Yeses and Toes

The Dry Eyes

I had cried out every last tear I had in my entire body on the long walk back. By the time I got to the house, I felt dry, even though I was soaked to the bone.

It was still bucketing down. So much so that I had assumed that the car parked in the driveway was Alvin's. Even though they were doing late night practices every day of the week with the performance coming closer. Maybe if I had remembered that I wouldn't have flung the door open and barged, dripping wet and blotchy-faced, into the scene that was folding out in the living room.

Oh, why didn't I just look at the car?

It was so much longer than Alvin's tiny beetle!

Then I could have just snuck in around the back.

But I didn't. So there wasn't anything I could do about Mr and Mrs Silkstone's shocked, but also, at the same time, pissed, expressions that were directed entirely at me.

I so did not deserve this right now. I needed a shower.

And also a job. I needed a job.

But I was glued to the spot by the familiar hard glares they would shoot at Fleur and I when we were kids for not being academic enough.

The entire room was silent and the pouring rain outside sounded so faint under the ringing in my ears. What were they doing here?

And then I glanced over at Luke, bow and viola in his white-knuckled hands, his face a sickly green instead of the usual sun-kissed tan. He looked like he wanted to hurl.

They had found out.

I cleared my throat, my own problems forgotten. I needed to get him out of this.

He deserves it, though. He lied to his parents, after all, whispered a voice in the back of my mind. I vigorously shook my head to get it out. This wasn't the time for our silly rivalry. He needed me now. And no matter what  he had done to me in the past, I was going to be there.

The two parents gave me strange looks. I probably resembled that of a wet dog when I shook the thoughts away. I felt like a wet dog. Fleur would say I smelt like one too.

I cleared my throat again, receiving an eye-roll from Mrs Silkstone. She always hated me. Like I was the bad influence to Fleur. We were artists, which, to her, meant we were the useless scum of the earth, unworthy of her time. I had to say something, show her I wasn't scared of them.

"Hey!" I said in a wavering voice that was way too loud. "H-how... L-look, it's you two! I h-haven't s-seen you in, l-like, forever!"

The two were seething and didn't reply. Luke somehow looked even sicker. I probably did too.

I should have just left. I should have gone up to my room, put on my slippers, and danced away all the heavy reality that was resting on my shoulders.

I shouldn't have said anything else.

But I did.

"So, you guys listening to some tunes together? I can see why. Luke is, like, so good!"

And then Mrs Silkstone started crying.

I guess it was a poor choice of words.

She threw her head into her hands and practically screamed while stomping her heels on the floor.

You know those days where nothing seems to be going right for you? Those days where you feel like that Terrible, No Good, Very Bad Day kid?

This was like that.