Evie

After my evening run, I've taken to stopping at a local convenience store for a sports drink while I cool off. Over time I've struck up a friendship of sorts with the clerk, a cute brunette named Evie.

I have a collection of t-shirts that I've had made with scenes, quotes or characters from cult classic sci-fi movies. Evie started commenting on them, and to my surprise, knew all the movies they were from. Needless to say, I was impressed.

"Hey Evie." I called out as I entered the store.

"Hey Aaron." She responded. "The usual?"

"As always." I answered, fishing the sports drink from the cooler, then walking over to the register.

"Weyland-Yutani, The 'company' from Alien, cool." She said, admiring my shirt.

"One of my favorite movie franchises." I smiled. "At this point, I'm not surprised you got it."

"You haven't stumped me yet, though I did have to think for a minute on the one from Blade Runner." She chuckled.

"The Roy Batty quote?" I inquired.

"All those moments will be lost..." She started.

"Like tears in the rain." We said in unison.

"Yeah." She smiled. "Not real obscure, but hard to remember only because there's so much going on in that movie."

"How's school going?" I asked. She was in college, studying to be a nurse.

"Brutal." She sighed. "I can't wait for this semester to be over, I graduate in May. It's 7 months away, can't come soon enough."

"Then you can get out of this dump." I chuckled.

The store wasn't in a bad neighborhood, per se, but a pretty girl working nights, I always worried about her.

We had an odd relationship. She was 22, wicked smart, funny and very pragmatic. She knew what she wanted out of life and was going to get it, period. I am 26, work landscaping for a local contractor, I enjoy the work and like being outside. I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed, but we seem to connect for some reason. We spent a lot of time texting back and forth with obscure trivia and such, trying to stump each other. Neither of us was looking for a relationship, she wanted to get through school, and I'm just lost, for lack of a better term.

I did ask her once why she felt the need to befriend me. Her answer. "The first time I met you, you had on a shirt that said Tyrell Corp., Blade Runner is one of my all time favorite movies. Then when I asked what you did, you said, 'I work for ENCOM', TRON...another classic. Anybody that well versed in arcane science fiction movie lore is worth hanging out with. Besides, you looked lonely."

"Well I spent a lot of time by myself as a child, television was a friend." I sighed. I hadn't told her my story yet, so I was shocked that she could see the loneliness in me. I was abandoned as a baby, found in a church late one night. Spent my entire childhood in the system, never got adopted. I have no idea who I am. I even tried those genetic ancestry sites, but nobody seems to be related. I have no family. I never belonged anywhere. That will certainly kick the shit out of your self esteem. That's why I'm a loner. I've always kept to myself, mostly avoided contact with people, then I met Evie. I tried to shut her out, I couldn't let her get close, but like a dog with a bone, she just wouldn't let me. She always made sure to talk to me whenever I came in the store, even if I didn't want to. Over time, she dragged me out of my shell, and I have to admit, I've started looking forward to seeing her, talking to her.

She was saddened by my story, but I never sensed she felt sorry for me. She didn't befriend me out of pity, she truly enjoyed my company. She was just as well versed on movie trivia as I was.

One evening I came in after my run. I noticed someone at the counter but didn't give it much thought. He was still there when I went to pay for my drink.

"Aw, come on babe, just give me your number." He begged.

"I'm sorry sir." Evie answered. "I'm not allowed to do that." Evie saw me behind this guy, I could see by the look on her face he was trouble.

They continued to banter back and forth for a bit, he just wouldn't give up, no matter what Evie said.

Finally, I'd had enough. "Take the hint. I don't think she's interested." I said, startling him.

He spun around. "Who the fuck asked you?" He spat before he could register just what he'd done.

I'm no body builder, but I've done manual labor since I was a kid, my arms and upper body are pretty well toned. I'm 6 foot even, 200lbs, solid. He on the other hand was 5'8" or so, maybe 150lbs and WAY too fucking old to be hitting on a 22 year old, the biggest thing on him was his mouth. We were on camera, so I wasn't going to start anything, but if he touched me, or Evie, I would finish it.

I took half a step forward and glared down at him, giving him my best 'I'll kill you and hide the body' stare. "As I see it, you have two choices." I growled. "You can walk out of here, or they will carry you out after I break both your legs. How you wanna do this?"

