Saving Everest Read online

  Suppressing a grin and failing, I took a pretzel from her and tossed it in my mouth with ease.

  “I’m going to pack up real quick then we can head out and eat.”

  Just then, Lincoln clasped down hard on my shoulder. “O-o-o-o what we getting?”

  “I’m in the mood for a sandwich.” Lucky, too, entered the conversation. I turned to see him spinning his drumsticks between his fingertips.

  “Oh, sorry, guys. My mom has been wanting me and Bev to be at Sunday dinner with her tonight. I doubt sandwiches are on the menu,” I said with fake sadness.

  “Wow, and she didn’t want to invite us?” Lucky said with a soft, disapproving tone.

  Lincoln snorted. “That’s all right. We don’t want to go to her crusty dinner anyway.”

  Beverly chuckled. “It’s not crusty.”

  “You don’t have to defend anything to him. He’s having Subway for dinner,” I said, taking another pretzel from her hand.

  “Hey, there’s some right here on the table, you know?” Beverly pushed the bowl closer to me, but I paid no mind to it because I wanted the pretzels she had.

  “Don’t even try and play Subway like that, Everest.” Lincoln walked away with his guitar in one hand and his phone in the other. He was probably gearing up to talk to Tiffany—those two had been chatting it up a lot more recently. I could totally see them being a couple.

  “You had a spicy Italian sandwich yesterday, you fraud.” Lucky narrowed his eyes and threw a disgusted look my way.

  “That was last week,” I snorted.

  “Whatever. Point is, you still had Subway.” Lucky playfully hit me upside the head with his drumstick. After his miniassault, he left to go to the storage room.

  I turned to Beverly, who was contentedly chewing on a pretzel. She had crumbs on her cheeks, and it made me remember the first time I’d hung out with her. She’d had crumbs on her cheeks then too. The sight alone, mixed with the memory, made me feel warm inside. I brushed the crumbs off her in a few swipes and she tilted her head upward so I could have better access.

  “You’re a mess,” I said with an uncontrollable smile.

  She stared at me and I could see the gears turning in her head. She had the kind of eyes that make you feel like she knew something you didn’t. There was a depth in her brown eyes—a depth I hadn’t discovered up until I’d met her. Beverly’s mouth etched into a closed smile.

  “Aren’t we all?” she said after a moment.

  I wondered the places her soul had been. Sometimes I wondered if she was secretly an angel. Or maybe she was an angel, but everyone suspected this except for her. She wasn’t like anyone I had ever met before. I was so fascinated by everything she was. Beverly had me totally and completely hooked and she didn’t even know it. My love for her went deeper than the depths of her eyes. I gently pulled her head toward me and kissed the top of it. “I’ll be just a sec.”

  When I entered the storage room, I saw Lincoln and Lucky packing up their equipment.

  “We’re getting better and better every time we play together,” Lucky said as I grabbed my jacket.

  This was true. We were becoming a more cohesive group with each passing set.

  “Jeff said he’ll get us on tour across the country in no time.”

  I froze with that bit of information. My hobby was becoming more of a career than I ever thought it would now that we hired him as a manager.

  “Seriously?” I asked as I put on my beanie.

  Lucky nodded. “It could be as soon as this summer.”

  “Why didn’t he tell me this?”

  Lucky and Lincoln both looked at each other and laughed.

  “What?” I asked.

  “He did, but your mind is someplace else.” Lincoln threw a rag at me with a laugh.

  “Don’t throw your sweat rag at me, Link. It smells like ass,” I told him, throwing it back even harder.

  “You’re turning soft with all that hanging around Beverly,” Lincoln said, sending a text, no doubt to Tiffany.

  “Mhm . . . I’ll see you guys later,” I said with a smug smile before leaving the room.

  It was true that I saw Beverly so much more than I had before. Wherever I went, she went. This was the fourth gig she had come to in the past week. My main goal was to try and make sure she was as busy as possible, so she didn’t think about her home life.

