Till Death Do Us Part – 6

"The scene slowly unfolds as the lights begin to fade into darkness.
Suddenly, there is a bright spotlight on a certain Mr. Richard Desmond, distraught and pale, shuffling his papers."

Richard Desmond’s (Evandra’s father) POV

(thinking out loud)
…Gabrielle left that bundle of papers for Evandra to open once she found out about the arranged marriage. Where has it gone, where could it be!? If I don’t give them to her myself, all hell may break loose. And now she’s run off to her little treehouse with Aiden. It’s as though she’s regressing into childhood memories to avoid what is now inevitable. Marry they must, and she has to understand this. She has to, there’s simply no other opt—what was that noise!?

But there was no response. I got up and walked over to the office entryway, where I could peek out at the entrance just fast enough to get a peek of Evandra’s outfit as it flashed by on the way to her room. I had no idea what that girl was planning. None whatsoever. I’d have to go deal with that once I found my bundle I suppose. Ahh, yes, the bundle. That’s what I was doing….

But now, back to Evandra’s POV. And on with the story, because Mr. Desmond’s ramblings may never cease

Evandra’s POV

I ran into the house, racing up to my room. I could beat that lazy Aiden any day. I ran up and grabbed the white board and marker I conveniently kept right by my desk. Quickly writing out "I WIN!" in big bold letters, I ran to the window and, panting, held up the sign with a smug expression on my face. I always won. ALWAYS.

True to my word, 5 seconds later, Aiden showed up, sporting his usual sad face and a matching sign that, of course, permanently said "I lost…again."

I blew him a kiss and pulled out a suitcase, thought better of it, and put it away, going downstairs to dad’s office to tell him about what I wished to do. Aiden was probably doing the same over at his place.

"Father," I said as I opened the door to the study, "I have an idea. Since you seem so adamant that I marry Aiden, we both feel that we need to get to know each other more first. We’ve been best friends, but I don’t think we’ve ever looked at each other through the eyes of a lover. I want to know how the two of us would interact together, and for that, I wanted to ask for your permission to do something." I knew my father wasn’t going to interrupt, so I continued right on. "Aiden and I wanted to go camping for a few days. Actually, I want to see if I can put up with him for so long without going crazy, but I’m sure if I tell you it’s a good bonding experience, you’d have to agree!"

****will continue this post when I get home from work. I’m not done with part 6 yet, but I don’t want to lose my work thus far, and I’ll probably finish the update at home, so yeah

Till Death Do Us Part – 5

 "A game? What kind of game? Does it involve death or murder? Because I don’t go for those things. Oh and tattoos are outta the question too. But I mean maybe a tattoo could work, if it wasn’t of your name or face, because honestly, when we’re 80 and have wrinkly skin, it just won’t feel the same," Austin said.

Grr, stupid brat. Always making everything link to himself. As if I wasn’t even supposed to have a say.

"Nope, I’m not testing your undying devotion to me just yet Aiden! Calm down, ‘kay? But I do want to play this game, where we both’ll take part, not just you. If our parents want us to marry each other, we’re going to do it because we want to, and then not look upon our decision with regret," I informed him, because I was sure that he would hate being tied into something that wasn’t his idea in the first place. 

"Hey Dray baby, why do you make things sound so complicated. Out with it, c’mon!"

"Let’s go camping."

"…That’s the brilliant plan Dray? Camping? As if we haven’t done that every summer with the family for the past decade and a half?" he says.

But no, this is one thing I had to insist on. It wouldn’t be the same. This time, I was going to put just the two of us into situations where we’d see how we would react in the future. Call me what you will, this was big. It had to be done right.

"Well anyway, I’ll ask you again then. Let’s go camping, just the two of us. You up for it or not?" Because if he could survive a week with me in the wilderness, he’d be well on his way to surviving with me for the rest of his life. And well actually, if I could survive a week with him, at least I’d know what to expect when we both weren’t on our best behavior in front of our parents. This way, we’d just get to be ourselves for a week and see just what we were getting into.

"Anything for you hon. Let’s go and get packing then, shall we?"

He wasn’t taking this seriously yet. Oh well. I knew Aiden plenty. He’d warm up to the idea if he knew it’s what I wanted to do. And if he could pu tup with my ideas, I’d put up with his attitude about the whole thing, "Let’s see just where this takes us" I muttered to myself as I chased him back to our houses.

