The Dating Club

Friends, Fights and Flying Televisions: The Ironic Ending

Chapter 25: Friends, Fights and Flying Televisions: The Ironic Ending

We sneak out a little cautiously, as though my dad may be hiding around the corner of the house to pounce on me, but luckily that isn't the case.

The weather is very cold despite the sun and the grass and cars at the sides of the roads are glazed with frost. Puddles of black ice spread across the road and I am suddenly worried about my sister - which leads me to wonder about my dad and how he is managing to see his girlfriend without a car, if Rebecca took it.

My questions are soon answered as a ray of sunlight glances the top of a very shiny bald head; namely, my Father's receding hairline.

"Hide me!" I squeak, pulling Luke in front of me. He guesses what has happened and immediately assumes the 'moody teenager' pose - hood up, shoulders hunched, hands in pockets. I stick to his back hardly daring to breathe until we see my Dad turn the corner at one of the terraces.

"He's gone. Nathan lives on your road?"

"I don't know... I've never been to his house. We should follow my dad-"

"Stay focused Jess, we need to find Marissa and Matty."

"Oh yeah, sorry. I'll ring her," I say, pulling out my phone. I dial the number and it rings a few times until she picks up.

"Hey, are you ok-"

"Jess come over right now, I need you!" I hear her whisper from the over end before the line goes dead. I hold the phone away from my ear, staring at it in confusion and worry. What could be wrong?

"Are they at Marissa's?" Says Luke, puzzled.

I shrug. "Marissa is, I don't know about Matty. She sounded pretty upset, or worried about something. Scared even. We should check up on her," I say, tugging on his arm. He holds my hand and we run down the road until we reach her house.

Marissa's shiny Renault is not on the drive so I tell Luke that her parents must not be at home, but something does not feel right. All the curtains in the house are pulled tightly shut and it also looks as though none of the lights are on. I test the front door and I see that it is open so I walk in.

"Marissa?" I call shakily, suddenly scared. What if she is hurt? What if Matty is hurt? I peek around the doors in the house as I head towards the stair case but both the lounge and kitchen are empty. I climb the stairs two at a time with Luke behind me, both of us silent and brooding.

I hesitate at her door, rubbing my eyes and preparing myself for the worst. Checking Luke is still with me I enter Marissa's room.

Two pairs of sleepy eyes meet mine from her bed, where two of my closest friends lie cocooned in layers of bed sheets and matching pillowcases. An episode of Friends is playing on her flat screen tv on the opposite end of the room, and after glancing at us for the shortest of period both pairs of eyes swivel back to the screen where Joey is preaching his 'Joey doesn't share food' policy. The room is a state, with food and half empty dishes of ice cream and various other cuisines spilt all over the bedside desks and the carpet.

I stand rooted to my spot, my emotions a mixture of anger and confusion. Here I was, scared for the well being of my best friend, when all the while she was spooning to a cheesy sitcom. Luke is the first to break out of the stunned silence.

"What the hell is that?" He says, pointing to plastic bowl dripping a pink sticky mess onto the floor.

Matty lifts his head to look at where he is pointing and then collapses onto the bed again. "Pavlova," he says.