She's With the Band

Before the Worst

The sun was setting as Valerie and Dana neared their childhood home, its final rays put the sky ablaze. Fiery orange and red strokes were painted above, infusing the still blue with colour.

Dana skidded the car to a stop in front of a well maintained parkway. Valerie almost didn't recognize her own backyard; it had been so long since she had last seen her parents' home. Their mother, Suzanne, was waiting anxiously on the front porch, seemingly restraining herself from jumping to take her daughters into a suffocating grasp.

"Mum!" Valerie couldn't help the longing in her voice. She quickly closed the car door behind her and ran to embrace her mother. Dana followed suit.

A few moments passed, and the tightly-knit family was still deep in embrace. Dana and her Mum looked at each other meaningfully, seemingly happy by this promising 'Valerie-is-happy' start—to which Valerie was oblivious.

"Dinner will get cold," Suzanne said at last, ushering them inside for the highly anticipated meal. Valerie and Dana kicked their shoes off next to the doormat, a childhood habit they have acquired from their Oriental roots.

"You guys haven't changed the house one bit," Valerie noted as she wandered inside the dinning room. In the centre of the room was the same dinning table she had always known, its deep scratches, from the time Dana and herself were kids, were hidden by the delicate tablecloth. On one side, a china cabinet stood high displaying a set of vibrant ceramic china that was only used for celebration. This was home for Valerie, a familiar ground she had always known.

Over the cabinet was a display of framed pictures, all of which were preserved moments of the girls as they grew up. On opposite poles, there were the college graduation pictures of each, followed by a display of years; senior prom, and sophomore homecoming. At one point, Valerie picked up her sophomore homecoming picture, which she had always despised. Her hair, in this particular picture, was a sweaty haystack. She was pictured in between two of her best friends in high school—both of which she had lost contact with. Valerie looked nostalgically at another picture from her senior prom. A rush of memories flooded her brain; she remembered how she fought with her stubborn father to stay out late, how her crush had asked her for a dance, and how she hated the prom queen. She chuckled as she remembered the semi-disastrous night in perfect detail.

Valerie felt the nostalgia take a sharp grasp of her emotions, threatening the onset of tears and sobs. Now was not the time, she decided, to take a sad stroll down memory lane—no matter how much she missed being a carefree and lively teen. Her grieving heart was quick to place the blame on Xavier; he was to blame for stealing her liveliness. He infected her body with his vile venom, leaving her bereft and broken.

In a far corner from Valerie, huddled in front of the stove, Dana and her mother were worriedly whispering. "I don't know if she'll go back. She's giving it all up!"

"Dana, she caught him in bed with his secretary. That's hard to handle, they were pretty serious." Suzanne stirred the gravy slowly, focusing on the swirling motion her hands made. Dana exhaled sharply, infuriated by the mention of Xavier.

"I just don't understand what went wrong," she took out the plates absentmindedly, "they were going strong, I thought for sure he was planning to propose." Dana eyed Valerie carefully, analysing her slow stroll through the dinning room. "I feel like she's going through a quarter life crisis—if that's even a thing."

*****

The main dish of the evening was the giant turkey that wafted through the Boulus household with its rich aroma. The family feasted on the succulent roast with gravy and applesauce, served with the side dish of mashed potatoes and sautéed vegetables. For the first few moments, the clinking of metallic forks against the plates was all anyone heard.

Taking a sip of her drink, Dana decided to begin the conversation first. "You really outdid yourself this year, Mum." she noted cheerfully, "this turkey roast is amazing!"

Suzanne chuckled warmly, "You think so? I was in such a rush to get it done!" She drizzled her mashed potatoes with gravy, "I wanted to celebrate Thanksgiving all together."

Valerie swallowed a mouthful, "Thanksgiving isn't for another two weeks, Mum."

Her dad chirped in, "We thought it best to celebrate like old times, before you go back to ...." He stopped short when he saw the change of colour in Valerie's face. Dana and her mother exchanged a worried glance, then glared at her dad for the sudden shift.

"Speaking of old times, remember when—" Dana began nervously, hoping the tension would dissipate. Much to her dismay, Valerie wasn't going to let it go.

"I'm not going back," Valerie interrupted. Cork resembled the crumbles of her old life; one that she wanted to move past.

"Valerie!" her mother's eyes widened in surprise, "You can't leave your entire life behind."

"There's nothing left for me to go back to," she said decidedly, "Xavier and I are done for good."

"Honey, a little heartbreak doesn't mean—" Suzanne interjected.

"Is this what you all think it is? A little heartbreak?" By now, Valerie had stopped eating altogether. The blood rushed into her cheeks, fuelling her disdain for this topic. "Mum, I don't want to be constantly reminded of him, or her, at the hotel. It split my world in half to see them together, and I can't stand seeing them giggling or fliting or God knows what right next to my office!" The words shot out of her mouth like bullets through the still air, quickly dispersing any thoughts of a peaceful dinner.

"Well, what's your plan, Valerie?" her father was quick to ask the strategic question that has plagued everyone in the room without exception. London, London, London! Her logical mind screamed, furious at her indecision.

"I... I still haven't figured that out, yet." She picked up her fork and poked her turkey drenched in gravy, hoping that she had put the subject to rest. Dana, who was quietly chewing on her dinner the whole time, thought otherwise.

"Frankly, Valerie, I think you should take the promotion in London." The mention of the promotion stopped the busy clinking of utensils all together. Both her mother and father looked at Valerie expectantly, waiting to hear the details of this promotion from her lips. Valerie's bones chilled and all her body went still. Dana had overstepped her boundaries; the thought brought bile back into Valerie's throat.

Seemingly dissatisfied with Valerie's rigid posture, the parents turned to Dana for explanation. "She has a standing offer from the Fairfax branch in London. She'll be Vice President of Human Resources."

"Well, that's great!" Suzanne clapped her hands together in delight, "it's a big step in your career. Why aren't you going?"

"Definitely," their father agreed, chewing on a forkful of the succulent meat, "I would take it in a heartbeat. What's wrong with it?"

Valerie felt herself cornered by their demanding questions, none of which she knew the answer to. "It's not that simple," she began hesitantly, already at a loss for words.

"You're the one who's overcomplicating this, Valerie." Dana muttered quietly under her breath, which earned her a jab in the side from her mother. "What? It's true," Dana protested, "she's letting the geebag win, either way!"

Valerie snapped, "Last time I checked, I'm the one who gets to make the decisions in my life." She got up from her seat, "I don't feel like eating anymore. My appetite is gone."

Alone in the kitchen, Valerie emptied the contents of her plate into the trash can and put the plate into the dishwasher. She leaned on the kitchen counter for support, exhaling away the angry air that engulfed her emotions.

A/N: As always, 

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