Is Karma a b***h?

Chapter 18

Finally, the day arrived.

The biggest carnival was organized by the ‘Woodstock High School’ cultural team. Unlike all the previous years, this year’s carnival was an absolute hit. People were genuinely enjoying themselves.

“You guys did an outstanding job,” Eddy told Evy, Owen, and Hailey.

All three acknowledged his praise.

“Let’s enjoy the carnival now. I want to play games—and I definitely want to go on rides,” Kayla exclaimed excitedly.

“Of course, Kay,” Carson said, extending his hand to her. “Shall we?”

“Of course,” she replied, giggling as she took his hand.

Soon, only four of them were left behind.

Hailey and Owen exchanged awkward glances. Neither of them knew if leaving Evy and Eddy alone was a good idea.

“Guys, seriously,” Evy said. “You two lovebirds should go and have some fun.”

“No, it’s fine,” Hailey replied quickly. “We’re fine here.” She didn’t want to leave Evy alone with Eddy.

“Okay,” Evy said casually. “If, on the count of three, you two don’t vanish from my sight, I’ll never talk to either of you again."

“Okay—okay, we’re leaving,” Owen said defensively.

“Wait, Hailey,” Eddy suddenly spoke. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box, handing it to her.

Hailey opened it and gasped.

Inside were all the friendship bands she had once given Eddy.

“Eddy, this—” Her eyes filled with tears.

“I know what I did back then was wrong,” he said softly. “And I know how much these bands meant to you. It was our tradition to exchange them every year. When you gave all of them back to me, it hurt. But it also made me realize what kind of jerk I had been.” He smiled gently. “I wanted to return them to you, but I knew I had to wait for the right time. I still have every band you ever gave me. And there are two extra ones in there too, for the past two years.”

Hailey loved exchanging friendship bands. It had been their tradition for the three of them. But after Eddy drifted away, the tradition ended. When Evy left the school, Hailey returned all the bands to Eddy, and that was the moment he truly understood how badly he had messed up.

Although Evy didn’t return them, she left the states, which stated clearly that Eddy chose the wrong path in school.

“Thank you,” she whispered. “It’s lovely.”

She hugged him.

Eddy froze for a second before returning the hug.

“No thanks needed,” he said softly. “We’re friends, after all.”

“No,” Hailey corrected him. “Best friends. Just… don’t ditch again.”

“Never,” he promised.

She hugged him again and whispered, “Evy will forgive you soon. Just give her time.”

Owen patted Eddy’s back as they left.

Eddy felt a wave of relief. He had gotten one of his best friends back. He then glanced at Evy. Her face was unreadable.

“Evy—” he started, but the moment felt familiar—déjà vu.

“I am glad she forgave you,” Evy said calmly. “And I’m surprised you still had those bands and remembered our tradition.”

“I still have the bands you gave me, too,” Eddy said softly.

Evy nodded once and walked away. But Eddy was determined. He was going to spend the entire carnival with her.

“Will you stop following me?” Evy groaned. “It’s annoying.”

It had been half an hour, and Eddy was trailing her like a lost puppy.

“Nope. I want to spend the whole carnival with you.” He said cheerfully.

“But I don’t want to.” That still didn’t make him leave her alone. “You won’t leave me alone, will you?” She asked him while shooting daggers at him.

“Nope,” he smirked.

“Fine. Let’s make a deal,” she said. “If you win that panda for me, I’ll let you tag along. If you lose, you leave me alone.”

“Nice try. It will not happen.” He said, folding his hands.

“Damn. If you win, you can tag along with me, and if not, then you leave me alone. Deal?”

“Deal.” He grinned before adding. “Spit promise,”

“We’re not kids anymore,” she said, disgusted.

“Either a spit promise, or I’ll pester you even if I lose.”

“Fine.”

They did the spit promise. Evy immediately wiped her hand on Eddy’s T-shirt, making him frown, just as she ran off before he could retaliate.

“Come on, big man,” she smirked. “Show me what you’ve got.”

“Oh, you shall see, milady,” he said in an exaggerated British accent.

Evelyn didn’t know what she wanted. She wanted him to win, but at the same time, she wanted him to lose. When she finally decided she wanted him to lose, he won.

“I can’t believe this,” she groaned. “To get a panda, I had to sacrifice my peace.”

“Please,” Eddy laughed. “We both know you wanted me to win. And you’re enjoying spending time with me, even if you don’t want to admit it.”

“Whatever.”

To Evy’s surprise, she was having a good time with her ex-best friend. They went on rides, ate food, and joked around. She stayed sarcastic, guarding herself from getting hurt again, but she couldn’t deny it.

Soon, the carnival ended, and everyone began wrapping things up. Evy started walking home, but Eddy insisted on accompanying her.

“So… back in your old school, did you date anyone?” he asked suddenly.

She stopped. “Yeah. Why? Shocked that a girl like me could get a boyfriend?”

“No,” he replied quickly. “I’m more shocked you didn’t have one here.” Jealousy flickered in his eyes, brief, but real.

“Well, you guys didn’t let me,” she said quietly. “You made me the laughingstock of the school.”

Guilt tightened his chest. “I’m sorry, Evy.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Who was he?” He asked after a pause.

“Why? Jealous?” she raised an eyebrow.

“What if I say I am?”

She inhaled slowly. “His name is George Reynolds. He is on the school’s basketball team. One of the best players on the team. He is also the captain. He is a pretty decent guy, and his friends are also cool. Yes, he is popular, but not the kind of popular person you see here. After two months of knowing him, he asked me out. I have been out on a few dates before him, but with him, it was different, something special. We dated for a few months but broke up a month before I came here.”

Eddy was uneasy when he heard Evy talking about George with a smile on her face, as if he were an angel who had been sent just for her.

“Why did you guys break up?” He asked silently.

“I told him that I had to come back here again. At first, we thought we could work out a long-distance relationship, but we were getting distanced from each other, so we broke up. It was for the better, and we parted on a happy note. I am still in contact with him, though now he is dating another girl. She is great, you know. A bit of a punk, emo kind of girl, opposite of him, and keeps him on a tight leash.” She chuckled.

When she video called George, he introduced her to Lola. Lola didn’t seem to mind that there was a history between them and was cool with George and Evy being friends.

“He sounds like a great guy.” He said, pursing his lips.

“One of the most amazing people ever.”

That was when it hit him, how much he had truly lost. He stopped in front of her house and gently took her hand, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

“I miss you,” he whispered. “And I love you.”

Evy slapped him on reflex and walked inside her house without looking back.