Bougainvillea Blossoms

A few bougainvillea blossoms blew through the house, tumbling end over end across the carpet and drifting down the hallway. Seventeen-year-old Eddy sighed as she stepped over them, calling out to her boyfriend, Sly.

He emerged from around the corner and kissed her. His tall, lean figure towered over hers and his eyes twinkled brightly as he smiled broadly.

“Come into the kitchen and get comfortable,” he guided her round the corner and into the kitchen. At the island bench, perched on a stool and reading a magazine, was Sly’s sister, Deirdre.

“Hey Eddy,” she grinned.

“All right, I’m going to get some more drinks okay?” Sly said. “I’ll be back soon.”

The girls nodded and he left. Eddy made small talk with Deirdre before a car honked out front and she vanished in a puff of jasmine scented smoke. Eddy sat, flicking through Deirdre’s magazine, when she heard a drawer open and looked up to see a girl in a dark top and skirt, fluttering about, making lunch.

“Um, can I help you?” Eddy asked, her heart pounding. Sly didn’t have any other sisters that she knew of and his mother did not look like this girl. She was far younger than his mother, with a slender body. The girl turned, her copper hair was cropped and gelled. She smiled curiously at Eddy before speaking.

“Hi, I’m Vic, one of Sylvester’s friends. I’m staying here to work for his dad.”

“Oh…I’m Eddy, I think I’ve heard Sly talk about you,” she smiled back, though slightly chagrined at her use of his full name.

Vic extended her long fingered hand and grasped Eddy’s in a firm friendly handshake, paired with a glittering smile.

“Hey, it’s great to finally meet you; you’re all Sylvester talks about now!”

“Really? Okay. Hey, don’t you live interstate?”

“Yeah, I used to live here though.”

“Ah.”

“So you’re his latest eh?” Vic asked wariness apparent in her voice. Eddy felt vaguely threatened.

“Uh yeah…” Eddy fiddled with her handbag, winding the strap around her fingers. It was rather warm inside the house unlike the mucky weather outside. She slipped off her jacket and placed it carefully over the back of a chair.

“You know, Sylvester’s always had a thing for girls who are no good for him, or if they are, other people tend to cause trouble.” For such heavy words, Vic’s tone was light and conversational. Eddy felt her insides freeze up.

“But there’s something different here. With his last, whatsherface, Kathleen, all I ever heard was Kath this, Kath that, Kath’s the Queen of the World and I’m her footman. While I was glad he was happy, she didn’t seem so interested.”

Eddy remembered Kathleen, she went to her school, was in her year and was an A Grade bitch. Eddy thought she was a waste of space.

“Then when she ditched him in favour of his mate Greg, who also is a gutless prig by the way, it was a bit hard on him. That’s why when he started rambling about this new chick Eddy, I got slightly worried.”

Eddy tensed. She felt the urge to blurt out all the reasons why she was good for him but Vic got in there first.

“But I needn’t have wasted my time,” she turned with a smile. “After all, you were actually interested; you seemed to like him for who he was, instead of who his friends were.” She bent and picked up a stray bougainvillea blossom.

“I love these blossoms, so pretty,” she said and blew on it. Fhoo! And it was gone. Eddy’s eyes were wide in her head as this girl fluttered about still, buttering bread, cutting salami and ham, arranging dips and carrot sticks, all the while chatting away. Eddy’s mind was still trying to process Vic’s words (approval or warning?) when Vic handed her a plate to set on the coffee table.

“Careful, Baz will go straight for it,” she said of the sleek black Great Dane. “But I still worry about him sometimes. Doesn’t apply himself, you know?” Eddy figured they were still discussing Sly.

“But I shouldn’t really. After all, you’re here now, aren’t you?”

Vic turned to Eddy, another blossom in her hand. As Eddy was about to speak, they heard the door open and she turned her head to see Sly coming in with drinks.

“Hey, I’m back with plenty of soft drink,” Sly grinned, noting the house felt very cold, even though the heating was on. “You weren’t too lonely weren’t you?”

“Of course not, Vic was here…” and she turned to the girl but her voice trailed off as she stared at empty air that carried a lofty blossom. Sly raised a brow.

“Vic? Nice try Eddy, you know that Vic’s gone,” he tried to joke but still felt the lump in his throat as he remembered how much he missed her.