His mouth dropped open and I'm sure he damned near pissed down his leg. "I-I-I'm l-l-leaving n-now." He stammered, bolting for the door.

"You OK Evie?" I asked.

"Not really." She said, visibly shaking. "Some of the things he said to me... Who the hell does he think he is to talk to me like that? Thanks for..."

"Glad to help." I said. "Don't give it another thought."

I stayed with her for a while until she'd calmed down, then left.

As I walked away, I noticed movement near Evie's car. Being the only car in the area, It would be clear to just about anyone whose it was. I walked around the building and crept up on the car until I could just see it from my hiding place in the shadows. That little fucker from earlier was trying to break into Evie's car. I watched from cover as he managed to open the door and crawl into the back seat, closing the door behind him. Seems the bastard wasn't as harmless as I thought. I'd recorded the event on my phone, just in case it might come in handy, then texted Evie real quick, telling her not to leave the store (she would be ending her shift in a few minutes) and that I would explain later.

I crept up on the car, then threw the door open and dragged the idiot out. He made one half-hearted swing at me before I nailed him, hard, in the gut doubling him over. I grabbed him, throwing him against the building just as Evie bolted from the store.

"Aaron." She shrieked. "What's going on?"

"I found this parasite in the back seat of your car." I seethed. "Seems he can't take a hint. Would you be a dear and call the police, I think they might be interested in his activities this evening."

After a quick 911 call Evie stood by the doors while I 'entertained' our guest. "Stand here quietly and I won't break your face, but if you start anything, I won't stop until they pull me off you."

The officer pulled up very shortly after that and I gave him my story and the video from my phone. Evie told him she could get the tape from the store, but it would be tomorrow.

"If it's not too much trouble, could you bring it down to the precinct." He asked. "I'm going to be in court tomorrow. The sooner we get it, the faster this scum goes away."

"I can go with you if you want?" I said, looking over at Evie.

"Yes please." She frowned. "This has all been more than I can handle."

We later found out this moron was already on probation for a sexual assault, so we were assured he would be going away for at least 10 years as a repeat offender, maybe more if they could prove intent to kidnap.

"You got plans for Christmas?" She asked as we left the police station.

"TV and microwave dinner, same as always." I answered. "Why?"

"I'm not doing anything, how about I come over, we'll watch some of our favorite movies and I'll try my hand at cooking?" She asked.

"If this is some noble attempt to thank me, I'm flattered, but it's not necessary." I answered. "Besides, don't you have family?"

"Mom and Dad are going to see my brother, he's stationed in Germany." She said. "And my roommate isn't going home, I really need to get away from her, she'll drive me crazy."

"While I don't mind being alone, I can't stand the thought of you not having anyone." I said. "I think we can do that."

"Great, I'll text you in the next couple days and we'll work out the details." She beamed.

"OK, looking forward to it." I grinned as we parted.

*********************************

Beep...Beep...Beep...

What the fuck is beeping?! Jesus Christ I have a headache! Opening my eyes, I try to find the source of that damned beeping, but I can't focus.

"Aaron." A voice calls. "Aaron, can you hear me?"

I register the voice, and I seem to know who it is, but I can't place it.

"Yeah." I mumble. "What?"

"Nurse...NURSE! DAMMIT MEGAN!" The voice shouts. "He's awake, somebody get in here!"

"Fuck, stop screaming." I groan. "My head's killing me."

I'm aware of someone holding my hand, squeezing it gently. "Why is there a nurse...?"

"You're in the hospital." The voice explains. "You were working up in a tree, your harness broke, you fell, landed hard on your back and hit your head. You have a concussion, you've been unconscious for 2 days."

A shape looms next to my bed. "Mr. Carson, can you hear me?"

"Yeah, not so fucking loud." I moan.

"I need to check you over." She says. "I'm Megan, your nurse." She proceeds to do whatever it is nurses do, poking and prodding, then satisfied, stops.

"His vitals are fine." She says to the shape on the other side of the bed. "The worst is over. I need to let Dr. Eades know he's regained consciousness."

Again someone squeezes my hand. "Aaron, do you know who I am?"

With supreme effort, I stare into the face that appears before me, finally getting my eyes to focus, at least enough to make out the face of a girl. "Evie?"

