Sunshine

Silence. Silence and no reaction.

Evelyn kept her eyes off of her grandparents, who were sitting in the corner, shocked. She let her eyes drift up to Jimmy, her tall ‘best friend’, but she immediately snapped her eyes to the ground when she saw the look on his face. It was one of pity.

That was exactly why she never told anyone. She didn’t want their pity.

Nikolaus and Maudie, after hearing the details of their son’s death from their own granddaughter, had no idea whether to run up and hug her or just let her be. At that moment, they were too horrified and stunned to even move.

Jimmy, who felt special that Evelyn trusted him enough to tell him, stood quietly a few feet in front of Evelyn. He didn’t know what to say. What she had said…it was like something that should be in a movie, not really happen to someone. She had never really had a mother and now she didn’t even have a father. Her quiet appearance and lack of talking about her personal life were beginning to make sense. The crying under the tree, her difficulty to trust, her not wanting to socialize, especially with fellow girls…it all made sense.

Evelyn, who had been so strong, broke down right in front of him, and he had no idea what to do. Even her grandparents had no idea what to do.

Evelyn scampered up to her room, ashamed. She wondered if telling them had been a bad idea.

Jimmy silently let himself out and stood on the front steps of the Kuper residence, looking like he had seen a ghost. Matt, Zacky, and Brian, were waiting, and all rushed up to Jimmy upon seeing his state.

“What happened? Is Evie okay?”

Jimmy wasn’t in the mood to tease Zacky on his obvious fancy of Evelyn or lecture him for using his nickname for her. Instead, Jimmy put on a fake smile and told everyone she was fine.

The guys didn’t see Evelyn again until the first day of their senior year.

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Truth be told, Evelyn expected a lot of questions about her disappearance over the summer when she returned to school. Needless to say, she was surprised when no one asked her a thing. Everyone ignored her and treated her just like they always had. It was almost a relief. She only had one more class to go and she was done with her first day.

Evelyn pushed up on the long sleeves of her black shirt and gently tugged up on her ripped shorts. Her flannel, which today was green, was tied securely around her waist.

With her sleeves now up to her elbows, Evelyn felt much cooler. Maybe I should’ve worn white instead of black…

Too into her thoughts and not watching where she was going caused her to run into someone and fall onto the ground. She sighed, preparing herself for their mocking.

“Watch it--Evie?”

She looked up and gave a small smile to Zacky, “Hey.”

With a confused expression, he pulled her up, nearly sending her into him from the force. What was with these guys and being so strong? Or maybe she was just a lightweight?

“Sorry for…running into you,” Zacky apologized.

“It’s fine.”

Zacky took a step behind him and turned around so he was now going in the same direction as Evelyn, “Haven’t seen you in a while.”

She shrugged, but said nothing. Zacky looked at her.

“Look, I’ve been meaning to ask…are you okay--”

Evelyn’s left side snapped back when someone in the hallway shoved past her. Instead of glaring like she normally would, she sighed and kept walking.

“I’m fine. Why do you ask?”

Zacky watched her, unbelieving and noting the lack of enthusiasm in her normally bright blue eyes.

“Just wondering,” he responded.

Evelyn stopped at the doorway to her English class and turned to Zacky, attempting a smile for him. Just because she had been a little down in the dumps lately didn’t mean she still didn’t kind of…really like him.

“This is my class. I’d better--”

Zacky laughed, “No way! This is my class too!”

Evelyn gave him a real smile, “Really?”

He nodded and after a brief mental argument, grabbed her elbow and gently led her into the classroom. He let his grip slide down to her wrist before letting her go and taking a seat against the opposite wall. Evelyn, after composing herself, followed him and sat in the seat in front of him.

She turned around so she was facing Zacky, who was leaning with his back against the wall and watching her with those green eyes she loved to look at.

“Maybe this year won’t be so bad after all.”

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Jimmy was leaning against Brian’s car, as was Brian, and the two laughed about their first day of their last year in high school.

“So now I have to be lab partners with the weirdest girl ever, who collects gum and glitter stickers, and she won’t stop asking for my number!” Brian complained, tossing his hands up in annoyance.

Jimmy laughed and slapped him on the back, “Good luck with that. At least you don’t have to do a three month long reproduction project with the school slut!”

Brian tried to keep from smiling, but failed miserably, “That’s gonna suck for you.”

“No, really?”

An oddly familiar and feminine laugh caused the two to snap their heads in the direction of the school. It was just the person Jimmy had been looking for all day, only she wasn’t alone.

She was walking over in the direction of Brian’s car with two other guys: Zacky and a tall guy with shoulder length blonde hair. There was no distance between her and the two of them, not that she seemed to mind. The smile on her face was so big it even made Brian want to mirror her, but he managed to keep it to himself.

Zacky nodded at Brian and Jimmy, who nodded back, though they didn’t acknowledge the blonde guy.

Evelyn said goodbye to both of them and headed towards Brian’s car. She didn’t get far before Jimmy grabbed her, tossed her over his shoulder, and starting quizzing her.

“Why weren’t you under the tree? Why haven’t we seen you for three weeks? Have you been avoiding me? How can you avoid your best friend? Did you have a good day? Do you still have the hots for Zacky? And don’t tell me you don’t because I know you do! And who was that other guy? You’re not going to replace me are you? How can you replace your best friend?!”

Evelyn laughed, somewhat painfully, and tapped Jimmy on the back, “Jimmy, put me down!”

“Not until you answer me, missy!”

Brian tried to keep his eyes averted, but it was hard when Evelyn’s backside was sticking out the way it was. He finally gave in and allowed his eyes to travel up her toned legs and almost got all the way up, but, of course, was interrupted.

“Brian! Cut it out!”

He frowned at Jimmy, “I’m a man. I can’t help it.”

“What’s he doing?” Evelyn asked curiously.

Brian crossed his arms casually and gave Jimmy, who looked mischievous, a challenging look.

“Checking out your ass.”

Jimmy put Evelyn down and she smoothed out her clothes before turning around and facing Brian, who rolled his eyes.

Jimmy smirked, expecting one of the two to make a smart comment, but they just stared each other down instead. He sighed and walked past them and around the car, getting in the passenger side. Can’t they just get along?

Brian uncrossed his arms and opened the driver’s door, gesturing for Evelyn to get inside. As she was crawling into the backseat, purposely sticking her backside out, she turned around and followed Brian’s gaze to see where he was looking.

She gasped, “You were checking out my ass!”

Brian shrugged, putting his hand on her butt (which greatly amused an already highly entertained Jimmy) and shoving her head first into the backseat.

“You make it too easy sometimes.”