Saving Everest Read online

  “Guess who?” I asked, standing on my tiptoes and placing my fingers around his eyes.

  “Is it Beyoncé?” his deep melodic voice answered with a slight tone of amusement.

  I released my fingers and walked around to face him. “Really, Beyoncé?”

  “A guy can dream.” He smirked while putting a book back in his locker. “So, how was everything with your mom?”

  “Consider me free.” I grinned. “She didn’t even come home last night. She came in this morning.”

  “Where was she?”

  “Probably with my aunt Macy.”

  “Don’t you think it’s a weird that she’s always gone?” he asked.

  I felt my stomach drop. Little did he know I thought about that all the time. Everest took my books out of my hands.

  “It is pretty strange.”

  Okay. Geez, Ev, I know it’s weird.

  “Hey, what’s making you upset?” He stopped walking, and I didn’t even realize he was talking until he softly grabbed my hand.

  “Nothing. It’s nothing, I’m fine.” I fibbed. “I just remembered I have a test in bio today and I didn’t study.”

  “Oh, you’re going to do great,” he scoffed like he knew for sure before grinning and quickly looking straight ahead. Passing smiles are attractive, I randomly thought.

  “Thanks, Ev.” I smiled a small smile, feeling sort of guilty for not telling the whole truth.

  “This is it?” he asked once I stopped at my classroom door.

  I nodded while he looked inside my classroom from the doorway. “Aw, you have Mrs. Anderson, she’s—”

  “Good morning, Mr. Finley.” Mrs. Anderson came out of the room.

  “—she’s one of the best-looking, most respectable teachers in this entire school,” he quickly said, and I pursed my lips to keep from laughing.

  “Get to class, young man. The bell rings in the next forty seconds.”

  Everest quickly looked at the clock and swore. Realizing his mistake, he looked back at my teacher. “Oh fuck, sorry.”

  He closed his eyes briefly and scrunched up his nose. “I . . . didn’t mean . . . to say f—”

  “Just get to class,” she said briskly.

  “Right, okay.”

  He turned to me and kissed the side of my head before dashing down the hall at full speed, his flannel shirt floating behind him like a cape.

  In the parking lot after school, I decided to ask Everest right then and there about Thanksgiving. My nerves were on high alert, and I wasn’t sure why. It wasn’t that I thought he’d say no; it was the possibility of him saying yes. I couldn’t imagine what that would be like.

  “Hey, Ev, quick question.”

  He turned to me as we walked over to his car. “I may have a quick answer.”

  The nerves kicked up their power, and I realized that I was just going to have to spit it out. “My mother wants to meet you, and was bugging me earlier about inviting you to our Thanksgiving dinner and—”

  “Sounds good, of course I’ll come.”

  “Wait. You’re going to actually come?” My eyes widened.

  “Why not?” He shrugged.

  28

  Everest

  Confession: if I go to hell for killing myself, then I’ll try to be like the most powerful thing down there. I’m not just going to be down there burning for all eternity. That sounds boring and like a major waste of time. I don’t know, I’d probably try to overthrow the devil or something and make my first law be that pure evil would only come to those who were downright disgusting up here.

  —EF, November 11, 2018

  “Where are you off to?” my mother asked, briefly grabbing my hand.

  “I was just about to meet up with Beverly.” Also, I really had no desire to sit and have breakfast with them.

  “I made waffles-s-s-s,” she sang.

  “You made waffles?” My mother never cooked; I didn’t think I’d ever seen her even pop popcorn.

  “Okay, Miranda made waffles-s-s-s,” she sang again.

  I couldn’t help my grin, but then she grinned back, and when I realized what we were doing, my smile fell as quickly as it came.

  “No, thanks. I think I’m just going to go ahead and catch a bite later on.”

  The disappointment floated around my mother like a shadow. She immediately looked down at the diamond bracelet she received a few years ago for Christmas and fidgeted with it. Her eyes then met mine, a mild storm flooding within them.

  “I’m trying, I really am.” Her voice was soft and full of remorse, and an alarm suddenly went off inside of me. I was not ready to have this conversation. Looking at her for more than a few passing seconds, I didn’t know what to do. Having my mother care was uncharted territory for me. She looked at me one last time before turning on her heel and heading to the kitchen. I stood there in the doorway as what seemed like a million years passed in a millisecond.

  “Wait—” She turned to look at me and I took a deep breath. “I guess I can stay for breakfast.”

  Everything on her brightened and she clapped her hands together. “Great!”

  She walked over to me and hooked her arm with mine to lead me into the dining room. Hadley, Susan, and my father were already seated. The already quiet room somehow got more silent.

  I took the seat farthest away from my father. I hadn’t seen Susan in a while. Never really liked her to be completely honest. I always thought that she was desperately trying to be Hadley’s mother rather than her nanny. She was also a complete suck-up to my father.

  Speaking of which, my father sat the end of the table, my mother and Susan on each side of him. He was busy reading a newspaper, the large, thin papers shielding his face completely. I thought it was really corny how he was reading a newspaper. He could easily check the news on that phone he was constantly on. But my father, being my father, wanted to give off an obnoxious stance like usual.

