Ever (27 page)

Epilogue

A
pril became May and then June, and things were starting to fade. I mean, Jaren and I were still hanging out, but the memories of what I had seen in those dreams, or whatever they were, were becoming a little blurry. Maybe it was all the sleep I was getting, and all the worrying I wasn’t doing. Sometimes, I could almost pretend that nothing strange had ever happened. Jaren and I met on the school field trip and now we were “together…” or whatever.

There were some things, however, that I couldn’t ignore. I still saw that energy smoke all the time. Like, right now. We were suffering through the last day of school, and I happened to be at my locker right before lunch. Val and Dara walked by and directed twin sneers at me before heading to the top of the stairs to eat their lunches with two other girls they had recruited. My eyes slid out of focus and I could see Val’s energy growing stronger while the auras of the other girls grew dim and weak. It seemed like Val was getting stronger, and not in a good way. Something had to be done about her—but what?

“Hey, Ever!” Naomi gave me a playful nudge.

“Hi!” I smiled. Naomi and I were closer now and it wasn’t awkward at all that she ate lunch with Jaren and me almost every day. Today, he was at graduation practice, though.

“Missing your hottie?” She winked at me, eliciting a round of giggles as I tried to eat my food.

“Oh, come on. Is he really that hot?”

“Everleigh Jordan!” Naomi poked me. “Tell me what it’s like to kiss that boy.”

“Um…” I felt my cheeks grow scarlet. “I—I can’t really describe it.”

“Is he a good kisser? He is, right?”

It suddenly occurred to me that I was having a typical teenaged girl discussion with another teenaged girl. I nodded, still giggling. This was fun. This was normal. Maybe I wasn’t so different anymore.

The bell rang and I made my way to bio class. As I walked in the door, my crystal hummed, startling me because I hadn’t felt it do much of anything for almost two months. A second later, someone bumped into me—not hard, but enough for the jolt to register.

“I’m sorry,” the person said.

“No problem…” I trailed off as I looked into Leana Smith’s face.

I had seen her around, but it was always a fleeting glimpse as she walked out of class or passed me in the hall. She looked…brighter somehow. Her face was relaxed and her eyes sparkled in a way they hadn’t since grade school.

“Everleigh,” she said, breaking all kinds of unspoken social rules. “It’s been a long time. I didn’t realize you were in my bio class.”

“Um, yeah.” I tried not to stutter.

“It’s nice to see you.”

“Yeah, you—you, too, Leana.” This time, I didn’t quite avoid stumbling on my words.

“Well, have a great summer. Maybe I’ll run into you at the beach or something. It would be nice to catch up.”

All I could do was nod as she turned back to her friends, who had been listening to our exchange with obvious interest. They sat down in their seats as Hopkins began his spiel about Advanced Biology, which he would be teaching next year.

I knocked my pen onto the floor on purpose so I could bend down and take another peek at Leana. I stuck my fist into my mouth to stifle my gasp. The little blond girl sat in Leana’s seat, kicking her feet happily. She waved at me and her little cupid’s bow mouth opened.

“Thank you,” she mouthed.

Stunned, I blinked and when my eyes refocused, the little girl was gone. Leana sat in her usual place, kicking her legs under her desk.

The final bell rang. Populars, Jocks, Athletes, Candy Girls, Loners, Outcasts… students formed a mad horde in their haste to get off campus. I stood still as a wave of bodies and energy rushed by me in a dizzying mass of color and heightened emotion.

“Enjoying the view?” A husky voice warmed my ear.

“Don’t you know it’s rude to sneak up on people?” I grinned.

The swirling crowd faded away and for a minute, it was just me and Jaren Wilder. I had a flash of something—like a memory but I couldn’t quite grasp it. I had the crazy feeling this had all happened before. Weird.

“Penny for your thoughts.” he teased.

Jaren didn’t have time to read my energy this time. I stole that kiss, fair and square.

The End.

AUTHOR’S NOTE

This work is dedicated to Lynn, a girl who never really knew me, but who had a profound influence on me. I sat behind Lynn during our tenth grade English class. At first, I was jealous of her. With her blond hair, blue eyes, and star track team status, she seemed to fit right into to our upper middle class high school, whereas I was teased daily about my dark skin and frizzy hair. I was the epitome of Awkward while Lynn was a Popular Athlete. At some point, I became aware that Lynn was unhappy. I could feel the melancholy rolling off her in waves in class. I should have done something. I should have talked to her.

Perhaps, I could have saved her.

Lynn went missing just before the holiday break that year. Our small, affluent town was in an uproar. Classmates reported seeing Lynn at a hotel. Rumors circulated that she had run off with a boyfriend. None of that, it turned out, was true. A few months later, Lynn’s car was found in a ravine by two young hikers. We were told that she had taken a bunch of pills before intentionally crashing her car. The tattered newspaper article describing the incident still sits in a box under my bed. Memories of the empty desk in front of mine at school continue to haunt me. This story is a tribute to Lynn, and represents my own atonement for being too scared to talk to her.

I deeply regret not approaching Lynn. If I knew then what I know now, I would have told her that it gets better. High school can be cruel, but then you have the rest of your life to grow into yourself, to realize and achieve your dreams.

To love and be loved.

If someone you know, even if you don’t know them very well, is suffering from depression and/or anxiety, please talk to them. Sometimes, a person needs to know that someone cares—that someone is hearing and listening. Just knowing that someone heard her, and that they were willing to listen, may have prevented the tragedy that occurred during my sophomore year. Many of us have forgotten her.

But I never will.

For Lynn, who loved to run. For Mark and for Serina, although I did not know you personally, you influenced me as I wrote this book. May you all rest in eternal peace.

If you or someone you know suffers from depression or has expressed that they are thinking of harming themselves, please contact your local suicide prevention agency. Please hear and please listen. You could save a life.

—Darrin Shade

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Darrin Shade writes bestselling romantic suspense and young adult paranormal romance. In addition to reading and writing fiction, Darrin is addicted to Zumba, homemade guacamole and premium tequila. Darrin lives in Los Angeles with her husband, young son, an ancient Chihuahua and a gecko named Spot.

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