Never Land
Evelyn
The powder was all around them, touching every inch of the towering rocks. It covered them like a blanket of moss that could be washed away with one simple touch of Evelyn’s finger.
Liam turned back to the group, a small smile on his face, while he held his arms out in front of him. “This is it. We made it.”
Evelyn could have sworn she heard Jodie squeal in front of her, but beside her, Louis let out a deep breath. He turned to look at Evelyn, a small smile on his face that was probably meant to be reassuring. His hand reached over for hers and he wrapped his fingers around the pads of hers while he squeezed.
“I guess this means you can go home now,” Louis said, his voice not sounding nearly as happy as his faux smile made him look.
“I can take them, Lou,” Jodie announced, taking a step closer to them so it looked like she was trying to stand in the empty space between the two of them. “We know what happened last time you went back, so maybe it’s best I take it from here.”
Louis shook his head quickly, his eyes shut as he did. “That’s alright, but thanks. I’ve got it.”
“You can’t really think we’d trust you to go alone after what happened, can you?”
“Jo, stop,” Liam said, putting his hands up to separate Jodie and Louis. He looked toward Jodie, while he kept his hand against Louis’s chest. “Let him get it this time.”
Jodie rolled her eyes, letting out an exasperated sigh. “No good can come of this, Liam. Who’s to say he won’t come back with another pretty little blonde.”
Louis scoffed as he tightened his eyes at her. “That’s not what this is about, Jodie, and you know it.”
“What is it then, Lou? Because it sure looks that way.”
“Guys, stop,” Liam said, before being shushed by Louis who just ignored him.
“Evelyn is special, Jodie,” Louis said, spitting out her name like it was fire. “I picked her for a reason. You’ve been nothing but rude to her ever since she got her. You never even gave her a chance.”
“Because she wasn’t supposed to be here, Louis. You were supposed to do exactly what you’ve done every other time. You were supposed to pick a child for us to share this magic with, and instead you picked her. You picked some girl you don’t even know, just because you thought she was pretty.”
Louis let out a long breath, shaking his head twice in anger. “Why can’t you just let me be happy?”
“Because she can’t stay here, Louis. She has to go back home. She has to go back to her real life, where she’ll grow up, get a job, and get married to someone who isn’t you. She’s going to leave, Louis, and she’s going to get old and gray until she’s nothing but a pile of dust on the floor.”
“Guys!” Liam shouted, throwing his hands up again. “Knock it off!”
Louis ignored him as he pierced his eyes at Jodie. “You couldn’t just let me have this one thing, could you?”
“I’m trying to be realistic, because clearly you don’t know how.”
“Do you think anything about our lives is realistic?” Louis said, tilting his head to the side. “We live in a freaking fairy tale for god’s sake.”
“But she’s not your princess, Louis. She’s not your princess, and you cannot have her.”
Louis turned to Liam, his eyes tight little slits. “Will you knock some sense into this girl while I’m gone?”
Liam simply nodded, while Louis took Evelyn’s soft hand and pulled her away from Jodie and towards the edge of the rocks. He half expected her to follow him, but he was thankful when she didn’t.
“I’m sorry about her,” Louis said to Evelyn, biting his lip when he finished. “She gets a little… strange sometimes.”
“It’s okay,” Evelyn said as she shook her head quickly. “She means well.”
Louis chuckled, shaking his head. “She means to make you hate me. She’s never been good with change, and you’re sort of the biggest change we’ve ever had, aside from coming here, of course.”
Evelyn let out a small laugh as she pressed her lips together. “She has a point, though. I mean, you are sending me back.”
“Yeah,” Louis paused, letting out a long breath. His eyes moved to the ground before landing back on her. “I can’t make you stay, Ev. You have a family to go back to – one that loves you very much – and you’ll be happier there.”
Evelyn nodded her head softly before letting out a long breath herself. She looked down at the ground and then back up to Louis, her head tilted to one side. “I’m going to miss you, though.”
Louis smiled at her, then dropped her hands and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. He pulled her close to her, letting his nose fall to her hair while he breathed her in. “I promise I’ll visit until you don’t want me to visit anymore.”
