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Chapter Sixteen: Maggie

It's been a weird couple of days ever since the events of me meeting Jasper transpired.

On one hand, I wouldn't say meeting Jasper was a contrived chance of fate, as a matter of fact even though I wasn't necessarily happy at first that Evan decided to tell Jasper about the engagement, it does feel nice finally having someone to talk about it with that isn't either my mother or Evan, which whom I only talk about the engagement with if it was for personal matters or if we're arguing about not wanting to talk about it.

Being stripped away from the right to talk to my friends about the complete madness that is currently transcending within the realms of my life, it does feel nice having someone who's empathetic enough to understand the complications happening but isn't bothersome enough to try and meddle or dictate my choices for me.

Not that I'm saying either Beth or Emily would do such a thing, I just mean that certain people in my life tend to do that.

Plus I like Jasper. I could see why despite the many differences that keep him and Evan apart is that Evan would want him as a friend because Jasper does give off the impression that makes you wanna say things you never would've thought you would just say to anyone.

Yes, I know trusting someone so easily like that may appear irresponsible and quite gullible, especially due to the circumstances regarding the engagement.

But what is there more to hide now that Jasper knows about it? The fact that I was never really on board with the whole thing? As if it wasn't already obvious with the way I treat Evan.

That, and of course I wasn't stupid enough to be swayed so mindlessly like that, and so I had talked to Tiffany and Mason about it and they were simply unbothered with the whole thing, saying how Jasper has been a long-time family friend and would obviously have no reason to carry any sort of ill-intention to sabotage the engagement.

Thus, that's where the friendship of Jasper and I began.

At the start, I was completely doubtful to just vent about whatever it was that distressed me about the engagement to him, but Jasper always seemed to catch on pretty quickly just by looking at me, that's why it was just as easy to confide in him as it was to be completely pointless.

It started rocky but days flew by to weeks and before I knew it, I have never felt as delighted to have someone around that I could actually consider as a friend.

It was from the simplest of moments where Jasper would visit me or me bumping into him whenever I visited Evan at his place until eventually, plans of actual meet-ups were arranged.

It transitioned from casual chatting to playful banter to tranquil, lighthearted moments where we act as if we've known each other our whole lives.

Such as that one soothing afternoon we found ourselves sprawled on the side of the house pool under the enormous tree that cast a dull shade that deviated us from the scorching heat and light of the afternoon hours.

As Jasper slumped himself against the trunk of the tree, wearing a pair of pool trousers and a loose white t-shirt as he held a book in one hand, whilst I, on the other hand, savored the restful atmosphere with my straw hat shielding my eyes of the rays of sunlight that spilled through the gaps of the branches and leaves above us, all the while resting my head on top of Jasper's lap.

"So far so good this week?"

"In a way," I muttered, sighing "Ever since we made up days ago, we haven't found ourselves in any sort of disagreement since."

"Not even one?"

"Well, there are the occasional disputes, but nothing too severe that made me want to throw yet another outburst." I teased, referring to the orange juice accident.

Jasper chuckled, "That's good to hear, just as long as you two are getting along."

"That we are." I murmured, sitting up as I turned my head, offering him a warm smile "It's actually quite nice."

"Yeah?" he teased, "Just a simple discussion about boundaries, and here you two are being able to restrain yourselves from biting each others' heads off."

"And it was all because of you." I noted, earning myself a lighthearted laugh from him as I stood up "Do you want some lemonade?"

"Sure, I have been feeling quite thirsty because of the heat."

I stood up just as Evan walked in on us, trousers on as the upper part of his body had been left exposed to the eye, causing me to halt in my steps as I let my eyes thoroughly... examine the sight before me.

He stopped in his tracks as well to shoot me a cunning grin "It's rude to stare."

"If lewdly, that is."

"You're basically having second base with me just with your eyes."

I snickered, immediately averting my gaze (unfortunately) as I walked past him.

"Should I be concerned?"

I paused as I turned around to look at him "About what?"

"About the fact you're much more intimate with my best friend than you've ever been with me," he remarked, though in context sounding quite playful, I'm not really sure "Me, your fiance."

I was the one to grin deviously this time "Green doesn't look good on you."

He could only scoff in response, "I'm not jealous."

"Who said you were?" I deadpanned "I meant the trousers."

It was only my luck that day that he was for a matter of fact, wearing a pair of green pool shorts.

