Page 44 of Did You See Evie

“Evie’s a kid, too,” I say. “And she needs someone to help her.”

Nadia’s face tightens. She turns away, and I think she’s reaching for the door handle, but when she moves again, I see she’s grabbed her seat belt, fastening in for the ride.

* * *

Before long, we’re across town, cruising along the same streets that Nadia and I would frequent in our childhoods. The places where we ditched school and flirted with boys and got picked up for shoplifting. Most of the businesses have changed. Laundromats swapped out for smoke shops and gas stations sporting newer signs. Still that familiar sense of desperation and dread remains. Nadia’s looking out the window, and I wonder if she’s recalling the same memories I am in this moment, but I don’t ask. She remains silent for the majority of the drive until we’re about a block away from the house.

“Poor Evie,” she says under her breath, her eyes still surveying the area around us.

Poor us, I think. This isn’t just Evie’s neighborhood, but ours, too. The only silver lining is that somehow, miraculously, we escaped it.

When we arrive at Evie’s house, I pull in across the street, taking the same spot along the curb I usually take when visiting. I’ve only been here a couple of times before, usually to offer her rides to and from practice when she can’t rely on her mother. Evie’s house is small. Too small for the hordes of people filling the space. Several men are gathered on the front porch smoking cigarettes.

“Not as bad as I was expecting,” Nadia says. She turns to face me. “What’s your plan?”

“I’ll go inside and talk with the mother. See if I can catch a glimpse of the boyfriend.”

“I still don’t understand why I’m here,” she says, her eyes glued to the house, almost as if she’s afraid of it. “I’m not going inside.”

“You can look around to see if there’s anything else suspicious. Once I get more information about the guy, you can check him out.”

Nadia looks out the window again. “This is a bad idea. Don’t you have a fiancé? Or anyone else that can help you?”

It is strange that this situation has brought me closer to Nadia. For years, I’ve been used to being an outsider. Connor and Joanna and all the people I know at Manning Academy—none of them understand my world like Nadia does. None of them understand Evie’s world. I’m equally confused as to why Nadia isn’t more excited to help. She constantly chases thrills; it’s what led her to start stealing in the first place. I would have thought breaking a few rules in the hopes of doing something good for a change might appeal to her.

“You know why you’re the only person I can trust for this.”

She nods slowly, reluctant to admit she knows exactly what I mean.

“Keep it short. If you’re in there more than fifteen minutes, I’ll start to get worried.”

“Just a few minutes is all I need,” I say, opening the car door. I take in a gulp of frigid night air before crossing the street.

My lungs clench as I walk through the cloud of smoke coming off the people smoking on the porch. They stare at me suspiciously, but no one asks me any questions.

There are just as many people inside. Men and women are stuffed into the small living room. In the corner, a few young children are in a huddle playing a game of Uno. They raise their heads to look at me before returning to their game.

As I walk through the house, I search each face. Evie’s mother is nowhere in sight, and I wonder what all these strangers are doing here. Then again, isn’t that what people do after a tragedy? Come together.

After what happened with my father, the only people that showed up were child protective services. I had visits from police officers and lawyers and social workers, but no real friends, other than Nadia.

When Coach Phillips died, it was a completely different story. I was an adult by then. I’d already graduated college. I returned to the house where I spent the last of my teenage years, and the place was busting at the seams. People everywhere. Steaming casseroles in the kitchen. Outside, there were so many flower arrangements, it looked as though the backyard had been changed into botanical gardens.

And yet when I arrived, I instantly felt out of place. His family made sure of it. His ex-wife had always been welcoming the few times I was round her before, but the grief over his death must have overwhelmed her. She demanded I leave the moment I stepped inside her house, insisting the gathering was only for family and close friends. I never even caught a glimpse of his adult daughters or other family members before I was ushered outside. Even though I was feeling a hurt I’d never felt before, no one in the room knew it, or expected it.

I realized in that moment that even though Coach Phillips had been my family, I was never a part of his. Our connection to one another was over. He was gone, and once again, I was alone.

“Can I help you?” A woman with curly hair stands in front of me, interrupting my memories.

“I’m looking for Crystal,” I say, clearing my throat. “I’m from the school.”

The woman looks me up and down, her stare landing on the expensive necklace around my neck. A gift from Connor last Christmas. This one accessory lets her know I don’t belong here. If only she knew I grew up just a few blocks away.

“She’s in the kitchen,” she says, and I follow her through the crowds of people.

Sure enough, Evie’s mother is alone in the kitchen. She’s leaning against the sink, smoking a cigarette. There’s a dazed expression on her face. Looking hard at something but seeing nothing.

“Crystal?”

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