Chapter 15

                Maria came back from her father’s house the following school day. When I noticed her in my History class, I was taken aback at how worn out she looked. Her usual glowing skin was drained from all color, and her eyes were dull and dark to the point where they looked black. Maria and I haven’t spoken throughout the weekend, so I couldn’t have found out what was going on with her.

                I nibbled on my bottom lip, settling on the fact that I was going to talk to Maria after class- when we both had lunch together. The clock ticked slowly, and my teacher’s constant monotonous voice wasn’t speeding up the class, either. Every so often, I would glance back over to check up on Maria, but not once did she ever look up from her desk.

                “Maria?” Mr. Anthony raised an eyebrow towards the back of the room. “What’s your answer?”

                I turned around, facing Maria with concerned eyes. I noticed her tilting her head up just slightly, before she shrugged. “I don’t know.” She muttered quietly, making the entire class go silent.

               Mr. Anthony shook his head in disappointment, before he crossed his arms over his chest. “You’re a bright student, Maria.” He said loudly. “I don’t want to see you keep this attitude up.”

                The bell rang shortly after that, and I gathered my belongings to wait for Maria outside of the classroom. After the late bell rang, I still noticed that she hasn’t gotten out of the class yet. I pushed myself off against the wall, peering over the door to spot for Maria. I noticed that she was getting a lecture from Mr. Anthony, who didn’t look too pleased by her effort in class today.

                Sighing, I ran a hand through my hair, before pressing my back against the wall, once again, to wait for her. “What are you doing out here?” a voice suddenly came from the other end of the hall, surprising me. My eyes snapped towards my left, as Everett approached me with his eyebrows raised. “Class ended five minutes ago.”

                I chuckled bitterly, before gesturing to the door that was beside me. “I’m waiting for your to-be step sister.”

                Everett smiled just slightly, as he glanced over towards the door, which was now opening. Maria was revealed by the doorway, as her eyes widened to see the both of us waiting for her. “Wow.” Were the first words to come out of her mouth. “You two are together and not killing each other? What is this?”

                I choked on my own saliva, as my cheeks turned scarlet red. I turned over to my side, so that my blush was concealed by my curtain of hair. Everett rolled his eyes, letting out a sigh. He ignored Maria’s comment, as he shook his head at her. “Staying after class, Maria? Are you getting into trouble?”

                Maria glared at Everett, pushing his shoulder with her fingers. “Mind your own business, Everett.” She gave him a sarcastic smile. “You aren’t my brother, yet.”

                Everett held Maria’s gaze, as the two to-be siblings gave each other a death glare. “I have things to do right now.” He grit through his teeth, clenching his jaw. Everett gave me a glance, before turning his back towards the two of us. “I’ll see you later, Riley.”

                “Bye.” I faintly said, not sure if he heard me or not.

                Maria rolled her eyes, shaking her head. “My God, everyone is just pissing me off today.” She groaned. “Are you going to lunch? Because I think I’m going to skip today.”

                I glanced over at the clock that was hanging from the wall, noticing that it was fifteen minutes into our lunch period already. I turned back to Maria, before shaking my head. “I think I’m going to skip, too.” I paused. “Besides, I would feel like the ultimate third wheel if I got in between Max and Cassandra.”

                A small smile finally lit across Maria’s face, before she nodded slowly. “Alright.” She muttered. “Do you want to sit on the football field? It’s always empty during lunch.”

                “Lead the way.” I told her.

                Maria was right when she said that the entire football field was empty during our lunch hour. I was always used to seeing it packed, but never have I ever stepped foot into an empty football field. “Wow.” I said, my eyes scanning through the entire field. My bottom felt cold under the metal bleachers, but I wasn’t complaining.

                “So, how was your weekend?” Maria asked, as I took out a sandwich from my bag. I began taking small bites out of it, since I wasn’t too fond of tuna, anyways. “I heard that you got stuck babysitting for Aiden because I wasn’t there.”

                I laughed, before shaking my head. “It was good, actually. I didn’t mind giving up a Saturday, since Aiden is such a funny kid.” I paused. “Besides, I had Everett to help me.”

