Feel my blood runnin'
Swear the sky's fallin'
How do I know if this
shit is fabricated, Mmm
Time goes by and I can't
control my mind
Don't know what else to try,
But you tell me every time
Just keep breathin' and breathin'
and breathin' and breathin'
And oh, I gotta keep on breathin'

- Breathin', Ariana Grande

17| Evelyn

Evelyn stiffened in her position, warm and comfortable. She laid down for some more time and enjoyed the feeling. She hadn't slept comfortably for so long that she didn't want to get out of bed. A few seconds later, she sensed something unusual. Her senses kept telling her something was not right at its place and she groaned internally and opened her eyes. The ceiling was white, just like her room but the room seemed bigger. She lifted her head just a little and then she saw the bookshelf. She was ready to go back to sleep.

That is Mason's bookshelf.

Evelyn sat up at an instance. She looked around. A dim light was lit and no one was around. When she looked outside, she saw it was dark.

How long have I been sleeping?

She stood up and found her phone on the bedside table. Taking it she got out of the room and closed the door. She looked around looking for someone, anyone. The corridor was dimly lit too.

Where is Mason?

I hope to find him, she opened the game room door, no one was there. She walked on and she found another door and opened it. When she looked inside, she saw a figure sitting on the edge of the bed, with his face in his hands looking down. She took no time to recognize him and turned on the light.

Mason looked up. "Hey."

His voice sounded hoarse than usual. Evelyn sat down beside him. He was looking down at his phone.

"She didn't pick up." His voice cracked slightly.

"This is Mallory's room." He said as he saw Evelyn looking around. The room looked tidy and clean and everything was in its own place, nothing like Evelyn's room.

When she looked at the bedside table, she saw a photo frame. She stood up and took it and then sat at her place. She looked up at Mason who was looking down at the photo.

There were four people in the photo. A man and a woman, smiling at the camera and there was a girl of seven or eight smiling brightly. The man had one hand on her shoulder and the other around the woman's shoulder. The woman had her arms around a boy who looked the same age as the girl. They were all smiling at the camera and they looked like the happiest family in the world.

"Is that you?" Evelyn asked smiling at the photo. The boy had the same brown hair as Mason and was missing the front tooth. But as if he was proud of it, he was smiling really brightly.

"I look like an idiot." Said Mason and Evelyn chuckled.

"You look adorable," Evelyn said while chuckling. The girl who had her arms around him had her blonder hair into two plaits and was smiling too. She also was missing a tooth.

"Is that Mallory?" Evelyn asked and looked up at Mason who nodded.

Mason reached for the frame and took it gently in his hands as if his touch would break the glass. He brushed his trembling thumb over the photo. He might be reliving the memory. Evelyn looked at the photo and this time she knew those man and woman was his mom and dad. His dad had the same brown hair as Mason and her mom who looked so beautiful had the blonde hair that Mallory inherited. The entire family looked beautiful. It must be the genes.

"You know around this time and the coming years, Mallory was only one inch taller than me and she won't shut up about it," He said caressing her thumb over the picture."And now she is five feet three, heh." He muttered.

"Are you guys...twins?" She asked and Mason nodded yes. After a few seconds, he added, "But I am the older one. I am three minutes older than her."

"I can totally see you radiating pride about the fact that you are older. You must really enjoy playing the big brother role, huh?"Evelyn chuckled and asked. Mason chuckled with her.

"Yes, that's something I truly like. I can't even imagine how it would have been if it was the other way around." Mason shuddered as he gave it a thought. "No way, I would have been her little brother. I can imagine all things she would have done. She would have driven a steamroller on me."

"I don't have any idea what it is like to have a sibling," Evelyn blurted out suddenly and Mason looked up.

"Then you're so lucky. Siblings are a constant pain in the ass." He said and shook his head.

"I guess I would have loved the pain," She said as he looked down at the photo.

One part of Evelyn felt bad for Mason as she knew he had lost his mom and dad and he didn't even tell Evelyn where his sister was although he was talking about her all the time.

The other part of Evelyn felt jealous of him because he got to live the life Evelyn would long forever. A beautiful family with mom and dad and siblings. That was something Evelyn would never get.

"Where is she?" Evelyn asked finally.

"UK." He said and didn't add anything further. Evelyn didn't want to push him to tell her why she was in the UK but after a few seconds her patience ran out.

"Why is she in the UK?" She asked again. Mason put down the photo where it was and stood up. Turning around he was walking towards the door. Evelyn thought he would ignore her question but he replied, "Reasons."

