Tina took a deep breath. At first, it sounded like Cindy's mom had answered the phone until Cindy said, "Where did you go, and why didn't you come to talk to me first? Are you alright?"
Tina started to say something but then all she could do was take another breath in silence.
Cindy waited for a moment and then when she didn't hear anything she asked, "Are you still there?"
Tina was holding back the tears that had been trying to start. She nodded her head and finally got out, "I'm okay."
Cindy could tell that she was not okay. Cindy had talked to Tina's mom and found out that Tina had not only lost her boyfriend Ken from the news, but she had lost her dad almost at the same time.
Cindy wanted to console her, but she was left not knowing exactly what to say. It was not like she could simply say that she understood what she was going through, or anything like that. Cindy didn't have a clue what she was feeling. The only death that she had ever had to deal with was just a fish, and even though she had liked the fish, she was not even all that close to it. The fact was that she had forgotten to feed it, and that had led to its death. At least that showed her that she was not able to take care of it. She decided she was not going to get any more pets or anything that she was going to have to take care of.
Cindy learned quickly that she was not interested in trying to take care of other things. She much preferred that everyone was trying to take care of her and pamper her and every need and want that she had. Tina was the only friend that she ever hung around that never seemed to tend to her every whim. But it was okay because she kept things real and even if they fought at times because she didn't act like everyone else, they always wound-up friends by the end of the day.
Cindy changed her tone and said, "I'm so sorry. I know you have to be hurting." She wanted to say more but she knew that she had to take it slow and she wanted to make sure that she didn't say the wrong thing and make things worse.
Tina couldn't hold back the tears any longer as they streamed down her cheeks she said, "I suppose you have heard about my dad, and Ken then?"
At this point Cindy was crying too, she couldn't help it she had heard all the pain and sorrow coming from Tina. Cindy said, "Your mom had called and was looking for you; she sounded like she was desperately looking for you I have never heard her sound so worried."
This hit Tina as a surprise, because of the fact that she was acting like a real mom. It was strange because she was acting like she was worried or concerned at all. Tina thought for a moment maybe she could have changed. Even the thought sounded so weird to her. She didn't think that there was any way that this could be true, but she was not sure. She had wanted her to change back to the way that she was when she was little for so long. She was not convinced at all. Not to mention that she was still mad at her, and her dad. The biggest problem was that there was no way that she was ever going to be able to tell him. As well as there was no way that she would ever be able to get over the feeling of betrayal or hurt that he had caused by not telling her.
Tina knew that there were only two people in her life that she could tell anything like this, and they would understand part of what she was feeling, and they would be there for her. They were Cindy and Becky. So, after hearing that her mom and that word stuck in her thoughts as not being what she wanted to call her now. Tina knew that she needed to tell everything to Cindy. In hopes that she would at least be able to talk to her about it all. Even if Cindy didn't understand everything that she was going through.
Tina broke down crying as she explained what her dad had confessed on his deathbed. How her mom had died, and they both had hidden it from her. The tears were streaming as she explained that she was trying to get to Ken and that he had passed before she had even gotten to see him. She took a sobbing breath and explained that her dad had passed before she had been able to get back to him as well. Tina's heart was breaking, and she told her that she had missed holding their hands and being able to say goodbye to them. So, she had lost everything all at once, her whole life had been ripped away.
Cindy had let out a gasp when she mentioned that the mom had died and could not believe that they had hidden such a major thing from her all her life. Cindy could hear all the pain and sadness coming from Tina and when she heard the fact that she was unable to be with them as they passed Cindy was crying just as hard as Tina was.
Through the tears, Cindy asked, "Since you didn't get to say goodbye to them why did you leave before the funerals? That is where most people get to say their goodbyes."
Tina knew that already so she said, "I just couldn't face seeing them being put in the ground. Knowing that was the last time I was ever going to be able to see them. By leaving it is just like they are away right now, and they will be returning at any time. At least that is what I'm trying to tell myself."
Cindy shook her head and said, "You know that if you do not see them now then the last time that you saw them will be the last time that you will ever get to see them. You will still be without getting a chance to say your goodbyes to them."
