You really, really know me
 The future and the old me
All of the mazes and the madness in my mind

You really, really love me

You know me and you love me
 And it's the kind of thing
 I always hoped I'd find, yeah
 Always thought I was hard to love
 Till you made it seem so easy, seem so easy 

-Easy, Camila Cabello

43| Evelyn

Evelyn dropped the box from her hand. The boys were gone in a blink. Mallory was still standing in the doorway, where Bryan had left her. She was crying, covering her face. 

Evelyn could hear murmurs behind her. Evelyn could hear their confusion. Evelyn could hear Mallory's sob. But nothing really reached her. There was only one sound going through her brain over and over again.

Mason is in trouble.

And it was enough. The voices inside her head started screaming. Her hands shook, her legs gave up. There was slight ache all around her shoulders and the back of her head. Her stomach churned and nausea took a hold of it. Evelyn covered her mouth and ran to her room. She let out everything in her stomach. Her throat ached and she swallowed it down. The pain spread from there. Her pulse was getting quicker. She knew this symptoms. Evelyn was going to have an anxiety attack.

The nagging second voice screamed inside her head. Evelyn struggled to breathe. She pressed her palm on the bathroom wall, focusing. She couldn't be weak now. She had to be strong. Mason was in trouble and Evelyn had so many questions. Evelyn needed to find him. Evelyn had to do something. She couldn't stay here like a weakling, crying and having anxiety attacks.

She stood up. Every breathe was a struggle. She splashed her face with water and looked around. She tried to name things around her. She saw the photos.

Evelyn came out of the washroom. She concentrated on the photos with good memories. She thought about the story behind them, forcing her brain to calm down. She looked at the photo with him. He was in trouble. Evelyn didn't even know a thing.

By the time she had made it downstairs, she was angry. Every feeling inside her had numbed. She found Mallory in the couch, crying. Ethan was pacing around making calls. Rita was with the kids. Mady and Dad was talking.

Evelyn grabbed Mallory by the elbow. She dragged her out of the house with her. Leaving her, she asked, "What is happening?"

Mallory spotted the anger in Evelyn's eyes. Her sobbing increased.

"Goddamn, stop crying like a baby and fucking tell me something," Evelyn said. Mallory attempted to wipe her tears.

Evelyn shook her head and paced in front of her. Mallory was here with Bryan. Bryan said they had solved everything. Then how was Mason in trouble?

"Mallory, I already know everything about you and what you did in the past, okay? Now tell me what happened," Evelyn shook her by the shoulder.

"Bryan told Mason that it wasn't him whom Mason thought might be giving me.." Mallory said.

"I thought so. After the party, I thought so." Evelyn said.

"It was Alex. It was Alex all along." Mallory said.

She didn't need to say anything else. Everything clicked in place inside Evelyn's head. Of course, it was Alex. They were absolutely stupid not to see that coming. Mason started suspecting his own best friend while he already had a sworn enemy.

"Why didn't you tell Mason beforehand? They were fighting for this for two freaking years!" Evelyn said. The sight of Mallory was annoying her now. Evelyn had to try hard to control her anger.

"I didn't know he was blaming him for this. I came to know only a few weeks ago. Besides, I wasn't talking to Mason." Mallory said.

Evelyn shook her head. "Bullshit."

She paced all around. "Did Mason went after Alex?"

Mallory nodded while crying. Evelyn covered her ears and the second voice was filling in her head with possibilities, horrible possibilities.

"Why he would be in trouble then? He is probably going to beat Alex," Evelyn said to herself.

"Last time, when Bryan checked on him, Alex was in trouble with the gang he gets the drugs from. He was trying to sell their drugs to another party and getting interest. If the gang comes after him now," The rest of the words died in Mallory's sobs.

"They'd kill Alex," Mallory said crying. "And Mason went after him. If they find Mason and Alex together they might.." 

Her sobbing increased. Evelyn couldn't feel the ground beneath her feet.

"When was the last time you saw Mason?" Evelyn asked.

"He left the house at least an hour ago," Mallory said in between her sobs.

What was the use of crying now?

Evelyn was floating. Everything in her sense had gone silent. She called the boys one by one. None of them picked up their phone. Mallory's sob increased every second. She hiccuped in between her sobs. Evelyn on the other hand had gone quiet.

"This is all my fault. Everything was my fault." Mallory said. Evelyn barely heard her.

Mady left with the kids. Diana and Abigail also left to get help. Ethan was still pacing in hope to contact anyone. Rita was standing by the couch. Dad was standing there motionless.

Nothing mattered anymore.

Evelyn closed her eyes and took a deep breathe. She stood up and started walking. She could hear her name being called. But she didn't stop. Because, everything in her had turned quiet. If she stopped, she would not be silent anymore.

So she pushed everything down and walked. She walked without any destination. She couldn't think of anything, good or bad. She was numb. Her brain was empty.

She unknowingly reached the hill. She looked at the town below and sat down on the ground. She hugged her knees and buried her head in them.

The truth was inevitable. It struck her right there. Without him, nothing matters. The world stops. Everything could destroy. Evelyn wouldn't care.

"He is fine," Evelyn said to herself. "Fine. That stubborn son of a nice woman would not give up so easily, he said."

"Last night, he said it was only the beginning." She whispered. "And also, that jerk hadn't yet kissed me."