                Maria looked shocked, as she nodded slowly. “Everett, huh? I didn’t pin him as the type to take care of little kids.”

                I chuckled, shrugging. “I didn’t, either. But, I guess he proved me wrong.” I twisted my lips, before turning to her with a curious expression. “What’s going on between you two, anyways? You guys didn’t seem too happy with each other a few minutes ago.”

                Maria stared down at her tangled fingers that were in her lap, as she ran a hand through her messy locks. “A lot has been going on lately. The wedding is coming up in less than two months and I guess everyone’s just feeling the pressure now.” She paused, as a tear suddenly slipped from her eye. She quickly wiped it away, as I stared back at her with surprise. Maria was one of the strongest girls I’ve ever met, and here she was, crying right in front of me. “I went to see my dad over the weekend, as you know. Everett’s dad is great, but I just can’t ever see myself calling him ‘dad’. I miss my own.”

                My lips slightly parted, as I placed a hand on Maria’s shoulder, which was shaking uncontrollably. Suddenly, she let out a croak, as she stared back at me with bloodshot eyes. “It’s been a really stressful week, Riley.” She muttered. “I’m sorry.”

                I gave her a weak smile, before pulling her closer to me. Her tears leaked into my shoulder, as I rubbed her back gently. “It’s okay.”

                After a minute or two, Maria finally calmed down, and her breathing was no longer ragged. She finally removed her face from my shoulder, as she stared me in the eye. “I hope you don’t hate my mom.” She whispered. “I mean, I know you were close with Everett’s mother, and I just don’t want you to feel like my mother is trying to replace your relationship with her.”

                I laughed, before shaking my head. “That’s stupid, Maria.” I told her, making her frown. “I could never hate your mother.”

                Maria laughed with me, before she let out a shaky breath. “I can’t believe it.” She muttered. “On December 18th, I’m going to be a part of a new family.”

                My ears suddenly perked up, as I jerked away from Maria. She stared at me with worried eyes by my sudden reaction, as I blinked at her. “Wait,” I paused, “when is your mother and Mr. Rosenfeld getting married?”

                “December 18th.” Maria repeated, giving me a curious look. “What’s wrong?”

                December 18th was just three days after December 15th, when Everett’s mother died.

                Why did Mr. Rosenfeld want to marry Maria’s mother just three days after the anniversary of his wife’s death?

My heart suddenly sank to the pit of my stomach, as I hurriedly gathered my stuff in my bag. My hands were trembling, as Maria stared up at me with worry clear in her eyes. “Riley, what’s going on?”

               I shook my head, before plastering a smile across my face, all while tears were welling up in my eyes. “I’ve got to go, just remembered that I had a test next period!” I quickly said, my voice getting higher by the second. “I’ll catch you later!”

*

                “What do you think about this dress?” My mother asked, pulling yet another hideous dress out of a rack.

                My eyes widened at the neon yellow color, as I tried my best to hide the cringe that was forming across my face. I gave my mother a weak smile, as I lifted up the tag that was sticking from the collar of the dress, holding it up to my face. I snorted, raising an eyebrow at my mother once I saw how much the dress cost. “Mom, did you only pick this because it was twenty dollars?”

                My mother sighed in defeat, shoving the dress back into the sale rack. “You caught me.” She muttered, before giving me a weak smile. “I’m sorry, honey. I’m just not good at shopping.”

                I rolled my eyes, before wrapping an arm around my mother’s waist. “I’m not, either.” I laughed, as my mother pecked the top of my head. “Why do you think I asked you to come with me to find a dress for the wedding?”

                My mother narrowed her eyes down at me, before raising an eyebrow. “Is it because you didn’t have money to pay for a dress yourself?”

                I grinned, pulling away from my mother’s shoulder. “You know me too well.”

                My mother laughed, before lacing her arm through mine. “Alright then, let’s find you a dress for the wedding.”

                The two of us made our way to the opposite side of the dress boutique, where the colors of the dresses were much more toned down. As we leafed our fingers through many dresses, I couldn’t help but think back to what Maria informed me today, when the date of the wedding was. I took in a deep breath, as my mother glanced over at me from the corner of her eyes. “Is everything alright, Riley?” she asked, while examining a creamy pink dress.

