Big Decisions (Evelyn Turner)

[Alyxandria Rye]

Alyx hated school breaks. Not because she loved school, but because she didn't have anywhere to go. She often got left behind at the castle while her friends went home to their families or on vacations. It always bothered her, but she had learned to deal with disappointment.

Or maybe she had just stuffed the disappointment so far down she had convinced herself it didn't matter. Ever since the Yule ball however Alyx had taken a different approach to life. She realized if she wanted something she had to be willing to take it, she also realized she was a beautiful young woman and that was power in it's own right.

Contemplating all kinds of decisions she waited at her favorite restaurant for her friend to arrive. It had been a while since she had done any female bonding.

[Evelyn Turner]

Evelyn entered the restaurant and scanned the tables for Alyx. The girls were having a "girls date" and Evelyn was relieved at the invitation. She had been studying more than usual, and her brain was beginning to feel like mush. She needed a release and Alyx's invitation was perfectly timed. She spotted her friend and gave a big smile and a little wave as she headed toward their table. "Wotcher, Alyx."

[Alyxandria Rye]

Alyx's smile widened when she heard her friend's voice. She had been lost in thought. But even as her thoughts were preoccupied she was snacking on chow mein.

"Thank god you're here Evie...come save me from all this food I'm going gain ten pounds by the end of the day."

[Evelyn Turner]

"Done!" She grabbed pulled out a chair and grabbed a pair on chopsticks from the table. After filling her plate she stuffed a dumpling into her mouth. Her eyes rolled into her head as she smiled, showing how delicious she thought the food to be. "Merlin, that is good."

"What have you got going on today that you can't have a ten pound food-baby join you?" she teased.

[Alyxandria Rye]

She grinned as her friend joined her and helped her pile on the plate.

"Seriously, I could die happy right now." she said patting her stomach. She was tiny, but the girl could eat.

With a sigh she confessed dramatically, "I don't want to lose my girlish figure."

[Evelyn Turner]

"Obviously that's a concern," she remarked sarcastically. Alyx was small. Evelyn was in good shape and by no means overweight, but compared to Alyx's tiny frame Evelyn could have easily been mistaken for an ogre. "It's a good thing I came then," she said as she bit into a spring roll. "There's no way you'd finish all this food by yourself."

[Alyxandria Rye]

A slim, well defined eyebrow shot up as if to ask if she were being challenged. Alyx had put away mountains of food before that would be daunting to a football player. She was small yes, but she did most things on a grand scale.

Still she giggled and shrugged, she didn't feel like being a glutton today, in fact she had been less likely to rise to all kinds of challenges since the Yule ball. Before that night she had always been trying to prove herself. To her friends, to her teachers, to anyone who thought that she wasn't capable, even to the ones who that she was capable. The Yule ball had changed so much for her, and yet it wasn't enough.

"How is studying coming a long?"

[Evelyn Turner]

Evelyn groaned dramatically. "I know this will sound strange, coming from me, but I'm actually sick of studying! I don't think I can read another book." She paused, and then added "unless it's fiction. Or biographical. Or about the Loch Ness serpent...or any creatures really..." She stopped herself, realizing she had bought a new book today on the way to the restaurant. Laughing, Evelyn added "well maybe I'll just take a short break from reading, instead of swearing it off altogether."

[Alyxandria Rye]

Alyx would never be the scholar that Evelyn was. She enjoyed reading, loved it actually. Books were an escape; they could take her far away from who she was and fill her imagination with rich characters and even richer fantasies, but she always came back to reality. As for school she was decent, she passed most of her classes and was above average, but nothing spectacular. She couldn't find anything that was really spectacular about her at all.

Alyx gave her a skeptical look when she said she was going to quit books, and laughed when Evelyn corrected herself.

"Sounds good, you swear off books, and I'll swear off Chinese food."

[Evelyn Turner]

"Deal," she said, laughing. Had Evelyn known what Alyx was thinking, she would have protested and rambled off a laundry list of all of the things Alyx was spectacular at. Even after six years, Evelyn remembered clearly how Alyx, a stranger at the time, had helped her regain composure as they waited nervously in a little room off the great hall, preparing to be sorted. Evelyn was a nervous wreck, not knowing which house she wanted to be in or which house she'd end up being placed in. She loved the idea of being a brave Gryffindor like her father, but her Ravenclaw mother always had such a beautiful sense of wisdom about her. An 11 year old Evelyn was certain she would disappoint one of her parents (or perhaps both if she were sorted into Hufflepuff or Slytherin!) but a sweet girl with dark ringlets reminded her that she had two parents who loved her and that was more than some people. Alyx was a spectacular friend, above all else.

Evelyn ate a few more bites of her food, before asking "so what's on the agenda for today? I was hoping to pop into Gladrags for a new pair of trainers."

[Alyxandria Rye]

And maybe if Alyx wasn't so independent and falsely confident she would have shared her insecurities with Evelyn, then she would have heard the exact thing that she needed to hear. But that wasn't Alyx.

