Chapter One

2299 Words
It was a sunny day. The birds were chirping, and the sound of the flowing water filled my ears. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, wanting to enjoy the moment a bit more. There was just something about being here. My bare feet against the humid grass from the light trickling breeze from the night before, its soft texture made it feel as if I were standing on clouds. The birds chirping in the distance, signaling the arrival of spring nearing upon us. And the smell, the smell of freshness and oak trees filled me, making a smile appear on my face. I couldn’t explain the sensation I felt when I was in the forest, I felt complete somehow as if I had a connection to it. And maybe I did have some connection to it. Some inexplicable connection. Ever since I could remember, all my happiest memories happened in the forest. There was not one day that I didn’t come out here. Not even as a child. Since I learned how to walk, I left my house to go outside. My mother would scold me for leaving without permission, but it was all worth it. Even when she tried to ground me, her attempts were useless. I always managed to find my way out. So much that my mother stopped scolding me, she knew where I was and that I always came back. My father, on the other hand, didn’t like me wandering alone in the forest, especially not when the sun began to set. That was why I had to agree to his rules; I could only come when the sun was up, and I had to be back home before the sunset. I sighed as the memory of my father came to my mind, it had been weeks since I had last seen him. I knew he was fighting to keep our country safe but there wasn’t a day I didn’t feel the sickening sensation that something bad could happen. Then, it would only be my mother and me. I didn’t have any siblings; I was the miracle baby. My parents had tried for years to have a child, but it was useless, either there wasn’t any sign of pregnancy or my mother would suffer a miscarriage a couple of months into the pregnancy. But not me. I had managed to beat all odds and that’s how my parents decided to name me; Evangeline, meaning “bearer of good news”. I was their lucky charm. Quickly, I pushed all my thoughts away and focused on letting myself merge with my surroundings. I smiled as I let myself feel everything around me; the sun beginning to rise, the soft grass, the sound of the birds echoing around me, and the smell of a bright new day. “Evangeline! You are going to be late!” A woman called behind me and I didn’t bother to turn around to face my mother who was standing at the door of our house. I could already imagine her in my mind; her hands on her hips as she looked at me with a slight frown like she did every time she saw me here. She didn’t understand why I spent so much time out here, she believed that a lady should always be proper, polite, and well educated in many areas, especially in how to tend a home. Thankfully, she never forced her beliefs onto me, she knew how free-spirited I was. “Coming, mother!” I called back as I took in a deep breath and opened my bright blue eyes. My mother had disappeared inside, and I hurried after her. I rushed into the bathroom and cleaned my feet before putting on my shoes. When I was done, I grabbed my satchel and hung it across my chest. My mother was in the kitchen making a pie for our neighbors. I was by her side in an instant and I placed a loud kiss on her cheek. “I’ll be back for lunch, mother,” I called as I started to make my way towards the door. I could feel my mother’s gaze behind me, “I will,” she corrected, and I rolled my eyes before closing the front door behind me. I could feel I was late. In the streets, there was no one I could recognize from class and I let out a groan. When I reached the small building, I was gasping. My feet were aching under me, the shoes I was wearing were definitely not meant to be used while running. I walked over to the third room at the end of the hall and knocked on the door before peeking my head inside. Mrs. Browne didn’t seem surprised to see me standing at the door. She looked at the clock hanging behind her and then back at me. “Nice of you to join us, Ms. Patterson. Although, you are getting more punctual, only 10 minutes late today.” I blushed as I nodded my head and stepped inside. Mrs. Browne’s tone was anything but kind, but she knew I wasn’t a bad student. Even though I was always late, I had the best grades in the whole class. It wasn’t like I arrived late on purpose; I just didn’t plan my mornings properly. I took my seat on the third row and took out my journal from my satchel. “Psst,” I heard someone say next to me. “Eva,” I heard him whisper and I closed my eyes while I groaned internally. I turned to look at the person calling me; it was only Cole Edwards. My best friend. In fact, my only friend. His blonde hair shinned brighter under the stray gleams of the sun coming from the window next to him. His green sparkling eyes seemed amused as he let out a chuckle, “what’s your excuse this time?” he teased, and I rolled my eyes. “None of your business,” I whispered, sounding harsher than I intended. I didn’t like it when people bothered me during class, I liked to give the teacher my full attention. “Hmm, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed today,” he continued with amusement, ignoring my pointed glare directed his way. I decided not to respond and kept my gaze fixed on the blackboard at the front of the room. Mrs. Browne was talking about important literary figures and I couldn’t be more intrigued. … A little after noon, classes ended and while everyone else was in a hurry to leave, I always enjoyed taking my time to pack up my things and leave. “I’ll wait for you outside,” Cole said with a kind smile as he headed out of the classroom with the rest of our classmates. He knew I liked to leave the room last. I got up from my seat and strapped my satchel across my torso when Mrs. Browne cleared her throat and looked at me sternly. “May I have a