Dear Tressi [✓]

20

The wetness she could feel beneath her cheeks woke her up, but she didn't open her eyes immediately. She was lying on her side with the left side of her face pressed into the pillow. She didn't feel sunlight piercing through her closed lids, but that didn't mean it wasn't morning though. The clouds always kept the sun out effectively.

She sighed and tried to open her eyes. The dried tears had stuck her lashes together and she rubbed the heel of her palms against her eyes to open them. She turned over to see Des lightly snoring beside her. Without jostling the bed, she reached onto the nightstand and looked at her phone to check the time. It was three in the morning. But she knew to try and sleep would be futile. So she decided that she might as well get up and make herself some coffee.

Her head felt heavy with each step she took down the stairs. Making as little noise as possible, she made her way to the kitchen. She made herself a steaming hot mug of coffee, the much required warmth calming her. She'd planned to drink it in the kitchen, but being alone made her jittery, especially with Edda's room right next to the kitchen.

She decided to sit out in the front porch instead. As she switched on the porch light, she could see moths instantly drawn to it, with their low buzzing to keep her company. There was a cool breeze, giving Tressi goosebumps. She shivered and pulled the edges of her dressing gown tightly around herself. The inky blackness that surrounded her was soothing.

Then, she heard a sound. A light switched on in the Lepoci residence. The door opened and Dax stepped out. Spotting Tressi, he made his way over to her.

"I saw the light switch on in the front porch." Dax's room faced the street. "Couldn't sleep?"

"Something like that," she said, taking in his appearance. His hair was disheveled and there were dark circles under his eyes. "Why are you up? Couldn't sleep?"

"Something like that," he said smiling.

He sat down next to her and stole a sip from her coffee. They sat together silently for a few minutes.

"I never thought I'd see you again, you know? You left so suddenly. I looked for you everywhere, but you were just gone," he murmured.

"I'm sorry, Dax," she said, with regret heavily lacing her voice.

"Where did you go? After you left here?"

"I... didn't know where to go. I just took a bus to Minty. I just wanted to leave this place. I thought of going back to Walker's but I just couldn't deal with boarding school anymore. The place was horrible, Dax. So I just went to Minty."

"What did you do after getting to Minty?"

"I just slept in park benches for a week. But it was so scary. It's a miracle I didn't get raped, or worse. I was getting desperate, but then I came across this NGO flyer asking for volunteers to help tutor underprivileged kids around the country. I didn't think twice about it and just signed up. I spent the next four years with them."

Dax was awed. "You're... amazing. The things you've experienced... You're something else, Tress. And Mom tells me you're a teacher now?"

"Yeah, while I was with the program, I was able to finish college with an English degree, and now I teach high school English. I'd have probably died if it weren't for me joining them," she said, looking out into the street. Her eyes glistened in the dim light. It had been some time since she'd spoken about the time she'd been most scared and most alone.

Dax took her hand silently and linked his fingers through hers. "You're so brave, Tress. Not many people could've lived through what you've lived through. I'm so glad you're happy. I'm so glad I get to see you again. I just... missed you so much. It was... hard for me. When you left. I didn't even know where you were..." he trailed off, emotion evident in his voice.

Tressi turned to look at her former best friend. She'd been wrong. This wasn't a stranger. It was still her Dax, just hidden beneath the new exterior. The tears she'd been holding carefully at bay, now flowed silently. "I really am sorry, Dax. When I left... my head was in the wrong place. I started doubting everything and everybody. And I shouldn't have. I should've trusted you. I should've told you. I'm sorry if I hurt you."

Dax shook his head. "It doesn't matter now, Tress. Anybody in your place would've been the same. I shouldn't be making all this about me—"

"Dax, you aren't—"

"No, Tress. What's important now is that you are happy. You are, aren't you, Tress?"

"I truly am. Des is amazing, Dax. My life's great now. Except—"

"Except you still don't know who killed Edda," he said, finishing the sentence for her. "Is that why you're here? To figure out what happened?"

"Yeah. It's high time I stop running and deal with this."

The image of the plastic stick that could have so easily changed her life, manifested itself once more. Tressi tried to shake it off. There was no way she was going to talk about it with Daxton before talking to Des first.

It was negative. Thank God it was negative.

Daxton misread her sudden distress. "It's giving you sleepless nights, huh? Not knowing what happened," Dax asked, worry saturating his voice.

Tressi didn't correct him. After all, the past did haunt her. So she just shrugged. "Sometimes it's that. Sometimes it's memories. Sometimes it's nightmares. Tonight it's memories. Either way I can't seem to escape this."

Dax's brow puckered together. "What were you remembering?"

"My mom's engagement," she said simply, turning her face away.

"Ah." That'd been a particularly bad week. He remembered Tressi coming to him, tearful and utterly crushed. He'd tried to calm her down, but she'd been too upset. The following week had been brutal. Tressi had refused to do anything Mrs. Sakit had asked her to, with rows erupting every five minutes. After a week of continuous fighting, Mrs. Sakit had finally agreed not to go through with the wedding and Tressi had agreed to go back to school.

Silence descended upon them again, both lost in the past. Tressi was the one to break it. "It's all over and done with. There's no point now, really," she said nonchalantly.

"But you're clearly still not over it."

Tressi frowned. "I am. At least... I want to be," she sighed, "So dwelling on it isn't gonna help. Let's talk about something else. Tell me about what's going on here. With you. With Lila. It's been so long since I've seen her. Are you guys still in touch?"

Dax looked horrified at her question. "You don't know..."

"Don't know what?" Tressi asked, confused.

Dax replied in a low voice, "Tress, Lila's gone. She died."