Page 12

CHAPTER 12 EVIE

On the top of the Hutchinson Parking Garage, their picnic underway, Evie noticed Lis speaking to Viet, and felt a wave of gratitude toward her roommate, who didn’t speculate when she asked if their younger classmate seemed distant lately. Lis merely decided, “I’m going to have a word with him. He’ll be fine. Make sure he comes to the picnic.”

Kale, of course, prepared some sandwiches: ham and brie, tomato and mozzarella, and tuna salad. Everyone else lugged over soft drinks. The sun was just starting to set, blue, purple, pink, orange, and yellow gracing the skies, accentuating the mountains. The intramural field below the garage was packed with other students who had the same idea to leave their workload behind for a few hours.

Jake rested his head in her lap. Truthfully, she didn’t think her boyfriend would make it because of his schoolwork; she even said so to her friends, apologizing. They didn’t seem to care. Imagine her surprise when Jake came to the picnic spot.

Her boyfriend didn’t clamor to spend time with them, even in the previous years. It was the same for the other three. She didn’t want to push them together; she just wished it had happened organically. One time, her parents had had a holiday party at the restaurant and invited the employees, friends outside of the business, fellow business owners, and a handful of distant relatives. She remembered feeling secondhand embarrassment as she watched her parents awkwardly fail to have their friends mingle. It was almost like they had several parties going on at once. She wished there was a way to bring together her friend groups.

Lost in her thoughts, she didn’t realize she had stopped touching Jake’s hair.

Jake noticed, and tilted his head back. “Something the matter?”

She put on a smile. “Nothing. I’m just glad you’re here. We’ve all been so busy.”

“Truth. This year’s been packed.” He sighed. “Interview requests for the clinic go out tomorrow. What should we do to celebrate?” Had it already been a month since she submitted her application?

She tugged his ear. “You’re getting way ahead of yourself. Let’s wait until we get the emails, and then we can make plans.”

“Got to be prepared.”

“But what if… what if we don’t get through the program together? Or one of us is rejected?”

“I don’t see that happening.”

Evie was envious of his confidence, then. Even if it might be arrogant, at least he believed in the two of them.

She felt eyes on her and turned slightly. Viet faced her way, a tiny smile on his face. What was going through his mind? Questions were on the tip of her tongue today during their quick run, but when his tears flowed, she didn’t want to press him. Comforting him was her goal, and it seemed to work. She waved her free hand.

Viet jolted; it was obvious he had zoned out, and she laughed at his wide eyes, his smile now sheepish. He gestured behind her.

The sunset. Gazing at this sight, bolstered by the happiness around her, she felt eager for the events of tomorrow.

The next day, Evie kept refreshing her emails, even in class, underneath the desk and out of view of the lecturer. She didn’t see any email—neither an invite nor a rejection—so she held on to hope. She used her phone so often throughout the day that she ran out of battery, and had to race back to the apartment to plug it in.

Evie switched over to her tablet, fingernails tapping against the screen as she waited for it to turn on. When she opened up her browser and mail account, she saw there was one new message.

From the clinic.

Dear Evelyn Mai—

She walked normally to the café, but inside, she felt like skipping. She got in!

Jake had a study group here and told her to come by after she texted wanting to meet. There he was, toward the far end of the café, books and papers out with three other students. Beaming, she waved at Jake who waved back. He mouthed that he’d come to her in a few minutes. Not wanting to interrupt, she sat at a table closer to the entrance, and scrolled through her phone. The Sins group chat showed their rabid congratulations.

“You look happy,” Jake said ten minutes later. They kissed, before he sat down across from her. He looked ragged—probably another all-nighter.

Guilt picked at her, wondering if it was all right to share the news when he might not have checked his email yet.

“I heard from the clinic. I got in.”

He nodded. “That’s cool. Congrats, babe.”

Her stomach knotted. “Did you… hear back yet?”

“Yeah, I didn’t get in.”

Evie took his hand. “Oh no. I can’t believe it.” A part of her thought he was going to make it through, with or without his dad’s help.

“S’right.” He sighed. “I’ve got plenty of other things going on.” Evie had to smile at that—he didn’t sit with his disappointments; he always focused on the next step.

“Want to go out this weekend?”

“Hmm. Might be tough for me. I got some plans with the guys the next two weekends. Maybe end of the month?”

Evie looked down. “I just… thought it’d be nice to celebrate this with you this weekend. Or at least take another break…”

Jake raised a hand at his friends when they called out for him. He didn’t seem to hear Evie. “I’ll see what I can move around, promise. Okay, got to get back with the study group. Text you later.” He dropped a quick kiss on her lips, then ambled back to his own corner.

A few minutes later, they left the café, likely searching for some place less crowded. Evie forced herself not to watch them leave. That creeping feeling—it made her heart sting. Sure, getting the interview request wasn’t like winning a Nobel Prize or anything like that, and Jake was probably busy with all his schoolwork. He was always under pressure.

Another part of Evie wondered if her good news mattered to him at all.

Sitting there, her mind racing from her internal debate, she didn’t hear anyone approaching. From behind, Lis threw her arms around her, nearly yanking the chair onto its back legs. Kale, Tate, and Viet, holding a coffee cup, came into her view. Evie laughed. “Lis, you’re choking me.”

“Friends are allowed to choke each other when good news happens!”

“Makes no sense,” Tate said.

“My turn to choke her!” Kale, ignoring his boyfriend, hugged her from the front after Lis backed away. Then he mumbled about a celebratory dinner for the next Saturday Sins. “Anything you want—I’ll make it for you.”

Turning red—from both embarrassment and a lack of air source, probably—Evie met eyes with Viet who smiled on. She saw only unbridled excitement, so she gave him her own wide grin. He looked much better than yesterday—clouds clearing after a long rainstorm.

“It’s no big deal,” Evie said. “And remember, I need to interview first before anything can happen!”

“That’s still a big deal, though,” Viet said. “But no one’s surprised because we all knew you would get through. Really—congrats, Evie.” He set down the coffee cup. “A small treat for you. Mocha latte with two pumps of syrup instead of three. Lis told me.”

“You didn’t have to, Viet,” she said, but she accepted it. Their fingers touched for a millisecond. “But thank you. And Lis, I guess.” Her roommate sent her a proud look.

She allowed herself a few seconds in Kale’s embrace and basked in their smiles. They all seemed to know exactly what she needed.