From Yours Truly, Edie

Chapter Twenty Three: Letters Unanswered

Summer 2002

"Just shut up and leave me alone for once!" Edie screamed at her parents as she slammed her bedroom door. "I hate you!"

"Edythe, you open that door right now or I'll remove it." Hank pounded on said door.

"Whatever." Edie rolled her eyes and for once was thankful that they lived on the first floor of their apartment building; she climbed on top of her bed and hauled herself out of the open window, crawling away on the grass. She heard Hank yelling at her and she ran to the house across the street, which had just recently been condemned. Edie and the landlord's son, a black haired boy named Brian, hid there when they got into fights with their fathers. Brian's mother had passed away that spring and he'd had to move in with his father.

Brian was almost always hiding somewhere in the old house. Edie knew this, and found him in the first floor bathroom eating his favourite snack, Oreos dunked in peanut butter.

"Hey." He nodded, swallowing a mouthful of the strange combination. "Any news from Bill?"

"No, nothing. He's probably busy doing band stuff. But if I don't hear anything by next week I'm sending another letter demanding to know why he's ignoring me." Edie sat next to her friend, taking an Oreo from the package and stuffing it in her mouth. "If he gets as famous as he wants to be, I'm scared that he will just forget about me."

"Who in the world would forget about you? You're absolutely fabulous, girlfriend." Brian snorted and the two laughed until they could no longer breathe.

"But really though. What if he does?" She whispered somewhat fearfully. "He knows everything there is to know about me."

"The Mr Reid thing also?" Brian asked and she nodded.

"He was the first person I even told. I've told him things not even Jordan, or you, know about.." She looked at the green watch on her wrist. "I should get back. Mom and Dad have therapy and I'm supposed to babysit Nolan."

"Alright. I'll call you later, E." Brian shrugged and watched Edie leave. He was glad he made a couple new friends (even though he was a year older than they were) before the school year began. His old friends no longer returned his calls and he wasn't sure why.

XXX

"Where's Dad? I haven't seen him since yesterday." Edie asked her mother, who was lying on the couch watching tv as she gossiped on the phone.

"Out. Now take your brother to the park or somethin'. And don't forget to pick Mel up from camp at three." Leslie dug fifteen dollars out of her purse and handed it to her daughter before returning to her conversation.

"Nolie, put your sandals on! We're going out!" Edie called and they were out the door in five minutes. Brian, of course, was outside kicking his soccer ball around the small front lawn. "Hey, Bri. We're going to the park. Wanna come with?"

"Sure!" Brian kicked the ball into the air, catching it with one hand, and jogged over to join his friend. "What's goin' on?"

"I don't think Dad came home from work at all last night. I didn't see him when I woke up and Mom won't tell me where he went. I think they're fightin' again." Edie said as they walked down the street and made sure Nolan held her hand when they reached the crosswalk, even though there were no moving vehicles in sight.

Before leaving the apartment, she dug through Hank's tool belt for the key to their P.O. box at the post office so she could check for herself to see if Bill had in fact sent a letter. But there was no envelopes addressed to her, only weekly flyers and bills for her parents.

Edie took a plastic bag from the back pocket of her shorts and dumped the mail in angrily. The three of them walked around town until they were hungry, and stopped at one of the two diners. When Nolan finally finished his poutine, it was time to pick Mel up from her day camp.

"Last night my Dad told me that Mr Reid go a new job in Manitoba and he's leaving sometime next week." Brian told Edie with a satisfied smile.

"Oh. Good. 'Bout time he's going away." Edie shrugged and made Nolan hold both hers and Brian's hands before walking onto the camp property, knowing he would become easily distracted and more likely to wander off. A bell rang and a hoard of kids ran out of the main building, yelling with excitement as they found their rides home. Mel was the very last to come out, her water bottle in hand and backpack slung over one shoulder. She did not look very pleased.

"Hi, sissy! Did you have fun?" Nolan waved and she smiled at him.

"Yeah, lots!"

"C'mon, we'll go to the playground before we go home." Edie said as she stuffed the plastic bag carrying the mail into Mel's backpack, zipping it up as they walked off the property.

Brian showed Nolan some tricks with his soccer ball while Edie and Mel talked on the swings.

"Dad came to eat lunch with me and he told me that he wanted to talk to us when we got home. Just us, not Nolie." Mel told her sister. "I think he's met a girl and he likes her."

"Why would he do that? Him and Mom love each other. That makes zero sense, Mel."

"Yeah well nothing about them makes sense." Mel pointed out, "There's also beer hiding in the back of the fridge again. And Mom doesn't drink so that means it's Dad's."

"That's not surprising. Hey, let's have a contest and see who can swing the highest!"

|> my god it's been ages since I worked on this wtfffff. Hope you likey-d the chapterrrrr! Vote and comment if you did!