Seafoam

Vincent has a game today and I promised I'd go. He said that I didn't need to, but I never missed any of his games. Nothing should change now, even with the circumstances.

I'm ready to go and just as I grab my mom's car keys, I open the door and a hooded figure is standing on my doorstep. He looks up and I suddenly yelp in surprise and jump away from him.

"I'm sorry!" Skyler exclaims, jumping into my house and closing the door. "I'm not here to hurt you, I promise, Evangeline."

"Why are you here?" I breathe.

Skyler takes his hood off. He still looks the same. Not even facial hair on his face–he looks like Skyler.

"I want to tell you that I'm sorry," he says.

"You have an entire school to apologize to," I say, without thinking. I step back against the wall.

Skyler nods his head. "I know I do. Please, don't be afraid of me."

I take a breath and relax a little. Skyler offers me a smile, the warm and inviting one this time, and he says, "I'm going to plead guilty."

"What?!"

He nods. "You know, if this happened before I met you, I would've walked free. I would've pleaded not guilty and I would've just walked away. I thought I hated every single person in that school. I thought that I didn't care about what happened to any of them, because they're all a bunch of losers, you know? Meeting you? Even for those few weeks? You changed me. You made me believe that there are people who care. You're a genuinely good person and you would plead guilty. You'd take the blame because it's the right thing to do. I'm here to say thank you, Evangeline. And that I'm sorry. I'm sorry for being who I am, but thank you for making me someone better."

I stare at him, completely flabbergasted. I wasn't expecting that in the least bit. I didn't even know what I was expecting. Skyler smiles at me. My face displays my reaction and he kisses me cheek, stroking it lightly.

"Evangeline?"

"Yes?"

"Do you what you need to do, okay? Be that good person and don't lie to yourself about Dorian. And don't convince yourself otherwise."

"Why do you care about me and Vincent?"

"You're happy with him. You deserve to be happy."

He smiles at me again–a sad smile–and he leaves me, putting his hood back on and closing the door behind him.

I'm left utterly shocked.