Evelyn Marie got up on a rather limpid Wednesday morning. The dark clouds outside her
window drew closer and it would only be a matter of time before the “cold and wet” would
prevail and dominate over her mood.

She stretched and dreaded the thought of the Physics test. How she detested the subject.
Every cell in her body felt a sense of despise for the class. Not that it didn't make sense to her,
studies were a breeze, it was that Angel had majored in Physics. And to her Angela was a witch
constantly brewing some 'eval' potion; her words were the spells these days...

Trying to banish the sorceress from her head, Evelyn Marie wiped the sleep from her eyes and
looked across the room. When did Hurricane Mess hit? It was fine last night. She decided that
she would clean up later and she got out of bed, preparing herself for the drudgery that lay
ahead of her.

Within half an hour, she was walking to school repeating definitions in her head. "One calorie is
the amount of heat..." and "Block and tackles systems are used..."

Her neighbourhood was beautiful. On a bright day the colors on the sidewalk, in the trees were
so vivid it was as if each hue was screaming out the story of their existence. That particular day,
everything was subdues. Was it foretelling her day?

Ariana walked up to her just as she was approaching the school grounds, “So you ready for the
test today?”

Evelyn merely stuck out her tongue in disgust and asked, “What about you?”

Ariana Roget was the most popular girl in the ninth grade. Stereotypical though it sounds,
she was blond haired with gorgeous blue eyes, she wore the latest designs and she was a size
minus two, as if a size zero wasn’t good enough. She wasn’t the nicest person on the planet, but
everybody perceived her differently. Evelyn didn’t care a bit for her high status in the hallways.
She respected equality and Ariana wasn’t an exception to her beliefs. She treated Ariana in a
way nobody could ever dare to. She put her in her place.

“When am I ever ready?” Ariana laughed. She was about to say something more but she saw
her friend Lisa and walked off to go greet her.

Evelyn continued towards the school building and she met her friend Teresa.
“I’m not even going to ask, but you’re ready, aren’t you?” Teresa asked.

Evelyn laughed, “I am, I don’t see a point in freaking out so early in the morning. My brain
is still zapped and sleep deprived.”

“Come on, let’s go to the classroom before the rush starts. I’m not exactly in the mood to

be trampled by a stampede.”

On their way to the Physics classroom, Evelyn bumped into an older girl.
“Hold your horses, which flight are you going to miss?” She brushed back a lock of her
curly brown hair and that gesture made Evelyn swear that she was sure she had seen her
before, she just didn’t know where, “Nevermind, I’m Callie, what about the two of you?
What are your names?”
“I’m Evelyn Marie, and she’s Teresa.”

“We would love to chat but we have a Physics test in less than ten minutes, so we’ll catch
you later.”

Like Speedy Gonzalez, the two hastened to their class.

The paper was easy. Evelyn knew everything. She even had time left on her hands to
think about the previous night. It hurt so much to even think about it, let alone having
witnessed it. She felt helpless, heavy and resentment towards Angela Howards. She hated
her. She hated her. She hated her. She wanted Angela to rot in the deepest darkest pits of
hell.

Evelyn on returning home nearly rang the bell when she heard a loud crash.

“I refuse to believe you! What is it you do every night? Where is it you go? I’m sick of your
lies Catherine! Sick of them!!”

“Peter would you just listen to me for one second?” Evelyn’s mother yelled, “You don’t
give me a chance to speak! You know where I go. I go to the Orphanage. You know I work
there. Why do you doubt me?”

“I know something’s on with you and that Daniel.” Evelyn’s dad, Peter accused.
“Daniel Thomaston is just a friend and a volunteer and you know that! How could you
think that I’d ever leave you for somebody else? I use my love sparingly. To hear “I love
you” from me is a rarity and when I say it to you, I mean it. When I look at Evelyn’s face
every night, I mean it.”

“You obviously didn’t mean it to Callie then.”

Callie? Evelyn’s mind was working at 30 miles a second. She couldn’t understand why her
father emotionally hurt her mother and reduced her to tears every night. It didn’t make
any sense, he was the one at fault. She had realized it late one night when her mother was
in New York working and her father had come home late. The scene replayed in her mind
every night.

Flashback

A car rolled in and Evelyn ran to her window that faced her driveway. Her father got out of
the car and from the other door came a woman dressed fancily. She sashayed about and
then helped her father open the door.

Evelyn squinted to see who the woman was. Hardly had she begun enacting worst case
scenarios when she heard voices.

“Are you sure Evelyn’s asleep?” the lady’s voice drifted up the stairs. It was rich and heavily
accented and enthralled Evelyn.

“Yes it’s past her bedtime.”

“If she is…?”

“Oh hush Angela, she’s a good child,” laughter ensued and Evelyn felt her throat clenching
at her father’s sarcasm.

Then she heard her father’s cell phone ring.

“It’s Catherine!” Angela squealed. After that high pitched shriek she no was no longer
captivated by Captain Unknown. She wanted Angela out now, but she had other
plans, “Put it on loud speaker!”

