3

Evangeline didn’t even think twice. She sat on the bed quickly and stared at her mother. For the first time in years, she felt that that woman in front of her was being sincere.

"What do you mean?”

Noting that she got Evangeline’s attention, Leah pushed one of the pots to her daughter and stood up to get forks. Only then, when he returned, did he begin to speak.

“You know that I work for a wealthy people." she says and Evie just shakes her head, filling her mouth with food. "So they have a party tomorrow. Big party. I heard someone say over two hundred guests.”

"Wow... and all these people fit in there?”

"Much more than that. Anyway. The head of the maids asked us to get as many people as this, to help. And since you need money for that hassle there...”

Evangeline felt an immense desire to embrace her mother, but knowing her well, she repressed at will and continued eating what was in front of her.

"How much will they pay?" She tried to show disinterest.

"I think about three hundred dollars.”

"Wow... I just...”

She would accept. Daria to pay for the recital and still buy a beautiful outfit, to impress all present.

"He has a condition, Evangeline." Leah says, serious. "In that house, there are very important people. So important, that you would never see any of them in the middle of the street." Evangeline was attentive to what her mother said. She had no idea that Leah, being the crappy woman she is, worked for someone at that level. "The party’s gonna take up the whole first floor, which is huge. Evie, pay close attention to what I’m about to say. Under NO circumstances, you can go up the stairs and into the left room. Hear me?”

"What’s in there?”

Leah holds her daughter’s arm tightly and pulls her closer. Evie stares at her scared, not understanding why her mother is acting that way.

"I don’t know and I don’t want to know. You have to promise me that you’ll do exactly what I said. Come on, promise.”

The girl could not understand what so dangerous could be behind a door, to the point that she could not even climb the stairs. But as the only thing Evie wanted, was money to finally attend the violin recital, she would even agree to forehead injection.

"Okay, Mom. I promise I won’t go in that room.”

[...]

It was summer in New York and the Bronx was hotter than ever. Evie and her best friend were sitting on beach chairs in front of Felippa’s family trailer. Evangeline refreshed herself with a mini"fan, which had the hottest wind, while her friend passed pieces of ice around her neck.

"I’m glad you found a way to get that money back." Felippa murmurs, stuffing an ice cube in her mouth and chewing it non-stop. "I was about to call JJ myself and talk to the guy with the money.”

"Stop being crazy, girl. By the way, I always wanted to ask, but didn’t think it relevant." Evangeline says, turning to her friend. "What’s the name of JJ?”

Felippa shrugs her shoulders.

"It’s a secret. He doesn’t tell anyone.”

"Not even for you?”

The girl shakes her head negatively while observing the sloppy nails. JJ was no important pseudonym. Jonathan Jensen was always the nerdy boy at school, who everyone teased and beat. When high school began, in a desperate attempt to be hip like most of those who beat him up, Jonathan began selling drugs at parties. When people asked his name or who to look for to get drugs, he just said JJ.

"Wow, friend. That’s sad.”

"Sad? Why is that?”

"Because you guys had sex, you do... I don’t know.”

Felippa makes a face.

"I don’t care, Evie." She looks at her friend. "We just had fun. There’s no romance at all. So I don’t care what his name is.”

She didn’t really care, because Felippa was the kind of person who didn’t create emotional bonds with any man. Throughout her stay at the trailer park, seeing her best friend’s mother, suffering for every man she knew, helped her to be cold in this regard.

Quite different from Evangeline, who despite the cold appearance, caused by the abandonment of her parents, she was completely in love with the idea of happily ever after. After being a successful violinist, her dream was to find a great love and live it. And that’s exactly what she expected from Rubens Monroe, or Ruby, as he liked to be called. They were in the same community college class.

Evie would drop out of school the first day. She thought that the neglect of the teachers, in front of those who made riots there, was the end of the sting. College should be for those who really want to learn. Who want to have a future away from that city.

Ruby was the only person, thinking that way. He made undersigned complaints, everything for the improvement of that college. Maybe it was his perseverance that got Evangeline to start liking that boy. Or his green eyes.

"Hey? Where are you?”

Felippa sprinkled ice water on her friend, who had her head in the clouds. Or rather, in a life she dreamed next to Ruby.

"I was thinking of asking Ruby out. What do you think?”

"Ah, Evie... I don’t even know him personally and I’m bored.”

"Stop!" Evangeline laughs. "He’s sweet. And I really like him. He’s the only man around here who seems to have the same ideals as me.”

Felippa decides not to go against her friend. She has always found Evangeline giant. That his kindness and intelligence was too much for anyone in the neighborhood where they lived.

"I’m going home. I have to get ready and go to the party.”

"And I have to cover you in your part-time job." Felippa said, lazily. She would do anything for her best friend. "As soon as you get home, call me. I want to know everything that’s going to happen tonight.”

"You can leave.”

Evie says goodbye to her friend with a wink and goes to her trailer. She was quite eager for this job and could not wait for what was to come.