𝗜𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘁 𝗔𝗳𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗿𝘀 | 𝐁𝗼𝐛𝐛𝐲 𝐊𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐝𝐲/𝗥𝗙𝗞

XXI: "Michael Vogel"

[August 25, 1948]

It was a hot afternoon day in Hyannis Port, the pine trees were as still as statues — the wind was in absence, only humidity. "Are you sure you can drive on your own, ma chérie?" Julia Bellamy gently caressed her daughter's heating cheek as they smiled at each other. "I'll be fine, Mama. Harvard's just an hour away," Evelyn casually responded, she glanced at her father who had a bittersweet look on his face. "Papa?" She called out to see if he was paying attention. "Papa?" Evelyn said once again. Julia turned to her husband, "Maurice?" She tugged on his arm that she was holding onto. "Huh?" Maurice snapped out of his thoughts. "Oh— take care, Evie." He released Julia's hand to hug his daughter. "I'll see you both on Thanksgiving." Evelyn closed her eyes as she soaked in the warmth casting off her father. "Take care of Papa," She uttered to Julia before releasing the hug, Maurice chuckled softly.

The trunk to Maurice's chartreuse Cadillac Series 62 was slammed by Evelyn after she placed her luggage and belongings in it. She exhaled, rubbing the palm of her hands together. "Take care of her. Don't open the top on the highway, your hair will be messed up." Maurice plopped his hand on the hood of the convertible. "That is why—" Evelyn reached into her coat pocket, pulling out a red satin scarf. "I have this." She covered her hair with the material and tied it underneath her chin. Maurice smirked, he was outwitted.

"Drive safely, alright?" Julia added while rubbing Evelyn's back as she was entering the vehicle. "Oui, Maman. I'll call you when I arrive." Evelyn had insisted on going to college on her own; she didn't want to be a burden to her parents. The girl twisted the key in the ignition, and clasped onto the gearstick, shifting it. As the car started moving, Maurice started waving and yelling, "Love you, Evie!" A smile popped on Evelyn's face as she looked at them through the rearview mirror.

Passing the Kennedy home, Evelyn failed to resist the temptation to look. She turned her head slightly, glancing at the porch to see if there was anyone outside. The sun was shining the brightest, no sane person would sit out — except for Bobby. Evelyn gulped, she merely stared back at the man as he emerged from the railing he was sitting on. "Shit," Evelyn muttered, her foot pressed harder onto the acceleration pedal. She had a sudden urge to peek at the mirror — Bobby was standing in the middle of the road, squinting his eyes as he watched the car slowly striding farther and out of his sight. "Adieu, Eve." The man whispered loud enough only for himself to hear, a million questions rushing through his head, and they were all related to Evelyn.

[Cambridge, Massachusetts]

"And take a left on the corner? I see. Thank you, sir." Evelyn put her sunglasses back on before she continued driving. She had asked a good Samaritan for the direction to Harvard University, the one where she'd be staying for four years before being able to show off her bachelor's degree.

"Voilà, Evelyn. Here you finally are." The girl spoke to herself as she turned off the engine, she parked her car where it belonged. Her eyes gazed up toward the huge building, the bright color on the bricks ached them.

As Evelyn strolled through the Harvard yard, she could already see a crowd forming in front of the freshman campus. Sighing and pouting her lips, she dropped her bags and rest the luggage beside her feet.

About tens of minutes later, she could finally enter the campus, she scanned the dorms to make sure she could find the right one. "Ah, here it is." A smile popped on Evelyn's face as she opened the door, there was another girl inside the room. She rose from her bed to greet Evelyn. "Hi, I'm Wendy. Wendy Lester, your new roommate." Wendy was a tall, slender girl, she was all bones no muscle. Her straight — clearly ironed — jet black hair was a rare display to see in the late forties. Though, her hair and her bright eyes gave Evelyn a clue about her place of origin. "Hey, Wendy. I'm Evelyn Bellamy. Tu es Française?" Evelyn instantly asked if the girl was of the same origin as she was. "Oui! How'd you know? My surname isn't French." Wendy squinted her eyes. She walked closer and found a spot to sit on the bed assigned to Evelyn.