You Have To Choose |JJ Maybank|Topper Thornton

Chapter 33: Thanks For Being My Best Friend

Evelyn sat at the counter as her mom slid her something across the counter.

"What's this?" Evelyn said, her finger running over the pamphlet. Blue Ridge.

"That's your future, Evelyn if you don't turn your shit around," Jake said to his daughter.

"You're joking, right?' Evelyn asked, "This is like one of those places where they kidnap you in the middle of the night. A wilderness cuckoo's nest."

"No, it's a program for troubled teens with behavioral problems," Allison said.

"Since when did I become a troubled teen?" Evelyn asked.

"Since you decided to deliberately disobey our rules," Jake said, "You disappear for days, Evelyn, and then you come back to the house and steal my truck. Then you go crash it."

"You know I thought John B and Sarah were dead!" Evelyn said, "And you guys just wanted me to go back to school like nothing had happened!"

"That's not what we wanted," Allison said.

"Like everything was fine! Nothing about that is fine!" Evelyn yelled.

"I understand that nothing about that is fine!" Allison said, "Nothing about any of this is fine!"

"I'll do whatever you want!" Evelyn begged, "Okay, I'll get a job. I'll help pay for the truck."

"Oh you bet your ass you will," Jake said.

"But I don't want you guys to think that I was wrong to help them," Evelyn said standing from her seat and walking around the island, "Because I wasn't. I was doing what I thought was right. And I didn't mean to do all of that to you guys! And I'm sorry."

Evelyn never truly meant for any of this to hurt her parents, she loved them. She knew that they loved her too.

"I'm sorry for sneaking out, and I'm sorry for skipping school," Evelyn ranted, "It was stupid, and I...I didn't. I'm sorry for going to Charleston. I'm sorry for stealing your truck, I'm sor--"

"Honey," Allison said grabbing her daughter's shoulders, "I know. I know. We love you so much, but sorry is not gonna cut it anymore."

"Let me tell you what's gonna happen," Jake said, "No more sneaking out of the house, no more treasure hunts, and no more Pogues."

"At all," Allison added.

"Or you're gonna go to Blue Ridge," Jake said.

"All right. Okay. I promise," Evelyn said. She knew that this was her last chance to prove to her parents that she could change. She wanted so hard to keep that promise, but deep down she didn't know if she could or not.

--

Evelyn lay on her bed, freshly showered with clean clothes on. She honestly couldn't remember the last time she felt this clean. A small knock came to the door making her jump slightly. She knew that her parents were both at work so she wasn't sure who it could be. She slid off her bed quietly walking to the door. As she opened it, the person standing there was the last person she expected to see.

"Topper," Evelyn said, "Wha--What are you doing here?"

"Hey, uh," Topper said, "I ran into your dad this morning and he said that you were back home. I figured maybe you could use some company."

Evelyn just started at the boy. She didn't think he'd ever speak to her again, not after their last argument.

"I can uh go if you want," Topper said.

"No," Evelyn said not wanting to be alone, "Come in."

She stepped out of the way letting Topper walk into her room. He walked over to her bed sitting near the end. She walked over sitting at the head of the bed, placing a pillow in her lap.