Page 26 of Busted Dreams

And paint some more. I sat there for hours, pouring my heart and soul onto the canvas. The turmoil inside of me quieted until I could think more rationally. Now I could have an intelligent conversation with Trinity. Oh, I was still plenty mad, but I lost the urge to wring her ungrateful neck.

After I set the easel in the corner, far away so nothing would disturb the oil paint, I set the living room back to rights and cleaned the pallet and brushes. I ordered pizza for delivery and padded down the short, narrow hallway to Trinity’s room.

I knocked. “Trin? I ordered pizza. We really need to talk, can you come out here?”

No answer.

She’d always been a little pouty, but nothing out of the norm for a girl her age. And I’d always indulged her a little, because if I didn’t, no one else would. It always broke my heart that I couldn’t give her a normal childhood like other children had.

“Trinity. This is serious, open your door.”

Waiting a beat, then two, I put my ear to the door.

No noises on the other side. I at least thought I’d hear a little bit of rustling. Fine, if she wanted to act like a child, I’d treat her like a child. I twisted the knob, but she’d locked it.

“I’m coming in,” I announced as I used my thumbnail to twist the cheap lock on the door.

“Motherfucker,” I gritted out.

Rushing back to the kitchen, I found her name and hit dial. It went straight to voicemail.

“I swear to God, Trinity, get your ass back here right now. If I have to go looking for you, it won’t be pretty.”

My phone had been on silent, but a slew of new text messages waited for me.

Beck: Hey, man, Astrid told me you didn’t go to the game. Are you coming to my show?

Astrid: Checking in. Is everything ok?

Rhys: Where are you?

Astrid: You’re really starting to worry me. Answer or I’ll be forced to come over once the game is over.

Me: I’m fine. Just have some things going on right now. I’ll call you soon.

Me: Not tonight. Sorry man.

Me: Sorry Rhys, I wanted to be there for you. I hope you kick their ass.

Where would she be right now?

Trinity had always been elusive with her friends. She never brought any over to my place and definitely not our dad’s. I knew the places we liked to hang out together, but it was dawning on me that I knew very little about my sister outside of who she was with me.

Yeah, I had no idea who she was, considering who her so-called friends were. And Trinity, she didn’t know me if she thought I would ever let her keep drugs in her room.

Pacing the living room, I racked my brain on where my sister might have gone, and the more I thought about it, the more frustrated I became.

Damnit!

Trinity never talked about specific places. Just her classes, her teachers, assuring me she was ok at Dad’s. I was the idiot who now realized how much she had hidden from me.

Then I stopped in my tracks. I knew someone who did know her.

Jonah.

Me: Hey. Are you at a place where you can talk?

The next five minutes while I waited for him to respond were the most excruciating of my life. Finally, he responded.

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