Chapter 17
EVIE
Then
‘What are you looking for in such a hurry?’
Evie jumped and turned to look at her mother, who was standing in her bedroom doorway, arms folded.
Her mum should be out. She’s meant to be out.
She’s meant to be doing charity work. What is she doing here?
Evie thought, searching her brain for a story.
One she would hopefully agree to. Not that Evie thought that she’d agree to anything – Evie is supposed to be grounded. Again.
‘Ummm… my swimming costume. I’m going swimming with Ginny.’ It’s not a complete lie. She was looking for her swimming costume, and she was going swimming with Ginny, she just left out the fact it’s at Mark’s house in his newly built swimming pool.
‘Have you forgotten you’re grounded?’ Her mum reminded her.
Evie was glad that she had her back to her mum as she searched through her drawers again.
If her mum had seen the eyeroll, she would have been in deeper trouble than she already was.
‘I just want a bit of fun, that’s all. Everyone else’s parents let them have a life, you know.
It’s just a trip to the swimming baths.’ She spat back.
She had got incredibly used to lying. Unfortunately, her Mum had got incredibly used to her lies. Her mum had no idea what was truth or lie anymore when it came to Evie, so she just deemed everything a lie. Even when Evie told the truth, she couldn’t win. Not that this was one of those times.
‘You’re not going.’ She said it slowly, accentuating the “not”.
‘Oh, but I am going. You just try and stop me.’ Evie almost growled back at her mum, finally locating her old swimsuit which she defiantly stuffed in her bag.
‘Put that back.’ Her mother shouted.
Evie had had enough, and with no detection of a motherly bond from her mum, she couldn’t help but feel nothing but hate and an unwillingness to do anything she told her. ‘No. Why should I? You can’t keep me locked up like a prisoner forever, you know?’ She replied, her cheeks flushed with rage.
Evie barged her way out of her room as her mother screamed obscenities after her.
She ran down the stairs as quickly as she could - not that she thought that she would chase her, and even if she did, she knew she wouldn’t be able to keep up.
Evie slammed the door behind her. She was literally shaking as she sprinted all the way to Mark’s house, knowing that this time her mother really would make her life a misery once she finally returned home.
Not that she’d really notice; every day with her mother already felt like a misery.
Ginny was already at Mark’s, parading in her new lime green bikini, which accentuated her fabulous figure. None of the boys could take their eyes off her. She looked amazing.
‘Evie, you made it!’ Ginny grinned and ushered her over to the side of the pool. ‘Did you manage to get your swimsuit?’
‘No.’ she lied, thinking about her faded dowdy pale blue swimsuit that she’d just risked everything for, stuffed at the bottom of her bag.
It was no match against Ginny’s beautiful new bikini.
‘Can you believe my mum was at home? She caught me red-handed looking for my swimsuit and kindly reminded me that I’m grounded.
We rowed, as per usual, and I stormed out.
At least I’m here though. I’ll just roll up my skirt and shirt sleeves and dangle my legs in the pool. It’ll be fine.’
‘You know, Evie, you look great in whatever you wear anyway.’ she said graciously, as she sashayed off towards the sun loungers, immediately making Evie feel guilty for coveting her beautiful bikini.
Ed soon appeared, grabbed Evie by the waist and passionately kissed her.
‘Come on, you two lovebirds, let’s get in the pool.’ shouted Mark.
Ed and Evie reluctantly parted locked lips, and Evie went off to find Ginny.
Ed, who was already wearing his swimming trunks, spectacularly divebombed into the pool with Mark, soaking all the girls, all of whom were sitting at the side of the pool.
They all frowned and grumbled; their carefully styled hair ruined by the chlorinated water.
Ginny had been clever enough to sit on one of the sun loungers slightly away from the pool, so both her and Evie’s makeup and hair remained beautifully intact.
‘Budge up, Ginny.’ Evie said, as she perched on the end of the lounger.
‘Did you see the boys’ divebombs?’ Ginny laughed. ‘The look on Meredith Jenkins’ face when her hair and makeup got ruined was priceless. She’s had her eye on Mark for ages, you know. She doesn’t stand a chance though. He only ever goes for dark-haired girls.’
