Prank Me Love

[BONUS STORY] FALLING EVAN

EVAN [from the past]

THE FIRST TIME I FELL FOR HER...

It was on a typical Sunday evening. She was on her way to her home from mine because she used to babysit my baby sister, Elena, every time my parents leave for a usual parents' night-out. I was driving my car because I lost a bet with her on a game of chess, so I get to give her a lift home because she doesn't use a car. No big deal, since she always really wins against me and I always get to drive her home in the end. It's not like I don't like driving her around, I've always been the one who does that to her and Shane (just before James came and did that for her so now it's mostly Beth for me). But that time, the drive had been different.

Maybe it was because she was wearing that dress. That blue dress and it wasn't very Beth-like for her to wear such a thing. Not that I have any complaints about it, though. It's just very unusual, especially for me because she used to wear jeans or shorts when she babysits. But that day, I'd made myself believe she had worn that for me. 

She even had her hair braided on the side, creating a halo-like aura for her cute face, and the glasses she wore made her eyes rounder. I was under the impression that something had changed with Beth. Something had shifted and I don't know why but my heart was making this funny feeling inside my chest, like a soft tickling right through my stomach. Only that the tickling made me feel a bit nervous but very excited at the same time, for some unknown reason. 

The truth is, even before that very day I realized that I had already fallen for her, things had already changed between the two of us. The way I watched Beth from afar became different, even the way she spoke around me suddenly sounded different, and the way she laughs felt different... It had been like that for the past few days before that Sunday when I finally realized...

I fell hard. VERY HARD.

I remember listening to her that time, she was telling me this stuff I can't recall now but I knew I was enjoying it because I get to hear her soft voice. Then she leaned towards the dashboard to fidget with the car radio, playing a station where one of her favorites songs came sounding through the speakers. She sang along, and she had this very angel-like voice that I just could never get enough of listening to. I hummed the music, she played the lyrics and we smiled at each other while doing that.

Maybe because it was that song. Or maybe because it was the way we looked at each other that for a moment, all of our familiarity in the past took a turn too. In that instant, the way I feel when I look at her had changed without me knowing, and the way she looked back at me did the same too. We have changed.

When I parked in front of their house that night, she didn't get off right away. She looked at me instead, and she had this kind of expression on her face that made me feel nervous.

"Good night, E," she told me, the first time in about three years we did that kind of routine. It was the first night she had stopped to greet me a good night. I smiled at her.

"Same to you, B," I replied. But she still hadn't moved, and neither did I even pushed her to.

We just stared at each other... For a very long time.

And then, just for a brief second, I remembered one thing I had been always too chicken to tell her. I took a deep breath and looked straight into her eyes and said, "I'm sorry... For that time.. When you..."

When she saw me and Sally in her room. That morning was the biggest regret I've ever had.

"I know," Beth quickly said to me, looking away. I watch her sighed heavily, her bangs flapping on their own as she did and I had to admit, it was cute.

"I've forgiven you," she adds in a softer voice, looking out of the window, "Just... Just don't do it again. With her."

I nodded silently and reached out to touch her shoulder. "Promise," I told her when she faced me again. And we looked at each other in a very intense way that made my heart skipped a beat.

I was falling for her.

"Don't promise, E," she said after a moment, making me frown, "Promises are meant to be broken," she told me and moved to open the car door by her side.

With sad eyes she turned to her right, my hand falling to her side as she did, and got off of my car in a rush. She gave me one last glance and a hand wave before she hastily walked towards the front door of their home. I watched her with a heavy feeling, a bit weird to realize that watching this kind of scene--Beth walking away from me--felt painful. And from that moment, I knew.

I WAS FALLING HARD. 

I WAS DEFINITELY FALLING IN LOVE WITH HER.

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EVAN [in the present]

SOMEWHERE ALONG with CHAPTER 13 and 14

NOW, HOW DID IT END UP HERE?

My first recall was when I kissed Beth that night when I saw her with that bastard. I was so furious, she didn't tell me about that thing that has been going on between them. Why didn't she tell me when I had already told her all about my feelings for her? I don't understand her, she was always the one who nags at me when I get flirty with other girls around her, and now... Just because I did confess to her, she decided to go out on a date with that i***t? And she even had the nerve to tell me it has been already the second one. 