Till Death Do Us Part – Part 4

"I LOVE YOU" is what burst out..

Shit, thats not how I’d wanted to begin. The look on Aiden’s face reflected my shock exactly. Not what he’d been expecting either. But well, I had no other choice now. There it was. I was going to tell him just how I felt. He deserved to know anyway.

"Hey Aiden. I know you find this all very amusing, and you know, I’m sad we don’t get to go backpacking too, but that’s not the point. I don’t want to force you into…MARRYING me. You’re such an amazing friend, and we’ve grown up telling each other about our crushes. Come to think of it, I know of every single one of them," and here, I paused wistfully, unsure of how he would react to how I felt. "But I do love you, that’s not news, is it? You’ve been an amazing friend, and maybe not romantically attractive, but I still love you. Not sure why to be honest. I guess its just a habit! But anyway, my point is that you’ve always been there for me, and you know me better than anybody else, especially my dad, because if he’d known anything about me he wouldn’t have put me in this situation, because now I’m just thinking out loud and you’re giving me that face that shows that you’d like to be anywhere but here but at the same time, I know you don’t hate being here because deep down….I don’t know. Do you love me too?"

"Of course I do silly. What took you so long to figure that out?" he said to me.

But marriage was still a big step regardless of our mutual friendshiplovething with each other. There was no way I could marry Aiden. I hadn’t even thought of him that way. And to change my mindset…he had to work harder than just those two sentences. Although I must admit, they did make me quite happy. But anyway, I had an IDEA!

"So Aiden, if you’re up for it, let’s play a game!"

**small filler chapter. The next one will be longer obviously. I just needed to lead up to it!

Till Death Do Us Part – Part 2

*he’s kidding he’s kidding it’s all a lie. Please, let it all be a lie*

“…Evandra you okay? Did you hear what I said?”

"Uhhh…of course I did. You’re joking right? You’re being funny to make me feel less sad about mom? I appreciate the effort dad, but…don’t ever pull that joke on me again. Aidan and I are friends…very good friends, but nothing more. I’m positive about that dad. We both don’t have any ideas of getting married to each other…that’s just…outrageous"

“THAT’S ENOUGH. I think I am MORE than capable to decide what is and what isn’t outrageous, Evandra. And THIS is NOT outrageous. Au contraire….Richard is telling Aidan the same thing right now, and we’ll see how maturely he can take this suggestion."

"Suggestion? Father, you’ve all but forced this upon me. There is no way that I will marry my best friend. I want…" She trailed off, knowing that her father would never understand what she truly wanted. She wanted true love. Just a simple, sweet, romantic relationship with her true love.

“Again with this insolence. I’ve had more than enough of this. There is most definitely a way to get you to marry Aidan, and that is what, for lack of a better term, is called an ARRANGED MARRIAGE. Looking into Evandra’s eyes, he saw a fleeting glimpse of despair. Painfully, he blinked, furiously trying to get the eyes of his deranged wife out of his head. Oh dear god, he had loved her. Why hadn’t she talked to him first; they could have resolved things. But the past still haunted him, and  her eyes…why, they’d had this very same look on them that night. The very same.

Steeling himself, he continued “And, if you’re thinking of running away, just remember this. Your father is not yet poor enough that he won’t go searching for his beloved daughter, kidnapped and dragged away to god knows where. And when we do find you, you’ll be dragged straight to your wedding altar. Do you understand?”

Evandra was working herself into a near rage, but she mastered her fury and spoke calmly, with just a hint of familiar stubbornness. “Father, I see that you’re set on your decision. Well then I can assure YOU of some things as well then. I am NOT marrying Aidan. He is just my FRIEND. Father, my FRIEND. Not my LOVE. I refuse. I absolutely refuse.”

*SLAP*

Wincing in pain, Evandra looked her father in the eye (with new fiery depths in her usually complacent hazel eyes) and said: "This is the first time you’ve ever hit me, and if I have anything to do with it, it’ll be your last."

Gathering up his voice to yell at her, he stood, quite dumbfounded, as his tranquil Evandra ran up the stairs, unable to keep the tears from her eyes. 

Well, she will marry Aidan in the end. Ill have to see to it that she doesn’t lose me in the process. I can see another talk will be necessary then.