  It had been two weeks since the whole ordeal with her mom, and she seemed better each day, but I knew she was still fragile, especially since a couple of days ago when we dropped by to get her stuff and it was all scattered on the curb, ready to be collected by the garbage truck. She didn’t cry but I think she wanted to.

  “You ready?” she asked when I approached her.

  I smiled; I couldn’t even control it anymore. Being around her as much as I had only made my feelings for her grow stronger. “I should be asking you that. Hadley loves you there. She doesn’t give you any space.”

  “I love her too. I’ve always wanted a sister.” She shrugged. “I want to go.”

  “But why?”

  “Do you not want me to go?” she asked with a teasing grin.

  “No, no, I do. Believe me, I do. I’m just wondering, because your experience was so awful.”

  “The way I remember it, you were more affected by it than I was. Plus, your mom is actually sweet sometimes.”

  I looked at her strangely and changed the conversation. When we arrived at my house, I was pleased to discover my father’s Porsche not outside my home.

  We walked in to find my mom with a glass in hand and a joyous smile on her face.

  “Oh, Beverly, dear.” She grabbed Beverly’s arm. “How are you, darling?”

  “It’s good to see you too,” Beverly said shyly. It had been an experience watching how accepting my family had been toward Beverly. It made me feel good knowing that they cared for her as much as I did—or at least pretended well enough. I had a greater appreciation now for them.

  “Hello, Mother.”

  “Good evening, my son.” She kissed my cheek, no doubt leaving a mark. I looked at her glass again and wondered what number she was on.

  “Come, come take a seat.” When I reached the dining room, Hadley was already seated. But sat in place of my dad was our cook, Miranda, and beside her, sat her husband.

  “Hey, Miranda.” She nodded her head toward me in acknowledgment, a grandmotherly smile plastered on her face.

  “Vic.” Her husband waved at me slightly, acknowledging not only me but Beverly too.

  It wasn’t unusual for Miranda and her husband to have dinner with us. Whenever he was home from work and whenever my mother was in a good mood, she’d invite them to the table.

  “I missed you.” I heard Hadley beside me, practically squealing as she hugged Beverly.

  “You saw her yesterday,” I deadpanned. Beverly had been in the car when I’d picked Hadley up from dance practice.

  “It was only for a second,” she threw back at me with ease.

  “I missed you too,” Beverly spoke with admiration. “I don’t think I got to ask you about your trip.”

  The eyes of that child immediately glossed over as she excitedly went into extensive detail about her trip.

  My mom entered the dining room and set a blueberry pie on the table before taking a seat across from me.

  Hadley looked at me before asking my mom, “Where’s Dad?”

  My mother stared at her with a who-cares look.

  Miranda got up abruptly, the screech of the chair cutting through the awkward air. She returned with a pot, and when she lifted the lid, it was almost as if it lifted the mood of the room.

  “That smells absolutely wonderful,” my mother gushed.

  Hadley leaned over the table to get a better look into the delicious-smelling pot.


  “Oh my.” Beverly practically drooled.

  I leaned over slightly to see a perfectly cooked pot roast. Victor kissed his wife on the cheek, probably proud to have her.

  “No hors d’oeuvres?” I asked, realizing that they hadn’t been brought out. I couldn’t even remember a time when I didn’t have to spit out those shits on Sunday dinner; it was almost tradition in a way.

  “Hadley told me you guys hate them. I had no idea. You guys never said a word. I would’ve had Miranda stop making those recipes I got from my book club years ago.” My mother shook her head disapprovingly.

  “You always got a kick out of finding recipes, so I didn’t want to ruin it. But now that I know it’s already ruined, I would just like to personally thank Hadley. Thanks, little sis.”

  “No prob.” Hadley smiled.

  “Beverly, how are you, honey?” my mother asked her politely. I didn’t think my mother had ever been this polite to any of the people I’d brought home.

  “Hungry,” she said, staring at the pot, making those seated around the table chuckle.

