Chapter 43: What's up with Tina?
1815 Words
Tuesday morning, Audrey was lying in bed her eyes open staring at the ceiling and just waiting for that alarm to go off. It was another beautiful day; the birds were chirping and the sun rays were trying to make way into her room through the silk curtains on her window. She tilted her head to look at that picture of her happy family and smiled, one was missing but we forever live in the hearts of those we leave behind and that's not to die.
"Rest in peace mum. I wish you were here to give me clarity about what I am doing" she mumbled and sat up in bed yawning and stretching wide, dressed in bikini bottom branded pajamas that had SpongeBob and his best friend Patrick chasing a starfish, Mr. Crabs was busy counting his money and Squidward playing his flute. Audrey rolled off the bed and put on her slides in readiness for a hot shower, on her desk were printed out copies of her research on Rose. Just a moment before she walked in there was a hard knock on her door.
"Who's it?"
"The devil, let me in" she heard a faint Ivy voice.
"Good morning ghost you decide to show up"
"I love your pajamas"
"It's too early to make fun of me. What's up? I was headed to the shower"
"Can I join you?"
"Hell no"
"You're scared of seeing me naked or the other way around?"
"Technically both ways around. Why don't you go and take a shower then I'll meet you at the dining table?"
"Okay, I wanted to go early so we can study sorry I didn't make it last night. A head ache from all that screaming during the game"
"Hmm"
"You don't believe me"
"Sadly, nobody does anymore. It's okay not to tell me, but I just hope that it's all worth it and if we find out it won't break our hearts. Be safe V, you're amazing" she smiled and shut the door in her face.
And Ivy felt that because while she went ahead to the shower Ivy was frozen at that door, guilt eating her up so badly. How many chances could someone possibly give you to tell the truth? Very few out here but hers were infinity. She was being open with her making it comfortable for Ivy to tell her anything...genuinely not using her this time, we also can't be so sure, the lines were a little blurred. Ivy couldn't take it anymore so as she walked back to her room she made a phone call. The receiver didn't pick right away giving her more time to get some privacy and when she got in her room she bolted the door and walked to the window, drew the curtains and opened the windows letting fresh air fill the room.
"Hello, Good morning, I'm calling to say I can't do this anymore"
"Babe, we talked about this last night..."
"It's my mind am allowed to change it and am telling you right now I can't do this anymore"
"Let's talk about it after school, okay?"
"It won't change anything. This guilt is too much especially when I talk to her..."
"This was your..."
She hung up. Can we all say "f**k you, ivy" or we should wait for more details huh? Tell you what, just not yet. Let's not run into conclusions like we did with Rose and Lucas, with Tina and Sean. Ivy quickly went to the shower, perhaps a cold one could help clear her conscience.
In her room, Audrey was applying lotion on her body while looking around for another baggy exquisite piece of fabric to put on her body. As long as she didn't walk naked whatever anyone said didn't bother her anymore, not as much as it did back then. Let's just say Audrey had given up on being normal and finding a definition of normal. A pair of khaki pants and a beige sweater seemed good, she combed her hair and applied some gel that Tina had forcefully delivered on her door step. Like she was just seated on the front porch and a delivery guy walked in, gave her a wrapped box and asked her to sign. Anyway, the hair was looking glossy, soot black and lustrous, a quick look in the mirror and a smile of contentment.
A bag pack and her water bottle were all she picked and left the room. Then she remembered something, Amateur detective left all her findings lying on her desk for Rose to find. She dashed back in and hid them in plain sight, somewhere Rose wouldn't have bothered to look, don't think she didn't look. Audrey had done more than enough tests to confirm that.
"Good morning everyone, Lucas you're up so early" she said joining Ivy and Lucas at the dining.
"Good morning Audrey. I want to try this routine of yours"
Ivy looked a little bit confused. She had every right to last she checked the two step-siblings were not always on the same page. Especially Lucas who clearly was just being forced to share a roof and arguably a universe with her. They-with his mother-behaved as though a universe without her would have been a perfect one.
"Okay, traffic is a bother off late"
"Many people are moving to the city for greener pastures, there's also an issue of climate change affecting migration at the moment"
"Did he install encyclopedia in his brain or what?" Another surprise hit Ivy, how did he become that smart.
