new life | depeche mode

Chapter 4 - The Date

It's been two weeks since Dave's disappearance.

Martin and Teresa are a couple now, and they are very adorable.

"Cheer up, Evie, he'll turn up," Teresa says.

We're in our room, I'm writing in my diary and she's folding laundry.

"Eve!" Hank calls from the base of the stairs.

"What is it, Hank?" I shout back.

I hear him run up the stairs and he comes into our room.

"Letter for you," Hank says, handing the envelope to me.

I open it and read it.

Dear Eve,
Don't worry about me, I'm safe and sound. I just needed to run away so I wouldn't be a bother to my mum. I have lodging and a job. Please tell no one you received this letter- not even Teresa. I will give you an address to write back to me soon

Your friend,
Dave

"What's that?" Asks Teresa.

"Just a prank from one of my school friends," I say casually.

She gives me a weird look and carries on.

I wait until she leaves our room, and I store the letter in my sock drawer, tucked underneath my stockings.

***
Later, I'm sitting on the stoop and I'm joined by Teresa.

"Martin and I are going to the movies later, do you want to join us?" She asks.

"I'll just be a third wheel, you go and have fun with Mart." I reply, feeling low.

"If you're wondering, Mom did not put me up to asking you. A whole bunch of couples and singles are going, mixed grades, so you'll have loads of people to talk to if you don't want to hang with me," she says.

"Alright, fine. I'll go," I give in.

***
Martin comes by and picks the two of us up. Teresa gives him a mischievous grin, and we're off. The three of us talked about random stuff, like the future, our town, and such.

Martin hates Basildon and wants to leave. I for one, just want to get out and see the world, and Teresa doesn't care one way or the other. He likes school, and so do Teresa and I.

I quite like Martin.

Not like that.

But he's good to Teresa and she's good to him. We walk to the bus stop and meet the other people who are joining us. Among them are Martin's friend Phil, Andy Fletcher, two of my friends Jules and Grace, Teresa's friend Leigh, and Vince Clarke. There are others, but I don't know them that well.

Standing there, I laugh to myself. My sister is dating Martin Gore, and I'm about to go sit in a movie theater with Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke. The 2017 me, concerned about meeting celebrities is fading away, and I feel myself becoming more a part of 1978 with each passing day.

When we get to the movie theater, suddenly something feels off.

"Teresa you didn't-" I begin, but she shuts me up and pushes me towards a tall, red headed boy.