One True Mate

One True Mate

                                                            Chapter 1 - Evie 

To say my life is less than perfect would be an underestimate. Maybe I’m being over dramatic or feeling sorry for myself. My name is Evelyn Johnston, Evie for short. I live in Vancouver B.C. in a foster home less than perfect. Like I said before maybe I’m being over dramatic.

 I should start at the beginning. I was dropped off at an orphanage in a car seat 17 years ago wrapped in a blanket with my name stitched in it, which I had lying on my ‘bed’. I grew up in the hands of many different people. Most of them were nuns. And no, they weren’t always dressed in black and white. I lived in their homes with their families, however not all of them were nice. Maybe it was because I had be a handful from day one, Or because I was different then everyone else, in a way that not I even knew.

I was a bad child, so bad that I was deemed a child of the devil. The orphanage did everything they thought to get rid of the ‘devil’ inside me. Nothing worked as I got older they started to give up. However that didn’t mean anyone wanted me. I admit me and rules didn’t really mix well. This foster home was my last shot. If I wasn’t good here I would end up in a boarding school out of the country, for ‘troubled’ kids. Sometimes I didn’t think it would be that bad.

All I was, was another paycheck to these people. Yes they strongly believed in god and that he had many powers. Me however I didn’t if there really was some holly man living in the clouds that could protect us from all evil, then why did bad things happen? Why did people houses burn down, or flood destroy a whole town? Why were people murdered, and why did I live in this s**t hole? These are the questions I asked myself every time we prayed before dinner.

“Evelyn Johnston get down here right now!” I sighed I hated being called Evelyn. That was Allan Bellcast my foster ‘dad’ Unlike most foster parents he was single. When I first came to live with him only days ago, the first thing he said to me was “I like a challenge.” Apparently he was the foster parent kids went to when they needed to be whipped into shape.

I walked slowly out of the room that was to be called my bedroom and into the kitchen where Allan was standing hands on his hips, his tucked in plaid shirt was starch perfectly and his dress pants pressed. He slicked his black hair back with too much gel. He was a short plump man. Shorter than me.

“I thought I told you to have breakfast ready for me when I got downstairs today.” I wanted to roll my eyes and tell him exactly where I would shove his breakfast, but this was my last chance and he knew it.

“Sorry I’ll get started now.” I mumbled. I hurrily made bacon and eggs, burning the bacon on purpose.

”you burnt my bacon!” he growled

 “Well no one ever said I was a good cook.”  I told him crossing my arms. He glared at me.

“Get to school.” He pointed to the door I rolled my eyes, grabbed my ratty old backpack and headed down the street to yet anothee new school, this one was called Winderdale High. Had I mentioned this was the third school I’d been to in the past year?

I was used to new schools by now, I didn’t even bother trying to make friends anymore. My days were more or less the same. Went to class, ate lunch alone, went back to whatever foster family I was with, did my homework, and depending on the family did house work or made dinner. I’m not saying all my foster parents were bad. . . . just most of them. I did have one family back when I was 9 that I loved! The only reason they had taken in foster kids is because they couldn’t have any of their own. But magically they got preagent I was jealous and lashed out. I regret what I did every day.

I stopped at the front steps of the old beat up Christan school, taking a deep breath I walked in and found my way to the office. The lady at the desk was old probably in her late sixties. She looked up at me her eyes peaking over her moon shaped glasses.

“Hi my name is Evie Johnston, I’m new.” I gave a fake happy smile. It was something I do constantly. The old lady nodded digging through the many papers on her desk she found what she was looking for. She handed me an envelope that I knew contained my schedule a map and the rules of the school. I nodded and walked away opening the envelope I pulled out the map and tried to memorize it. I was pretty good by now, but this school was more confusing than most. People walked around me laughing and talking, carrying heavy books in their hands. Not paying one ounce of attention to me, which I apprenticed. I hated being the centre of attention.

I heard a group of guys heading towards me I looked up as a football came flying at my face, I ducked missing it by an inch.

“Oh shit.” The guy who threw the ball yelled as his friend ran behind me to grab it laughing the whole way. He was hot, long black hair that went just past his ears, in a hockey style. He was tall probably about 6’1 but he was built too. He muscles ripped with each step he walked. It was easy to tell from the shirt he wore that clung to his chest.

“Would you watch where you’re throwing that thing?” I growled.