word, Ms. Patterson?” I stiffened but nodded my head as I made my way to her. The older looking woman was seated at her desk, her thin glasses were just below her dark grey eyes. Now as I stood in front of her, I could spot a couple of white hairs starting to show on her dark hair. “Is something the matter, Mrs. Browne?” I asked softly and the woman eyed me closely before speaking. “What do you plan to accomplish, Ms. Patterson?” I raised an eyebrow at her question, searching her expression for any clue to what she was referring to. Had she reached a point where she was too mad to tolerate my tardiness? “Excuse me?” I asked, my voice broke as I stared at the cold looking eyes of my teacher. “What is it you wish for your life? What have you always wanted? I believe you are aware that this is your last semester in school before you are no longer obliged to get an education. Is going to college one of your plans?” she asked pointedly as she stacked her books neatly. I hesitated; I hadn’t thought much of what I wanted to do after school ended. Not with the war raging on and especially not when my mother needed my help. It was true, I was a 17-year-old girl who needed to find her path. I was no longer a child. I cleared my throat but averted my gaze, I couldn’t look into the older woman’s eyes without feeling guilty. “I did think about going to college. I wanted to study literature but that was before the war, before they sent my father away,” I explained, and my voice trailed off at the end. There was a heavy silence in the room and from the corner of my eye, I saw Mrs. Browne purse her lips together and sigh. She slowly stood up and held my gaze. “You are a bright student, Ms. Patterson, and I think you have the potential to do great things, even go to college. But it won’t be easy, there are not a lot of women who can get a higher education, and it’s even harder to finish. Your grades are better than anyone else in your class and your spirit is filled with potential, but you lack discipline, and that is something colleges won’t tolerate, so if you really want this, earn it. It’s up to you.” I stared at the older woman in front of me, her expression was filled with seriousness. I nodded my head and turned away. “That’s something I will have to decide.” Mrs. Browne nodded her head and motioned towards the door, “you may leave, Ms. Patterson.” I was out of the room faster than any other day. I even rushed past Cole who eyed me skeptically and filled with confusion. “Eva? What’s wrong? What happened?” I could hear his heavy feet fast-walking behind me. I didn’t respond, my mind was too jumbled up. “Hey, talk to me,” Cole said as he grabbed my arm firmly, stopping us just outside of the school, and made me look at him. His eyes scanned my face for any clue as to what had happened. I didn’t say anything at first, but I held his gaze. Unlike the other women in our town, I wasn’t intimidated by men nor did I think they were better than us. In fact, I believed one day we would be seen as equals, at least I hoped so. “Mrs. Browne wanted to talk about college,” I said nonchalantly as I kept on walking. I heard my friend walking fast to catch up with me. “Really? That’s great! You have always wanted to go to college.” I nodded my head but didn’t respond. Cole raised an eyebrow. “Why don’t I get the feeling you are happy. Your grades are great, and you have everything to go to college.” I shrugged, “I don’t know. I have to take care of my mother.” Cole sidestepped me until he was blocking my path. His expression was stern, and his normally humorous eyes were filled with seriousness. “No, Evangeline. You will go to college. Your mother will be fine and by the time we graduate, your father will have probably come back. You need to focus on your future.” I waved him off, “calm down Cole, you’re not my brother.” Cole flinched and my eyes widened when I thought I had heard a small rumble coming out from his mouth. “Well I consider you the closest thing to a sister that I have, and I won’t let you waste this opportunity.” A warm feeling tugged at my heart; Cole had always been there for me. I never understood what drove him to talk to me when everyone seemed to prefer to avoid me, but I was glad he was there. I smiled at him and he wrapped his arm over my shoulders in a friendly manner like he has done since we were little. We walked to my house while we told me about a girl he had met and how much he liked her. I was happy for him, I liked to help him understand girls and make sure he treated them well and he was grateful for my help. When we got to my house, my mother was outside on the front lawn, tending a couple of flowers she had recently planted. “Good afternoon, Mrs. Patterson,” Cole said politely with a smile. My mother returned the smile as she got up and hugged Cole. “Good afternoon Cole, I just made lunch, would you like to come in?” my mother said happily. It was obvious she adored Cole, but she had given up on her fantasy of Cole and I ever being together for which I was glad. Cole chuckled and shook his head slowly, “I’m sorry, Mrs. Patterson, I told my father I would be home early to help him with a treehouse we are building for the kids in our neighborhood.” I noticed the way my mother had stiffened slightly when Cole had mentioned his father. She couldn’t quite understand how it seemed all the men in our town had been obliged to go to war when the men in Cole’s neighborhood had been able to stay and I preferred to avoid the topic altogether. “Maybe next time then,” my mother smiled even though this time, it didn’t quite reach her eyes. Cole nodded his head and smiled brightly, not noticing the way my mother’s attitude had changed. “Of course, Mrs. Patterson, thank you.” He turned to face me and kissed my cheek quickly, “I’ll see you tomorrow Evangeline. Don’t be late this time,” he finished sternly before beginning to walk away. I nodded my head. My mother and I stood on the lawn and watched the young man walk away.
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