Chapter 6-1: Trouble On The Way

                With graduation the conclusion of her high school career, Evangeline threw herself into planning her wedding to Neal before her university semester would start. She wanted to have plenty of time to spend with him before moving away for the semester so she wasn’t wasting any time in getting things ready. They met one rainy summer afternoon in front of the church where her parents had gotten married.

                “Look, Neal, I know we’re doing this really fast. I’m not pregnant so you don’t have to do this.” She wasn’t trying to talk him out of it but she didn’t want him to feel pressured or that he had to do the right thing.

                “I know that. I’m not marrying you because I have to. I’m marrying you because I want to. I love you Evey.” He was the only one she let get away with calling her that.

                Just a few short weeks later, her wedding day dawned bright and early. At the church, Camille was the one getting cold feet about the entire situation.

                “You don’t have to get married you know,” she said to her daughter, while Donovan looked on with a raised eyebrow.

                “Mom, I love him.”

                “You just graduated high school! How can you even know what love is?”

                “I’ve watched you and daddy my whole life. I want that. Neal is that for me.”

                “Evangeline, I married your father years into our relationship. Love grew out of respect and friendship, it wasn’t some fast and spontaneous thing.”

                “Maybe it takes some people longer. Please mom, please just be happy for us,” she begged.

                Donovan pulled his wife aside gently and held her for a moment, whispering reassurances in her ear. His composure calmed his wife and she found a seat without another word.

                “She’s happy, isn’t she daddy,” her voice wavering just the slightest as they started down the aisle.

                “Of course she is honey. She just wants you to be as happy as we are. It’s her job as your mom to worry. Just like it’s my job to make Neal regret if he ever hurts you.” He winked at her with a corner of his mouth upturned, to let her know he was only semi-joking. “Now let’s get you married!”

                With just Neal’s family and her own looking on, Evangeline repeated her vows, promising to love and cherish Neal, as he promised to love and cherish her. A kiss sealed the deal.

                The summer they had together was beautiful in its perfectness. Evangeline enjoyed playing housewife while Neal went off to work and every day she met him for a picnic lunch outside. Rainy days were spent cuddled under the covers, making love and memories. Though, as the old saying goes, all good things must come to an end.

                A sad smile crossed her face, “Just two weeks left now.”

                “Two weeks?” Neal’s confusion was evident.

                “Until I leave for school, remember,” she reminded him gently.

                He crossed the room and sat down on the coffee table in front of her, reaching out to take her hand. “Evey, you don’t have to go. I bought this apartment for you, the view, just like the one in my old room.”

                “A view’s not going to make me stay Neal. You knew I was planning on going to the state university this fall. I’ve been talking about it for months. Before we ever got married.”

                “I figured it was something you’d give up once we got married. We’re married Evey. It’s silly to run across the country for school when I’m here, our life’s here.”

                “Silly?” Evangeline jumped up from the chair. “My dream is silly to you? You don’t want me to do better than what I can do here?”

                Sighing, Neal pinched the bridge of his nose. “That’s not what I said. Don’t put words in my mouth.”

                “Okay, lemme see if I got this right then, from your mouth.” The acid dripping in her tone caused him to wince but, to his credit, Neal stayed silent instead of interrupt his wife. “You thought I could give up school because we got married. You thought a nice view would be a good trade for a better education. You think that this ring on my finger should tether me to you and St. Claire forever.”

                “Stop!” His raised voice made her pause and as she gazed upon the anger and hurt in his face, she took a step back. “You want to be a journalist, like your dad! Look how great he’s done, with just high school. A degree isn’t necessary for your dream.” Everything seemed to click then. “This is about your dad isn’t it? Not the school itself? He wants you to go.” Another sigh and she could see the resignation take hold.  “You know what Evangeline. Go. If it’s that important, go to school. We’ll figure out a way to make this work.”

                Knowing she’d hurt his feelings, she felt like a complete jerk for the way she’d acted. “Please, let’s not fight. Let’s just make the best of these 2 weeks. Besides, is it so wrong to want my parents to be proud of me?” He pulled her into him, knowing that he couldn’t stay mad at her. It’d just be a semester at a time.

                “Ahem. Well, this is awkward.” Emerson spoke from the door, Renata in front of him. Evangeline had completely forgotten that she’d invited them over for dinner amidst the argument with Neal.

                “Come in! Let me just pop that lasagna in the oven. Renata, would you mind giving me a hand?”

                “Dude, you look like someone just stole your teddy bear.”

                Glancing back at the kitchen, Neal checked to make sure the girls weren’t paying them any attention. “I just thought she’d change her mind, you know? Decide she’d rather stay here with me than go off to school.”

                “We won’t be that far. And we’ll come home during term breaks. Don’t worry so much.”

                Moving day arrived in what seemed like no time. She had promised her parents that she would head over to say goodbye before she left. Neal had to work so they were saying their goodbyes at the apartment.

                “I’m going to miss you.”

                “I’ll miss you too. Now that I’ve got you upgraded on phones, we can even sim time and see each other so it’ll be like I never left.” Neal wrapped her in his arms and kissed her goodbye before they took the elevator downstairs and parted ways.

                More tearful hugs and goodbyes later, the moving van that Donovan had rented pulled away from the curb, leaving her parents waving on the side of the street.

                Three long days and lots of restroom breaks later, Evangeline, Emerson, and Renata arrived at Henry Hall, their new “home” for the next semester.