DAMN IT.

Now, if you're wondering how in the hell I had gotten to kiss her, well yeah. We were bickering, and emotions were at their heights, that at that moment, all I just thought of doing was to kiss her senseless because I was mad too. And also I am extremely impulsive when I'm in the caveman (overly jealous) mode so I made a move to give her my mark. I don't really like seeing the girl I love being groped by someone else. 

Well, okay. Maybe it wasn't really groping that much, since it was just a slight touch on the waist, but still!

I was so mad and disappointed and hurt! I just told her I liked her last week and now she goes on as nothing had happened. Like my confession didn't entirely take place at her driveway on a Sunday evening for the last time she has to babysit Elaine.

"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?" she tells me furiously, as we stood by the back of the gym. I was just done with practice and I didn't join them at lunch today because I still couldn't bear to face her after our kiss that night. 

She had dragged me here the second I had walked out of the gym, her face scrunching with an adorable angry scowl that I found entirely pretty and funny. But still, I should not be driven away with just that. We're in a fight remember? Evan, focus.

"What is wrong with me?!" I retort back, smirking. "I don't really think there's anything wrong with me at all."

"Damn it, Evan!" she groans loudly, and I glared back after hearing her call me with my whole name. Now, she's back to first name basis?! What is this!?

"Why did you threaten Paul? Who are you to do that?!"

"Because you're not going to date him again!" I sneered back. Of course, she knew I wouldn't want her to date someone else.

"Why do you have to be an asshole?" I laughed at that particular curse that came out of her. Damn... My girl is giving me the third degree but here I am laughing just because she gets to swear at me.

"EVAN!" She shouts again and this time, I became serious.

"I told you I like you, B," I said to her as I stare right into her eyes. Those blue orbs were sparkling and it always makes me weak in knees when I look at them. "And you dated someone else... What do you expect of me? Just sit back and watch you go out with some loser?"

"He's not a loser, he's the student council vice-president!" she counters back.

"Yeah, and I'm the quarterback of our school's defending champion team," I tell her, boasting for my expense because I knew that she knew there's nothing to compare between that i***t and me anyway. "And I had feelings for you, but you still went on and threw them away like it doesn't have any meaning. Am I really that worthless? Am I really that insignificant to you?"

"Evan..."

"E," I correct her, glaring. "Don't ever call me Evan. You've always called me E. You're B to me and I'm E to you, remember?"

"Why are doing this?!" she asks in an irritated tone, "You can't just tell me you like me and expect I'd believe you."

"Why the hell can't you believe me?"

"Why should I?!" she snaps.

"Because I like you! Maybe, I even love you!" I shouted back furiously, forgetting my sense of sanity for a moment. "Why can't you believe this?! I'm confessing to you like an i***t and you don't believe this?! At all?!"

"STOP LYING!" she cried out.

"I'M NOT LYING!"

"YES! YOU ARE!" the first tears from her eyes fell down in front of me. And we both paused to catch our breath. She was the one who spoke again.

"Stop lying, Evan. Stop it." she said again with soft sobs.

I grabbed her shoulders and made her look at me, "That's the thing, B. I'm not lying to you. Why do you keep saying that? I really like you... A lot."

"No," her eyes hardened as she glares at me, swatting my hands away, "You don't. I saw you."

I frowned. "Saw me?"

"You kissed her."

Kiss who? The question was very clear on my face that the next thing that came out of Beth's mouth answered all of my confusion.

"You kissed Sally that night... And I saw you."

I watch her go with a huff and leave me alone there. I was so startled and speechless that it took me a minute to process it all. It was that night. And it was a stupid night... The thing I've regretted the second of all... Since Beth's fifteenth birthday... s**t.

I am so screwed now. How am I going to explain it to her the right way when she's like this?

My mind went wild just thinking, I couldn't think of a plan. This is not really like football at all... This is not definitely an easy dilemma. I AM FALLING HARD AGAIN but this time... 

It's the kind of falling down the depth of a broken promise.