She had been on her own for as long as she could remember, and while she had friends, and bent over backwards to keep them, she would never let herself be a burden to them. Somewhere deep down Alyx was afraid of being abandoned again.

But she was trying hard not to be that girl anymore ever since the Ball.

She took a deep breath and caught her friend's eyes, "Actually...I was thinking I'd go to Chevalier Investigations. I want to find my parents." she said bravely, knowing it was somewhat of a bomb to drop on her friend.

[Evelyn Turner]

Evelyn had just stuffed a large bite of chow mein into her mouth and nearly choked on it as Alyx divulged her plans for the day. Wide eyed, Evelyn stared at her friend. This was unprecedented. She had no barometer for how to act or what to say in this situation. So she simply said the first that came to mind.

"Oh my Godric, that's amazing! We are definitely doing that!" In her surprise, she spoke a little louder than was appropriate and, upon realizing her volume, added "are you sure you're ready for that?"

[Alyxandria Rye]

She smiled at her friend's enthusiasm. Evelyn's reaction bolstered her confidence, but she answered her question honestly.

"No."

She sighed looking away, "I don't know. I don't think I'll ever be ready for it, but I know it's something I have to do...I have to know why they gave up on me."

[Evelyn Turner]

"Hey," she said abruptly in a half scolding, half reassuring tone. "They didn't give up on you. They gave up on themselves." Evelyn's home life was the complete opposite of Alyx's, and being such, she often struggled to connect with her friend when it came to matters of family. They simply had different viewpoints. But the one thing that Evelyn knew for a fact was that anyone would have been lucky to have Alyx as their daughter. Evelyn wished she could make Alyx see that.

[Alyxandria Rye]

She smiled weakly, "You're right." though she didn't sound confident. She knew logically that Evelyn was right, that for whatever reasons her parents gave her up it was their loss not hers, but she was the one who suffered for it. She wanted answers. She needed them.

"Alright. That's enough of my drama for now. I'm sure there will be plenty more once we get to the office...so..." she gave her friend a piercing look, "What about you? What is going on in Evelyn Turner's life?"

[Evelyn Turner]

Evelyn was quite certain this topic was not over yet, but she'd allow Alyx a small break so as to not overwhelm her. Searching for her parents was a huge deal. Evelyn had so many questions for Alyx. The one ringing loudest in her ears was, of course, 'why now?' Trying to shrug off the topic, Evelyn took another bite of chow mein.

"Well," she said, "I've been much better about studying, as you know. But I'm still having a hard time with Defense. Rabastan's so distracting, and now he's with Bobby." She sighed heavily. It was difficult, having been so close to Rabastan only to be let go so suddenly. And then he had to come back and work at the school. Why was it that those Blacks couldn't just leave Hogwarts when they were through with their schooling?

[Alyxandria Rye]

Alyx's already large almond eyes grew larger, "Wait. Rewind. Rabastan's dating who?" she blinked. Alyx didn't keep up with school gossip or who was dating who. She knew Evelyn was interested in Rabastan and that he had been interested in her, Alyx also knew that they had been strained, but she had no idea he had moved on to someone else. Why was she just finding out about this now?

"Are you serious? Are you alright? That jackass." she said the last with proper indignation.

[Evelyn Turner]

She really had been spending all of her spare time studying. How could she not have mentioned this sooner to one of her dearest friends?! "Roberta Sanders," she answered grumpily. "She's a seventh year, of course. She's mature." Evelyn elongated this final word into a sarcastic dig. Evelyn was only a year younger than Bobby, only two years younger than Rabastan. She certainly wasn't a child! If given the chance, she could absolutely give Rabastan everything he needed from an older girl. And she would love him more. She gave a sullen look to Alyx. It was her turn for the pick-me-up.

[Alyxandria Rye]

Evelyn was one of Alyx's dearest friends. Alyx hadn't realized she had any friends what with her mind wrapped around Sin half the time and the other half she spent pushing people away afraid to get too close, but she had been letting people in her life steadily since the Yule Ball, and while Evelyn had been a friend before that, their relationship grew exponentially from that point. It was actually Evelyn she went crying to about Sin's behavior and callousness, and Evelyn who had picked up the pieces. It was her turn now.

"He's a fool Evie. Most guys are, especially at his age. Right now it's a numbers game, the bigger the challenge the harder the guy falls, you know that. It's the same with Sin." she sighed, "One day he's going to regret not being with you, but by then it will be too late."

[Evelyn Turner]

"I suppose," she said, unconvinced. "I just don't understand boys. Why does it have to be a game?" Rayne had warned her about Rabastan, but she didn't listen. And Evelyn had since been avoiding Rayne so she didn't have to admit that her friend had been right the whole time. Evelyn realized now that straining her relationship with Rayne was not the best plan of action, and she made a mental note to apologize later when they returned to the castle.

Evelyn looked at her near empty plate. "Want to get out of here?" Their conversation could travel with them, but Evelyn was anxious to help Alyx take the step that she'd been considering for so long.