Page 41 of Through the Snow Globe
Diana closed the bedroom door behind her. “Sounds tough.”
“Understatement,” Addy said, sarcastically.
Diana sat on the chair beside her bed. “You know it won’t always be this way, right?”
Addy gave her an eye roll. “It feels like I’m stuck in the same day, over and over.”
Diana blinked and momentarily wondered if Addy was also experiencing a time loop. She wasn’t, though. Diana was the only one reliving December 4th. “Yeah. I can relate to that a little bit.”
Addy gave her an assessing look. “You have thick, healthy hair, though. So at least if you were stuck in the same day, it’d be a good-hair day.”
Diana pointed at her head. “Have you seen this mop top? The weather has already gotten a hold of this do and had its way.”
Addy’s gaze flicked up to Diana’s hair. “You’re not wrong,” she said, cracking a small smile.
Diana nibbled her lower lip and broached the subject just like yesterday. “This isn’t about hair, though. It’s about a guy, right?”
Addy lowered her brow. “What makes you say that?”
“Because it’s always about a guy. How about you tell me all about it while we do your physical therapy?”
Addy blew out another breath. “Why should I?”
“Because talking to me is better than keeping what’s bothering you bottled up inside.” Somehow Diana felt hypocritical for saying so. Keeping bottled emotions was Diana’s MO and she resented anyone, namely Linus and Rochelle, for trying to nudge her feelings to the surface.
“Fine.” Addy stood and walked to the bathroom.
Diana followed close behind in case she fell. The teen hadn’t fallen the first December 4th, or the second, but Diana wasn’t taking any chances. Diana pulled a chair in front of the sink and Addy sat down in front of the mirror without protests this time.
“I was seeing Jay for a couple months before I got sick,” Addy said, looking at Diana through the mirror. “We started hanging out over the summer. And sometimes my best friend, Sierra, hung out with us too, but she always complained about being the third wheel.”
“And now?” Diana avoided the brush today, knowing that would upset Addy. There were perks to repeating a day. Instead, Diana handed Addy the facial moisturizer from her bag on the counter. That wasn’t likely to lead Addy to tears.
Addy twisted off the lid and dipped the tips of two fingers inside. “Now, they’re still hanging out without me. Because I’m sick and I’m not at school.” She swiped the moisturizer along her well-defined cheekbones.
“They’ve ghosted you?” Diana asked, feeling anger on Addy’s behalf.
“Not exactly. Jay was calling for a while, but I wasn’t answering. Who wants to talk to a depressed girl? I’m not much fun to be around, not even on FaceTime.”
“That’s not true, Addy. I love being with you.”
Addy rolled her eyes as she looked at Diana through the mirror. “You get paid to hang out with me.”
“That doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy it. So, you were the one who ghosted him?” This was new information.
Addy used both hands to rub the moisturizer in. When she was done, she seemed depleted just from that simple task. “Yeah, but Jay wasn’t supposed to use that opportunity to go after my best friend. That’s so rude.”
Diana couldn’t disagree. “You’re sure that’s what’s going on? How do you know he’s doing more than just talking to your friend?”
“Because my friend Rebecca DM’d me. She’s seen them together,” Addy said.
“Like kissing?” Diana asked.
Addy glared at Diana through the mirror. Then she stood up, pushing the chair back into Diana’s midsection just like she had yesterday. She sniffled a little and Diana wondered if she was crying again, even though Diana had avoided the hairbrush. “You’re not helping at all,” Addy called behind her as she made her way to her bed and plopped down. “Now I’m envisioning my boyfriend and best friend kissing. Thanks a lot, Diana.”
* * *
After leaving Addy’s house, Diana got inside her car and checked her cell phone, noticing another missed call from Linus’s mom. Joann was a lovely woman, but the fact that she was a mother put her in the category of people who couldn’t be trusted or depended on. Diana didn’t want to feel that way, but she did.
