Finding Everett | ✔️

Chapter Ten

This chapter goes to allmella for her lovely picture that is currently in the sidebar! :)

Hope this chapter was worth the wait guys!

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The day turned out much colder than expected. Everett stood by his window, knowing from his brother it appeared that snow lingered in the distance. Pressing the palm of his hand against the cool glass of the window, he knew it to be true. By the end of the night, snow would blanket the entire city. The slight frost on the very edge of the glass definitely tipped him off.

 It seemed a little late in the year for snow, but then again, what did he know?

Everett turned away from the window and made his way into the kitchen instead, where his mother and Cole were lounging as dinner was being prepared.

"Hey, sweetie," Denise greeted.

Everett could hear the chopping of the knife and wondered what she planned for dinner. He took a good, long, deep breath through his nose and Instead of asking, he sat down at the table and said hello in return, lapsing into silence.

"So I didn't see Lizzie here today. Everything okay?"

Everett frowned. He hadn't heard anything from Jesse about their missing counterpart. But if Jesse didn't feel compelled to alert everyone else to her condition, then she must be fine. Maybe she just didn't feel like coming over?

"I, uh, I don't know. Ask Jesse," he replied lamely, sinking into his seat a little further. Biting his lip, Everett crossed his arms and tried to figure out what could be wrong.

Maybe nothing was wrong at all. Maybe Everett just let his imagination run a little too free. For not the first time, he wished that he had a bit of a stronger friendship with Lizzie. Maybe then, he could have the free range to ask about her and call her up when he wanted to know what was up, like Jesse.

Scrunching up his face, Everett tried to push that out of his mind.

He tried to remind himself that Lizzie would get bored. Besides, graduation was on the way and soon, she would be on her way to college. She wouldn't need him anymore. She wouldn't even have time to talk to him. He would never be able to hear her voice or be in her presence again.

So really, what was the point of getting too close and just wanting to shut down again?

But even with those thoughts running around in his head, he realized he still liked having Lizzie around at times. It was nice. She had somewhat grown on him, even though he didn't really want to admit it yet.

Pushing that aside, he focused instead on the aroma floating around his family's kitchen.

The worrying and meddlesome thoughts about Lizzie could be put on the back burner.

Well ...

For now anyways.

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A knock resounded on Everett's bedroom door, making his eyes sleepily open and he groaned loudly. It felt early and his body slightly ached from the position he slept in all night. Stretching, he realized that his alarm had yet to sound.

The knock was melodic and sounded a whole lot like ...

"Everett?" a voice sing-songed.

He groaned in agony and stuffed his under the pillow. "Oh, dear Lord ..."

"Do you want to build a snowman?"

"Lizzie ... "

"Come on! Let's go and play!" she sang from the other side, sounding terribly off key. As she sang, Everett crawled from bed and stumbled to his door, ripping it open before reaching out. He patted his hand around her face momentarily, before he found her mouth and solidly clamped a hand over it.