‘Yeah, I know what you mean.’ Evie said, momentarily feeling a little sorry for poor mousey-haired Meredith.
Ginny and Evie moved to the side of the pool and dangled their toes in the water.
Ed and Mark soon joined them at the side of the pool, Ed squeezed himself between Evie and Ginny while Mark started chatting up the very dark-haired Veronique, who’d just moved in next door after relocating from France.
Her grasp of English was almost as limited as Mark’s grasp of French, but within moments they were kissing quite passionately by the side of the pool while a heartbroken Meredith looked on despondently.
‘You girls getting into the water?’ Ed asked as he slipped back into the inviting pool.
‘I haven’t got my swimsuit with me. I forgot it this morning and then when I went back after school, Mum was there, so I just stormed out.’ Evie explained to Ed.
‘Another row? I thought she was supposed to be doing her charity work this afternoon?’
‘She was. It must have been cancelled. I’m quite happy just soaking my feet in the water, to be honest.’ Evie bluffed as Ed stood between her legs as they dangled in the water and leant in for a kiss, neither of them caring that her clothes were now completely soaked.
They eventually pulled apart as Ed swam off to the other side of the pool.
‘How about you, Ginny? Fancy a dip?’ he called out.
‘I’ll be in in a minute. I just want to get some photos taken first. I’ll ask Meredith to take some.’
Ginny walked over to where Meredith and her friends were sitting. ‘Meredith?’
‘Y-yes.’ Meredith stammered, completely intimidated by the beautiful Ginny.
‘Any chance you could take a few photos of us all? Would you mind?’ Ginny asked in her most persuasive voice.
‘Sure. Just show me what to do. I’ve never used a Polaroid before.’ she replied nervously.
‘It’s really simple. You just look through here, point the camera and click. Then the photo pops out here.’ Ginny explained patiently, pointing to where the photo came out.
Ed, Jamie, Ginny and Evie sat together at the side of the pool as Mark and Veronique knelt just behind them.
Meredith took the first picture. As they waited for it to develop, Ginny encouraged her to take another one.
Poor Meredith now seemed to have the job of “official photographer”.
By the end of the afternoon, Meredith had accumulated quite a collection of Polaroids for Ginny.
‘Thanks, Meredith. These are awesome. Tell you what, as a thank you, I’ll take one of you and your friends.’ Ginny suggested, not taking no for an answer.
Meredith and her friends Dionne and Charmaine sat together on the sun loungers.
Ginny took a quick photo of the girls as they squinted against the April sunshine.
The photo developed, and Ginny handed it over to Meredith and her friends, who studied it religiously, anxiously looking at themselves in all their Polaroid glory.
Ed spent the rest of the afternoon alternating between sitting by the side of the pool with Evie and showed off his admirable diving skills while he messed about with Jez, Mark and Jamie in the water.
Ginny and Evie spent most of the afternoon people-watching.
Ginny and Jamie were still getting on famously.
He was really into her in a big way and hung off her every word.
Evie glanced at her watch and realised that she would have to make a move, as her dad would be back from work soon and she wanted to get to him before her mum did.
‘Ed, I’ve got to get back and face the music.’ Evie shouted over to him.
‘Give us a sec, and I’ll walk you back.’ Ed called out to Evie as he swam over in her direction.
‘It’s fine. Stay here and enjoy yourself. I don’t want my mother shouting at you as well. She’s going to be fuming as it is.’ Evie replied.
‘As long as you’re sure?’ Ed jumped out of the pool and half-heartedly dried himself off with a towel. He took Evie’s hand and led her through the house to the front door.
‘Are you sure you can’t stay?’ he asked, as he grabbed hold of her, leaving another damp patch on her shirt.
‘You know I’d love to, but I’ve got to get back around the time Dad gets home. I have to at least try and get him onside.’ She gave Ed a quick kiss on the lips, keen to get going.
‘Evie Del Rio, that was a rubbish kiss. I want a proper one.’ he demanded as he pulled her towards him for a far more passionate kiss.
Evie arrived back from Mark’s house before her dad got back from work, and she even managed to get upstairs to the bathroom without her mother catching sight of her. She was having a lie down in her bedroom, probably suffering from another one of her imaginary “migraines” Evie thought.