                I bit on my fingernails, before I sighed in defeat. “Mom, did you know that the wedding is three days after Mrs. Rosenfeld’s death?”

                My mother paused, as I felt her stiffen up by my side. She pulled her hand out of the rack of dresses that she was looking through, as she rubbed her forehead, letting out a sigh of stress. “Of course I knew.” She mumbled. “The dates were printed on the invitations.”

                I blinked, as my eyes wandered around the floor. “Do you know why Mr. Rosenfeld wants to get married just three days after?”

                My mother pursed her lips, before shaking her head. “I’ve known Jeremy since we were still teenagers in high school.” She paused. “He’s always made the right decision, but I’m going to agree with you and say that he’s making a mistake by getting married so close to the anniversary date of Colette’s death.”

                I didn’t want to cry, so I blinked back the tears that were threatening to spill out of my eye sockets. “He’s hurting so many people.”

My mother pulled me in close, giving me a tight hug. My mother rarely ever hugged me, since she wasn’t the most affectionate mother out there. It was always Mrs. Rosenfeld who showed me more love, but deep inside, I knew that my mother loved me with all her heart, even if she didn’t show it all of the time.

                “I know, honey.” She whispered. “Jeremy’s hurting the both of us, Colette’s family, and hell, he’s even hurting Everett. But, there’s nothing we can do about it.”

*

                I went over to Everett’s house later that week- but not to see Maria. It was strange that I suddenly grew the nerve to come to his house whenever I wanted, but I think with everything that’s happened lately brought us closer for a reason. I don’t know what it was and how it all happened, but I had a positive feeling that it was Mrs. Rosenfeld who was taking care of us.

                Right as I walked up the front steps to ring the doorbell, the front door swung open. Mr. Rosenfeld was standing by the doorway with his car keys in one hand, and his coat in the other. He seemed surprised, and somewhat startled to see me at first, but a light smile quickly spread across his lips. “Riley, it’s great to see you here more often now.” He paused. “Are you here for Maria? Because I don’t think she’s home right now.”

                My hand flew up to tuck a strand of hair behind my ears, as I shook my head gently. “No, I’m actually here to see Everett. Is he home?”

                Mr. Rosenfeld’s eyes widened, before he nodded hesitantly. “Everett, huh?” he let out a chuckle. “The boy is up in his room. You remember where that is, right?”

                I nodded, as Mr. Rosenfeld stepped out of the way to let me inside his home. “I sure do.” I gave him a forced smile. I just couldn’t bring myself to give him in genuine smile, as badly as I wanted to. “Thank you, sir.”

                Mr. Rosenfeld stared at me for a longer moment, before he nodded. “Not a problem.” He said, before the closed the door behind him. I stood by the front door a little longer, just waiting for his car to start and pull out of the driveway. Once I was certain that he was gone for good, I kicked off my flats, and began my way up the stairs.

                I found Everett’s door by the end of the hallway, following the light sound of music coming from his room. Before going in, I gently knocked, not wanting to startle him.

                I heard the sound of the floorboard creaking, signaling that Everett was coming to open the door any second now. “Dad, I thought you left-“

                The look of surprise on Everett’s face when he saw me almost overwhelmed me, as I gave him a tight smile. “Hi, Everett.”

               Everett blinked at me for a moment, before rubbing his eyes. “Riley,” he said uncertainly, before clearing his throat, “what are you doing here?”

                I laughed, before pushing past Everett’s shoulder to get inside his bedroom. “Can’t I come to your house anymore without being questioned?”

                Everett chuckled, before shrugging. “I don’t know.” He honestly said. “You haven’t here as much as you used to, so I guess it’s kind of a shocker there.”

                I smiled sadly, before nodding. “Right.” I let out a deep breath of air, before sitting myself down on the edge of his bed. “Sorry for coming without notice, by the way.”

                “It’s fine.” Everett muttered. “It’s been lonely here for the past two years, anyways.”