                “Think we can room together,” Renata asked hopefully. Upon greeting the resident advisor though, they were informed that they’d each been paired up and room assignments were set in stone. At least they were in the same building.

                Evangeline headed off towards her room assignment, ambivalent about being paired with the angry looking girl with pink tips in her hair. On top of that, the room had been decorated in ghastly shades of neon magenta. Discovering how to deal with all this would certainly be her first learning curve. She unpacked, pulling out her carefully wrapped wedding picture and placed it on the bedside table before crawling into her bed.

                The first day was probably the easiest of them all. No classes had been scheduled. Instead, students were encouraged to get to know each other, learn their way around campus, and start making contacts with professors and coeds within their major. The campus even held a get together at the student union, complete with fliers, brochures, and surcees to make the students feel more relaxed and at home.

                After that first day though, all hell broke loose. Classes were scheduled close together, morning classes were always too early, and afternoon classes seemed to drag on with no end in sight. Evangeline was rarely on time for class which certainly endeared her to her professors. It didn’t help that some professors still felt as though their students were wee children and had seating charts. Having a last name starting with a “C” (thank the Watcher it wasn’t Avendale anymore) ensured that Evangeline sat up front and coming in late never went unnoticed.

                On the other hand, Emerson, even with his “A” last name, seemed to be having a breeze with his studies. He appeared to spend most of his time in the quad, goofing off with other students and throwing the Frisbee around without a care in the world.

                “So, midterms are almost here,” Renata exclaimed excitedly when they all met for coffee in the student union.

                “Watcher yes. And then we’re halfway through with this semester. It’s been insane.”

                “Urele-Oresha-Cham house is having a party this weekend. Wanna go?” Emerson seemed to know everyone on campus and spent more time partying than studying.

                That weekend they all met up and headed towards the fraternity house. The party was in full swing when they arrived. Unable to resist, Evangeline was talked into doing a keg stand by one of the brothers.

                “What is she doing?”

                “Being stupid. It’s what my sister does best,” Emerson joked. They stood and watched as she successfully managed to do her keg stand without face planting and then went to check on her.

                “I’m already feeling…how? It wasn’t that much!”

                As the night wore on, everyone gathered around the fire pit as the branches were lit.

                “Bet you don’t have the cajones to streak in front of these babes.” Emerson knew when a challenge was being issued and he wasn’t about to be the one on the losing end.

                “I dunno. That is my sister over there.”

                “Ha, knew you wouldn’t do. Would 20 simoleans sweeten the deal?”

                Gotcha! Emerson smiled to himself and threw off his clothes.

                Moon high in the sky, party dying down, and fire still going strong, Renata comes and stands by Evangeline. “You know, your brother is actually kinda cute.”

                “Ew, please tell me that’s the beer talking. I’m still trying to forget I saw his junk.”

                Renata giggled. “But what nice junk it is.”

                “Fine. Just go make out with him already.” As Renata marched Emerson’s direction, Evangeline called out “I was joking!”

                “A young, beautiful girl like you can’t be married, can she?” A voice came from behind her and Evangeline turned to face it.

                “Why do you say that?”

                “Well, I see that pretty ring there. Looks like a wedding ring.”

                “I mean why can’t I be married?”

                “You’re too gorgeous to be tied down to one person already.” Evangeline blushed.

                “Hey, hey!!! Emerson just challenged us to beer pong. We gotta win!” Renata ran over, without realizing she was interrupting a moment.

                “Hey man, need a partner?” Emerson accepted Jeffrey’s offer and headed down to the basement. “Winner gets to ask something of the loser,” Jeffrey winked at Evangeline as they followed her brother downstairs.

                “Yes!” Evangeline shouted as her ball made a splash in one of Jeffrey’s cups. “We’re winning, we’re winning,” Renata chanted, dancing in victory.

                “I think that beer has gone to your head,” Emerson smirked.

               

                When they lost, the girls begged for two out of three. When they lost the next two, it was clear they were no match for the guys and called it quits.

                “So, um, that kiss earlier?” The alcohol was beginning to wear off and Renata realized that she’d made out with her best friend’s brother.

                “What kiss?”

                “Right.” Obviously Emerson was on board with the ‘pretend-it-never-happened-and-never-speak-of-it-again’ train. “Where’d your sister go?” Just then they heard a thump from the next room.

                Pushing open the door, Renata is greeted with the last thing she expects: her best friend, sitting on the washer, wrapped around a practical stranger, lips locked tightly.

                “And I thought walking in on her and Neal was awkward.” Emerson was not helping.

                Evangeline jumped down, shock and shame written all over her face. She stared down at her ring. “Fuck, what have I done?”

Chapter 5.13                                                                                                                                        Chapter 6.2, Part 1

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I thought University would be fun. Man, was I ever so wrong. I'm bored out of my mind and, in actual game, only 1 day has gone by. Must. Not. Drop. Out.

I realized while writing this that not everyone will know what a surcee is. Apparently, it's a Southern term. And having gone to university in South Carolina, I know all about surcees. Basically, they're just small gifts to show you care. Our school gave out shirts and key rings, and coozies, and sunglass band things to help the glasses stay on your head among other things. So yeah, surcees. Like it. Use it.

Evangeline is married to Neal however she does not live with him, even though the pictures make it look so. She was just visiting. She still technically lives at home. I did this to negate any money/funds he would bring to the family by moving him in. As you might have guessed, Evangeline's marital structure roll is NOT couple.