She locked the door behind her and ran a bath, liberally pouring some of her mother’s expensive bath oil into it that her dad had bought her mum at Christmas.
She still hadn’t bothered to use it. The bath somehow felt nicer having used the forbidden bath oil, the temperature was perfect, the feel of the water a pleasant change.
As she immersed her whole head into the water, she wished she could wash away all her problems. She spent ages in the bath shaving her legs and then washed her hair using the special highlighting shampoo and conditioner set Ginny had bought her for Christmas.
Her skin was soon in danger of resembling a wrinkled old prune, so she got out of the bath, grabbing some fresh fluffy towels from the airing cupboard, and wrapped a towel around her body and then towel-dried her hair before combing it through.
Letting the water drain away, she washed the bath out, erasing any evidence that she’d used her mother’s bath oil.
With her dad not home and her mother in bed with a “migraine”, she chanced leaving her towel on the side of the bath to dry.
She’d just opened the bathroom door and was furtively walking across the landing when her mother came out of her bedroom.
It had been years since she had last seen her daughter in any state of undress, let alone naked.
Her mother’s eyes popped, as Evie tried to protect her modesty as best she could by covering herself with her arms.
‘You’ve put an awful lot of weight on, Evie.’ she stated, as she took a long look at her daughter.
‘Ummm, thanks.’ Evie replied as she sprinted to her room. ‘Apparently, I boredom eat when I’m grounded. Which happens an awful lot.’ She opened her bedroom door.
‘Stop!’ she shrieked. ‘Let me look at you properly.’
Evie paused in the doorway to her bedroom and turned around as she moved her hands away. ‘Here. Is this what you want to see? What’s your problem? Now, if you don’t mind.’
Within moments, her mother started hurling abuse at her. For a woman who spent so much time in church, her language had become increasingly aggressive, littered with the most unchristian words that Evie had ever heard come out of her mouth.
‘Change into your nightclothes and then get back here. Your father will be home soon.’ her mother ordered.
‘But—'
‘Just do it.’ she screamed at the top of her voice.
Already in enough trouble as it was, she did as she was told and nervously joined her back on the landing. She made her lift up her top, revealing her clearly expanding waistline. She shook her head and laughed. But it was far from happy laughter.
‘Are you pregnant?’ She raised her thin, pencilled in eyebrows and stared at her expectantly for an answer. Evie focussed on her breathing and didn’t respond. ‘I said, are you pregnant?’ Her spittle hit Evie’s cheek as she screamed in her face.
‘No. I mean, I’m not, am I? I can’t be. I’m way too young.’
‘We all know you’ve been spending time with that Ed boy. Clearly, you’ve been doing more than spending time with him, haven’t you?’ She put her hand on her forehead, as if she felt lightheaded. ‘I can’t believe it. My daughter is a sl—'
‘Felicity, you stop right there before you say something you’ll regret.’ Evie’s dad’s voice boomed from the downstairs hallway. Caught up in their own world, neither of them had heard him come in. The stairs sounded louder than usual as he made his way up them. ‘What on earth is going on?’
‘Thank God you’re home, Dad.’ Evie said, relieved, as she tried to pull her top back down, but her mum grabbed hold of it and kept it lifted.
‘Look at her stomach. She’s pregnant!’ Her mother shrieked.
“I’m not.’ Evie yelled back.
‘Calm down, Felicity. Shouting at Evie isn’t going to get us anywhere.’ Evie’s dad said as he knelt in front of her, trying to remain expressionless at the sight of her swollen stomach, and asked calmly, ‘Evie, sweetheart, are you sure you’re not pregnant?’
‘I…’ She stopped. There was no point lying anymore. To herself or anyone else. ‘I’m so sorry, Dad, but I’m not sure.’ She replied quietly. She felt like she wanted to cry but her mum had this aura about her and Evie didn’t want her to see that she was in shock.
‘I’ll book you an appointment with a friend of mine who’s a private doctor tomorrow. Go and rest now, Evie, dry your hair, and I’ll fix us all some dinner.’ Her dad calmly said, as he took control of the situation. ‘Felicity, let’s have a bit of a chat downstairs.’
Amazingly, her mother obediently followed her dad downstairs after her foul-mouthed tirade as Evie retreated to the sanctuary of her bedroom.