Evelyn knew that was the most she would get out of him at the moment. So she didn't push. She stood up instead. Mason turned around, looking straight at her eyes he said,

"Your dad called."

~~~

Evelyn didn't know which was more surprising. The fact that her dad called or the fact that Mason was invited to her house for dinner. Whatever it was, the situation was extremely surreal. Evelyn had grown up with the freedom every teenager dreamed of. Nobody watched her through her high school days, nobody asked when she would return home, nobody asked how she was doing in schools, nobody wanted to know if she was wasting herself or not.

Apparently that nobody was dad who was always caught up with himself with no work in particular. That same dad called today asking where was she and why she hadn't still returned home.

Also, he invited a boy to dinner who seemed to be the same boy her dad saw her with and thought of as her relationship.

Evelyn looked at Mason who was silently driving the jeep to her house. She couldn't even imagine a situation how this would turn out. She hadn't had a talk with dad after her little burst out yesterday. She hadn't returned home from school and it was 8 pm.

He parked the jeep outside the house and got out. Evelyn followed. She had changed into her own clothes as Jasmine had taken care to wash and dry them.

Mason was standing beside her waiting for her to say something. She took a deep breath. He hadn't met her dad before and letting him in the house would be another way to let him know about Evelyn's life. With every day, every situation that was passing, Evelyn felt more and more exposed in front of him. He had seen her having a panic attack, had seen her being in a sulky mood all the time, had seen her tattoo, had known about her stomach knots.

Now he would see her dad too.

"Let's go," Evelyn said and he followed. She reached the front door and pressed the calling bell although she had the keys. Dad opened the door right away.

Evelyn didn't even look up to meet her dad's eyes. She walked past him inside. Dad stood there, watching her. Then he turned towards Mason.

"So you must be Mason," Dad said eyeing him like prey. Evelyn shuddered.

"Yes, sir." He said with his determined voice, not budging under his dad's gaze.

"Good. Get in." He said in an authoritative voice.

Evelyn wondered what act she would put up today. She couldn't decide if she would act as normal as possible like they had a normal daughter and father relationship or they would keep ignoring each other like they always did.

"So you're at the same grade as her?" He asked as he led Mason to the living room.

Evelyn wondered if her dad even knew she was in the senior year.

"Yes, I am. We share a few classes." Mason said politely as he took a seat in the recliner as dad sat on the couch. Evelyn thought of going upstairs to her room. But she didn't want to leave dad and Mason alone and didn't wanna miss a word of their conversation.

So she settled herself on a stool of the kitchen table facing towards them.

" Hmm, you like Italian food? I ordered Italian for tonight." Dad said and Evelyn sucked in a breathe. How he could act so normal?

"Sure. I have no problem with that." Mason said.

As if on cue, the doorbell rang and Evelyn got the door. Getting the door, she received the food and went straight for the kitchen. She glanced at Mason who looked up at her with a passive expression on his face. In the meantime, Dad paid the bill.

Evelyn set out the table, although she hated to do chores she managed it. Dad and Mason joined her at the table. Dad took a seat at the head chair. Mason sat on the left side and Evelyn waited. She sat right beside Mason putting him as a barrier from her dad and that earned a raised brow from Dad.

"So, what does your father do?" He asked as he looked at Mason as if he were some kind of thief. Evelyn squirmed.

Before she realized what she was saying words made it out of her throat, " Dad, he is not my boyfriend. You don't need to inquire him like that."

Evelyn's dad looked up at her and then he went back to looking at Mason who was now staring at his food.

I don't like this.

"He's...dead," Mason said looking down. Evelyn moved her hand and held his hand under the table. He stiffened a little but intertwined his fingers with hers.

Evelyn felt no hunger for food so she just dead stared at her dad.

"Oh. I am sorry for your loss." He said and he didn't look so sorry about it.

I want to get Mason out of this. This isn't right.

"What about your mom?" He asked. Evelyn sighed and gently squeezed his hand. He was still looking down.

"I live with my foster mom. She is a lawyer," Mason said quietly.

Evelyn felt so terrible for making him go through this. If she only returned home, if she didn't go to his house this would have never happened.

"Oh," Dad said and shook his head slightly. Apparently, he was having no problem devouring his food.

"So. your real mom, is she dead too?" Evelyn's dad asked and Mason blinked hard. He squeezed Evelyn's hand. He nodded yes. Evelyn felt her heart getting heavier.

"Eat something. You told me you have no problem with Italian. I don't like people who say something and do something else." He said he munched his food. Evelyn took a deep breath. She was running out of patience. She didn't know when she would burst out and do something.

Mason served himself some pasta and took a small bite. Evelyn sat there holding his hand. She could tell he was not so hungry himself.

"So which college you want to go to?" He asked this time. Typical.

"I will try for the good colleges out of town. My parents always wanted me to go to Stanford." Mason said.