He walked up slowly. He was tired. Tired of everything. Tired of living when his wife was dead. Tired of being the bearer of bad news. Tired of pretending he was fine. Tonight, he was just tired. Sighing slowly, he walked into his study. He knew he wouldn’t be disturbed today. Opening a drawer, caressing its wood lovingly, he took out a bundle. A bundle that had been untouched since the news of his wife’s death had hit them. 

Ohh…where has Gabrielle gone when I truly need her. This was her job, telling Evandra about their arranged marriage. Why me Gab. Why me? Why could you not have taken me with you? I’m tired of living in this world.

Looking at the bundle, he broke down. Lost control, gave up, whatever you want to call it. Chest heaving as great sobs spasmodically shook his body, he sank to the floor, sobbing his heart out, mourning his beloved wife.

….Little did he know that somebody was watching him.

Evandra, her face pale as she heard what was unmistakably the sound of her father crying, turned around quietly and ran up the stairs to her room for the second time that day.

Till Death Do Us Part – Intro & Part 1

I’m not sure…this is a storyline I came up with two years ago, and now, is extremely overplayed. But I never got past chapter 2, and I want to give this one another shot first. Once I finish this one up, I’ll embark on a new, more original idea!

Name: Evandra Starr Desmond
Status: Lead Female
Age: 17
Likes: Textbook romances, reading, writing
Dislikes: mess, bossiness

Name: Aiden Pierce Windsor
Status: Main male character
Age: 17
Likes: Being in control, going on long drives
Dislikes: Extreme cleanliness.

Setting: (I almost forgot I should give this to you)
No big space or time warp, just to let you know. It’s the world as we know it, in the year 2009. This takes place in Europe btw.

Without any further ado, part 1:

"Coming father," Evandra said as she closed her diary, a single tear marring the pristine beauty of the pages on which she’d written. It was hard for her, this summer, to be without her mother. She didn’t think life could go on, didn’t understand how the world was still revolving. Her mother was dead. The only one who had truly understood her, and protected her from her fathers’ starkness.
 

He loved her, she knew that. But he had no idea about how he could express himself. And now that his wife had died, he had given up trying. The grief hovered in the air around them, making Evandra want to do nothing but run off to Aiden.
 

Aiden Windsor. The only friend she’d ever known. Oh there’d been others, in school. She’d laughed with them, and walked around with them, but she knew how shallow they were. Aiden, however, was the sweetest person she’d ever met, and she had technically met him before they were born. Their mothers had been best friends all throughout college, and had kept in touch. Or maybe the fact that, when they were married, they had ended up living right next to each other, had helped. At any rate, Aiden was the one person she could rely on. She told him everything, and he knew what she was going through.

It wasn’t fair, was it? Why did she have to lose her mother? She was only seventeen, not even old enough to be out of high school yet. This wasn’t supposed to happen.

Thinking about the times they had shared, the memories her mother had left behind resulted in three more drops splashing onto her diary. Getting up quickly, she put the diary away and stared out the window, remembering the time when she and Aiden had been tottering around, chased by Gabrielle *her mother*, yelling at them to let her change their clothes. If only she had known. She never would have pushed her mother away so much as she was growing up.

Breaking out of her reverie, and anxious not to upset her father, she walked toward the study. Knocking slightly, she opened the door and walked in, trying once more to decipher her father’s cryptic look. He had that look so often these days. When that didn’t work, she sat down, waiting for her father to begin the conversation.

"After your mother died," and then a pause, in which he heaved a longing sigh, "…I dont think I’ve been fair enough to you. I know this was as much a shock to you as it was to me, and I’ve been very selfish lately. Honey, I want to do what’s the best for us, and I don’t know if you, or myself for this matter, can take living in this silent ghost of a house together anymore."

"Wha…what do you mean by that father? I miss mother terribly, but what are you trying to say? Evandra asked?"
 

"I’ve been talking extensively with Mr. Windsor *Aiden’s mother had died when he was born* and we’ve come to a decision. I’ll tell you what I want you to do, but I don’t expect an answer from you right away. I’ve thought long and hard before reaching this agreement with Richard, and we both agree it’s only fair that you both agree before we proceed."

"What have you decided?"

"I want…no…Pierce and I both wish to see you and Aiden marry as soon as you both turn eighteen."