, his eyes went wide in horror, remembering just how much he had yelled at Evelyn, the girl who was only trying to help him, comfort him. He swung his door open to see one of his teammates, thankful it was one of them and not someone else. He was still in just his boxers.

“Wizzer,” Ben said, nodding in greeting.

“Hey, man,” The smaller blonde said, walking through the doorway and into Ben’s apartment. “How’d the doctor visit go?”

“Another concussion,” He sighed, sitting down on his couch.

Wiz sat down, too, shaking his head, “I’m sorry, dude. The team wanted me to tell you that we’re sorry and we wish you were out there with us.”

“Yeah?” Ben asked, turning to Wiz, his mood brightening.

Wiz nodded, “For sure, man. You fit in real well with us. We didn’t know how we were going to like you; we were all close with Vandermeer.”

Ben nodded, understanding, but he smiled, “Thanks.”

“No problem.”

The two boys sat in silence for a few moments before Wiz spoke again.

“Did Evelyn go to the hospital with you?”

Ben grimaced, but nodded, “Me and her got into a fight, man.”

He wasn’t sure why he’d said it, but Ben figured it had to do with the fact that he needed to tell someone what had happened. Wiz turned to Ben and raised his eyebrows. Ben sighed and continued.

“She was trying to make me feel better… I was just so frustrated that I took it out on her.”

“What do you mean?” Wiz asked, curiosity spelled out in his facial expression.

“I yelled at her, like it was her fault, or something. I swore at her, I threw a water bottle…”

Wiz’s eyes went wide, but Ben quickly continued, “Not at her, but I threw one at the wall. She wasn’t even scared though, she didn’t flinch. It was like she knew that I needed to vent.”

Wiz nodded, not saying anything.

“She just knows me; she gets me,” Ben said more to himself than to Wiz.

“She really cares about you,” Wiz finally added.

Ben nodded, “I care about her, too, but I’m pretty sure she hates me now.”

Wiz shook his head, “No, she doesn’t.”

But Ben wasn’t convinced.

“So, if she hates you, does that mean I can ask her out?” He asked, laughing, only half joking.

Ben shook his head, “Whatever.”

Wiz snapped his head to look at his new teammate and friend, trying to figure him out. What had his answer meant? Whatever. It could have meant anything, so he pressed.

“You mean you wouldn’t mind?”

Ben just took a deep breath and lightly shook his head ‘no.’ Wiz grinned in spite of the somber situation. Sure, he had been crushing on Evelyn since he had met her. She was hot, who wouldn’t? But, Wiz had only flirted with her innocently. In Wiz’s eyes, she was Ben’s girl, even though they claimed they were only just friends. But now, Wiz had permission. Whether or not Ben was in a right of state of mind to give it out, Wiz had it and he decided to fully act on it before Ben could tell him any different.

“I should get to practice,” He said, standing.

“Yeah,” Ben agreed, also standing. “I’ll be seeing you guys soon, at games. You know, once I feel better…”

Wiz nodded and let himself out, shutting the door closed behind him. Ben sighed and walked into his kitchen, pouring himself a bowl of cereal. As he walked back to his couch to watch TV, he stopped, suddenly frozen.

Had he just given Wiz permission to ask Evelyn out?

*

Nearly two hours later, Evelyn stepped out of her bath, drying herself off. Sure, the water had turned cool an hour before, but she was exhausted and sitting in the water relaxed her. Just as she wrapped a fluffy white towel around herself and put one in her hair, her cell rang.

“Hello?” She asked.

“Evelyn, it’s Wiz.”

“Hey, Wizzer, what’s going on?” She asked, happy to talk to him; he always made her laugh.

“I was wondering if you wanted to have dinner with me tonight.”

Evelyn hesitated, Ben being the only thing running through her head. Wiz had sensed her apprehension, and maybe he was being a dick by saying this…

“I talked to Ben. I wanted to see if he was cool with me asking you out.”

“Oh,” Was all Evelyn could get out.

“Yeah,” James continued. “Even though you guys said you were just friends, I wanted to see if he was cool with it... you know?”

“Oh,” She said again.

“…He was cool with it.”

“Oh, well…” She let out, her heart breaking. “I’d love to go out with you.”

“Great! I’ll pick you up at seven. Look pretty.”

And he hung up. Evelyn pressed the ‘end call’ button on her Blackberry and bit her lip, once again trying to stop the tears that were threatening to fall, again. Ben definitely didn’t feel the same way she did, so why should she dwell on it?

She wiped the one lone tear that had fallen and took a deep breath. If Ben didn’t want to be with her, then she didn’t want to be with him, either.