Chapter Eighteen
Fourteen Years Ago - Evelyn
WE HAVE A substitute today (I’ve already forgotten his name) and I feel bad for the poor soul. The boys in my class have made it their mission to give the man hell. It’s a tough job, being a substitute teacher.
There’s a knock on my classroom door and the raucous quiets down. I sit up even straighter when I see a head of familiar jet-black hair through the window, messy like he’s spent the whole day running his hands through it instead of holding a pencil.
The substitute waves him in and excitement bubbles in my chest, along with curiosity. He’s in the grade above me, so I rarely get to see him when we’re at school, and he’s never come to my class. I keep my face neutral as Ryder walks over to the substitute and passes him a note. Ryder looks right at me where I sit in the third row and smiles.
The boys in my class are just itching to say something, I can feel it, but they’re too chicken. None of them have forgotten what Ryder did the last time one of them gave me a hard time. Scotty (the worst of them all) tossed one of my library books into a puddle, thinking it’d be funny. Except it wasn’t funny, and it made me cry.
Ryder didn’t like that, so he made Scotty cry.
“Evelyn?” The substitute teacher calls out.
I cough. “Yes?”
“Pack up your stuff. It’s time for your dentist appointment.”
I nod, gathering my things, even though I’m certain that there’s no dentist appointment. Keeping my eyes down, I walk toward the front of the class as that splotchy thing starts happening up my neck. I’m a horrible liar.
Ryder takes my backpack and slings it over his shoulder. As we slip out the door, he whispers, “Nobody even asked you to lie, and you already look like a tomato.”
I shove him with all my might, but it accomplishes nothing besides throwing me off balance. Ryder chuckles as we exit out the emergency door with a broken sensor, the one that the janitor sometimes uses for his cigarette breaks.
“Where are we going?” I whisper. It sounds a bit ridiculous, even to me, considering we’ve been spit out onto a field that wraps around the side of our school, far away from the office and any listening ears.
“The dentist.”
“Ryder. You might have fooled the substitute teacher, but you’re not fooling me. So, where are we going?”
“Does it matter?”
“Yes, it matters. I’ll fall behind in my studies.”
“Evie, you had a substitute, meaning you’re not even working on your usual studies. I bet he was going to pull out the class TV any second, just for some peace.”
“Ryder, I’m serious. What are we doing if there’s no dentist?”
“Ever heard of playing hooky?”
Pause. “Of course I have, but skipping school could get me in really big trouble.”
“Who’s going to find out?”
“The substitute teacher could figure it out.”
“He didn’t even remember who you were after you’d spent the whole day right in front of his face. I think you’re the least of his problems.”
I cross my arms and stomp my feet as I come to a stop. “Then one of the ladies in the front office could notice that I’m gone.”
Ryder pauses, takes in my stance, and smiles. “I hate to break it to you, Eves, but I’m the only one who notices where you go.”
The most frustrating boy on this planet. That’s what Ryder is. Picking fights so he can get me all ruffled, and then say nice things like that. He gets a kick out of it, watching my emotions skyrocket and sputter so easily.
“Whatever.” I push past him and he follows. “If I’m going to get myself expelled over anything, it’s going to be McDonald’s.” Besides, it’s not too far a walk from here. The bus drives past it every day.
“What will you have?”
“Chicken nuggets. Lots of fries.”
“Who’s going to pay for your chicken nuggets and lots of fries?”
“You’ve always got money hidden somewhere. Use some of that.”
“So bossy.”
The rest of the walk is quiet, I’m pretending to still be mad, and Ryder is content to let me, as he trails behind still carrying my backpack. One of the nicer girls in my class asked me if he was my boyfriend yesterday. Yuck. I mean, could you imagine anything more gross?
She said only boyfriends carry girl’s backpacks for them, and I pointed out that older brothers would, too. But the girl said that her brother would sooner tie her to a tree for laughs than carry anything.
“If he’s not your boyfriend, then he wants to be,” the girl had said.
Surely Ryder would find the idea just as revolting as I do. Curiosity gets the best of me, and I glance over my shoulder with narrowed eyes, my pink backpack slung over his shoulder. Why does he make it look so much cooler?
As if my thoughts are painted across my face, he smiles. Growling, I face forward and curse that stupid girl for ever uttering a word. Ryder wouldn’t tie me to a tree, but he’s definitely not my boyfriend. I’m only ten years old, I’d be out of my mind to look at boys that way.
In just a few steps, Ryder catches up to me as I reach for the door and let myself into McDonald’s. He looks around the mostly empty restaurant as I lead the way to the ordering counter. The lady looks down at me from the other side of the counter. “Can I help you?”
“I’d like a Mighty Kid’s Meal with chicken nuggets and extra fries.”
The lady lifts a brow. “Where’s your mom?”
“In the car.”
The lady looks at me and I smile my best smile, the kind I’d use for a school photo. Her eyes flick back to Ryder, utterly unconvinced. Tucking my hair behind my ear, I drop my gaze and let Ryder handle this, not wanting to spoil it with the splotchy neck I can feel building again.
“Why is she in the car?”
Ryder takes the lead. “She doesn’t feel well.”
“Then why not go through the drive-thru?”
Damn. She’s good. But Ryder is better.
“Because she gave me a whole speech about how since our dad isn’t around anymore, I have to learn how to take care of my little sister. She thought letting me take my sister into McDonald’s where she could still watch us from the window was a good start. Any other questions?”
The lady smacks her gum. “What to drink?”
I open my mouth to ask for apple juice, but Ryder cuts me off. “She’ll have fruit punch. And I’ll take a double cheeseburger and a Coke.”
