Yes, yes, I know. I made you all wait two weeks. And I feel bad, really I do, so I made this chapter one of my longer ones. Well, longer than the last few have been at least. I kind connected with Evangeline in this chapter. We both had birthdays on holidays! Mine was on Easter this year, and it does get wierd to have people coming up to you and saying, "Happy Easter! Oh it's your birthday? Yeah, that too."
Loving my Chapter 10 reviewers: Chocolate Tunda, Mrs. Naara, lizziemagic, queenVEExo, x-Taiiwo-x, Carlint, allenterrill, maramouse, and Converse r life! This story is nothing without you all.
"Now, Miss Evangeline, hold still. Stop fiddling with those diamonds or I'm gonna chop your hand off!" My hand flew from the bejeweled halter top of my dress back into my lap before Evelyn could slap at it again. The good-humored maid/appearance-related-miracle-worker had been playfully scolding me for the past hour as she helped me into my costume and dealt with my unruly hair. Most of the time was spent coaxing my dark locks into gentle curls, but I think we only succeeded in lessening some of the frizz and intensifying some of the natural curl. It was mutually decided to pin some of my hair back with a diamond barrette and leave the rest down, to give it sort of an angelic look, to match my costume.
I had purposefully chosen one of the simplest ideas I could think of, one that wouldn't require inhuman amounts of makeup or accessories. I was going as a Greek goddess. Not a specific goddess, that got complicated, but just the general idea of what a goddess might look like. All I needed was a dress and sandals, both of which were easily found. Nana tailored my dress of course, like she always did. From the diamond halter collar (not my decision, blame Ruth and Nana), the dress was airy and form fitting at the same time. It around my chest and fell down like a ribbon or sash from where it met the diamonds. The color was definitely much needed for some extra happiness.
"Sorry, Evelyn." I replied sheepishly, but she only smiled. I was free of scolding or lectures for the day (mostly). That came with the birthday rule of immunity. Sadly, that rule didn't cover Aunt Charlotte. Instead of getting to sleep in like I'd hoped, I was woken up bright and early by my dear godmother as she drowned my bed in balloons. The next thing I knew, a waffle with a birthday candle was shoved in my face and box after brightly wrapped box was stacked around me.
The gifts were average, about like every year. Mostly stylish clothing or the occasional book I could curl up with in the garden once the weather turned warmer. Aunt Lotte seemed to have been in a dressy mood when she went shopping. Almost all of the new clothes were dresses both casual and fancy. Some looked like they belonged in a real castle rather than the un-proclaimed queen of New Orleans's homey mansion. Then there were shoes and accessories to match each one. It had taken far longer than it should have to re-organize my closet to fit it all.
"There you are. All finished." Evelyn topped her work off with a cloud of hairspray that had me chocking with every breath I took. "Were these the shoes you wanted?"
I nodded my head when she held up the sandals with the brown leather straps cross crossing over the empty space my foot would soon occupy. Taking them from her, I bent down and slipped my feet into their respective shoes just as Aunt Lotte knocked on my door. "Come in." I said, stretching out my leg to admire the footwear.
Aunt Lotte entered with shockingly minimal difficulty. For a moment I thought she hadn't changed yet, but then I looked closer at what she was wearing. It was a revealing strapless number, shimmering with blue and green glitter and hugging her tight until it reached her knees, where it fanned out like a fin. Her hair was nothing more than a mass of curls kept in place by a seashell pin.
"Well this is…," I searched for a word. "Different for you, Aunt Lotte. Usually your dresses have a diameter of at least 8 feet."
She giggled, patting her hair to make sure none of it had fallen over. "I thought I should be something' other than a queen this year, to mix it up, you know. So I thought bein' a mermaid was the next best thing."
"I'm sure everyone will be thrown for a loop." It was all I could think to say.
"I sure hope so. Now c'mon birthday girl! You don't want to keep everyone waiting."
I didn't bother to point out it wasn't even our ball. It could start without us.
