To Astrid, With Love

8

2005, December, Winter Dance

Astrid

"Are you really sure you're not going?" Krisha snapped me out from my trance as I focused my attention back to her who was in her seat doing her make up. Well, technically just fixing herself, she only had minimal make-up on. Her facial features didn't need any heavy make-up, a little touch would've made her date from the junior department crazy.

"Yeah," I nodded,

"Well? Do you have alternate plans for tonight?" she turned to me.

I cleared my throat, "Well—"

"You're going out with Matt aren't you??" she pointed the brush at me.

"We're just going to hang out." I rolled my eyes at her, sitting straight on her bed.

"Where are you headed to??" she asked, jumping on the bed in front of me,

I tried to regain my balance from the bouncing, "I don't know. I don't recall talking about it." I shrugged,

She stopped bouncing and looked at me with wide eyes, "You don't know where you're going but you hastily agreed to go with him??"

"What's happening here??" she teased,

I threw a pillow at her, "Nothing." I chuckled and continued, "Go back to preparing, your date's going to be here in an hour."

"He can wait," she waved her hand in the air,

I laughed at her, "No, you're preparing. Go now."

She grimaced, "Okay, but you have to tell me the details over lunch tomorrow."

I raised my eyebrows and scratched my nape.

"What??" she asked,

I awkwardly laughed, "Well, the thing is.. Matt and I are supposed to go fishing.." I grinned sheepishly at her.

"Girl." She exhaled,

"Take a girl somewhere, take her fishing the next day, and girl says there's nothing going on—am I supposed to believe that??" Krisha squinted her eyes at me and threw the pillow back.

I grabbed the pillow and answered, "No, really! We just happened to talk about fishing and how he didn't know how to but then I did since I always went fishing with Dad my whole childhood, I just thought it would be great to repay him for lending me his cassette tapes."

"There's a cassette tape exchanging?? What am I still not knowing, Astrid?" she widened her eyes and I laughed at her.

"Gosh, stop it! Go back to preparing now." I told her.

She stood up and fixed her hair, then grabbed her dress and excused herself. I was left alone in her bed and with my own thoughts.

I sighed upon stumbling on the thought of what happened the other day with mom. Why was she crying?

Dad was out of town. He hasn't been home for three days already. Is there something going on that I don't know of? I've been coming home to mom who was always in the living room with her puffy eyes and disoriented self. Whenever I tried asking her what was wrong, she would just divert the topic and didn't answer me.

Thinking about it was tiring me out too much. I just can't seem to wrap my head around it. I wanted to know what was wrong. I sighed and rested my back against the headboard.

I heard the door creak open and saw Krisha walk in wearing the dress that we picked out the other day.

"Wow, you look pretty!" I complimented,