* * *

So far, those are the events that have happened ever since I started hanging out with Jasper. Even though we have grown ridiculously close, it was still a distinct habit of mine to be vigilant of possible threatening occurrences that might happen.

Although Jasper has proven not only to me that he was more than worthy to be trusted, you can never really know who'll eventually rat you out whenever they please. I just didn't think it would be someone I wouldn't have expected to do such a thing.

Of course, every consequence has a line of pattern to it. Why it was received, who was the one provoked, and why the instigator decided to choose the punishment given. All anticipated consequences have a root cause, they aren't necessarily delivered just for kicks and giggles.

Even though deep in my subconscious I knew Evan was gonna be the one to drag us both to our awaited downfall, I still couldn't find it in myself to digest the idea of it.

Mainly because I noticed him improving and becoming more trustworthy ever since we've gotten pretty close. Which yes, we have.

It started the day my friendship with Jasper started flourishing, and Evan being Evan, decided that it was his time to intervene with his unsolicited opinions.

"I just find it offensive."

"Well, you have no choice, Evan. Maggie needs someone to talk to." Jasper would scold.

"She can talk to me. We can be close."

So I forced myself to give the impossibility of that idea a chance.

Quite surprisingly, it was a chance that wasn't wasted, because, for some reason, Evan did try to be close to me, and although he solely just tagged along with both Jasper and me at any given moment, he'd actually make an effort to engage in conversation, leave Jasper out the entire time, as if Jasper wasn't his original best friend and would make it seem like we actually had a shot at getting along for once.

It was rocky at first, and even though I would get tense about him getting too close to me in public in fear that people would notice us, it would come to the point where our civil interactions would just come off naturally.

Just as he would spot me from feet away and merely wave as a greeting, and I would actually respond to it and not be scared that people would catch us.

He made it seem as if this was meant to be and even made me feel like we were always meant to act like this towards each other.

As if he was someone I would actually be excited about... someone I would look forward to.

And he would act just the same.

It felt so refreshing, so normal... as if we were actually meant to be this way.

As if we were meant to not be against each other.

But just like all good moments in life that feel like parting clouds welcoming the morning sun, that deep within the horizons, it's just a sign that a storm is only yet to arrive.

* * *

"I can't believe you left your damn wallet back at the house."

"In my defense, they were in my pants which Frank decided to wash."

"Why had you even taken them off in the first place?!"

"Jasper and I took a swim in your house pool, remember?"

"First of all," I paused from rummaging through my bag "I only invited Jasper back to my place if he wanted to hang out and swim, in which you decided to bulldoze your way inside my house without a notice knowing he'd be there and cannonballed straight into the pool."

He frowned with an innocent glint in his eyes "I just thought maybe my company was also welcomed."

I could only shake my head at that "Why couldn't you just ask Jasper for some money? Or your other friends?"

"Because I already owe them too much money as it is."

I gave him a look "Don't tell me, because you've left your wallet before?"

He could grin sheepishly at me whilst I rolled my eyes before I fished out a couple of forty dollars from my bag and handed it to him "There."

"Seriously? You couldn't even make it a fifty?"

"I'm not your damn bank account, Williams."

He huffed out a breath before stuffing the money inside his pocket "I'll pay you back as soon as I get my wallet back from my pants."

"Assuming that your money would survive the amount of detergent Frank puts in our clothes." I remarked, "Don't bother, just keep it."

Evan grinned as he ruffled my hair, making me whine "Thanks, Carter. I owe you one."

I let out a grunt, my eyes trailing to his retreating figure as he lifted a hand, waving at me "See you later, Carter."

"Hopefully not," I muttered, opening my locker to use the mirror I put inside to look at myself as I fixed my hair, and as I finished, I caught a sudden figure emerging from the hallways.

I turned around as I shut my locker, plastering on a quick smile "Hey Jasper,"

"Hey there, I bumped into Evan just now, and when I had asked him what he was up to he told me he had successfully asked a favor from a friend who was actually willing to help him out, as opposed to the times the group and I refused to do so." he said, a thoughtful look on his face, "I think he was shading me and the others for not letting him borrow money anymore."

I let out a laugh at that "Yeah, I lent him some money because he forgot his wallet that was in his pants that he for some reason also forgot back at my place,"

Jasper could only arch an eyebrow at the vagueness of my statement before laughing, leaning against the lockers "You two are so amusing, you might not sense it but when you two aren't nagging at each other, you two can actually get along quite well."