Cindy hated to say that to her, but she knew that someone needed to point it out to her.
Tina said, "I just can't. There is nothing left for me back there. That's why I left in the first place."
Cindy wanted to say that your mom is still here, and it sounds like she really needs you now, but she knew that she was not her mom now. Cindy had seen the way that Tina's mom had treated Tina in the past, so she said, "You know that I am here for you."
Cindy knew that would mean something to her. Cindy knew that her plans had not changed, and within a month she would be away at college. Cindy had decided that she was not going to keep the same boyfriend, but she rotated them as soon as a better one came along anyway, so it was not that big of a deal. She had plans of hooking up with some rich guy that she was going to meet at her new college once she got there.
Cindy asked, "Why don't you come along to my college it's a real party school and it's where most of the really rich guys go? I am sure you will find another guy there in no time at all."
The last thing on Tina's mind was trying to find another guy to replace Ken. Tina knew that Cindy would be offering her this, but she had not even applied to that college. Not that she was just out there looking for a rich guy to marry and settle down with. So, it was not like she would just be able to tag along with Cindy anyway.
Cindy knew it was a long shot. Especially since Tina had hooked up with Ken and never changed who she was with. It was almost like they were a married couple already. Cindy didn't have any way to convince Tina to come back or to go along with her either. Cindy knew that all she could do was offer Tina choices and hope that Tina would come along of her own free will. That was not going to stop Cindy from trying to make it sound as good as she could so that Tina would at least consider coming along.
Tina knew just what Cindy was doing, and she knew that Cindy was going to try it before she even called her. Tina knew that she did not want to just tag along with other people and act like nothing was wrong, or to be the one that was bringing everyone else down. Because they would all see how sad she really was, she knew that she was not going to be able to hind it.
The phone went silent as neither of them really had anything more than they wanted to say. Cindy finally said, "I have to go get ready for a date, but you should really think about coming back for the funerals, and then head to college with me. I am sure with your grades that they would take you in a heartbeat." Thinking that the sad events that she had just been through would make any college accept her.
Cindy knew that Tina would be thinking about them excepting her, but Cindy knew that would just be an excuse that she would try and use just to get out of going with her.
Tina stayed silent for a long moment and Cindy could tell that she had been thinking over everything that she was saying to her, and she was considering it but only time would tell if she was willing to give it a chance.
Tina said, "I will give it some thought."
She knew that time was a major factor in everything, the funerals would not take much more than 3 days to arrange and have to happen and the college would be filling up if they were not full already. She was not even sure what courses they were offering she knew that part didn't matter to Cindy, she was only going there to party and to find a rich husband to marry. Tina knew that it was not even important what the guy looked like or even how he acted as long as he was loaded, she would more or less put up with anything.
Cindy said, "I hope to see you soon."
Once again there was a long-drawn-out silence on the line and then finally Tina said, "I will try."
Cindy knew exactly what that meant she was thinking about it, but chances are that she was set in her ways on what she had already considered doing and she was unlikely to change her mind and do anything differently now. It would take another major event in her life to reconsider everything and head in a new direction.
Cindy thought about everything that Tina had told her. Cindy knew why Tina didn't want to come back and face her mom again. There was nothing that Cindy could do, and there was no way that she could help Tina to get over anything, with her being alone on the road like she was. Tina's mom had tried to get her to find out where she was going, but after everything that Tina had told her about it. There was no way that Cindy was planning on doing Tina's mom any favors.
Cindy said, "See you goodbye."
Tina said, "Okay. Bye." as she hung up the phone.
Tina knew that was going to be a hard call to make, but she didn't have a clue that it was going to drain her that badly. It made her relive every bit of everything that she didn't even want to think about anymore. What was worse was the fact of knowing that she was going to have to go through everything with Becky as well. She knew that she needed to get on the phone with her as soon as she had hung up with Cindy, but the emotions that she was experiencing were just too much. She was very tempted just to turn her phone back off and deal with everything later. Even if it meant that Becky would become upset with her because she delayed calling her back right away.
Tina let out a gasp in shock as she reached for her phone.