Just a Fool

“Oh, fuck me!” I spat out as Matt’s door opened. He stepped out in only a pair of pajama’s, his top half without a shirt. When his eyes landed on the ‘hysterical’ Brandi, his eyes went straight to mine. I could see the anger boiling up in them and he came to stand besides Brandi. I watched as he went and inspected his girlfriend’s face, and when she pulled her hand away it revealed my handprint.

At least I got her good.

“Are you shitting, Evelyn?” Matt spat out, his hazel orbs finding my own. I looked at him with a frown. “Why did you hit her?”

I rolled my eyes. “She called me a slut, Matt.” I said out loud as I pointed at her.

“You slept with some guy, Evelyn.” Matt said. “Mel told me you left with some guy last night—and Brandi told me you two were practically dry humping each other while you were on that dance floor!” I let out a laugh.

“Did she tell you she happened to have fucked him, too, Matthew?” I spat out, my eyes glaring at my best friend. I couldn’t understand why he was treating me this way—and that he was agreeing with her! I didn’t let the betrayal show, instead I stood my ground.

I saw Matt run his hand down his face, turn to Brandi and he whispered something to her. She nodded slowly, her eyes still wet with tears and began to walk away. Matt’s back was turned towards her, so when she winked and smirked at me and whispered ‘I won’, I screamed.

“You selfish bitch!” I shouted after her.

“Evelyn, that’s enough!” Matt roared and I whipped my head back to look at him. “I’ve had enough of you harassing my girlfriend.”

“Matt!” I whined, “She is the one who started this bullshit!”

“Funny, because every time a fight broke out, all I hear is your mouth!” He shot back. “Every time something happens, it’s your voice I hear, or you hand on her. I haven’t seen Brandi try to do anything wrong to you! I mean, jesus, Evelyn, she agreed to the group costume in hopes of making you two closer!”

“That’s bullshit—,” I tried to say, but he interrupted me.

“Don’t lie to me, Evelyn! She told me the first thing you did as soon as you two got to the party was push her away, you didn’t even try to make her feel welcomed!”

“I didn’t do any of that, Matthew!” I argued. I could feel the tears of aggravation begin to pool at the bottom of my eyes, but I wouldn’t let them fall. I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction, not with the way he was yelling at me. “You’ve known be for a very long time, Matt, does this really sound like the type of person I am?”

Matt shrugged, “I don’t know, Evie,” He spat out, “I didn’t think you’d go off and sleep with a random stranger, but you did that.” I flinched at his words.

“Mattie, it was a mistake…” I tried to reason. I stepped forward and went to reach out for him but he stepped away. “Mattie, I haven’t done anything wrong!” I cried—it didn’t matter anymore, my heart was breaking. My best friend just flinched away from me, and now he won’t even look me in the eye.

“Get out, Evie,” He said, his eyes not meeting mine.

“Mattie, let’s just cool down, okay? I’m sorry I hit Brandi, I didn’t mean for this to cause a fight.”

“Just go,” Matt said. My bottom lip trembled and his eyes met mine—and they didn’t look much like the ones I fell in love with. These eyes looked at me with anger, disappointment…hatred. “Go!” Matt roared, his arm pointing down the stairs, but I only shook my head.

“Please, Matt.” I pleaded. “Don’t this what we have away.” I couldn’t believe he was kicking me out, trusting that bitch—a woman who had no past with this man, just endless nights in the same bed making, what he believed, ‘love’.

“Get whatever you need, but just get the fuck out.” I heard my phone chirping in my room, and at the back of my head it was Amber’s ringtone I acknowledged. “I love Brandi, and I’ve given you every chance to make amends—but every time you let me down. I’m trying to build a life with this woman, and I really needed my best friend to understand, but she’s too selfish to understand what I want.” Matt sighed. “I can’t keep making up excuses for you, Evelyn. I’m tired of fighting—just get out.”

“You are being played, Matthew.” I said as I looked him in the eyes. “And when you wake up and realized that you fucked up, don’t come to me.” I looked at Matt’s face one last time before a sob broke out of me. I bit my bottom lip, nodded my head and ran for my room, where I grabbed my purse and ran down the stairs.

