The silence in the room is so heavy, I wish I could hide under the blanket and come out once we're back to worrying about whether a pink dress is better than a red one.
Those days were simpler...
"Let me think about it...I, I don't know if I want to face him again, I can't... just thinking about it...you don't know how bad it was, you have no clue. I, I don't want to face him more than I can those pictures Trent."
She's losing it.
"Margaret..."
"I don't care what you do, I don't care about Melissa. I don't care, all I know is you're my best friend and you have to choose me."
For goodness sake. She's really losing it...
Why, why dear God do we need to go back to the hellhole Margaret was duck out of with extreme difficulty? For what purpose? I'm looking at my usually carefree friend, her eyes are unfocused... she's shaking like a leaf and looks like she'll bolt at any moment. I don't know what's going on in her head and I can't get her out, she's slipping away...
"Margaret, listen to me."
"I don't want to go back, don't send me there..." I don't want to cry, I hate tears... they're useless and make me feel as helpless as I felt when I was young - alone in a big house. But seeing Margaret like this, so broken and weak, damn it all to hell if I don't make that scumbag live a life worse than death... He wished! Want to get married, did he? I will make sure he gets married, so married he never thinks of anything else in his life!
I slap Margaret to get her out of her stupor. My hand - twice in one day. Ouch!
"Mar, you're giving him what he wants. This is why he called you, he knows he has a hold on you and used it to his advantage. Don't let him win." I should've given him more than one slap too...
"I..."
"We need a plan, one that includes Melissa. Mar, you can't tell me you don't wish the girls before you had told you what kind of guy he is. I don't like Melissa, God knows I don't but we have to tell her, what she does after that will have nothing to do with us."
Look at me advocating for the right thing to do when I'm still trying to convince myself to do the right thing. I firmly believe this has nothing to do with me and I'm bringing trouble to my door. Why am I bothering?Margaret... Right, Margaret is my friend and she would do the same for me.
"Mar, even if you let him be, who's to say he won't come find trouble with you when he's bored or just wants to play a sick game. You have to face him."
I'm actually the last person to say this to anyone given my track record but just because I don't practice what I preach doesn't mean what I preach is no good.
"Actually, I think I might have an idea. Do you have a copy of those pictures?"
"Yeah, I have them." Why? At least she has the decency to look abashed. Why in her right mind did she let him take pictures - pictures for goodness sake; wasn't it enough she'd given him - everything?
I can't judge. I won't judge. I'm not a judging person but seriously - it's hard when you have someone making stupid decisions. I want to judge!
No. No. I'm a nice-understanding human being and won't make my friend feel bad when they're down.
"First thing first, tomorrow we'll talk to Melissa and act accordingly from then. Seriously Margaret, pictures?" So I couldn't hold it in... I tried, at least I tried.
"What? I was twentythree at that time. Seemed fun. I didn't think much of it." Yeah, seemed fun. I didn't do it when I was twentythree.
"I'm tired, let's convene tomorrow."
"Wait, wait there young lady. Don't think just because scum Mark diverted my attention, I don't remember you didn't come last night. Where were you?"
Oh. Oooooh. I did do something like that...and want to do something like that again. My cheeks, they're on fire. But I didn't do anything, we didn't do anything... Fin is... Fin.
Argh, there goes my tiredness. I'm wide awake now. How can she bear to remind me of him, this late at night when I can't find an excuse to see him? But I'm getting ahead of myself, Fin and I have met each other for not more than five times, I don't know him...he doesn't know me...we don't know each other...
I want to know him...
"What are you there wondering about? Tell me, tell me. Where were you?"
Where was I? Does it matter?
"Mr Bidder's house. He took me from the club."
"Mr Bidder?"
"The guy who bought that painting."
"No way, he's from York?"
"No, I don't think so. I don't know? I didn't ask."
"Right, how could you care about that? You were busy with other things."
I wish. Or not. It depends which me you're asking, devil me wishes and angel me is a saint. I might as well through a pillow at her.
"Goodnight." To devil me and saint me too. I don't want to think about anything...we have an uphill battle ahead of us.