Her face lights up. "Yes!" She beams. "I'm so happy you're OK and you know who I am."

"Why are you here?" I ask.

"They searched your phone for an emergency contact." She said. "When they didn't see one, they called me, since I was your most recent. I've been here since they brought you in, I wanted you to see a familiar face when you woke up."

"But what about school?" I protested.

"We've only got a couple days left, then finals." She explained. "It's just review, I can miss it with no problem. Finals are online, I can take them whenever."

"Mr. Carson, I'm Dr. Eades." An older man with greying hair enters the room and stands next to my bed. "Good to see you're awake. I imagine you have some questions."

He proceeds to tell me what happened, I understand some of it, why the hell can't they speak English? Evie interprets for me when she sees me looking confused.

"In a nutshell." He finishes. "You damaged your brain when you fell. The damage isn't permanent, but you will have some memory problems for a few days, maybe a week. If everything checks out, we can let you go, probably tomorrow, as long as you have someone stay with you in case anything should happen."

"That might be a problem." I say. "I live alone, I have no family, well there is Roy, my boss and Susan, his wife"

Before the doctor can respond, Evie jumps in. "I can stay with you." She looks up at the doctor. "I'm a senior nursing student, I'm sure I can handle it, besides, Roy has been in every day to check up on you. He and Susan have been worried sick, but they're leaving town in a couple days for a trade convention. I promised him I'd take care of you."

Evie and the doctor banter back and forth for a while, formulating a care plan for me.

"Do I get a say in this?" I ask, looking over at Evie.

"No, lay still." She says, deadpan. "I'm taking care of you, end of story."

"I guess I have someone to babysit after me after all." I shrug, looking up at the doctor.

"It would seem so." He laughs.

"I need to leave for a bit." Evie says. "I need your keys so I can stock your fridge and bring over some of my stuff, then I'll be back."

The nurse tells Evie where my personal items are, then she kisses me on the cheek and leaves.

"Your girlfriend never left your side the whole time you were unconscious." Megan says.

"She's not my girlfriend." I explain. "Just a friend."

"I'd consider rethinking that if I were you." She chuckled.

Really? I thought, I'm trying my best to discourage her, yet... No! I can't let her get close, it still hurts too much.

Two days later, I was home, Evie driving me there and helping me inside. She'd done a shitload more than stock my fridge, she'd cleaned the place top to bottom, even washing the sheets and blankets on my bed. The little minx even put up a small Christmas tree.

"Evie, what have you done?" I scolded. "I don't expect you to be my maid, just keep me company til the doctors are sure I won't do anything stupid."

"No big deal." She smiled. "I just picked up a few things, then one thing led to another. The bathroom, however, was mandatory, I swear, men and their bathrooms, learn to aim for Pete's sake."

I sat on the bed, tired from the trip home. "Thanks...for cleaning the place...and...well, for being there for me."

She smiled, lighting up the room. "Happy to do it."

"I'm going to take a shower, then lay down." I said. "Make yourself at home."

"Let me help you." She offered. "You aren't supposed to be alone yet."

"Um, I need to be...naked to do this." I clarified.

"Yeah, so." She said. "I helped them take care of you in the hospital, they said it would be good experience for me. Besides, as a nurse, I'll see my patients naked, goes with the job."

"You helped...?" I sputtered, blushing deep red.

"Yup, seen it all." She grinned. "Now let's go."

I could see there was no point arguing with her, so I stripped and showered. She sat on the toilet and waited for me to finish, then helped me dress and put me to bed.

After my nap, I woke to her lying next to me working on her computer. "I didn't disturb you, did I? Just needed to get a few things done."

"No problem." I smiled. "Thanks again for being here."

"Can I get you something to eat?" She asked.

"Yes please." I answered.

After I was done, I asked. "Evie, why are you here?"

She looked confused. "You don't remember?"

"I do." I assured. "That's not what I meant. I don't understand why you took this on yourself. Sure I consider you a friend, but you're doing a lot more than would be expected."

She frowned. "You don't want me here?"

I was getting flustered, I couldn't find the right words. "Evie, please don't be upset. I'm very happy you are here, maybe more than I should be. I don't have a lot of experience with people, especially women. I got the bare minimum care when I was at the orphanage, I don't know what's normal. I know how I feel, but I don't know if I can allow myself to feel this way again. I have no idea what you want, what you expect from me. I'm trying..."