"Well, I only do it because I have to. I'm guessing it's the same for him." I responded which Jasper could only chuckle at before he pushed himself back, straightening his posture.

"If it was really forced in the way you're making it out to be, trust me, it wouldn't seem this easy for you to just say that it wasn't genuine at all."

I blinked in confusion due to his sudden comment "What?"

Before I could even try to pry some answers out of him, the bell suddenly rang, saving him ironically enough as he looked back at me, grinning.

"I'll catch you later, Maggie."

He turns on his heel and walks off, leaving me frustrated as I shut my locker and retrieve my bag and my books "Why does he have to do that? Walking off when he leaves conversations on a cliffhanger?" I asked, mostly to myself.

"I wasn't even aware you were talking, much or less, friends with Jasper Wright."

Startled, I swiveled around to be greeted with the disapproving yet bemused face of Levi. It was mixed all in one "Levi," I said, in shock.

His eyes darted to the direction of where Jasper walked off to, then at me, and for a moment, my heart was pounding in an absolute panic, but I felt a huge amount of relief surge through me as he only asked: "What were you doing talking to Jasper?"

Thank God, he hadn't seen me with Evan.

But the alarms inside my subconscious only as easily came back the second I realized if Levi had actually stayed longer or came earlier to witness the scene unfold, he would've caught Evan and me talking due to my blinded optimism thinking both him and I could be discreet.

That he and I being friends wouldn't cause complications like this.

So I attempted to grasp onto the current matter with absolute dread eating me up "Nothing? We were just talking."

I know I shouldn't have lied because one way or another this whole thing will come out soon enough, but just by analyzing Levi's expression and the absolute horror and deceit that was visible in his eyes, I found it nearly impossible to tell him the truth right here and there.

As if there was a chain tightening around my neck, making me refuse to say another word that actually deals with the reality of the situation and how it came to be.

For some reason, Levi's face indicated that he wanted the whole truth, but at the same time, he was dreading what was to come out of my mouth in the form of an answer.

"Yeah, but why were you talking to him?"

"Why? Is it forbidden for me to talk to other people, Levi?" my voice came off a little bit more vehemently than I intended.

"What? No, I just-" he sounded taken aback right then and there, like even he was conflicted why he had gotten mad about the interaction "It's just, why him, of all people?"

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"He's Evan's best friend, Maggie." Shit.

I gulped as I tried to find a loophole on how I can make my response innocent and sound somewhat oblivious "Yeah, so? It's not like I'm talking to Evan." You, fat fucking liar.

He scoffed "It doesn't matter, so what? Did you decide you'd upgrade from his ex-girlfriend to his best friend now? What did I tell you about staying away?"

"Weren't you the one who told me everything with Evan is okay now? Just because Jasper is Evan's friend doesn't mean Evan's wrath will magically come back."

"How would you know?" Oh trust me, I know more than you would know.

"I just do." I snapped, crossing my arms over my chest.

"You say that every time but the dilemma always gets out of control and I have to be the one to take care of it for you."

"Oh, that's rich." I scorned, laughing "I never asked anything from you, Levi. You simply took the initiative thinking I'd be grateful when in reality you only ever do those things so that you can hold it over my head like what you're doing now. I barely asked anything from you but even so, here you are acting as if you know better."

"It's because I only want what's best for you."

"What's best for me? How's acting like you can dictate my life and limit who I should be talking to best for me? You, Beth and Emily, were all I ever had, why can't I just have this for once?"

"I'm not trying to dictate your life, Maggie. You can be friends with anyone you want, but just not people who are and have gotten involved with Evan. He's bad news."

"You do realize almost half of the guys here have either tried to pick a fight with Evan, have gotten beaten up by him, and almost all of the girls here he either dated or hooked up with. What? Am I also supposed to stay away from them?"

"No, I just-" he fumbles with his words as I shake my head, already fed up with this argument.

"You can't keep controlling my life because you think you're the one who's meant to take charge of everything and how you were the one who introduced me to people you thought would be a good influence to me but never once did you give me the chance to find that out by myself."

Levi was speechless, not knowing what to say as I shut my eyes, exasperated "Just go, Levi. I've had enough of this conversation already."