  “Hey.” I playfully shoulder bumped Hadley.

  “You’re here.”

  “Yep,” I answered, although it was an I’d-rather-be-anywhere-else kind of yep.

  “Good. I’m glad. It was getting kind of lonely here.”

  And that was when it hit me—Hadley was always alone with these people, listening to the garbage that spilled out of their mouths daily, experiencing the harsh reality that in this house kids were ignored, their opinions and suggestions unheard; learning that her mother was tremendously materialistic, and viewed her children like accessories, and that her father was a judgmental corporate robot who only cared about money. My eyebrows furrowed together in thought. Guilt weighed down on me full force.

  How could I have not noticed?

  “I’m so glad we are all here as a family.”

  My mother spoke with blatant joy. My father brought the newspaper down and saw me.

  “Son.” He nodded his head toward me in acknowledgment.

  “Frank.” I repeated his movement.

  “Since when do you call your father by his first name?” Susan asked with a motherly tone, and I wanted nothing more than for her to disappear.

  “Isn’t this a family breakfast? Why exactly are you here?”

  My parents were both here and Hadley wasn’t a small child incapable of taking care of herself, so I really didn’t see Susan’s purpose.

  “Everest, don’t be difficult. Please let’s just eat and enjoy each other’s company,” my mother said.

  As if on cue, Miranda came and set the waffles on the table. Now, besides Hadley, Miranda was my favorite. She never really talked, but I liked her a lot. She had done things for me that will forever stick. No one knew about how sometimes she silently prayed over me when she thought I was asleep, or about how when I was eleven and my father ripped my stuffed frog in pieces because he said I was too old for it, I found
it sewn back together and in my bed the next morning. My frog, Green Bean, smelled like peppermint patties, and I knew it was Miranda who’d fixed it. We never spoke about it, but I would always remember that.

  “I heard that you’ve been playing music, Everest.” Susan’s voice brought me out of my thoughts.

  “You’re still interested in that?” My mother sounded surprised. “You stopped going to your music lessons years ago.”

  Yeah, because Frank figured that football camp was more beneficial. There was a reason why I hadn’t told my family, and I truly didn’t appreciate Susan bringing it up. I didn’t even care to question how she knew to begin with.

  “Just messing around.” I took a sip of my apple juice.

  “You’re really good,” Hadley told me with a proud, sly smile.

  “You’ve heard me?” I asked incredulously.

  “It’s kinda hard not to when you’re putting on a full concert in the shower.”

  I chewed my waffle while looking at her with amusement, before my dad decided to make a comment to kill the mood.

  “I thought you grew out of that. You know, there’s not much money in that field.”

  I didn’t want to repeat the stupid pattern this idiotic family has set. Play football, get into college with the help of my family’s money, go to school for business, marry a girl I didn’t love, run the family business, and have kids that I wouldn’t have time for. I was completely fine with not doing any of those things.

  “Yeah, I’m just having fun.”

  My father’s phone lit up every three seconds with a notification. My mother noticed, too, and attempted sneakily to take a quick glance while grabbing her glass, but she was horribly obvious, and my father slid his phone closer to himself.

  “That’s nice, honey,” my mother told me while glancing at my dad and looking unsettled.

  The table grew silent after that, the only sounds the occasional pangs of metal hitting glass and the beeps from my father’s phone, until my father got up from the table quickly, his phone flashing in his grip.

  “I have to take this. Sonya has stumbled across a problem.”

  My mother stopped chewing and stared at my father. I anxiously anticipated that she would stand up to his crap for once. I wanted her to yell, scream, or basically do anything. Why was she doing this to herself? I begged her mentally to please just say something.

  She swallowed her food, and for a moment I thought that this was when she would finally crack. All the toxins would be gone, and everything would be okay—that change was coming, and we could all be happy. In just that moment, I sensed hope. I was silently rooting her on, my grip on my glass so tight it was turning my knuckles white. Dabbing her mouth with a nearby napkin, she looked unsteady.

  “I—”

  This was it. The moment I’d been waiting for, where some of the infection that was this family would begin to be cleaned.

  “I’ll see you later for dinner.”

  My eyes instantly closed tight, disappointment hitting me hard. My father swiftly left, kissing Hadley on the head on his way out. It was disgusting, wasn’t it? That that mouth of his, filled with sly lies and deceit wrapped in a box of sin, had had the audacity to touch something so pure and innocent. The same lips that he would touch those women with were placed on his daughter. And it seemed like I was the only one who was thinking this way.

  I slammed my glass down with more force than usual, my fist clenched tight beside my plate as I took a deep breath.

  “Everest, dear, these dishes are expensive. Please be more careful.”

  Was she just going to ignore what happened?

  “Thanks for breakfast. I think I’m going to head out now. C’mon, Hadley.”

  I stood up from my chair. Hadley’s head whipped quickly in my direction and her eyes widened along with her lips. She stood up from the table swiftly and stood next to me.

  “Hadley? No. She has plans today,” my mother said in a rush.

  “Reschedule, cancel, tell them that her older brother wants to hang out with her today—I don’t care.” I turned to Hadley who could barely contain her smile. “You ready?”