The one thing I missed about the size Aunt Lotte's queen outfits was her ability to walk in them. It took us double the time it should have to get down all the flights of stairs because the tight skirt wouldn't adjust to the basic needs of human mobility. Aunt Charlotte's knees were restricted from bending more than slightly, so she shuffled along rather awkwardly to the car. Before we even reached the porch she had had enough.
"To heck with this!" She screamed shrilly, and cut through the shining fabric so that there were two very long and revealing slits beside each leg. The scary thing: She did it with her fingernail.
Needless to say, I sat as far away from her as possible in the limousine, chewing on my bottom lip as I counted the blocks to the Benoit's home. My stomach had been churning all day, and I was starting to wonder if my organs were running a carnival in my chest cavity. Images of Daniel were racing through my head constantly. I couldn't escape from those green eyes or that charming smile no matter where I turned.
I could hear the party before we got there. The band the Benoit's hired to play for the night were louder than any freight train, even from the secluded back yard. The heavy bead pounded at my skull as we pulled up, and combined with my racing heart I feared I would collapse. Luckily, the car roof was very conveniently placed so I could use it to steady myself. Taking deep breaths, I focused on placing one precariously heeled foot in front of the other. I followed Aunt Lotte through the front door. Good, I'd made it that far. My pace quickened. It was a straight shot out the opposite end of the foyer. I could see the arrived guests milling about under the glow of the multi-colored lights on the outside patio. Just a few more steps and I was there, where I could have a little fun and celebrate my staying alive for eighteen years.
I was so happy when the door to the party was only one foot away. I was almost there.
Until someone harshly grabbed my arm and yanked me into a hallway.
I cried out in surprise, but the small noise was cut short when my captor twirled me around to face them. For a second, I didn't know who I was looking at - the hallway was dark and untouched by moonlight - but I relaxed when I found it was a familiar face.
"Marjory, what are you doing?" I questioned my classmate, who rolled her eyes at my tone. She removed her cowgirl hat - I mentally noted the brilliance of her costume - and I could just barely make out her less than amused expression.
"Calm down, birthday girl." She drawled, tugging me deeper into the shadows as another couple of guests passed through the door to the patio. "Listen, I know this ball is supposed to be for you and all, but Daniel told me to come get you. He wants to talk." I crossed my arms. So His Almighty Elusive-ness was back in town, and now he wanted to talk? What an interesting turn of events
"Do you always do whatever your brother tells you to?"
Marjory snorted, as if recalling some private joke. "He's my big brother. He's got some sort of seniority thing over me. Or at least he thinks so. Truth is, I love the twit." I smiled, but about 70% of the reason was the fact that she used the word 'twit.' Taking my wrist, Marjory led me through the hallway, expertly navigating her way up two flights of stairs while a tripped and stumbled behind her. After what seemed like ages, we arrived at large double doors.
"It's the library," explained Marjory. "Dan's here. Good luck." The last part was added sarcastically, but I'd gotten to know my cooking partner well enough to know she had a very dry sense of humor. Sometimes it got hard to figure out if she liked me or didn't, but after a while I figured we were slowly building up a lukewarm friendship. I took a nervous breath in and rapped my knuckled against the door.
"Oh, and Evangeline!" Marjory said just before she was out of sight. Unable to find my voice, I just looked at her expectantly. She grinned mischievously. "Happy…Mardi Gras."
"Oh, come on!" I yelled after her, though I couldn't help laughing at her little quip. Couldn't be wished a happy birthday, oh no, but Fat Tuesday was a big enough celebration to get well wishes for. I was still giggling to myself when I turned back to the library entrance, my eyes met with endless shelves of books. It took a moment, but I did eventually notice the absence of one minor detail: the door. And in its place was a very somber looking Daniel Benoit.
My breath hitched when our eyes met. Those green eyes of his that had been invading my dreams each night had me transfixed with every emotion possible: relief, anger…fear. In one fluid motioned he pulled me into the room, shut the door, than whipped around so I was suddenly staring at his back. I almost forgot he was even Daniel. He was wearing a patchwork shirt, dirty work pants, and heavy boots, articles of clothing I almost never saw him in. A ratty hat sat atop his disheveled hair, and I was confused to see bits of straw poking out from the collar and various tears of his shirt. Then it clicked.