“Sorry, bad aim I guess.” He shrugged with a smile, I glared. “I’m  Julian. Julian Winder ya know like Winderdale High” He introduced holding out his hand. I ignored it. He tried again.

“Are you new? You must be I’ve never seen you around before, is that you schedule?” he asked ripping it from my hands before I could say anything.

“Yuck math first thing in the morning that sucks.” I grabbed my schedule out of his hands. I started towards the stairs to the second floor.

“Uh, you’re going the wrong way. Mrs. Watson’s class is that way” He called pointing the other direction.  I stopped, mentally hitting myself for my stupidity. I turned on my heel and stomped past him in the other direction.

“I’d watch her if I were you, she can be a real B-I-T-C-H” he warned as I past him. “Hey wait, I didn’t get your name.” he said running after me.

“Nope.”  Was my only answer his buddies caught up with him asking who I was, I took one look back, he was staring at me, ignoring the group of guys—and girls that surrounded him. His look wasn’t in a weird way but in a way no one had ever looked at me before. I jogged losing myself in the sea of students.

My first two classes went how they usually went on my first day. The teacher would embarrass me by making me introduce myself. Then go on talking about whatever it was they taught. I sat at the desk doing my work, the bell rang and I did the same thing over again.

When lunch came around I took it as an opportunity to check out the grounds of the school. I wasn’t smart enough to pack myself a lunch this morning, I didn’t feel like eating anyway. Walking outside I put on my sunglasses and smiled. Being outside always brightened my day, I loved the sun on my face I loved how pretty the grass was growing, the flowers blooming. It made everything else fell like no big deal. That I didn’t constantly live in a world where I was never loved, a world that I had never felt accepted in.

I started towards what I assumed was the football field. As I got closer I realized I was right. The tall post stood proud against the sun. The lines on the field were a freshly painted bright white. I walked along the lines staring at the ground, then the trees. One of them caught my eye. The perfect climbing tree, I ran over to it dropped my backpack on the ground and began my climb smiling all the way up. I sat on a sturdy middle branch and looked up. The sun peaking in between the branches and leaves, bird chirped as they flew in and out feed their babies in the nests above me. I smiled brighter wishing that I could stay up here forever. It was a perfect moment—until it was ruined.

“Whoa are you sure you can get down from there?” I looked down to see Julian standing almost right under me, his ball cap lowered over his bright brown eyes to cover them from the sun.

“Are you following me now?” I asked, my smile fading.

“I was about to ask you the same question.” He pointed to the football field where I saw the same guy that tried to catch the football he had thrown at me this morning, along with another few. They were tossing the same football tackling each other.

“I was here first.” I argued.

“Maybe but the whole school knows that we come out here every lunch hour. And this is my field”

“Last time I check your name wasn’t written in the grass.” I muttered bitterly. He rolled his eyes.

“Guess you wouldn’t know that yet. Come down here Blondie.” He tried to coo. I knew he had used that same voice on all the girls at this school, and probably some that didn’t go here.

“Thanks, but no thanks, I’m perfectly content up here, and my name isn’t Blondie.” I crossed my arms.

“How am I supposed to know that? You never did tell me your name.”

“And why are you so interested?” I asked he shrugged.

“I know everyone and everything about this school, including all the new kids. Now would you please come down, or I will come up and I hate heights.”

“Well then I guess I’m perfectly safe up here.” I joked.

“Ha. Funny, come on I won’t bite.” I didn’t move, and Julian sighed.

“I promise if you come down and tell me your name I won’t bother you anymore.” I weighed my options. Julian seemed like the kind of guy that was used to getting what he wanted. My b***h side wanted to piss him off and stay in the tree, but my logical side told me that if I did go down there might be a chance that he would keep my promise and leave me alone. Logical side won.

I slowly climbed down and hopped off the last branch. “Happy?” I asked waving my arms to my side.

“Almost, what’s your name?” I rolled my eyes

“Why do you care?” he frowned I might have said it in a tone I didn’t mean, but I wasn’t used to people talking to me so much in the first day.

“I’m curious.” He shrugged

“Curiosity killed the cat.” I told him.

“Well I still got 8 lives after this then,” he joked a smiling breaking out of his face. Damn why was he so attractive.

“Evie, my name is Evie.” I sighed in defeat.