  “Wait, Everest. . . . Why are you . . .” My mother looked unsettled.

  “You’re trying, right? Let’s not make a big deal of me taking my sister out.”

  “So, what’s the plan?” Hadley asked excitedly from the back seat.

  “Uh . . .”

  There really wasn’t a plan. I’d just winged that whole ordeal. I was supposed to meet up with Beverly.

  “Where do you want to go?” I looked at her in the rearview mirror.

  “You mean I get to pick?” she asked, surprised.

  “Yep, anywhere you want. We can go right now.”

  “It’s the fall festival in town?”

  The fall festival was a huge event that took place in a different park each year. I’d gone a few times. It was one of the few events that Cara had dragged me to that I hadn’t minded. The food was good, and the music was better.

  Even though it was eleven o’clock, people were scattered all about the park. It wasn’t too full, though, just a perfect amount of people, so we wouldn’t have to wait in lines for a long time. There were different booths and rides set up. A pie-eating contest was scheduled for noon and pumpkin bouncy houses were scattered about. I bought both of us cheese fries and we sat at a bench.

  “Okay, so tell me who you are?”

  “I’m Hadley,” she giggled, staring at me weirdly.

  “Okay, Hadley, tell me about yourself.” I pushed her playfully while chewing on a fry, using the same scenario that Beverly and I had months prior. It was quite sad how I didn’t know who my own sister was. I had no idea what she liked or disliked, the things she dreamed about, her fears, or what kept her up at night.

  She froze in thought, a smile on her face, before looking back at me. “That’s a hard question.”

  “Let me start with something easier,” I chuckled. “What’s your favorite color?”

  We traded questions back and forth, laughing every so often at our answers. I learned that her favorite color was pink. Favorite food was pizza. She said she hated when people didn’t think she knew what was going on; it was an insult to her intelligence. Chocolate covered pretzels were the closest thing to heaven, and she adored dancing because it was like she was talking without the talking.

  “I have a question for you,” she said, mischief in her eyes.

  “Shoot.” I smiled.

  “When are you going to quit being a punk and ask Beverly out?”

  “Next question.”

  “Oh c’mon, Everest.” She grabbed my arm and shook me a little. “She’s so-o-o-o-o nice and pretty and smells good,” she whined playfully.

  “Oh yeah? Sounds like you should take her out on a date,” I said, amused, getting out of her tight grip.

  She giggled manically, and scrunched up her nose.

  “Speaking of Bev, we were supposed to hang out today. I should call and cancel.” I grabbed my phone from my pocket.

  “. . . or you can just invite her.”

  I looked at Hadley. “Nah, it’s our day today.”

  I dialed the phone and it took Beverly longer than usual to answer. “Well if it isn’t my favorite person . . .” I heard her voice through the receiver and practically felt her smile through the phone.

  “You’re blushing,” Hadley mouthed, and I turned my head away from her.

  “Hey, I just called to say—”

  “Come to the fall festival with us!” Hadley leaned over my shoulder and yelled into the receiver.

  I almost dropped my phone and had to adjust my grip. I moved Hadley from off my back and put the phone back to my ear to hear Beverly laughing.

  “Sorry—” I said.

  “Was that Had
ley?” she asked.

  I glanced at the smug-looking little girl next to me. “Yeah.”

  “Tell her I said hi,” Beverly chuckled.

  I turned to Hadley and spoke dryly. “Beverly said hi.”

  “I’d rather hear you say it in person,” Hadley called out to Beverly.

  I gripped my forehead and shook my head while Beverly chuckled. “Right now?”

  “Yes, but if you’re busy—”

  “I’m on my way. I’ll meet you by the pumpkin patch.”

  “So is she coming?” Hadley asked, throwing a fry into her mouth.

  “She’s on her way.”

  “Yay!” She smiled brightly.

  Hadley and I finished off our fries. She was really excited to see Beverly, and although I wasn’t showing it, I was too.

  When Hadley saw Beverly, she broke out into a run then hugged her tightly. Beverly held her with equal enthusiasm, and I watched as she smiled fully and chatted a little with Hadley. Beverly looked so happy, with the colored trees around her, and her big, tan, fuzzy sweater. Her hair was in its usual spirals, and she wore a skirt with high socks and boots. I didn’t think I’d ever seen her in a skirt.

  “Earth to Everest?” Hadley called out to me, snapping me out of whatever daze I was in.

  “Did I just get replaced?” I asked when I approached them.

  “Oh, be quiet you.” Beverly quickly wrapped her arms around my torso. Her hugs were so warm and comforting. It was like you never knew you needed a hug like that until you actually got one. I hugged her back, and I felt her nuzzle into my shirt.

  “Well, if it isn’t taco boy.” I heard a voice come from behind me.

  It was the kid who had been in the car that one day. “Hey, man,” I said.

  “Did you find the bathroom?” Beverly asked him, ending our hug.

  “Obviously.” He rolled his eyes.

  “Hey, don’t you go to my school? Manny, right?” I heard Hadley ask and I turned to look at him.

  His eyes widened a fraction and he visibly gulped. “You know my name?”