“Cathy, how are you?”

“Just fine Peter. I just called to say that my research isn’t over. I’m going to be in New York
until Friday. I hope you’ll be able to manage until then. I haven’t ever been gone for so
long.”

“Of course Cathy honey, take care.”

“Bye good night.”

“See things are taken care of now aren’t they?” Evelyn just knew by the tone of her voice
that she was smiling as Peter cut the line.

Evelyn snapped back to the present and tuned in to the conversation.

“So I suggest you leave then!” Peter yelled.

“What about Evelyn?”

The chaos quietened and an eerie silence settled.

“Evelyn will die of hurt if she finds out. Please be rational.”

“You be rational and stop seeing Daniel!”

Evelyn heard a door slam shut and she knew that her mother was crying.

Evelyn left her bag on the front porch and ran towards the park. Then with a clap of
thunder the rain began to pelt down upon her, but she kept running.

She reached the park and flung herself down on a swing and then she burst. The storm
inside her came out like waterfalls. Every night’s fights had led to this. She felt no hope
left. She knew no solace anywhere. She knew that her father would kill her if she told on
him. She wasn’t supposed to know. One time her father had grown suspicious and had let
her go hungry for a day as if to test her.

Then out of the blue she screamed, “What have I done to deserve this? Why me? Go
haunt somebody else. Please help me!”

Evelyn’s voice was lost in the rain, it got carried away by the cold wind that cut through
her pale yellow dress.

“Please help me, please help.” She whispered to herself as she rocked in the swing. Her
heart bled as the drops fell harder than before.

Then suddenly she got up and left when she decided that she was done crying. She began
to think about war victims, people dying from cancer and she slapped herself for crying.
People in this world had bigger problems to cope with. Why was she hoping for a miracle
for herself?

She rang the doorbell of her house and her mother opened it.

“Evelyn, good you’re home. You’re father… Why are you drenched?”

Evelyn merely said, “Rain.”

“Go dry up.”

Evelyn weakly walked to her room and sat on the floor and closed her eyes. She must’ve
fallen asleep for the next thing she knew was that she was being shaken by her mother.

“Eva, are you tired?”

Evelyn looked up at her mother’s tearstained face worsened with worry lines. All she

wanted to do was have her mom hold her while she cried telling her that it was okay. Life
isn’t a piece of cake in the 21st century , you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to know
that.

“No I’m okay, what’s up?” Evelyn lied.

“Eva, you’re dad and I, well we’re falling out a lot so we’ve decided to give each other
some space. I’m going to be moving out and I’ll be at the orphanage.”

Though Evelyn had prepared herself unwanted tears burned in her eyes and the stark
reality scorched her soul, “Mommy, it’s not you, it’s him.” And Evelyn ran out of her room
and out of the house.

It had stopped raining but everything was mucky and dreary. Evelyn wasn’t affected by
that. This time, she was on a mission.

It took her 15 minutes to reach an internet café where she “facebooked” Angela Howards.
She printed out the pages and a note which read;

Leave Peter. He is with Angela. You are not at fault.

She ran to the post office and caught the postman on time and he promised to deliver it
to the Orphanage first chance he got.

She was just about to return home when she heard a heavily accented voice.

“But then your daughter will know won’t she?” Pause. “Alright.”

Evelyn froze at the recognition of the woman. Angela Howards. Her mouth went dry and
her blood ran cold. She was rooted to the spot waiting for Angela to leave.

Finally when she did, Evelyn hurried home completely exhausted. When she approached
her driveway she stopped short, her mother’s car was gone. That’s when the reality
kicked in. Her mother was gone for as long as Angela remained. Nobody was left to save
her, not even a miracle…

The days passed by. Not one day was she spared from Angela who had now come to live
in the house. Angela had threatened her that if she ever told on her, the two lovers would
throw her out onto the streets. At first Evelyn thought it was an empty threat but Angela’s
cold as ice eyes reminded her every day that the bane of her existence was hanging by a
thread.

She knew she was dying inside. She hadn’t seen her mother in weeks as the orphanage
was too far away for her to go alone.

One day at school Evelyn was walking the hallways when she remembered Callie. Even her
father ( could she even call him that now? ) had mentioned a Callie.

So Evelyn grabbed Teresa’s wrist and they went to find Teresa’s sister May who was in the
eleventh grade.

“Do you know a Callie?” Evelyn asked.

“Maybe…”

“Listen I’m desperate.” Evelyn whispered.

“Well…”

“May get on with it!” Teresa exclaimed.

“Fine, she’s in the twelfth grade, she hangs with Emily Rues and she’s in the drama club.”

“Thank you.” Evelyn ran in the general direction of the twelfth grade classrooms and it
was Callie who founded her.

“Evelyn Marie right? Walk with me, we need to talk.”

Taken aback by Callie’s forwardness she stood frozen but she grabbed Evelyn’s hand and
led her to the basketball court which was at the moment devoid of any players.

“Your mother works part time at the orphanage right?”

Evelyn just nodded.

“Did you wonder why?”