And so the first words I said to my boyfriend in over a week were, "Are you supposed to be a scarecrow?" To any outside eye, I got the feeling we'd be considered a pretty odd couple.
He didn't turn around, but had the courtesy to answer my question. "Ever read The Wizard of Oz?"
I nodded slowly. "When I was a kid, yeah. So you're that scarecrow." He swiped his hat from his head and ran a hand through his hair, gradually switching his position to finally face me. The lack of emotion in his expression was unsettling.
"Yeah."
I heard a clock ticking from somewhere further into the room, somewhere behind the shelves stocked full of knowledge and truth. Cynically, I reminded myself that not one of the hundreds of texts would be able to give me the answers I needed.
Tick, Tick, Tick.
Many clock ticks later, I opened my mouth at last with yet another question. "Where did you go, huh? I tried to find you to apologize. I shouldn't have run off like that, but…well, you had no right to kiss me just to prove something to your parents…or yourself for that matter. So I think you owe me an explanation."
I waited, but he didn't say anything. I felt a little sorry for him. He looked nervous and had shoved his hands deep into his pockets, shuffling his feet along the carpet. Trying to stall wasn't helping his situation in the least bit. "I got a draft letter." By the time the words left his mouth, I had nearly dozed off from waiting, and missed everything he said but the last word.
"What?"
"I got drafted, Evangeline. The letter came a couple weeks ago. I…wanted to wait for the right time to tell you."
I froze. There was no way…I mean, yes, of course there was a way, I just hadn't thought it would ever come to this. I knew he was eligible for the draft but…ever since we had started dating the war had been so far from my mind. It was always someone else's guy that got drafted or…killed. I didn't think it would actually happen to him. Blinking away the tears that started to burn at my eyes, I did my best to keep a strong façade. "What are you going to do? Is that where you went? To go sign up?" I chose each word carefully, speaking slowly as my mind tried to comprehend what it was being told. Daniel - my Daniel - was being called to war.
Daniel looked at me from where he stood a few feet away with such and intense gaze that I had trouble keeping eye contact. "Angel -,"
"Don't do that!" I backed up quickly, putting my hand on a desk to support myself. "Don't start using pet names to get me to melt in your arms and do whatever you say. That was what Robby did, and you've been acting a lot like him lately." He winced, and I felt a twisted sort of pleasure knowing I'd finally hit a nerve.
"Evangeline," he continued, and I instantly felt a little guilty. I knew he didn't want to act like Robby, and it hurt him to hear me compare the two. "I've wanted to do this for a long time, but you-,"
"What?" I snapped. Those stupid tears were close to falling, and I didn't fancy having mascara running down my cheeks for the rest of the night. "Am I doing something wrong by wanting you to stay here?"
"No-,"
"Then what? What's stopping you from running off to get blown up? I'm certainly not. How could I? You said it yourself, you have nothing keeping you here, no reason to stick around." He knew I'd caught him. He had in fact uttered those very words the first night we collided on the sidewalk and he asked me out. We've come full circle, I noted with mock sentimentality.
"Evangeline, please just let me explain." I wasn't listening. My back was to him now, and I was stomping angrily to the door. I wouldn't let him see me cry. No way. "When I left town I was -," I slammed the door and heard nothing else.
Though it was dark, I vaguely remembered the way Marjory and I had come, and I hesitantly retraced my steps down several flights of stairs. I had to stop every once in a while to wipe the salt water from my cheeks, and prayed that I didn't look like a raccoon.
"Of all things to pray about!" I muttered to myself.
"Eva?" A familiar voice echoed through the hall. "Evangeline are you there?"
"Virginia?" I croaked into the shadows. It was her, bustling down the hallway through the occasional squares of blue light from moon shining through the windows. Seeing my sad state, she pulled out a fresh handkerchief and wiped away at my eyes.