“You swear?”
“I swear.”
Liam turned back to the group, a small smile on his face, while he held his arms out in front of him. “This is it. We made it.”
Evelyn could have sworn she heard Jodie squeal in front of her, but beside her, Louis let out a deep breath. He turned to look at Evelyn, a small smile on his face that was probably meant to be reassuring. His hand reached over for hers and he wrapped his fingers around the pads of hers while he squeezed.
“I guess this means you can go home now,” Louis said, his voice not sounding nearly as happy as his faux smile made him look.
“I can take them, Lou,” Jodie announced, taking a step closer to them so it looked like she was trying to stand in the empty space between the two of them. “We know what happened last time you went back, so maybe it’s best I take it from here.”
Louis shook his head quickly, his eyes shut as he did. “That’s alright, but thanks. I’ve got it.”
“You can’t really think we’d trust you to go alone after what happened, can you?”
“Jo, stop,” Liam said, putting his hands up to separate Jodie and Louis. He looked toward Jodie, while he kept his hand against Louis’s chest. “Let him get it this time.”
Jodie rolled her eyes, letting out an exasperated sigh. “No good can come of this, Liam. Who’s to say he won’t come back with another pretty little blonde.”
Louis scoffed as he tightened his eyes at her. “That’s not what this is about, Jodie, and you know it.”
“What is it then, Lou? Because it sure looks that way.”
“Guys, stop,” Liam said, before being shushed by Louis who just ignored him.
“Evelyn is special, Jodie,” Louis said, spitting out her name like it was fire. “I picked her for a reason. You’ve been nothing but rude to her ever since she got her. You never even gave her a chance.”
“Because she wasn’t supposed to be here, Louis. You were supposed to do exactly what you’ve done every other time. You were supposed to pick a child for us to share this magic with, and instead you picked her. You picked some girl you don’t even know, just because you thought she was pretty.”
Louis let out a long breath, shaking his head twice in anger. “Why can’t you just let me be happy?”
“Because she can’t stay here, Louis. She has to go back home. She has to go back to her real life, where she’ll grow up, get a job, and get married to someone who isn’t you. She’s going to leave, Louis, and she’s going to get old and gray until she’s nothing but a pile of dust on the floor.”
“Guys!” Liam shouted, throwing his hands up again. “Knock it off!”
Louis ignored him as he pierced his eyes at Jodie. “You couldn’t just let me have this one thing, could you?”
“I’m trying to be realistic, because clearly you don’t know how.”
“Do you think anything about our lives is realistic?” Louis said, tilting his head to the side. “We live in a freaking fairy tale for god’s sake.”
“But she’s not your princess, Louis. She’s not your princess, and you cannot have her.”
Louis turned to Liam, his eyes tight little slits. “Will you knock some sense into this girl while I’m gone?”
Liam simply nodded, while Louis took Evelyn’s soft hand and pulled her away from Jodie and towards the edge of the rocks. He half expected her to follow him, but he was thankful when she didn’t.
“I’m sorry about her,” Louis said to Evelyn, biting his lip when he finished. “She gets a little… strange sometimes.”
“It’s okay,” Evelyn said as she shook her head quickly. “She means well.”
Louis chuckled, shaking his head. “She means to make you hate me. She’s never been good with change, and you’re sort of the biggest change we’ve ever had, aside from coming here, of course.”
Evelyn let out a small laugh as she pressed her lips together. “She has a point, though. I mean, you are sending me back.”
“Yeah,” Louis paused, letting out a long breath. His eyes moved to the ground before landing back on her. “I can’t make you stay, Ev. You have a family to go back to – one that loves you very much – and you’ll be happier there.”
Evelyn nodded her head softly before letting out a long breath herself. She looked down at the ground and then back up to Louis, her head tilted to one side. “I’m going to miss you, though.”
Louis smiled at her, then dropped her hands and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. He pulled her close to her, letting his nose fall to her hair while he breathed her in. “I promise I’ll visit until you don’t want me to visit anymore.”
“You swear?”
“I swear.”