She smiled. "I'm here because I want to be. You're the first guy I've been around that didn't spend all his time mentally undressing me, or making lewd comments, or trying to grope me. You treat me like I want to be treated, you have always respected me. You're kind and funny and I like spending time with you."

I sat, stunned, tears welling in my eyes.

Evie scooted next to me in the bed and took my hand, then leaned over and kissed me softly on the lips. "And I'd really like to get to know you better."

I hugged her, unable to speak, tears running down my cheeks. She held me until I calmed down, stroking my hair and nuzzling my cheek, then sat back, looking confused. "I'd like to think the concussion is the reason you're emotional, but I suspect I'm wrong."

I nodded. "I wanted to...kiss you for so long, but I was afraid. I know how I feel, but I don't know if it's how I should feel. I was so frightened of my feelings and of scaring you off, losing the only real friend I've had since..."

"Since?" She asked. "Would she belong to the clothes in the dresser and closet?" Evie asked.

"I found them when I was cleaning. I didn't want to pry, but..."

"Since I lost..." I teared up again, my voice quivering. I'd never told anyone about her, not since that day when she was taken from me. "Sophie."

Almost against my will, the story poured from my lips. Sophie had come to the orphanage when I was 13, her parents and 2 siblings were killed in a house fire. She was at a sleepover at a friends house that night. She had no other family, so ended up there. When she wasn't screaming and throwing stuff at everybody, she was catatonic. She never got any therapy for the devastating loss she had endured, nor for the crippling case of survivor's guilt she had. Needless to say, she wasn't high on the adoptability list. I had tried several time to talk to her only to be met with fury or silence. Even though she didn't want me around, I kept an eye on her and made sure the other kids didn't bother her. Normal kids can be cruel, these kids were brutal. A few months later I was watching my usual late night sci-fi movies when she came and sat next to me. She didn't speak, she just sat there and watched the show with me. One night, a few weeks later, she spoke.

"Why are you nice to me?" She asked. "The others hate me, I hear them talking."

"I don't know." I answered. 13 year old boys aren't the most articulate. "I know what it's like to be alone."

I told her my background and how I'd trade everything to have a family, even if it was only for a short time. She had people who loved her. Yes, it was tragic that she'd lost them, but she could carry those memories in her heart forever. I had never known those feelings, and probably never would. For months we sat and talked. I helped her get over her guilt, telling her her family wouldn't want her to be like that. They'd be happy she could go on living and remembering them. If you had died, no one would be left, you'd all be forgotten.

She fell over on my shoulder and cried her eyes out for a very long time. One of these ugly cries that steal your breath and leave you gasping and shaking. I held her until she was done then wiped the tears from her face.

"Feel better?" I asked.

"Yeah." She whispered, then fell asleep with her head in my lap.

After that, we were inseparable. We ate together, watched TV together. You get the idea. As the years passed, we started to mature. She blossomed into a beautiful young woman and I became me, the ogre under the bridge. By then, I was 16. Increasingly, we looked at each other, less with friendship and more with something else, something neither of us could explain. Looking back, it was love, of course, but we'd never seen it before, so we were clueless.

As my 18th birthday approached, the director of the orphanage called me into her office.

"Aaron." She said. "As much as I don't want to do this. You will have to leave here after your next birthday. You will legally be an adult and we can't let you stay. I'm very sorry, but that's the rules."

I sat, dumbstruck, for a moment. "Where will I go? Who will take care of me?" I asked, tears welling in my eyes.

"I...I don't know." She stuttered, starting to cry as well. "In all my years, you are the first child I've had to do this to. I've asked everyone I can think of, and nobody has any answers, if they even care at all. It just seems you're magically supposed to be OK."

"It's not fair!" I shouted, pounding my fists on her desk. "It's just fucking not!" I jumped up, knocking my chair over and ran from the room. Sophie saw me and gave chase.

"Aaron." She called out. "AARON DAMNIT, STOP!!"

I ran outside and fell into a heap under a big tree, sobbing. Sophie caught up with me moments later and through the tears and frustration, I told her what the director had told me.

She held my hand and spoke softly. "Aaron, you were there for me when I first came here, I'm here for you now. I know it looks bad, but we'll figure it out, OK?"