Crissa's Mate

Chapter Fifty-Nine

That evening, at after nine o'clock, Crissa was back in her room struggling to finish a paper she had to write for her Environmental Science class. Trisha, too, was reading for an exam and the room was decidedly quiet. Crissa was also waiting for a call from David, hopefully home safe sometime that evening from his first day of work on the fishing boat. She tried to get the whole Julie affair out of her mind, while evading questions by Trisha about the girl's appearance and then, just as abruptly, her disappearance.

"Well, as I understand it, she's gone back to Alaska, Trish," she said, matter-of-factly. I think we convinced her it's just too difficult to make it down here in BC. At least on your own. And as just a student."

"Yeah. OK. I just hope Troy and I weren't too hard on her. We were just trying to be realistic, you know. BC is one of the most expensive places to live in North America right now. Vancouver, especially."

"So true," she responded. "Guess I never thought my little home town would ever become such a popular place internationally. It's all good and bad you know."

"Yeah, San Diego has that, too," Trisha said, taking her eyes off her book. "Tourists are good for business . . . but it gets so annoying when you're just fighting for space. So you think your friend is really going back?"

Crissa was truly not even sure of Julie's current location, let along whether she would do the prudent things and return to her parents. Nevertheless, Crissa respected that was, after all, the girl's option."

"I really believe she will," she said, sounding as confidant as she could. The fact that she could be still there somewhere on the run, hiding out in Vancouver was in reality discomforting to Crissa, especially in light of the fact that the girl was without a cell phone, and living apparently out of a back pack.

"She's been through a lot, Trish," she added. "And well, one thing I've learned about Julie is . . . she's a real survivor."

I guess you get there at some point," Trisha said somewhat sadly. "Robby and I had this huge fight yesterday on the phone. It might be the end for us."

Crissa tried to stay focused on her roommate's dilemma, though she was learning that the girl seemed to thrive on drama. She stopped typing on her laptop and looked over at Trisha, sitting at her own desk.

"So . . . what happened, Trisha?"

"Well, it's kind of inevitable isn't it? I mean, how can a long distance relationship like this really work? Troy is hot. Definitely. And he cares for me too. Best yet? He's right here. In the flesh. I can't go on sexting with Robby on Skype. It might be OK for guys to do that, but for me it just doesn't do it. I need someone . . . in my arms. On top of me when . . . you know."

"Yeah. So . . . Did he also say, it's over then?  Did you tell him about Troy?"

"No!  But Robby is just beginning to understand that I can't go on with us . . . doing this distance thing.  And I can't fly to San Diego, every weekend! That's what he wants though. This week!  To get together in person and . . . talk about it.  Right. Talk. He'll just get me into bed and prey on my weakness for him, Crissa. I'm not so stupid."

"Well I guess then . . . you'll just have to make up your mind which of them it is. I mean . . . you can't go on with both."

"I don't know. Maybe I can. At least for a while. Until I'm sure about Troy."