Dear Tressi [✓]

33

Tressi looked at the clock for the fifth time in an hour.

Where the hell's Edda?

She really ought to have been home by now. It was nearing five in the evening; she'd said she'll be back by three, and that was overshooting it. The audition was only till one. Tressi couldn't think of any reason why she'd be so late.

Dala had left around noon to meet Vil and had asked Tressi not to wait up. Tressi knew what that meant. Her mother was going to stay over at Vil's. She did not want to think about the implications. She tried to distract herself and not dwell on something so vomit inducing. Having already watched TV throughout the day, she was bored out of her mind.

So she decided she'd go and talk to Dax. Maybe check out his new car that he'd gotten last month for his eighteenth birthday. She walked across the road and opened the gate to enter. As she raised a hand to knock, the door automatically opened and Daxton stepped outside with keys in hand.

"Hey, Tress! What's up?" he asked, not really surprised to see her. They were constantly at each other's house when she was home.

"Edda isn't back from the audition," she told him.

His eyebrows went up in surprise. "Really? She told me it'll be over by one."

"Yeah, that's why I'm a bit worried."

"I'm sure she's fine. I think she would've gotten the part. Maybe they wanted to start rehearsals right away?" he suggested, walking back into the house.

"That makes sense," Tressi agreed, trailing behind him. "Where's your Mom?"

"She's visiting her friends. I'm just glad they aren't doing it here, I'm so over the cheek pinchings and telling me how tall I'm getting." He rolled his eyes.

"News flash, it's called growth," Tressi seconded.

"Exactly."

Tressi sat on the couch as Dax grabbed a Coke bottle from the fridge. They both took a swig each and set it on the coffee table.

"The storm's settling down," said Dax, looking out the window. It wasn't raining but the road was a mess of leaves and twigs that the wind had brought. "Was it very bad when you left Walker's?"

Tressi shook her head. "No, it hadn't started yet then. The school sent us home three days earlier than planned, because of the cyclone warning. It was so sudden, I didn't get to pack my stuff properly. I left half of it up at school."

"But at least you didn't get stranded half way. That would've sucked," Dax pointed out.

"True."

Dax got up from the couch. "Do you want me to swing by the theatre, to see if Edda's there? My mom wanted me to pick up some medicine for Dad. I can check if Edda has left."

"That'd be great."

"Do you want to come with me?"

"Can't. My mom didn't leave a key. I can't leave the door unlocked."

*

By the time Tressi heard Daxton's car again, it was almost six. She ran outside to see that Edda was with him. And right away, Tressi could see that Edda was upset. Very upset. She saw Daxton wave goodbye as Edda got out, but she didn't acknowledge it. Without sparing a glance at Tressi, she walked right past her into the house, leaving her bewildered.

As Tressi walked over to the car, Daxton rolled down the window. She leaned down, supporting her arm on top of the car.

"What's wrong? She didn't get the part?" she asked Dax.