Goodbye Letters

6. Theadora

“Katie, why the dissonance? What’s wrong today?”

“Oh, nothing.” Katie says, dropping her hands into her lap.

“Come on, you don’t play minor scales and dissonant pieces for nothing.” Theadora pushes.

“Really Thea, its nothing, now teach me what you’re going to teach me.”

Theadora laughs as her sister dismisses her questions. “Fine, nothing for now but if you keep up with the depressing music I’m going to bug you about it.”

“Teach Thea, teach.”                                                                                          

As Theadora opens her book and finds her page Katie is off pounding the keys to a popular Christian Song “Better Thea?” She asks.

“Much, you know there’s really not much left for me to teach you? You’re already better than I am you just don’t know all the terms.”

“And that’s what I have you for.” 

They spend the next hour going over each other’s music. Drew walks in the door from the garage and sees Theadora whack the piano as she gives up her attempt at playing a song.

“Hey, that’s my baby!” Katie reprimands looking up from the book she was reading.

“Ugh, its just so frustrating! I can’t get through this measure, I’m supposed to have this memorized to play in church Sunday.” Theadora groans obviously frustrated.

“Wow, well hello to you guys, too sisters.” Drew says sarcastically as he sets his lunch box on the counter and gets a glass of water.

“Hi Drew.” Thea mumbles before going back to staring at the music as if she will be able to brand it into her mind.

Katie doesn’t look up from her book but merely turns a page ignoring his presence.

“Kay, seriously girl, that’s how you’re going to treat your big brother when he gets home from a hard day of work?” holding his hand over his heart in mock pain.

Katie continues on with her reading biting her lip at the grin fighting to show.

Drew sees it and runs his hand through his hair as he slumps into a chair across from her. “It hurts you know, to be rejected by one’s own family it, it’s indescribable really.”

Katie turns another page but only to annoy him because she certainly hasn’t read everything on the previous page.

“Are you seeing this Thea? Thea? Our sister’s book is more important than me, your piano music is more important than me, what is this world coming to when mere things have become more important than your all-important awesome brother?!”

Just as he finishes his speech his mother walks into the room behind him and ruffles his hair “Lets add big headed, proud, egoistic, pestering brother to that, shall we?” She says as she moves her hands down and begins giving him a shoulder massage. Thea gives up ignoring him and breaks out laughing.

“I could add a few to that.” Thea chuckles as she tosses her piano book to the floor and stands.

Drew’s face goes into a pout “Awe, come on, you’re just a bunch of haters.” Finally Katie breaks and throws her book at him “Pft, you know we love you.”

“That’s right Drew… Especially when you done and apron and make us breakfast.” Thea teases as she walks past him slapping his shoulder.

“I am so never doing that for you girls again!” Drew shouts after her then he looks up into his mother’s eyes “Hey Momma, how was your day?”