"Hello. Auntie Jane, how are the boys doing?" Evelyn asked, she was sitting on the bleachers. Playing with her shoe's laces she waited for a reply from Alexander's mom.
"They're doing better now honey, the cold-pack really helped their temperature go down. They'll be better by the time you get home from school. Their fever was caused by stress and sleep deprivation… hold on honey, your boyfriend is calling."
"Sure, thing Auntie Jane, I'll hold." Evelyn heard the phone being placed down and then the sound of a door opening. About a minute the phone was once again picked up. "Auntie Jane, is Alexander, ok?"
"Yes, I'm fine."
"Alex, what are you doing out of bed? You need to get some rest." Evelyn said with concern in her voice.
"I'm fine sweetie, I promise. All I needed was a little more sleep… I'm actually thinking of going to school right now."
"You go to bed mister." Both Evelyn and Mrs. Jane said in unison, causing Alexander to burst out laughing. He did sound fine, but it was best not to take chances, his health couldn't be risked. He did have a track competition coming up in two days.
"When did I begin to have two mothers?" Alexander questioned, still laughing.
"Dummy…" Evelyn said with a giggle. Alexander stopped laughing and the line went silent for a couple of seconds. "Alexander…" Evelyn broke the silence, calling his name in a whisper.
"What is it baby girl?" He questioned in a whisper as well. Alexander heard his girlfriend sighing.
"I let my guard down last year." She replied, of course Alexander had absolutely no idea what she was referring to.
"Your guard down?" Alexander wondered what she was talking about.
"I told the twins, Jona and Caleb about us. they asked who the ring was from, and I told them it was from my Mystery Guy, from you. Caleb asked how long you and I had been dating and I told them around four years. They were surprisingly shocked; the guys thought we had barely gotten together last year. So last year I let my guard down." Alexander laughed on the other side of the phone line. "What's so funny? Come on Alexander stop laughing."
"I'm not laughing at you sweetie. I'm happy that you really did decide to tell everyone about us, and I'm thrilled that you're wearing the ring. Baby, does it really matter how long others think we've been dating? I don't care; as long as they know we're together right now it's all that matters to me." Evelyn could imagine her boyfriend having a sweet smile on his face as she had one on hers.
"You're right, all that matters is that they know we're together right now." The bell rang, indicating that Evelyn had to head to class now. "Alexander…"
"Yeah, I heard the bell too, you have to go."
"No that's not what I was going to tell you." Evelyn was getting off the bleachers and walking back inside.
"Oh?" Alexander questioned with confusion in his voice.
"I love you, Alexander Khinbert." She walked past a couple of people who she swore had heard her.
"I love you too, Evelyn McNealy. I'll see you when you get back home."
"See you then." She ended the call and walked into class, the twins already sitting in their places. "Thank you so much Kris." Evelyn said while she handed Kristine her phone back.
"What'd Alex say?" Natasha questioned without wasting any time to get into the most important subject of the day.
"He wanted to come to school but I told him not to. He still needs to rest more, and Auntie Jane agreed with me. I also told him that you girls knew about us. He was really happy about it." Evelyn smiled thinking about what he had said the night before, how he had gotten so excited and jumpy when she told him it was time to tell everyone about them.
"You seem happy too."
"Dean…? You always seem to pop-out of nowhere." Evelyn said with a nervous smile.
"I tend to do that. Hey Kris, Nat, how are you girls?" He questioned with a wink and a half smile.
"We're uhm… we're… Kris, how are we?" Nat went all goo-goo; she was unable to turn away from his eyes.
"Uhm we're… we're fine, yeah just great… so fine." Kris was the same as her sister, unable to look away from his icy-blue eyes.
"That's good to know." Dean chuckled at how the twins reacted to him and turned his attention back to Evelyn. "So, Evee are the rumors true, are you and Khinbert really a couple?" He questioned losing the entire cool that had turned the twins all goo-goo.
"Wow word travels fast in this school." Evelyn laughed, but turned serious at the sight of Dean's expression, somewhere in the way his eyes looked, Evelyn could see that he hoped the rumors weren't true, but why did he show that? Evelyn entwined her fingers, she turned to look at her best friends and bit her lip, turning back at Dean she finally answered. "The rumors are true. Alexander and I are dating."
"Yeah, he even proposed to her, check out the ring." Nat added as she pointed at Evelyn's left hand. Dean followed Nat's finger and soon noticed the golden ring. His eyes widened and he felt a huge lump in his throat, he coughed a couple of times but the sensation in his throat wouldn't go away.
"I see. Aren't you a bit too young to get married?"
"I am now, but we're not getting married until I graduate." Evelyn giggled at the thought of dressing in a white dress and walking down the aisle towards Alexander's side.