“Evie, huh? I like it, suits you is it short for something?” He smiled brighter.

“Yes, but you don’t get to know.” I mumbled kicking at the grass below my feet. He frowned put didn’t push.

“Do you wanna come play ball with us? I can introduce you to some of the other girls—“

“Thanks—“ I said picking up my backpack “but no thanks, I don’t really fit in with your type of crowd.” I said nodded to the preppy pink girls sitting on the bench watching to boys toss the ball around, and gossiping.

I started back to the school, Julian caught up with me.

“Wait maybe sometime you and I could hang out then?” he asked rubbing the back of his neck. I was drawn back? Was he asking me out? Or what I a charity case to him? The new girl that doesn’t fit in.

“I’m not a charity case.” I crossed my arms again. He looked offended.

“I never said you were.” He looked stunned and a little hurt.

“You didn’t have too.” I turned on my toes and headed back towards the school as the bell rang. I heard Julian’s friends giving him a hard time about getting turned down, but I didn’t look back, not this time.

Last period. One more hour of this and my first day would be over. It was biology, one of my better subjects. I walked into class and took the only empty seat left. I kept my head down. My math teacher Mrs. Watson walked in. she started he class. I raised an eyebrow, she must teach both classes. She hadn’t been that bad in math this morning, like Julian had warned. He seemed like a trouble maker though. Maybe they just got under each other’s skin.

“Alright we are going to assign partners today for our next unit.” She announced looking down at a clip board that held the names of every student. She called name after name about half way through the list the door swung open. Julian strolled in with not a care of the fact he was late.

“Nice of you to join us Julian. I trust it you won’t be late again?” she drawled.

“No ma’am” he muttered taking a seat in front of me. He shot me a wink before sitting down.

“Evelyn and Oliver.” She called I looked around the room to see if I could figure out who Oliver is. No dice. Mrs. Watson finished her list and told us to pair up. I sat at my desk hoping this Oliver kid would find me himself. He did.

“Hi you must be Evelyn, considering I know everyone else in this room but you.” He held out his hand, I shook it. Oliver had bright red curly hair, he had a thick Irish accent. He was very lanky, mostly legs.

“I go by Evie.” I muttered. He nodded plopping down beside me throwing his books on the desk and backpack on the floor.

“So are you from the area or just moved?” He asked with a smile. He seemed nice, and I felt comfortable around him for a reason.

“Moved from Invermere actually” I told him. Well I guess I wasn’t actually from Invermere it was just the last foster home I was at.

“Wow a lot smaller then here. How do you like the city so far?” I shrugged.

“Haven’t really explored yet.”

“Well let’s change that, a couple of friends and I are going out this weekend. Why don’t you come with us?” he invited.

Usually I said no to these kinds of things. It wasn’t because I didn’t want to go, it was because I didn’t want to miss the friends I had made when I moved again. I found it easier just to keep my distance.

“Uh, I’m kinda busy—“

“Come on it will be fun. You seem like a fun person.” I smiled. Unlike Julian, Oliver seemed more normal, generally just a nice guy. I liked that.

“Ok, sure.” Mrs. Watson called us to attention just then. I looked at the front of the room and caught a glimpse of Julian glaring at Oliver. I ignored it.

Oliver was actually really good at biology. And we made a pretty good team. What he didn’t understand I did and what I didn’t understand he did. I enjoyed class, which was rare for me. The bell rang and I began to pack up my things.

“I’ll walk you to your locker.” Oliver offered.

“It’s ok I can go myself.” I told him.

“I know, but I want too.” He said standing slinging his bag over his shoulder.

“No it’s fine” I said he looked a little hurt “I’ll see you tomorrow.” I added. This seemed to cheer him up he headed out the door with a “See you tomorrow.”

I stood up walking towards the door when I was called back by Mrs. Watson.

“I’ve read up on you Mrs. Johnston. I see you have had quite a bit of trouble in your past.” she said crossing her arms. How did she know about me? Did she mean the many detentions on my record, but something told me that she wasn’t just talking about that, she meant everything I had done school related and not.

“I have.” There was no point in lying to her. She gave me a stern look.

“I trust you and I won’t have those issues.” She stated.

“No ma’am” I shook my head mimicking Julian’s words from earlier. She seemed to accept my answer.

“Good.” I turned to leave as she stopped me again “Oh and welcome to Winderdale High School.”