"What happened? Your Aunt's going crazy looking for you, and everyone wants to wish you a happy birthday." She dabbed at the skin around my eyes, and I grimaced when I saw the white fabric streaked with black.
"It's nothing. Just some boyfriend drama."
Virginia maternally wrapped me in a hug and I was reminded of why she was one of my best friends. "I heard about Daniel getting drafted. I'm so sorry Eva, that must be so hard for you. I know how much you like him." I gave her a weak smile, and she intuitively knew that I needed a bit more help then that. "When my dad was shipped out, I cried for weeks, but everything turned out just fine."
I sighed and let my heart return to it's normal pace. "I wish I didn't like him so much. Then it might be easier to let him go."
"Is that what you want to do?" She asked me, concern lacing her voice.
"I have to!" I exclaimed. "Our relationship…I just can't figure it out. It's too confusing, and I have no clue how he feels, ever. I just…I don't want to get hurt again."
Giving me another comforting hug, Virginia changed the subject. "Just do whatever you think is best, and I'm sure everything will turn out for the best. Now c'mon. There's a great party outside and I don't want you to miss it!" We hurried as fast as we could through the corridor and made it to the patio in record time. My face was red from the effort and crying, but I passed it off as a severe case of blushing when I stepped outside and was met with a loud chorus of:
"Happy Birthday!" My eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when I took in the scene. Of course the Benoit's had strung up their usual Mardi Gras decorations, but they had also been kind enough to hang a large banner that read in bold letters 'HAPPY 18TH BIRTHDAY EVANGELINE.' I'm positive they knew of my current disagreement with their son, which made it even more touching that they still cared about me enough to do all that. There was a chill in the crisp, February air, but the amount of body heat from the countless masked party-goers quickly removed that discomfort as I descended into the masses.
My punishment for disappearing was near death by choking, oh so lovingly administered by a very frantic Aunt Lotte. I spared her the details of why I was gone and just told her that Marjory had wanted a word with me, and it took longer than we expected. There was no reason to ruin her happy night.
"Happy Birthday, Evangeline." I heard an elderly voice behind me as I walked with Aunt Lotte to the side of the patio. She had me in a vice grip actually, and was practically hauling me. The most I could gather from her fast speech was that her friends had already arrived, and I killed her plans by missing their entrance.
Spinning around, my face lit up with joy as I shouted, "Nana! You came!" I felt like I was five instead of eighteen as I tackled my surrogate grandmother in a bear hug.
"Of course I did. I couldn't miss my baby girl's eighteenth birthday, could I?" Nana laughed over my shoulder as we embraced. When we pulled back I looked at her carefully. She seemed so much happier than usual, and I knew my birthday wasn't the only thing on her mind. Her eyes were sparkling with excitement I didn't know old people ever experienced. Being old always sounded boring to me, but Nana was proving me wrong.
That was when I noticed the two figures awkwardly standing just behind Nana, both dressed in very regal clothing. For a second I thought they were a couple jointly costumed as a king and queen, but Nana looked at them and grinned like I hadn't seen her grin in years. I furrowed my brow, frustrated that I didn't recognize either of them. The man was strongly built, with broad shoulder and a strong jaw line, but his eyes held a childlike playfulness that matched his relaxed brown curls. The woman bore a startling resemblance to Nana, but with a younger face and slightly altered features. I frowned, unable to understand the expressions on their faces. They looked…hopeful? That was a good word, I supposed. Euphoric worked even better. What bothered me was, well, I seemed to be what they were euphoric about.
"Evangeline," I felt Aunt Lotte put her hands on my shoulders as her head leaned next to mine. "This is the King Naveen and Queen Tiana of Maldonia, my dearest friends." I smiled politely at them, like I was taught to do as a child.
"It's very nice to meet you, Your Majesties." I stumbled through my greeting, not sure if I was supposed to address them that way or not. Adressing them as anything felt wierd actually. I couldn't put my finger on it, but soemthing about them was so familiar? Had I seen them somewhere? No, of course not. Charlotte said they'd only ever seen me as a baby. But I know I'd heard those names before.
