I couldn’t help but continue looking at Mollie’s Instagram stories every time her profile picture lit up. Mollie was never the time to post a lot on there; she mainly had the app just to watch videos and occasionally post a picture here and there of some dance competition she won. Lately, her Instagram page went from her in dance costumes to her holding a microphone in her hand, standing in front of a band with instruments in the back.
It didn’t take long for me to realize that Mollie was now a part of Aaron’s so-called band. She would post videos of the venues she was performing at, or behind-the-scene photos of her and Aaron backstage of a show. I guess it hurt me more knowing the fact that Mollie didn’t tell me she was in a band now; I had to find out on Instagram as if I was just another random person following her online.
An incoming call stopped all of the videos that were playing for a slight second; in a way, I’m relieved that it snapped me back to reality and not completely sucked into my phone. I picked up the phone and leaned back against my bed. “Hey, Scout.”
“Hey, Milo,” Sophie greeted me. “Whatcha up to?”
“Nothing,” I said, looking up at my ceiling. “Just hanging out in my room. How about you?”
“Same,” Sophie answered. “My mum went grocery shopping so I’m just waiting for her to come back.” I nodded as if Sophie could see me. “I should be practicing for the show next week, but I’m just so lazy.”
“You have time, Scout,” I reassured her, smiling over the phone. “I mean, I haven’t practiced since our last rehearsal either, so we’re on the same boat.”
“Yeah, but you’re a dual major,” Sophie mentioned. “You were born to be great.” I shook my head at Sophie’s comment; sometimes I felt like she thought I was better than her in terms of talent because of my dual major status, but the truth be told is that she’s much more skilled than me. She can actually read music and play music by positioning her hands differently on a set strings. She never gives herself credit for the hard work and true talent she has.
“Even the greatest make mistakes at times,” I said. I could hear Sophie roll her eyes over the phone. “But good thing we’re only playing one song; it’s the songs for vocal that are killing me.”
“I would’ve thought that vocal would be easy,” Sophie commented. I rolled my eyes; not necessarily toward Sophie but more about the belief that vocal was the easier major. It made me feel like vocal should be easy, and it was far from it.
“You forget who the vocal teacher is,” I said. It was true; my dad made vocal class more like boot camp than an actual class at times. If it wasn’t the constant quartet quizzes, it was learning new songs every other week for a performance. “I feel like he’s always on my case about a missing note or a sharp pitch or something stupid like that.”
“He just wants the best for you,” Sophie reassured. “He knows you’re capable of doing great things as a dual major.”
“I guess,” I dismissed, trying to change the subject. “Do you want to come to the studio to rehearse the piece for the show? I can ask my dad if you can come tomorrow to practice.”
“Are you sure?” Sophie asked. “It’s okay if we went to a park or something to practice.”
“Scout, it’s the middle of winter,” I noted. “It’s totally okay for you to come over to practice.” I felt Sophie’s shift through the phone, and I get it; the last time Sophie was here, my dad had caught us in the house without an adult, which freaked her out since. I just wanted to hang out with someone that actually wanted to hang out with me.
“Okay,” Sophie caved in. “Only if it okay with your dad.” I smiled through the phone. I was excited to practice with Sophie. I always felt like the music connected us as friends even more, and it was something that I always looked forward to whenever we got the chance… whenever I had the chance.
It wasn’t much after that I heard my dad and Jennifer loudly talk in the hallway, walking back and forth across my bedroom door. Jennifer seemed annoyed, and my dad sound like he was trying to calm her down.
“Babe, she’s probably just out with her friends,” I heard my dad say. “She’s a teenager, this is what they do.”
“I’m sick of it, Milo!” I heard Jennifer yell out. “Like my mom expects Mollie to be at dance rehearsals after school; what the fuck am I suppose to tell her when she realizes she’s been a no-show or weeks?” Mollie? Why are they talking about Mollie?
“Hey Scout, I have to go,” I said to Sophie over the phone. “I’m gonna ask my dad about practicing tomorrow and text you when I get an answer.”
“Of course,” Sophie said. “I’ll text you.” The phone line disconnected shortly after. I threw my phone on the bed and walked towards my bedroom door to listen to the conversation outside.
“I get that you’re trying to be a good sister and have her back, but she’s also one of your dancers. Mollie made an obligation to go to rehearsals and participate in the academy.” I heard my dad talk to Jennifer. Mollie isn’t going to dance rehearsal? It kind of made me a little mad in a way. Dance was Mollie’s favorite thing to do in the world; she would constantly talk about going to dance practice after school and how she couldn’t miss one of them. I know this has all to do with her hanging out with Aaron these days; how could she let a guy get between her and her passion? What was she truly getting out of it being his groupie for his band?
“I’m just sick and tired of her not telling any one of us the truth,” Jennifer started to say. “What do I tell my mom when it’s time for a recital and Mollie is out there not knowing what to do? She’s going to first ask me where the hell she’s been if she hasn’t been in rehearsal.” I cracked open my bedroom door just a tiny bit so that I was able to hear the conversation better. “Seriously, I don’t know what’s wrong with that girl.”
“Like I said, she’s a teenager,” my dad said. I poked my head outside of my bedroom door and saw my dad putting his arms around Jennifer. “We were once teenagers, we did stupid shit and never told our parents.”
“I’m her sister, not her parent though,” Jennifer corrected. “I just wish she would come to me and talk to me. For fuck’s sake, if it’s a boy then fine, I get it but—“
A loud thud is heard, and I immediately looked down to see my phone had fallen out of my pocket. I quickly picked it up, looking back up to see Jennifer and my dad look at me now.
“Everything okay, Milo?” My dad asked. I walk out of my bedroom, pretending to just walk out and not know what was going on.
“Yeah, just gonna go get a bottle of water,” I said, walking into the kitchen to grab a bottle. I don’t look at Jennifer in the eyes; I didn’t want her knowing what I knew about Mollie’s whereabouts. Of course, that doesn’t stop her from asking.
“Have you spoken to Mollie by any chance?” Jennifer asked me. I turned around as I closed the refrigerator door.
“No, why?” I asked, playing dumb. I looked over at my dad who’s looking at me now. I know he knows.
“Just asking, since you both are best friends,” Jennifer mentioned. I cringed at the word “best friend”. We haven’t been that for the longest time now.
“Yeah, no; I haven’t spoke to to her recently,” I said, looking back at my dad. His eyes don’t come off of me, which is making feel like I need to jump out of my skin. “I’m gonna go downstairs and practice for a bit.” I walked out of the living room area; each step away from my dad is one step closer to relief. He knows I know. He knows something is going on. He’s heard through the grapevine about Mollie for sure.
Letters From Liz. 