There’s no further questions as Ryder pulls out some money from his pocket, small bills and coins, before taking our drink cups. I don’t bother protesting about the fruit punch, even though I really wanted a juice box.
Ryder takes our empty cups over to the machine and fills them with ice, feeling my silent objection. “Have you tried it before?”
“No.” I crinkle my nose. Ryder reaches over and traces it, before sticking my cup under the fruit punch dispenser anyway.
“Then just remember who introduced you to it.”
I’ve drank my whole cup, given myself two brain freezes, and the food hasn’t even come out yet. This is so much better than a juice box. I didn’t even try to act like it was gross, because not even being right would have been worth missing out on this pink amazingness.
Sluuurrrrrrrrrrppppppp.
“Need a refill?”
I’ve punished him enough for the day, so I pass him my cup with a smile. “Yep.”
Ryder takes my cup and fills it again. I’m already halfway through it before they call out our order and he brings the food to our table. I pass him the cup again and he rolls his eyes before going to fill it up.
As he approaches the table, I make grabby hands for the cup, but he pulls it out of reach. “Food first.”
Mother Hen.
Ryder dives into his cheeseburger and I start with my fries. Picking his battles smartly, he doesn’t bother to tell me to start with the protein first. We keep quiet, only the sounds of our munching going back and forth until I finally think my stomach might explode if I keep going.
Ryder slides my cup over, as if his internal Evie clock made a dinging sound. Taking a greedy sip of fruit punch and nearly giving myself another brain freeze, I wince. “Have you ever thought about where hamsters live outside of pet stores or someone’s house?”
“No.” Ryder pauses. “Why? Do you want a hamster or something?”
“I was just thinking that you never see them in the wild.”
“Well, they had to come from somewhere. I bet they’re out there.”
“Can you imagine it, though? Wild hamsters? Those chubby little things filling up their faces with food and surviving out there?” I giggle. “If they have a shot, then so do we.”
Ryder leans back in his chair, a small smile quirking to the side. “A truth for a truth?”
“That’s not how truth or dare usually goes.”
Shrug. “Who cares about the rules? We can make our own.”
Being forced to share an honest truth seems a bit scary. “How about a dare for a dare instead?”
“Sure. Lick the floor.”
“WHAT!!” I screech. Ryder curses as the staff who’d just about forgotten about us suddenly remember that we’re still here. “I’m not licking the floor!”
“I think we’re about to haul ass out of here in a second anyway,” Ryder grumbles, looking over his shoulder as the lady at the counter heads toward the door. “It could be her break or she’s about to go check on our mom.”
“We don’t have moms.”
Ryder tilts his head. “Exactly the issue here, Evelyn.”
Uh-oh. Full name usage. That means trouble. I slurp down my fruit punch and push the empty cup toward him. “One for the road?”
Muttering complaints the whole way, Ryder fills up my fruit punch and keeps complaining the whole way back. “There’s probably a healthy maximum of this stuff for a day, and I think you’re well–”
“HEY!” The lady shouts at us from the door, the now-empty parking lot her backdrop.
“Not her break, then,” I whisper, completely unhelpfully.
“Shit.” Ryder slings my backpack over his shoulder. “We gotta run.”
I grab my fruit punch and hurry toward the door opposite of the lady. My bladder aches, leaving me wishing I’d thought to use the bathroom before making a great escape. Why are we even escaping? There’s no time to ask before Ryder takes my hand, bursting through the door, and drags me into a run. “My. Legs. Aren’t. As. Long. As. Yours.”
“Then move them quicker!”
The way my bladder is protesting, I don’t think I can. Ryder should really go out for track, with all this running practice he gets, fleeing the scenes of his crimes. I’d joke with him about it if I could get any air down. We must run about twenty miles by the time he finally lets me slow down. There’s a little thrill in Ryder’s eyes from the chase, but I’m too focused on not peeing my pants—and trying to breathe—to notice much else.
“Since you chickened out of the dare, you owe me a truth.” Ryder’s not even panting.
“Fine.” I heave, considering my truthiest-of-truths as I give myself a minute to catch my breath. “I always thought I’d rule the world one day. That seems a bit silly now.”
“Why does it seem silly?”
“I’m ten years old now, with no family and no home. I have to work twice as hard as the other kids, still catching up on years of school I missed. And Cyrus isn’t bothered enough to sign papers or let me join any clubs. How can I rule the world like that?”
“I don’t have all the answers, Eves, but I know one thing. If anyone will figure out how, it’ll be you. Maybe you can start by building your own home and decorate it however you like, make your own family and do it better than what we had.”
We’re on our street now, walking back toward the brown house.
“Maybe you’re right.” I consider everything he says, and it warms me up inside. Or my bladder just burst throughout my whole body and I’ll die any second. “Well, my future home won’t have any rules. It’ll be chicken nuggets for every meal, and I’ll let my kid color all over the walls if they want. I mean, they’re only walls.”
Ryder laughs. “Your home is going to be hideous.”
“Hideously perfect.”
For a moment, it’s just the scuffs of our sneakers against the sidewalk and my loud slurping, making sure I get every drop before having to throw my cup away, even if it does make my bladder burst. Then Ryder speaks, “What club would you join? If you could?”
Hmmmm. I’d want to join them all, but if I could only pick one… “Probably book club.”
A few weeks later, I discover a permission slip under my pillow, signed by Cyrus with a note: I still owe you a truth, but I’ll make sure to think of something good by Tuesday, when I walk you home from book club.
I’m not so na?ve to think Cyrus truly signed it, but it’s convincing enough. A smile pulls at my lips because I know deep in my heart that as long as I have Ryder, I’ll have everything.