"Nope, he just figured a way to read and understand social sciences"
Breakfast was served, the kids got a sandwich each with a choice of tea or coffee and juice or warm milk, a couple of bananas and of course three tins of packed food. Ivy had a short white dress and Grey boots, Lucas was in black jeans and a cotton white shirt and a half coat, brown loafers on his feet.
"No, it's actually her magic"
"I'm just happy to see you give her the appreciation she deserves. That's a vault of treasures right there"
Lucas looked at her uninterested, Perhaps Ivy had forgotten that they were still not cool, not after she ratted him out to his parents about his addiction to drugs. He just used them to avoid stress. With everything he wanted at his disposal what could really stress Lucas miller?
"It is nice, studying with you is fun. Be a teacher please"
"I've already settled on being a cardiologist"
"Oh yeah, tough careers for tough women"
"What do you mean tough?"
"Smart and confident. For real I'd love to study with you again, if it's okay with you not that mum asked you to help"
"Fine" she said and flashed a smile ignoring the scornful look of Ivy.
"Good morning everyone you're all up early" Rose said joining them in the dining room dressed in maroon robes, she was glowing with happiness, morning glory probably? Looked as though her and David were working so hard to make a baby.
"Morning mum, you look happy" Lucas pointed out the obvious.
"That because" she stopped to hug Audrey from behind, then Lucas and finally Ivy, "my family is all fine and it's another beautiful day the lord has given us, why not be happy on how lucky we're to be alive?"
"So wise, I get her point, you guys?" Audrey asked.
"I do" Lucas said nodding in agreement, their gazes fell on Ivy who saw it best to eat her food silently. She, unlike the naive Audrey wasn't buying any of that bullshit from both of them. If there was one thing she knew about her Aunt Rose was that she didn't forgive and forget easily. And lately Audrey had been rude and openly defiant to her when she worshipped reverence and submission from everyone around her. As far as Ivy was concerned, both of them were sucking her in to find her weakness and hit her so hard that recovery wouldn't be an option on the table.
"You have yourselves a good day. Mama is still around"
"Bye!"
As Lucas went to his yellow Camaro, the girls went to the Land Cruiser TX, thanks to her obedience Rose believed she had pulled some strings and gotten her access to it. Of course, that wasn't true but it is Rose we're talking about here. Meters away from the gate the two hadn't exchanged a word.
"Are you okay?"
"Oh, thank God you started the conversation, it is hard to know whether you're angry or just quiet enjoying your peace"
"I'm quiet but you're not, so, what's up?"
"Rose and Lucas? Are you really that stupid, sorry"
"No am not"
FYI she still didn't trust Ivy that much especially with her disappearing acts so she wasn't going to make the mistake of sharing anything with her..
"Then I believe you know what you're doing"
"Yes, I'm meeting them halfway"
Ivy looked up her arms on the wheel, "Lord please protect her where I can't"
It was a dangerous game she was playing and she needed the protection, Ivy couldn't hear or see it but she mumbled an Amen.
*****
Tina was ready for school after that quick breakfast, she was getting late as it had been a norm lately and also her nanny had noticed another norm.
"Your lunch is packed, have a good day"
"Is that what you're programmed to say or it comes from the heart?"
"From the heart. Something else, I have noticed" she said walking briskly trying to catch up with Tina who was headed outside to the parking lot.
"Go ahead, all you do is watch and report"
"You come home late and sneak out too, like yesterday"
"How's is that your problem? It's not like you don't get paid when I do sneak out. What's your problem?"
"It's actually your problem..."
"Then let me handle it" she said and threw her bag pack inside the car before sliding in and drove away.
"I just wanted to say you look tired and it will affect your studies but who cares?" She asked rhetorically walking back to the house.
Truthfully, Tina was looking exhausted from her Batman activities that she didn't involve anyone in. Were they affecting her? No, he was yet to see and even if it did what she was doing, at that time seemed to be worth more than her studies and anyone else. You can almost say she was a girl obsessed. How lucky was she, because a particular enemy was lurking in the shadows and he didn't have what she had, that was enough motivation and anger to move him to do more harm and the only person who could stop him was Audrey freaking Miller. Now, that girl...scratch that, Gem, was addictive.
- Writer