“She mentioned wanting to help the less fortunate…”

“In this case, aren’t you one of the less fortunate?”

Evelyn sat confused, “I don’t know what you mean.”

“Yes you do Evelyn. You feel abandoned by your mother and threatened by his father and
new girlfriend. You have nowhere to go and you want to run away.”

“How dare you assume things!” Evelyn flared up, but inside she was shaking. Not even
Teresa had known, heck nobody had known! She was too scared herself to admit it.

“I’m not making assumptions. I’m stating a fact.” She said bluntly.

Evelyn gulped.

“I’ll take it that you believe me? Thing is I know your mother as well as you do. I was
helping her go through the post and it was then that we received the ‘anonymous’ letter
about Angela. The thing is, I live at the orphanage.”

Evelyn stared at the stranger, “What point are you trying to make?”

“Your mom began talking to me and then she gave me the real reason for working at the
orphanage.”

That’s when something clicked in her head, “It’s you, but why?”

“I’m her daughter.”

Evelyn’s heart pounded faster and she felt something in her chest. It was now that Callie
was completely right. Now she felt abandoned, lost and scared.

“How?”

“Mom gave me up for adoption when I was born for they didn’t have the financial means
to start a family. They felt that it would be best if I was taken care of elsewhere, even for a
little while.”

“They why have me?”

“If I tell you, you might die of hurt.”

“Callie, I’m already dead, just say what you have to.”

“You were an accident.”

Evelyn couldn’t swallow. Those four words came crashing down like a brick wall.

“Mom loves you all the same. You’re a happy accident.”

“Not to my father. And how come they decided to keep me and never bring you home?
It’s not like I’m even great, I’m horrible, I’m lost. But don’t you hate me, for them picking
me over you?”

“I don’t know. The question is, do you hate you?”

“No I don’t. I hate my life. It’s falling apart and to know that I was an accident… What does
my existence serve on this planet? I have like two friends and my mother who abandoned
me. Someone who didn’t even have the courage to stand up for herself.”

“You shouldn’t be talking about courage when you yourself haven’t the courage to speak
the truth.”

The bell rang for school to get over and Callie rose to leave, leaving unanswered questions
floating about, “Don’t ask me what I’m talking about. You know it. Courageous people
can never be anonymous. If you really care enough to prove yourself, I suggest you get on
with it.”

Evelyn walked home, her mind in a whirlwind spinning about creating an unwanted
headache. Callie’s conversation had only caused more anger more hate…

Once she reached home seeing that the house was to herself, she called her mother.

“Come home tonight. Bring your daughter, bring people whoever, we’re having a party.”

“Callie told you?” her mother whispered.

“Just come here, then we’ll talk.”

Evelyn wasn’t much of a party girl but she knew just how to plan the perfect one. She
spent an hour decorating and cooking. It was supposed to be her father’s and Angela’s
five month anniversary. She was going to give her father that and much more.

Angela and Peter came strolling in at half past five, “Oh Angela, thank you!” Peter gushed.

“It’s only the beginning.” Angela happily took credit for all Evelyn’s hard work but it was
okay.

At six Evelyn’s guests began to come into the backyard and she quietly let them in.

“Surprise Peter.” Her mother said.

“What?” Angela yelled.

“We have enough witnesses, now you woman, leave my house.”

“You have no business coming here.” Peter bellowed.

“I do. It’s my house, now you two leave!”

“Evelyn what have you done?” Peter screamed at Evelyn.

Evelyn took a deep breath and then began, “What have you done is a better question to
ask. I’ve always known bout Angela, since the time mom was in New York, and now it’s
time for me to tell everybody that you were cheating on my mom and not the other way
round. You have hurt us enough and now it’s time for you to leave. Mum, Callie and I
belong here, not you and Angela.”

“How dare you talk to your father that way! Evelyn leave now!” Peter defended himself.

“You’re not my father. You’re Peter Carter, a coward, a liar and definitely not my dad.”

“Come on Angela, let’s leave, but we’ll be back, I promise you that!!”

Following the departure of the unwanted couple, Evelyn and her mother went up to her
bedroom.

“Mom talk…”

“Eva, not today, even though you’ve done such a brilliant thing, I can’t talk today.” Tears
pooled in her deep brown eyes.

“Mom, what happened?”

“Callie was hit by a bus. She’s in the ICU, I came here to tell you that.”

“What?!” Evelyn exclaimed.

“So I’m going to go there, please be safe. Don’t open the door to anybody, I’ll come home
when I can.”

“No, no, you can’t please.”

“My daughter’s life is in danger.”

“And so is mine! What if Peter comes back? What if they hurt me, mommy, please don’t
go, please…”

But Catherine was already out of the room. Evelyn flopped down on her bed and cried.
Every time something great happened, something was taken away. Evelyn had prayed
every night for a miracle and every wish and every shooting star for a family that loved
her. Her father had never been interested in her and her mother was always too busy. If

nobody could give her the love she yearned, year after year was it even worth trying? She
closed her eyes and she was just about to pray when she stopped herself. There was no
use trying, she had given up…