letters to dan // dan smith

Chapter 21

Beth's phone goes of while she's eating breakfast the next morning, her head still slightly sore.

"Hello?"

"Hey Beth! We've landed," it's Dan, sounding tired but happy.

"Oh, that's good. How was the flight?"

"It was alright, watched a few movies, wrote a song. Nothing much..."

"Ooh, a song! Can't wait to hear it!"

"What? Listen, can I call you from the hotel? I can't hear you."

"Yeah sure. Love you."

"Love you too."

The phone clicks off.

***

2 Months Later

"Beth! Open the bloody door! It's raining!" Holly bangs on the door, and Beth heaves herself off the couch and opens it.

"Hey- Christ, Beth. What happened to your face?"

"What?" Beth rubs her face.

"You look like you haven't slept in a week and then cried for an hour or two, after being punched repeatedly in the face."

"Huh. Well, I just watched Romeo and Juliet, and ya know, when Leo dies... gets me every time. And I miss Dan. And I puked this morning- I feel fine now though. And I had a late night last night. And the night before... And--"

"Okay, stop. I get it. Let's go shopping."

Beth glares at her. "As you kindly just pointed out, I'm having problems in the face department. I am not leaving my apartment."

"Well okay. Let's get some make up on you and we can go," she grabs Beth's hand and drags her to the bathroom, where she forces Beth to wash her face with cold water and put on make up.

After several layers of concealer, foundation, mascara and lip gloss, Beth begins to look human again. Holly pulls her hair into a pony tail and throw clean jeans and a t shirt at her friend.

"Get dressed," she demands, leaving the room and shutting the door firmly.

Beth is out five minutes later, and the girls leave the apartment together, opting out of driving and catching the bus instead.

***

As Holly looks through racks of dresses, she fills in Beth on her new boyfriend.

"I don't know... I mean he's a sweet guy, and cute. But he's such a boy, you know?"

"Uh... no. Please elaborate," Beth says, keeping a straight face. She knows exactly where this conversation was headed.

"Well I mean... He plays a lot of football and would rather stay home and have sex all day than go out and do something. What?" She adds, noticing the dirty look a woman gives her. Holly shrugs, and the woman leads her daughter out of the store, turning around to glare a Holly one last time.

"Christ... someone's on their period," Holly snorts, burning holes in the woman's back.

Holly starts to speak again, but Beth is pre-occupied with her own thoughts. When was the last time she had her period? And... why...

Beth's thoughts trail off, and she pulls out her phone, checking her period tracker app.

32 days late. Um. This isn't normal.

"Hey... Holly...." She stops talking and suddenly her heart drops to her feet. "Oh my god."

"Beth. Beth. Beth!" Holly shakes her shoulder. "What's wrong? You've gone pale... You okay?"