Chapter 17

     Side note: I’m sure you can assume what a strict old fashioned Christian man did to his daughter for sneaking off. But such is just suggested because it’s (obviously) aggressive.

          After my punishment, I laid in bed, on my stomach, wallowing in self pity for a good while. Eventually, Dad called me back downstairs, and I drug my feet, arriving in the living room. He stood, waiting.

   “What were you even thinking? What could’ve made you do such a thing? I would’ve never expected that from you, Evelyn,” Dad scolded as he paces the hallway. I kept my head down, rarely answering. My answers seemed to only anger him more, or maybe it was just my voice that annoyed him. I shifted on my feet, biting my lip, bored but forced to listen to his lecture the whole way. I just looked away, staring at anything and everything but him; the fireplace, the door, Mom’s knitting supplies, Mom’s sewing supplies, the quilt on the wall.

            He turned to me as if expecting an answer and I just looked around awkwardly. He scoffed, grunting and mumbling to himself for a moment, shaking his head. I watched him, my heart silently racing in my chest, clenching with anxiety. But I tried my best not to show it on my face.

           “You’re grounded,” he announced. “Grounded for I don’t even know how long. You go to school, go to church, you come home, no TV, I’ll take your books, oh, and certainly no friends’ houses.” He decided.

           “…Okay.” I finally said, my voice no more than a mumble.

           “Okay?” He asked.

           “Okay…” I repeated, giving him a wary look.

           “Okay, then. Go to your room, and bring down all your books.” He instructed sternly. Silently, that was a win in my head, and I headed up the stairs without hesitation. This wasn’t near as bad as I thought it would end up to be. Maybe sneaking out wasn’t all that bad.

            I headed to the stairs, feet thudding against the carpet. I walked into my room, heading to where I kept my stacks on stacks of books. I sorted through them, picking out specific ones to hide. If he was really going to trust me like this, of course I would take advantage. It felt kind of wrong…but thrilling. I’d never gone against him for the most part. Not until now…

            I glanced back, seeing Kaylee standing in the doorway. She was watching me carefully, her expression soft as normal.

           “Hey…” I greeted as I sat, kneeled on the ground with my books.

           “Hey…you’re home,” she acknowledged, stepping farther into my room. “I’m glad you’re home…” she murmured.

            “You missed me so dearly?” I teased with a smile. She laughed softly, a smile finally gracing her stoic face. “Why so quiet?” I questioned in amusement. Kaylee was everything but a quiet girl.

             “Don’ know,” she shrugged simply, not elaborating any further. She walked over, kneeling down beside me. “What’s all this?” She questioned.

              “I have to give Dad all my books. I’m grounded,” I murmured, setting them all into piles in my boxes.

              “Oh…grounded,” she tsked. Neither of us had been grounded before. Ivy had been through her fair share of trouble in her younger years but she was more tame now. Or maybe we were all just more accustomed to her behavior.

              “Yeah…it sucks,” I murmured softly as I stacked the rest of the books inside.

              “Why’d you run away?” Kaylee asked abruptly. I turned my head to look up at her, glancing around briefly, before looking back down.

              “Because I was mad and dumb.” I said simply.

              “You scared me…and mom was really worried…” she murmured.

              “I know…I’m sorry,” I sighed. “And I’ll talk to mom later. I wouldn’t expect anything else from her.” I said.

              “…Don’t…can you…” she trailed off.

              “What?” I asked curiously. She looked down at me for a couple moments, hesitating, her mouth opening and closing. Eventually, she swallowed, and she shook her head.

             “Nothing. I forget what I was going to say.” She said abruptly as she turned to leave. My brows furrowed as I watch her turn on her heels and head out my door.

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             I was sitting in bed, reading one of the books I had hidden in various places of my room. I heard footsteps and quickly stuffed the book under my pillow, still lying on my stomach on my bed, legs swinging behind me. I looked over my shoulder as my bedroom door creaked open.

            “What are you doing?” Dad asked as he walked into my room, glancing around skeptically.

            “Laying in bed…?” I answered. I glanced around too as if something would be there.

            “Just laying in bed?” He asked pointedly.

            “Just laying in bed.” I assured with a slight mumble under my breath of ‘what else?’

            “Alright…going to bed?” He murmured. He walked through my doorway and headed over beside my bed, to my window. My brows furrowed as I watched him draw back my curtains and lock my window, giving a grunt as he locked it.

             “I mean…yeah, soon….what are you doing?” I asked in confusion.

             “Locking your window.” He replied.

             “Why- what’s that- I…okay.” I sighed as I shook my head. What was that gonna prevent?, I thought to myself.

             “Okay…goodnight, love you…I’ll be checking on you,” he said gruffly as he gave me a side eye.

             “K…love you too, goodnight,” I murmured, watching him exit the room. I sighed as he shut the door behind him – well, left it cracked – and I rolled onto my back with a heavy exhale.

              I laid there for a long moment, silent, thinking as I watched the ceiling fan spin. Suddenly, I caught an idea, and listened carefully around the house. I waited carefully until 11PM, pretending to be blissfully asleep if I heard footsteps, but otherwise reading, before I creeped downstairs carefully. I cautiously made my way to the kitchen to the telephone. That’s all we had in the house, this phone, one cordless landline, and one other wall mounted telephone in mom and dad’s room.

              I quickly and carefully dialed Ellie’s familiar number, making sure to be as quiet as possible, covering the speaker with my hand. I bit my lip as I brought it to my ear and waited patiently as it rang. Eventually, I heard the crackle of the speaker and a ‘hello?’

             “Ellie…” I murmured softly.

             “Eve?” She asked hopefully on the other line.

             “Who else?” I asked playfully. “…ew…I sound like you.” I joked.

             “Best person to sound like,” she teased. I heard a shift before she spoke again. “So…grounded, or…worse?” She asked.

             “I’m fine,” I assured her, an amused smile on my lips. “It went better than I imagined, I’ll admit. The outcome was just grounded, ‘no TV, no books, and no Ellie’,” I said quietly, playfully repeating my father’s words.

             “No Ellie, huh?” She laughed in amusement.

             “No, and…I don’t think you should…come around. For a few days, at least.” I admitted softly.

             “Why? To be safe? Or…are you mad? I’m sorry about what happened, I mean, it was-,” she rambled nervously.

             “No…no, not about that…it’s not about that. Just to be safe. I’m not mad…never mad,” I assured her, swallowing. All I’d thought about was Ellie this whole day, and the night before. She crowded my mind like no other – in the best and worst ways.

            “You sure? I’m sorry if I maybe-,” Ellie continued.

            “Ellie, Ellie…no. I’m not mad. Promise.” I said lowly as I glanced around the dark kitchen.

            “Promise?” She asked.

            “Promise.” I repeated.

            “…I love you.” Ellie said quietly. I smiled slightly to myself, lips quirking into a subtle smile. However, those feelings were washed away once again, a heavy pit forming in my stomach as I remembered all I had ever been taught about the ideal love.

           “I…-” I swallowed, hesitating. “Do, too. Goodbye…goodnight.” I murmured, not able to bring myself to say it completely, before quickly putting the phone back up. I stared at it for a moment, biting my lip, before taking a deep breath. I shook my head to myself as I retreated up the stairs, careful of the squeaky steps, my heart racing in my chest. I felt the familiar feeling of guilt settling in my stomach as I remembered her warm lips against mine. I felt so unholy. But it felt…so right.