'I still have until next year to steal her away from Khinbert.' Dean thought. "Well good luck with that." The teacher walked into the classroom, ordering everyone to take their seats. "We'll talk later." He walked back to his seat leaving the twins and Evelyn with a raised eyebrow.
"What is going on between you and Dean?" Kris questioned Evelyn in a whisper.
"There's nothing going on." Evelyn replied while taking out her Math Workbook.
"That didn't look like just nothing. That boy feels something for you, it's so obvious."
"You're crazy Kris. Dean barely started talking to me yesterday; it's not possible for the guy to like me from one day to another."
"Evee, I agree with Kris, that boy has feelings for you and his feelings may have not just started yesterday." Nat added.
"Fine even 'if' that were true, I really shouldn't think too much about it. I already have Alexander and I don't plan to change him for anyone else. I love him and he loves me." Evelyn smiled and looked at her friends. "It feels really weird talking about this with you girls, but so cool at the same time." The girls giggled. Evelyn had never been able to talk to the twins about Alexander, not in that matter but now that they know that she and Alexander are dating it felt so normal to do so.
"Ms.'s Smith and Ms. McNealy would you three like to share with the class what's so funny?"
"Sorry Mrs. Sparks" The girls said in unison, trying to fight back another giggle.
Evelyn sat alone during lunch it had been her own decision to do so. She wanted to leave the newly couples to enjoy themselves. She peacefully ate her lunch outside on the field's bleachers; that was until a bunch of guys and some girls decided to show up all asking the same questions. 'Are the rumors true? Are you really going out with Alex Khinbert? Is it true, he already proposed to you?' Evelyn let out a small sigh, answering everyone the same.
"Yes, we are dating. Would you consider this to answer your other question?" Evelyn raised her left hand pointing at the ring with her right. The guys left with disappointment written on their faces while the girls left sobbing.
"You seem to be quite popular when McNealy and Khinbert aren't around. Wow I can already imagine senior year for you."
"Hey Dean, what you come to bombard me with questions as well?" Dean chuckled while taking a seat next to Evelyn.
"Nah, I already asked everything I needed to know during first period." He crossed his arms behind his head and leaned back on the bleachers, closing his eyes.
"Then what are you doing here?" Dean opened one eye to look at the girl sitting next to him.
"If I'm bothering you and want me to leave, I'll leave." He replied while closing his eyes again.
"No, no that's not what I meant."
"I saw you and I wanted to keep you company." Dean sat up straight, staring straight into Evelyn's honey eyes.
"Thanks." Evelyn smiled and just like the other times when she started into Dean's icy-blue eyes she felt hypnotized by them, unable to look away. "Your eyes…" she was suddenly un-hypnotized by a young boy placing a rose and note on the bleacher in front of her. Evelyn looked at the young boy jumping his way down.
"What's this?" Dean innocently questioned as he grabbed the note. Evelyn snatched it away from his hand before he could open it. It didn't matter, Dean knew exactly what it said, how could he not, he was the one that wrote it.
"It's nothing, just a bunch of nonsense from a guy that is too scared to show himself. It's cowardly of him to wait until my brother and boyfriend are gone for him to make his move." Evelyn was getting pissed off just by thinking of the damn guy, who was actually sitting right next to her.
"Maybe he has his reasons for staying hidden…" Dean started saying, of course in his defense but Evelyn cut him off.
"I really don't care about him or his reasons, but I do have to thank him for one thing." Dean raised an eyebrow wondering what he had done right.
"And what could that be?"
"If it hadn't been for him, the relationship between me and Alexander would have stayed a secret." Evelyn smiled as she looked out at the field.
"So, it was because of him that you two decided to bring your relationship out in the open?" Dean questioned in disbelief. 'I actually helped them out!' Evelyn laughed and nodded her head. "Great… hey well I've got to get going, see you around."
"Ok, see you." Evelyn saw Dean getting off the bleachers. He was talking to himself while doing so. "I want school to end already. Oh yes, the note…" Evelyn opened the note and read it mentally. 'It turns out that you and your bodyguard are actually a couple. I would have never expected that. Rest assure I won't give up so easily. This game has just begun. Sincerely, Your Secret Admirer.' Evelyn pinched the rim of her nose. "Is he serious?! Damn this guy, he's playing a game that I want no part of." The bell rang and she had to go back to class, on her way she threw away the rose and the note in a trashcan, not caring at all if her Secret Admirer was to see.
The rest of the day went on quite fast and thankfully Evelyn didn't receive any more notes. "Aren't we in a rush?" Kristine said as she saw Evelyn fast walking towards her brother's car.
"You know me, can't wait to head home." Evelyn slowed down her pace as she saw a guy leaning against the car with a dozen pink roses, each had a note attached.
"I decided to stop hiding in the shadows and just come out in the open… Evelyn McNealy, I love you."
"You're my Secret Admirer?"