troubled | e.d.

nineteen

tessa

on monday all i did was stare at the clock and complain to kevin about my dad. then when he got home, i locked myself in my room and refused to come down to see him. i took the dog, as well.

on tuesday, i went into my old arts and crafts room from middle school and made kevin and i some tiaras from paper and stick on jewels. he said he really liked his, but would've preferred blue over purple. still didn't speak to my dad, even when he tried to give me my phone back.

when i went on it, i saw that ethan's contact was gone. it made me furious knowing he read through the texts and even went as far to delete them all.

and the fact that reading through them meant he saw all the other times i snuck out to hang out with him— the monkey bars, the hiking trail, etc.

i try desperately to find the note that he initially wrote his number down on, but after trashing my perfect and pristine room, i remember i threw it away so my dad wouldn't find it.

letting out a frustrated groan, i flop onto my bed and stare at the ceiling. kevin whines beside me, and i reach my hand out to pet the border collie.

a light knock comes to my door, and i don't answer. eventually it begins to creak open, and i throw a pillow at it. my dad sighs.

"can we talk?"

"we can talk as soon as you stop treating me like a child," i spit back.

the door opens fully and his eyes fleet around my messy room. "nice place you got here."

"thanks, i did it myself," i say dryly.

"this your idea of rebelling?" he asks, touching a knocked over softball trophy on my dresser.

"no."

"tess," he says, taking a hesitant seat at the edge of my bed. i sit up a little, just to hear what he has to say. "i think you know that i'm leaving this weekend."

"i'm not going with you."

"that's not what i was going to say," he says calmly. "as you probably expected, i'm not leaving you alone like i promised. mary-anne is coming to stay with you."

i groan and pull a pillow over my face.

"you love mary-anne."

"not when she's under your orders!" i exclaim exasperatedly.

"tessa, please just cooperate—"

"i'm not going to cooperate until you at least put ethan's number back in my phone."

"i think we both know i won't be doing that."

"then i also think we both know all hell is going to break loose this weekend."

his eyes darken. "language, please. and don't give mary-anne a hard time? she doesn't want to see you cooped up either."

i'm quiet, realizing that he's right.
she's more on my side than he is.

he eventually gets up to leave, taking kevin with him. i sigh and take my face out of the pillow, resting my head on it.