As I made my way to the front door, my phone went off again. I ignored it and grabbed my keys from the bowl, swung the door opened and ran outside to where my car was. Leaning against it was Brandi, and all I wanted to do was kick the living shit out of her right then and there, but it wouldn’t proof a point nor would it help my situation.

“Awww, is wittle Evelyn crying?” Brandi said, her lips formed into a pout. Her cheek was still bright red where I had slapped her and I silently wished I had punched the fuck out of that fake bitch. Instead, I opened my car door, ignored her and got in.

She was still leaning on my car when I started to back out. I heard her cry out as she began to lose her balance and she fell down onto the grass. “You stupid bitch!” She cried out. All I responded was with my middle finger as I peeled out of the driveway.

__

My phone continued to go off, so when I pulled into my father’s driveway I answered it. “What?” I spat into the phone, already knowing who it was. “I don’t have the time to talk, Amber.” I warned into the phone. Suddenly, I was aware of the sobbing. My problems forgotten, my spine went straight—why was Amber crying? “Amber?” I worried.

“She’s missing, Ev.” Amber cried into the phone.

“Who’s missing, honey?” I asked as I put my car in park. I shut the engine off just as my father’s front door opened. It revealed a disheveled man, whose eyes were red with tears. Immediately I thought the worst, I thought that maybe someone died, that my mother was in the hospital, or that one of my sisters was. But I didn’t think of what left Ambers lips.

My father made it to my door and I wiped at my eyes. “Mel, Evelyn; Mel’s missing.” And just like that, all my problems with Mattie were forgotten.

__

Everyone was at my father’s house—my mother, my younger sister Ashley who was a mess, Amber, the guys—everyone except the one person I refused to call, who I begged them not to tell. Everyone said okay; I knew they were just trying to make me feel better. I don’t think anyone really understood what was happening between Matt and I, but the expected it was bad.

“She was with you, Zacky!” I cried out as I sat on the couch. “I saw her leave with you!” I watched as he paced my father’s living room. My mom was in the kitchen, on the phone with the police and reporting my sister. She was having a problem, though, because she hasn’t been gone for twenty-four hours.

“I woke up in the middle of the night, Evie!” Zack said as she ran his hand over his face. “The spot besides me was empty.”

“And you didn’t think to call me, or anyone else?” I know that this was getting to Zacky—I knew he had always had a thing for my sister, but I didn’t know what to do, didn’t know what could be happening to her right now.

“I figured she left me, you know, like…” His eyes went to my father, and I realized what Zacky thought. He thought she didn’t want anything else, he thought it was a one night stand—and it was eating him apart. I sighed and removed myself from the couch, met him in the middle of the room where I wrapped my arms around him.

I was well aware that he was crying, or maybe it was me I wasn’t sure because tears were falling from my own eyes. “Zacky,” I whispered. “Mel really likes you.”

Zacky pulled away a little and I saw that his green eyes were red and full of pain. “I know, Eves.” Zacky said.

Just then my mother came into the room and I looked up at her. Her eyes were red and there were tears flowing from them. I let go of Zacky and walked over towards her. “Mom, what did the police say?” I asked.

Her eyes found mine and she let out a dry sob. “Oh, baby,” She cried out and her arms reached for me. I walked into them without another thought and she hugged me hard, as if she were afraid of losing me, too.

“Mom, what’s wrong? What did they say?” I asked as I pulled away. I looked up at her face and I saw how scared she was—but who was she scared for?

“Detective White lied to us.” She whispered as she reached out, her palm on my cheek. My body froze as I heard the detective who was the head of my case, when Marcus had kidnapped me.

“What did he lie about?” I asked, not really there. Moms eyes found my fathers and I saw the question she asked him in her eyes. I watched as Dad took Ashley out of the room, and when they were out of ear shot mom dropped her hand from my face. “Mom,” I said quietly, “What did he lie about?”

“Marcus was never caught baby,” She cried out. “We think…we think…” I didn’t even respond, all I did was fall to the floor with my mother, our body tangled up as we clung onto each other for whatever life we each had left.