Enlisted

Bright light shone somewhere and my eyes were droopy with sleep. Somewhere, a phone rang. I managed to pull the covers off of myself and started hunting for my cell phone with half closed eyes. Sticking some fingers under the bed, they closed around the ringing device. I flipped it open:

"Hello?"

"Darren?" A woman asked.

"Yeah, who's you."

"Evelyn's mom."

I stiffened.

"Yes m'am, did you need something?"

"Could you come over to our house? There's something you should know and... just please come."

"Alright, see you in five."

Without waiting for her to reply, I closed the phone and threw it onto the bed. Remembering the fight between me and Evelyn last night, I wondered what was up now. Quickly, I threw on a black polo and some faded gray jeans. As I ran through the kitchen, I grabbed the car keys to my red Mustang. Thank god mom and dad were out for the weekend.

-

Ring. Ring. Ring.

Someone rang the doorbell three times. I leaned back against the backboard of the bed, thinking about Darren, his handsome face flashing through my mind over and over again. Turning to a more comfortable position, I heard the door open and close downstairs. Then mom talking to someone.

"Who is it, mom?" I called.

"No one, kiddo," she called back. Hmm, that was strange. I for sure had heard the door. My hand moved to my head and I felt the bandage over my wound on my forehead. A pain shot through me, giving me a headache. I dropped my hand back limply to my side.

There was a knock on my closed bedroom door and I called for my mom to come inside. Who else could it possibly be?

"I'll leave you here," it was mom, but she was talking to someone behind her.

"Alright," Darren's voice. My inside crumbled and I squeezed my stomach tightly to prevent myself from collapsing in shock. At the exact moment, that my eyes met his, my mom walked away leaving us alone.

"You okay, Evelyn?" he asked as he started progressing towards me. When he reached the bed, he sat down on the edge.

"Darren, please stay," I whispered. "I'll be okay if you just listen to me this once."

"I love you," was all he said as he cupped my face in his hands, leaning towards me. "But I can't listen to you this time and it's too late to go back, I've already committed baby."

"If you die, I'm going to kill myself," I cried, silent tears pouring down my face. He wiped away my tears with the tip of his thumb.

"Shh, don't say that," he answered. "I won't die and I won't let you die either."

"Darren, go away," I said, the most cruel thing coming out of my mouth. I closed my eyes and there was only silence. When I opened them again, he was gone.