Eva's POV


A B minus. My English teacher handed us back our papers on rhetoric, and I got a B freaking minus. I've never done this poorly on anything before, but I was sad to see this grade only marked the beginning of my horrible day. When third block came around, I remembered I left my Chemistry notebook at home, so I had to complete the class work based off of memory because Violet wasn't there to help me. I wouldn't be surprised if she wasn't in school today; she stayed up really late watching movies with her mother. I released a sigh of relief once the bell rung, signaling class was dismissed, and handed Ms. Jenkins my worksheet before heading to the cafeteria for lunch.

Endless chatter of gossip and the latest rumors surfacing around school filled the air as I went on line to purchase school lunch. I forgot my own lunch, along with other things, in my haste to arrive on time this morning. Today's menu consisted of undercooked chili, burnt grilled cheese, and soggy peanut butter and jelly. None of them were particularly appealing, but I decided to go with the PB & J along with a carton of milk to suffice the growl contracting my stomach. After I paid one of the lunch ladies, I left the food line with my tray and walked back into the lunchroom where I scanned the facility for an empty seat but found none. It looked as if I would have to eat lunch outside today, but I didn't mind because that meant I could go to my favorite place, the forest.

The short walk to the woods was as peaceful as always. I let the sound of birds chirping and leaves dancing in the breeze fill my ears instead of the usual tunes I'd play on my iPod. It was quite relaxing actually. Once the familiar bench and waterfall came into sight, a smile found its way onto my face, and I gripped the edges of my tray even tighter. I reached the bench in a matter of seconds and plopped down to sit while taking a bite of my sandwich. I broke up the bread into sizeable pieces and picked the ones I wanted to eat individually. The remnants of food in my mouth was washed down by a stream of milk, and I set the tray down beside me with a sigh when I heard some leaves rustle in the distance.

I looked to my left and then to my right and saw a blonde haired female emerge from behind the trees. The girl had clear blue eyes that lingered on mine long enough for me to observe it's transparent color as she approached the bench. What was her name again? I asked myself as I smiled at her. Oh, right. Perrie.

"Hey, it's Eva right? This place is amazing," She told me while glancing around the forest.

"Yeah, not many people know about it except for you, me, and Harry," I said in agreement.

"I've always wondered where he'd venture off to after school. Anyway, I saw you leave the cafeteria and figured you could use some company," Perrie smiled as she sat down next to me.

I nodded while finishing the rest of my sandwich. I was fine sitting by myself, but I appreciated the gesture so I didn't mind her company. I set the empty Styrofoam tray beside me on the bench before taking another sip of milk from the carton. I looked over at Perrie after wiping my mouth only to see her making a weird face.

"What?" I smiled innocently.

"You like school lunch?" she raised her eyebrows at me.

"God, no." I shook my head. "I left my lunch at home so school lunch was the only option. I wasn't about to starve myself through 5th and 6th period," I joked, making Perrie laugh.

"That's brave. I don't think I could ever eat that gunk even if you paid me," She giggled a bit.

"Fair enough. So...how are you liking Beverly?" I asked her. "I know it's much smaller than other towns in England."

"I don't know." Perrie shrugged. "I haven't been here for too long, but it's a lot different from London." I nodded my head, understanding what she meant.

I only visited London once, but from what I've seen the city is very diverse and exotic. It doesn't compare well to the dull and boring town of Berkley, East Yorkshire. I desperately wanted to escape this place. I sighed softly and pulled out my phone to check the time. 12:25 pm. I needed to head back soon.

"We should probably get going. Lunch ends pretty soon," I told Perrie upon rising to my feet.

"Yeah, I didn't realize how much time flew by." She nodded after checking her phone too. "What class do you have next?"

"French, and you?" I sighed.

"Gym," Perrie scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Our PE teacher is so fucking creepy."

"You'll be fine regardless. He's never tried anything with the female students before," I assured her as we started to walk back.

"If he ever does, I'll kick his arse in taekwondo," She said while making strange poses with her hands. I couldn't stop myself from laughing.

"Thanks for joining me today for lunch. I really enjoyed your company," I told her once I calmed down, and we got out of the woods.

"No problem. We should definitely do this again sometime." Perrie smiled sweetly.


She was the first girl at this school who didn't try to fill my ears with pointless gossip, and I liked that about her. Perrie was different.

---

The day didn't get any better, nor did it become any worse. The only highlight of my school day was that I almost got to see his eyes. I had a growing suspicion that Harry was staring at me during French and, when I finally decided to look at him, he turned around to face the teacher but, before he managed to angle his face completely, I saw something. I wouldn't be able to confirm whether or not I saw a hint of blue or green in his eyes, but the brief sight had me on edge. I wanted nothing more than to just tilt his perfectly sculpted chin and make him look into my eyes, but I knew that I couldn't, and it drove me insane.


I hated not knowing things.


Once school was over, I waited for my mother in the parking lot to give me a ride home. It had been raining, and she always drove me back when the weather was like this. I greeted her with a warm smile as soon as I saw her BMW pull up in front of me. She unlocked the door, and I hurried inside in an effort not to get soaked by the rain.

"Hey sweetie. How was your day?" My mother asked me.

"I'd rather not say," I sighed. "Can we just go home?"

"It's not good for your health to keep bottling up your emotions, Eva," She told me while starting the car.

"I know, mom. School was fine. I had a good day," I said, forcing a smile. I guess she believed me because she didn't push it any further.


You would think it would be easy talking to a psychiatrist about your problems, but not when that person is your mother. She'd probably diagnose me with depression and anxiety if she could read my thoughts. I don't belong in the world I live in, but no one seems to understand that.


When I got home, I planned on going straight to my room, but the person seated on the steps was blocking my path. He looked extremely tired, for dark circles had formed under his brown eyes. My father spent every waking moment at work, and one could only imagine how shocked I was to see him after so long.

"D-daddy?" My voice cracked as his name fell from my lips.

"Eva, come here sweetheart." My dad stood up with open arms, but I was hesitant to go into them.

"Why aren't you at work?" Was all I managed to ask.

"Sweetie, your mother and I have something to tell you. I was thinking we could discuss it over dinner?" My dad looked to my mother, and she nodded.

"I'll make my famous pot roast," My mother said before going into the kitchen.

"You and I have a lot to talk about, Eva. Why do you have a C in French?" Dad asked me, furrowing his eyebrows. He was concerned, as any father should be and, for the first time in a long time, tonight I really felt at home. I was in his arms almost instantly.

"Did I ever tell you how much I love you?" I asked him, sugar coating my voice.

"Nice try kiddo, but you're not getting off the hook that easily." He said, kissing my forehead and hugging me tighter, if that was even possible. "I love you, Eva."

"I love you too, dad." I smiled.


My family is finally complete again.

Notes

Hey guys, sorry to keep you waiting with this update. I've been so busy with things, but updates should be coming more regularly. Telichia is on Winter Break and I go on break a week from today so expect more updates. In the meantime, go check out our other stories.

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and for Leave Your Lover

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Love
-M