"It's wonderful to see you as well, Evangeline. We've heard so much about you." The King said kindly, though his and Queen's smiles faltered for a moment. I was too busy thinking to pay much attention. Queen Tiana…
"Is your name like Tiana's Palace?" I asked, slightly embarrassed for questioning royalty.
The Queen, though, gave me a warm smile. I decided I liked her. She must have been one of those unconditionally loving people, even to those she only just met. But Nana was the one who actually answered me. "Yes, Evangeline." She told me. "Tiana and Naveen opened the restaurant after they got married."
Goody. More confusion. "Wait…I thought your daughter opened the restaurant?" Nana nodded at me, still beaming. "So…this is your daughter."
"Yes, sugar." I looked at the Queen with a new awe, amazed by the fact that I was standing not four feet from the woman who created some of the best recipes New Orleans had ever seen.
"How come you never told me?" I looked from Charlotte to Nana, trying to decipher the less than open behavior they both exhibited. Why was no one giving me straight answers?
"Things like that…have to be shared at just the right time." Nana finally supplied. I huffed, still unsatisfied. Across from me, Tiana and Naveen shared a quick glance.
"We hope you have a very happy birthday, Evangeline." Tiana said, but I got the impression that the customary phrase had some other meaning to it, like she wanted to say so much more than just that. Naveen looked like he was about to spew all sorts of conversation at any second, but we were interrupted when I heard someone yell for me from across the dance floor.
"Eva! You get your pretty little butt over here so I can wish you a happy birthday!" It was unmistakably Mary. Hot faced and embarrassed, I sheepishly looked back at Aunt Lotte, Nana, and the Maldonian rulers.
"Go ahead, baby girl." Nana encouraged me. "Have fun with your friends. I'm sure that we can have a nice, long, in depth conversation with Tiana and Naveen back at home when the ball's over and we're together, just the family." I looked at her quizzically, and was about to comment on her babbling, but she pushed me along into the crowd to go find Mary. I shrugged and continued on my way, happy to have a chance to have some fun and forget the stressful events that had occurred earlier.
3rd person POV
"Why must we wait?" Naveen whined as he watched the retreating form of his daughter, all grown up and more perfect than he'd ever imagined. Charlotte had been right, she did look like him, and it made him more proud than any grand accomplishment ever had. "Ow!" He hissed when Charlotte hit him upside the head.
"She's having boyfriend troubles, so hush and let her enjoy the night before we drop the bomb that changes her life forever, alright?" She scowled at the King, the parental instinct she'd picked up over the years kicking in.
"Boyfriend?" Naveen immediately disregarded everything else Charlotte had said and focused his one track mind on that single word. "She can't have a boyfriend. Why does my daughter have a boyfriend? She is not thirty yet!"
"This is her second actually." Charlotte chirped, mostly to see the panic on her old friend's face as his eyes widened and his breathing became labored. Even Eudora was chuckling to herself.
"A boyfriend," mused Tiana whistfully. "We've missed so much. Did you see how tall she was? She's my height!"
Naveen studied his wife thoughtfully, then shrugged. "You are not that tall. Ow! When did Mardi Gras become Let's All Abuse Naveen Day?"
The women ignored him, and Tiana turned to Charlotte. "She really is beautiful, Lotte. You've done a fantastic job with her. She's so grown up."
Charlotte beamed, glowing with pride. "I know! Wait 'till you're around her more, you'll love her."
Tiana and Naveen returned the grin, clasping each other's hands tightly to restrain their excitement. "We already do." Tiana said. "I just hope telling her the truth will go well. It'll be such a shock."
"She's a strong girl, it'll all be fine." Eudora assured her daughter like any mother would. "I'm not saying it'll be easy, but things will work out in the end."
And the peaceful night was shattered with the sound of a bloodcurdling scream.
Yes, another mean cliffhanger. Perhaps you can express your feelings about it in a review...yes, a review would be incredibly nice. Think you could help me surpass 100 before Chapter 12?