The next day, we're all set for the first step in arming ourselves against Mark Thompson. Tackle Melissa - tackle is strong word but what to say, she's not an easy woman.
We arrive at the Mudoks, Melissa is home alone - this alone is already a terrible start.
"What is it, what could be so important I have to disrupt my schedule?"
I'm starting to see the appeal of Margaret's suggestion. But she could at least fain concern and be like - oh, how are you feeling? Last I saw you you were with Mark then you left abruptly. Is everything okay? How nice would that be.
"We have something to say." Why bother with pleasantries,
"Then say it, I have things to do." Give me strength, honestly - give me strength.
"It's about Mark."
"What about him?" Where to begin...
"He's abusive scum that I was with for two years and is threatening Trent with our intimate pictures not tell you." Okay, you can wrap it up like that as well. Why ease her into it? Margaret...
She laughs, big belly laughter like she's heard the greatest joke. I don't think it's funny...
"I'm sorry..." she says in between laughter and when she finally stops;
"I didn't believe him when he said you'd come to me with a story but Trent, you don't have to be this pathetic." Wait a minute...me? What does it have to do with me?
"Her?" So I'm not the only one confused then, thank you Margaret.
"If you like Mark, you don't have to make anything up. Mark is mine."
What? Now this is funny, me - like that prick, Mark Thompson and want him enough to concoct a story so he'd breakup with his fiancee? I can't.
"Don't come to me with this nonsense, I won't give up Mark for you. You're dreaming."
Ha. Ha. Ha.
What. The. Hell. Is she serious?
"As much as it breaks my heart to disappoint you, Melissa, I don't like Mark. I've never liked Mark and I will never like Mark. Mark is Margaret's ex."
I'd thought it, I really had thought it. This mess isn't mine to clean, why am I involving myself with it? Like Mark? He's sewed a perfect tale for Melissa to fall for. Why not, she'd love for me to want something that's hers so she could gloat about how I'm always taking - taking from her. And she's calling me pathetic?
"Ask your mom, she knows all about him. She was there, she saw the aftermath of what he did."
"Frankly, I don't care if you believe us or not, if you want to marry that scum so much - be my guest. But I hope you're prepared to deal with what comes with the scum."
Margaret's not wrong, if she wants him so badly - be my guest. We've done our due diligence. Her life, what right do we have to tell her how to live it.
"Melissa..."
"Get out. Get out. You don't anything about my relationship. I'm not you and Mark won't do that to me. He loves me. Leave."
Okay, you can't cure stupidity in one day. We're out of here then. And just as were getting out, Mark comes in.
I don't know if I can sigh enough, or scream loud enough to whomever is choreographing these events to make them stop. Give me a break. One case of insanity is already exhausting but two cases?
"Trent, you're here..." And I'm not alone, he can clearly see I'm not alone yet...
I move to sidestep him but he blocks my way.
"Like I said yesterday, I'm flattered you like me... I really am but, I'm engaged to be married. I can't reciprocate." Who's he putting on a show for? I turn to Margaret and catch a glimpse of Melissa. Right, why would he do anything meaningless in front of us?
I have to applaud him, not only is he scum but he can act so well. He's left me speechless - seriously - I don't know what to say. I'm speechless...
"Mark." Margaret breaks the silence. I'm feeling uncomfortable just by hearing the heaviness in her voice, what is she feeling at the moment?
"Oh, you are?"
Trent: "..."
Margaret: "..."
He's wasting his talent. What businessman, clearly acting is his calling. What an actor.
"What are you guys still doing here? I asked you to leave."
Who wants to be here? Are we beggars? We were leaving and got stopped by a fly on the way...do we want to be here - around him?
"Melissa, don't fly too high; the way down especially from him - you won't be able to do it alone."
Margaret, what exactly did you see in him? Again, I can't judge, my ex isn't exactly clean either. So, we both need to make better choices.
"Mark, you came back before the deadline; I hope you're ready. This time, I'm not in love with you...do you think I'll protect you?"
There's behind the scenes? Yay me!
This mess really - really has nothing to do with me.