"Hmm. Well, everyone doesn't have the potential to make it to Stanford." He said.

Evelyn decided she had had enough. Mason had nothing to get humiliated and he didn't do anything to deserve this. Evelyn saw this as revenge her dad was taking on her for the words she said out aloud yesterday. He didn't want to hear them. He never wanted Evelyn and he had always run away from his responsibility and he had no right to just barge into her life asking her friends questions out of blue.

"Mason, " She said as she stood up. " I think you are done with dinner. Aren't you?"

Mason looked up at her.

"I have to talk to you." She said and nudged him.

"I believe I was talking to him." Her dad's voice broke through.

Evelyn didn't spare him a glance. She wasn't a perfect daughter, her dad wasn't a perfect father. So as rude as it might seem, Evelyn had to do it. She looked straight at Mason's eyes.

She realized she could ignore her dad but Mason couldn't. He was the guest and he could not just leave her dad hanging.

"I will talk to him for just a moment." She looked at her dad this time. He didn't say anything.

"I believed you were taught table manners." He said and shook his head in disappointment.

"Nobody ever taught me anything. Whatever I learned, I learned it hard way on my own." She replied.

Her dad furrowed his eyebrow, "Your grandmother will be disappointed to hear that."

Evelyn sucked in a deep breath and said, "I have heard children learn from their parents."

Sensing the double meaning, her dad looked down at his food, he said, " Five minutes."

She dragged Mason out of his chair and pulled him towards the staircase. Reaching her room, she ushered him inside and slammed the door shut. She turned to look at Mason who was looking down at his shoes.

"I don't really think it was polite to drag me here like this. Your dad won't-"

"I don't give a damn," Evelyn said and he looked up. Closing her eyes, she inhaled and exhaled.

"Open the window and climb outside. Go home." She said. She couldn't think of letting her dad again talk to Mason and insult him in any way.

"What is wrong?"

"Why are you so oblivious and dumb?" She asked back in frustration. "Just go home."

"What if your dad asked where had I vanished?" He asked back.

"I will ignore him like I always do." She said walked towards the window and opened it.

"But you know it does not work this way. I can't just walk out." He said crossing his arm over his chest. "I don't get it. What is the problem with your dad asking me questions?"

"He is not asking you any question. He is humiliating you."She said.

"I guess that's what fathers usually do. " Mason shrugged.

"Don't try to be smart with me and don't say anything on behalf of my father. I know him and you don't." Evelyn dismissed him.

"He cares," Mason said dropping his hand and sitting in her bed.

"What made you think that?" She asked as she looked outside.

"He called you 11 times when you were asleep." He said and Evelyn raised her brow.

"So you will still be on his side." She said.

"I am on nobody's side." He said and turned quiet. Moments passed and Evelyn finally moved from her position. She sat beside Mason who was looking down.

"I am sorry for what he said." She said quietly.

"I didn't mind. '' He said as he looked out through the window.

"Don't play dumb with me. I see through your eyes." She said suddenly and he turned.

"Okay." He said. "Yes, I was taken aback when he asked about my dad. I think I should get used to the fact that they are dead. It had been years."

"You don't have to." She said.

"Yes, I have to." He snapped. "I have to admit to myself that they are dead and they are never coming back. I shouldn't feel this hollowness while talking about them. I don't know why it still...hurts." He placed a hand over his chest and rubbed as if it hurt right there. Then he ran a hand through his hair and stood up. He stalked towards the other side of the room.

"You also have a nice collection," Mason said after a while. Evelyn saw him standing in front of her bookshelf. She walked towards him and stood beside him.

"Nothing compared to yours." She said and glanced his way only to find his eyes glassy as ice.

Evelyn took two steps towards Mason and stood right in front of him. His blue eyes gazed upon her holding her in her place. Mason had more going on that he let her believe. He had always put on this facade that he was cold-hearted and strong while in reality, he might not be. Evelyn didn't think twice before wrapping her hands around him.

"You don't have to take them as a dead person. They are still alive within your memories. They are alive with their dreams they had put inside you and I am sure they would be proud to know that you are trying to fulfill their dreams. Through you, they will live forever." Evelyn said against his shoulder. She didn't know she had it inside her, consoling and compassionating people. She had always felt awkward if anybody around her cried. This time it came naturally.

Mason sighed heavily and put his arms around her. " Thanks for saying that. " He said and Evelyn could feel him shaking in emotions.

As his arms encircled her shoulders, she could feel the warmness spreading through her body making her feel alive. Evelyn felt she could linger and live in this moment forever. But soon that feeling brought along a dull ache. She thought of all those times she wanted someone to hold her just like this, so she could open up and talk and let out the heaviness that had been pressuring on her for so long.

Now when she had decided to close up herself for good, he appeared.

And it was so freaking unfair.

~~~

Edited.