Evelyn sat there motionless. The lights of the houses twinkled in the distance. Running her hand through the grass, she found a candle.  It was here from yesterday night. So much had happened after that.

Evelyn's breathe quickened. The senses were all coming back again. Her time of oblivion had expired. She was barely keeping it together now.

Evelyn laid down on the ground. She didn’t know how much time passed after that, with her quickened pulse and the dread of having an anxiety attack.

Her phone rang breaking the quiet. It was Ethan. "They found him. All of them are in jail."He said.

It was both a relief and not. "Me, Mallory and your dad is heading there. Can you make it?"

"Yes, I can," Evelyn said breathing heavily. "I am coming."

• • •

Evelyn reached the police station. She found her dad and Ethan there. Carolina was there as well. Mallory was sitting on a chair. She was not crying now. She was quiet. There were also two other men, in business suits Evelyn hadn't seen before.

The adults were talking. Carolina was running around the room. Evelyn stood by Mallory.

"The boys were found by the police. It was Noah who called them. They were found with a bag of drugs. So they are here." Mallory said.

Evelyn asked, "Where is Alex?"

"He fled away. Couldn't catch him. So did the gang members. They beat the shit out of all of the boys including Alex," Mallory said.

Evelyn looked down at her. "They were all limping when they got here. It would be hard explaining what had happened."

"How do you know everything?" Evelyn asked her.

Mallory chuckled. "Bryan told me two words before they took him in. I assumed the rest."

Evelyn sighed. Carolina came towards them. She went towards the men.

"I had talked to the police. They are in deep. But we can get them out in bails. I will take care of the rest of the things."

One of the men in suit sighed in relief. 

"You don't need to worry about all of these. Everything will be taken care of." Carolina said.

"How did they even get into this? I know my son. He would never get in touch of drugs of all things." A man said. He had blonde hair. His facial feature was familliar. Evelyn realized it was maybe Noah's dad. The other man might be Jack's dad.

None of them knew the truth. None of them knew they were all here because Mason went after Alex. None of them knew what was the real case. Evelyn glanced at Mallory.

"Now everyone would know everything," Mallory said quietly.

Evelyn had had enough. She stood away. Her dad came for her. He gave Evelyn a look.

Evelyn did't know what to say to her father. Her father knew Mason. Though he had been caught with drugs, he couldn't  just believe that Mason was involved with it.

Her dad said nothing. He stood by her waiting.

After the formalities was done, the boy got out one by one. Jack and Noah was in the front. They were in bad shape. They were limping. Parts of their faces were bleeding. Jack's dad reached for Jack and so did Noah's. The next was Bryan who looked the same. He was helping Mason to walk.

Mason had been beaten to pulp. One of his eyes was black. One side of his face and his lips were covered in dirt and dried out blood. He stood straight and looked up. Mallory was running towards them. She reached there and hugged Mason. Mason was shocked, so was Bryan and so was Evelyn.

"I am so sorry, I am so so sorry. This is all my fault." Mallory said in his chest. Mason was a statue. His eyes softened a little and he wrapped his one arm around her shoulder.

"I was so stupid to blame you for their death. I guess I only needed an excuse to make myself miserable. I am so sorry." Mallory said. Pulling back she looked up at Mason, "Don't you dare do this to me again." She sobbed.

Mason arched his eyebrow, "For a moment there, I thought I had lost you. I care about you too. Just because I don't show doesn't mean I don't." Said Mallory.

Mason gave an expression that seemed like a smile. Bryan beside him was smiling.

"You didn't even think of me for one second. Did you?" Bryan joked." When you ran this way, I thought you are coming to me."

Mallory went to smack him but he shrieked, "I am already hurt in places I can't name. Control your love, Mallory."

Mallry stood by them. Mason's eyes roamed around the room. He stopped spotting Evelyn. The earth come crashing down on Evelyn's shoulder with his eyes.

Evelyn closed her eyes and hid in her father's chest, not wanting to see him. It was too much. Evelyn would break down into pieces.

"You can come with us. You really need first aid." Evelyn's dad said. 

Evelyn heard Mallory's voice. "Can I go with Bryan?" She was probably asking Mason. She was asking for his permission which was not so Mallory.

Evelyn didn't hear his answer. She could hear Jack arguing with his dad over her birthday party. Honestly who cared about it anymore. Evelyn took a note to send him the biggest piece of cake later. She would do the same for Noah and Bryan. A certain someone won't even get a bite.

Evelyn stood by her dad as Carolina came by again. Bryan had said that it was a fight between his friend Alex and the gang. Bryan and the rest of the boys were there in the wrong time. Alex was the one with drug. Bryan said to everyone, that he had called Mason, Jack and Noah to help him. Jack's dad and Noah's dad sent glares to Bryan before leaving the police station with their sons. Carolina left to sort things out. Bryan left with Mallory, leaving Ethan, Evelyn, her father and Mason behind.

Ethan said he would start for the town or he would get late.

Whatever the story Bryan told, Evelyn's father knew it wasn't the case. Yet, he said nothing. He helped Mason in his car. Mason was seated in the backseat. Dad started the engine. Evelyn called shotgun. She stared out the window.

She wondered how tables turn in a day. She thought she was having the best birthday ever. She spoke too soon.

• • •