  Miranda served the plates after that. The roast was even better than the aroma it carried—it should be illegal for food to taste that good.

  “How was your talent show?” My mother attempted to make conversation and show her interest in me. Even though it hadn’t been a talent show, I gave her an A for effort.

  “My set went fine, thank you for asking.”

  Beverly quirked an undercover smile before taking a bite of her food.

  “Oh, I just remembered—Lucille told me to ask you if you can give her your autograph. Before you, like, blow up and become a star.” Hadley spoke quickly.

  “That’s so cool, Everest. You even have fans in middle school,” Beverly said happily and playfully nudged my arm.

  “Honey, I didn’t know you were on the road to stardom. I would love to watch you perform,” my mother said, giving me her full attention.

  “Yeah, me too.” Hadley turned to Beverly. “Did he do good tonight?”

  Beverly nodded with a modest smile. “He always does good.”

  She was so cute.

  “I want to go,” Hadley urged, pulling my attention from Beverly.

  Miranda and Victor told me with their body language that they wanted to come too.

  I was not a hundred percent comfortable with the idea of them being a part of the audience. Singing was what provided me an escape from the life I knew. The attention the table gave me made my throat turn dry, my skin become itchy, and my hands get clammy.

  “You know what I haven’t had in a long time? A s’more.” Beverly changed the subject.

  “That does sound nice. We should make some after dinner,” Hadley suggested, which meant it was going to happen. Being the youngest meant she was entitled to get anything she wanted.

  For the rest of the dinner, the conversation ranged from college to the best kinds of coffee beans. The dinner was a pleasant one, and I couldn’t place why it seemed so much better than all the Sunday dinners prior.

  Miranda helped us find the s’more ingredients just before she and Victor headed home. I couldn’t believe my mother allowed us to not only make s’mores in the den using the fireplace but to drink hot chocolate in there too.

  She even took a cup for herself. At first, she briefly went upstairs to clear her face of all traces of makeup and changed into the cheapest set of pajamas I’d ever seen her in. They looked like she’d picked them up from a discount store. Such a dramatic change from her designer silk garments. Something was different about my mom—she was changing in a good way. She seemed like she was trying to become more approachable and instead of being judgy, she was attempting to be only accepting.

  She sat on the couch, snuggled up in a blanket with Hadley up against her arm. I turned on Home Alone and the four of us watched it together. It was the first time in my life that I got a glimpse of a future—a future where Beverly and I would come to dinner every Sunday. A future where she was my plus one to every holiday, my mom and sister opening the gifts we got them for Christmas. I wouldn’t mind this being my family. Just the four of us. Beverly was half asleep when I nudged her arm for her to get up. It was nice to see her at peace like that. My ray of sunshine was dealing with her own storm. Instead of her being the one to bring positivity to my life, I had taken her role. It made me realize in full all that she had been doing for me.

  Before I left the den, my mother sleepily called me over to give her a kiss on the cheek. It wasn’t weird like I thought it would be. Our family wasn’t one for affection. It made me averse to acts of affection, but I realized now that I needed it. It made me feel loved. Which was something I never thought I would crave.

  Beverly and I went outside to get some cool air. The sky was a midnight blue. It was dark but rich, with a velvety blue hue. The silver sparkles in the sky caused Beverly and me to take a moment to admire it.

  The way the stars illuminated her skin was breathtaking. Looking at her as intently as I was, every atom in my genetic makeup tried to make sense of her beauty. Everything about her was so very beautiful. I’d never forget a thing about her—not even a single freckle on a face. Her curls swirled through the cool air. The wind carrying tiny frozen crystals and the snowflakes floating past her was a picture only artists could imagine.

  She turned to me and watched the snowflakes as they fell from the once-clear sky. Her fascination was that of a toddler seeing a butterfly for the first time.

  “It’s snowing,” she said, an immense amount of happiness dancing around her bright aura.

  I love you, I said, but it came out as, “Yup.”