                I stared at him for a long moment, noticing how defeated his face fell. His eyes grew dark with no emotion, as he stared mindlessly at his dwindled fingers that lay on his lap. I pressed my lips together tightly, as I let out a shaky breath. “Well, if I was welcomed here during those two years, I would’ve come by.”

                Everett’s eyes darted towards mine dangerously, as I held in my breath nervously. The way Everett stared at me with so much pain and regret almost made me want to take back my words. My intentions were not to make my words sound harsh, but I guess they came off that way. “I didn’t mean it that-“

                Before I got to finish what I said, Everett cut me off. “You’re right.”

                My eyes widened, as I gave Everett a double take. “I am?” I asked.

                Everett let out a laugh before nodding. “Yeah.” He sighed. “Losing you was my own fault.”

                I stared at Everett with disbelief, never even thinking that there would ever come to a day where Everett Rosenfeld would admit that the connection we lost between us was his own fault. I blinked, as my eyes suddenly wandered around the floor. Why did Everett make it seem like it was my fault this entire time thought? Why did he make it seem like he didn’t want anything to do with me anymore… because I was the reason of his mother’s death?

                My eyes snapped back up at Everett’s, noticing that he was staring at me with deep thought. I licked my dry lips, as a small smile spread across my face. I decided not to question him about it, yet. I was going to find out sooner or later why he shut me off for two years, but not now, at least. The two of us were just getting back to becoming friends again, and I wasn’t willing to risk it for anything.

                Just as I was about to open my mouth to say something back to Everett, my stomach began to make an unpleasant rumble. My eyes turned round, as I nibbled on my lower lip. My cheeks turned red from embarrassment, as Everett turned to me with an amused smirk across his face. “Hungry?” he teased, approaching me. He grabbed my wrists, as my skin tingled from his touch. He pulled me off of the edge of his bed, leading me out of his bedroom.

“Where are we going?” I asked, as Everett dropped my arms. My arms fell limp by my sides, as I suddenly felt cold and empty. I let out a shaky breath, almost afraid of the dramatic difference of being held by Everett, and being not. I almost yearned for his touch, but I resisted by digging my nails into my palms.

                “Well, since your stomach won’t shut up,” Everett teased, as we skipped down the steps of his staircase. We entered his kitchen, as Everett pulled out two tubs of ice cream from his freezer. “We’re going to make dinner.”

                I raised an eyebrow, blinking at the sight in front of me. There were two tubs of ice cream, one which was cookies and cream, and the other one was rocky road. I tilted my head to the side, staring at him with a confused expression. “I don’t see how ice cream is considered dinner?”

                Everett rolled his eyes, as I watched him rummage through his cabinets. “We aren’t just making any ordinary ice cream dinner.” He scoffed, as he pulled out assorted candies, chocolate syrup, whipped cream and fruits. “We’re making a supreme ice cream sundae.”

                I watched, still in shock, as Everett grabbed two large bowls from his pantry. He handed me a large spoon, and shoved the bowl towards my direction. “Don’t be shy, Riley. It’s simple, all you have to do is put a lot of everything on your ice cream.” He paused, popping the lid off the ice cream tub. He shoved my spoon into the chunky rocky road, before dumping it into my bowl. “And that’s how you start off.”

                Slowly, a smile began to make its way across my lips, as I nodded. “Okay,” I paused, “and what happens to the person who makes the best supreme ice cream sundae?”

              Everett bit back a grin, as he shrugged. He took it into deep consideration, before he chuckled. “The winner gets to,” he licked his lips, “ask the loser any three questions, whenever they want.”

                My eyes widened, as I suddenly shook my head. “Wait, what?” I frowned. “Forget what I said. I don’t think this is a good idea, turning into a competition. I mean, one of us could be biased or-“

                “You suggested it, remember?” Everett pointed out, before scooping some cookies and cream ice cream into his bowl. “Get started.”

                I stared hesitantly at my spoon, wondering if it was a good idea turning this into a contest after all. If I lose, then I would be screwed. But if I win, I could take those three questions to my advantage.

                “Any three questions?” I asked, just to be sure.

                Everett glanced over at me reluctantly, as I saw him biting his lower lips, something he always did when he was nervous. “Any three questions.” He