"But-"

"Please." I begged, glowering at him "Just go."

He wanted to speak, to defend himself, and to fight back, but he knew there was no point, so he blinked back the shock on his face before he turned on his heel and reluctantly walked off.

Looking over his shoulder at one point to stare at me in hopes that I'll take one good look at him and relent to his dramatics, but much to his dismay, I didn't dare meet his eye.

Just accepted his withdrawal, knowing if he had stayed any longer, the argument wouldn't have ended on such a tamed note.

As soon as I sensed that he wasn't nearby anymore did I look back up, sighing whilst running a hand through my hair "Who am I kidding? To think this would've worked?"

It was eerily silent for a while after that "Just to confirm, I haven't dated every girl here, that was just being falsely descriptive." a voice said "For example, I haven't hooked up with you."

Surprised, I turned around to the source of the voice to see Evan eavesdropping around the corner, soon afterward heading towards my way.

"What the hell? Have you been there the whole time?" I asked him, bewildered.

He chuckles before halting in his steps, all the while shoving his hands inside his pockets "You can put it that way, I guess you can say we're even now?"

"I only eavesdropped on you once,"

He raised an eyebrow at that "You simply don't remember the one with Jasper?"

"Okay fine, but that doesn't give you the right to eavesdrop on me twice in a row."

"I just now realized how much we meddle in each other's lives," he pointed out.

I let out a snicker "I guess that's the thing with people," I said, leaning against my locker "They meddle and act as if they do it out of love." I shake my head, pausing "But it's not."

Evan was silent for a while as he stood still, moving closer towards me as he leans against the lockers as well, gazing at me from the corner of his eye as he clears his throat.

"Wanna talk about it?"

I wanted to laugh, to go ahead and ask him "What would you know about this that gives you the idea I wanna talk about my problem with you?" but then I turned to him and saw the sincerity there, and for a half choking moment, I actually believed it.

"Not here."

* * *

We found a vacant classroom and settled with that.

At first, it was quite awkward, with neither one of us not knowing what to say, and I knew I was supposed to be the one to start the conversation and to say whatever was on my mind, then again, he was the one who started this.

After a while, however, he caught on and finally asked: "So what happened?"

I was very doubtful, I didn't know if I could trust him, but as I think about it, he was mainly the root cause of why Levi and I were fighting in the first place, so he might as well know.

I started by telling about how ever since Levi confronted him about the weeks-long payback scheme he initiated, that it was pretty suffocating to try and tell him things since then because I always felt like I betrayed him by going against his will, even though he wasn't the one to pre-arrange the mishaps in my life and choose whether or not they should happen.

Throughout, Evan listened intently, actually looking invested in the conversation to the point I told him more than what I intended to confess. Such as how this wasn't the first time Levi kept trying to trap me in a box so I can stay on his little pedestal, alienating me to the point that I became unfamiliar with things and of people he doesn't approve of for me.

Something flashed in Evan's eyes, something indecipherable, all the while as he looked at me whilst being shocked by all of this "That's fucking horrible, who does he think he is?"

I laughed dryly "It's always been like that, he knows how much power he has over me and how I'm always vulnerable with the way he makes me feel guilty for the things that I do even if it won't affect him. He tries to pretend it does, but he just does it to find a way to control me."

"Does he not allow you to make mistakes?"

"He's perfect and so should I."

"But still, you shouldn't let anyone take charge of your life like that, even if he thinks he's better than you, which he isn't, obviously." Evan proclaimed.

I looked up at him as I let a weak grin form on my lips "Now you know what it felt like with my mother."

His eyes softened as he gulped "I'm sorry... that your mother had to go through that, and that you had to go through this as well. I just never realized how horrible it was until I've actually seen what it would be like for the other end."

I nodded "That's why as horrible as it seems, the way you've acted over the years to your past girlfriends made me so bitter of you. It's because I know what it feels like, and when you held it over my head of what my father did and made it seem like he had the upper hand in the situation, I just got so angry."

"I know," he interjected, looking down "I know."

It was quiet for a while as neither one of us spoke another word.

"I'm sorry," he told me "About everything."

I couldn't help but smile, not because I sensed he was actually genuine when he said it, or because this felt like another milestone for us but because... It actually felt nice being understood by someone you never thought would be able to empathize with you.

"I know." I said, smiling up at him "I'm sorry too, about everything."

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