  33

  Beverly

  “So, did you mount Everest yet? You’ve been staying at his house for weeks.”

  The banana smoothie I was currently drinking got caught in the back of my throat. Leave it to Nami to speak so inappropriately in the food court with a bunch of people loitering around. They probably wouldn’t catch the underlying message in her words, but still.

  “What? Don’t act like you weren’t wondering too,” Nami said to Tiffany after Tiffany hit her in the arm.

  When Nami asked me earlier at school if I wanted to go Christmas shopping with her and Tiffany, of course I agreed. I’d never been to the mall with anyone other than my mother before. It was something I had always wanted to experience. Often, I would see a group of friends with lighthouse-bright smiles and bags stacked up on their arms, and I’d think to myself that I wasn’t following some kind of protocol.

  “Everest and I are friends. Friends, just like you and me.”

  “Oh please, you guys are basically dating. You do everything a couple does besides banging like bunnies. For all I know, you guys are. Which bring me back to my previous question.”

  This had to have been the hundredth time today she’d made a remark like this. Appalled, I turned to Tiffany. The look she gave me was as if she wanted no part of the conversation. Her teeth were clenched as she slowly shook her head and held her hands out in defense.

  “You too?” I laughed in disbelief.

  “Being around you guys is the equivalent to watching a Nicholas Sparks movie.” Her nose wrinkled.

  If only they knew how platonic our relationship actually was. We were just close, that was all. Everest and I cared about each other deeply, but it would be a stretch and outright silly to believe we were a couple. I leaned back in my chair and chuckled at their claims.

  “You guys are ridiculous.”

  “Don’t confuse me with you.” Tiffany threw a used napkin at me playfully.

  “So, you mean to tell me that you guys aren’t a couple,” Nami stated like she was running an interrogation.

  “We are not,” I said confidently to the interrogator.

  “So, if someone asked you out, you’d go?” Nami’s eyes narrow
ed.

  I didn’t understand why she was pushing all of this so hard. Being at a loss for words was a typical thing I experienced when being around Nami, but it still caught me off guard.

  “Y-Yes . . . I mean, if someone nice came along, I—”

  Nami abruptly got up. “I’ll be right back,” she said, leaving quickly before anyone had a chance to ask where she was going.

  I watched as she headed toward the trash can to throw away her drink. Turning my attention back to my own drink, I heard Tiffany mumble, “What is she doing?”

  Turning, I saw Nami talking to the smoothie cashier. From her body language, I could tell she wasn’t ordering a drink.

  What is she up to now? I couldn’t help but think.

  Tiffany and I watched the interaction between Nami and the boy. His eyes caught mine suddenly, as he abruptly turned his attention from Nami to me. His lips stretched into a smile and he sent a quick charismatic wave my way. Feeling like I’d done something wrong, I quickly turned to my drink. Nami talked to him for a few more long seconds before returning to us.

  “What was that about?” Tiffany took the words from my mouth.

  Nami began packing up her things. “C’mon, let’s go.”

  “Ooooo-kay.” Tiffany drew the word out, obviously just as confused as I was.

  I stood up from my chair, feeling strange. I gathered the gifts I had purchased earlier, and the weight of the bags seemed heavier than I had remembered. I trailed behind Tiffany and Nami, who seemed to be busy in conversation. Walking past the smoothie parlor left me feeling tense. When my foot actually crossed over the line that set me past the store, I began to feel my body relax. Just as I was about to catch up, though, I heard a voice.

  “Hey!”

  Lots of people used that as a way of greeting or getting someone’s attention, so I wasn’t sure why I knew that call was for me. I didn’t know anyone else in the mall, so there shouldn’t have been a reason for me to turn around, but I did. I turned around to see smoothie boy coming from behind the counter. I seemed to be frozen, but I was able to turn my head a little to not miss the smug smiles of my friends. The first thing I noticed about smoothie boy was the unruly mess of dark-brown ringlets on his head.