Page 17 of Wild About You
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The next day after school, I’m working on a lesson plan for my freshman class while Everly paints the backdrop. Over the last two days she gave it all a new base coat and then we worked together with the theater director to sketch the design. Now all that is left is painting the three large screens. I would never admit this out loud, but I think it’s going to be even better than what they had before.
I glance up to see her sitting in front of it, unsmiling as she moves the brush back and forth in front of her. Even bored, she’s talented.
Since I met her, I’ve found myself wanting to reach her, be there for her, inspire her somehow. But that feeling has amplified since finding out she’s Tyler’s sister, and I don’t know if it’s because I feel like I understand her situation better or because of my ties to him. Starting a new school halfway through your senior year has to be tough. I don’t know what happened that caused her to come live with Tyler, but I doubt it’s because things were going really great for her.
Since he lived away from home for the entirety of our relationship, I never met Tyler’s family. He never said much about them either. He talked the most about Everly. How he wished he saw her more and how much fun they had together when he had a break and was able to go visit. I knew he wasn’t super close to his mom, that she was remarried and he didn’t care much for his stepfather, Everly’s dad, and that his real dad wasn’t in the picture, but he kept all the whys and details to himself.
In hindsight, maybe I didn’t ask enough questions. I had my own family drama, and I think it blinded me to see how bad things might have been for him.
“You can stop for today,” I say to Everly, blinking back to the present.
She glances at the clock. “My ride won’t be here for another thirty minutes.”
“I know. Clean out the brushes and then I want to get your opinion on something.”
“Okay,” she says slowly as she moves to the sink.
I stand and come around the desk when she’s finished. I turn the paper with my rough sketch around so she can see it. “This is for my ninth-grade class. I want to have them create a two-point perspective name drawing for their lockers.”
She steps closer to the desk. “This is kind of cool.”
“I hoped you’d say that. Will you make one for me to show as another example?”
With a nod, she grabs a piece of paper. I bring colored pencils and a ruler with me to a table and sit next to Everly.
While I color in the letters of my name, she sketches hers.
I have a million things I’d like to ask her, but I stay quiet while we work side by side. If I have learned anything in this week of teaching high school students, it’s that you can’t force them to open up.
Eventually, Everly does speak. “You and my brother, huh?”
I hide behind my hair, certain my face is red. “It was a long, long time ago.”
She studies me but doesn’t say any more. The time ticks by as we work in silence.
She finishes just before her hour is up.
“It looks great. Thank you.”
“Can I go now? River is waiting outside.”
“Yeah, of course.” She pushes back from her seat and grabs her backpack.
A familiar form fills the doorway. Everly’s shoulders slump. “What are you doing here?”
“Good to see you too,” Tyler says, brows raised in amusement.
“River is picking me up.”
“No, he isn’t. I told him to go home.”
It looks like she wants to rage on him, but he doesn’t give her the chance. “Wait for me outside. I need to talk to your teacher.”
“You mean your ex-girlfriend?”
“Ev.” His voice is sharp.
