PART TWO

“Daddy?” smiled Bette clutching greedily to the receiver as she waited for her father’s voice of calm and reason.

It was the little girl in her that hoped Melvin would wash away those doubts, suddenly everything would be laughably obvious and become clear. His presence would remind her of who she and who she wasn’t, show her recent  foolishness to be just that, but perfectly natural- after all this was the longest the father and daughter had been apart; her first experience living away from her and Prof. Lambert was merely the strongest role model available to her in his absence. That’s all.

But the line lay silent.

“Daddy?” she repeated with growing anxiety in her voice, all at once panic hit and the coarse hands of Ms Porter began beating violently against the telephone. Hot tears swelled her eye sockets and spilled down her cheeks faster than she could wipe them away.

“Fuck”

The word felt good in her mouth those it was barely audible.

“Fuck”

There it was again, louder and more pronounced as realisation loomed ominously above her. Suddenly the world seemed very big and Bette Porter very small, in that moment it all became real- school had ended, she was at college her father was miles away and for the very first time Bette was truly standing alone.

The first order of business was to wedge a Marlboro light between her lips- her habit a homage to the French Impressionists who had first excited her interest in her one true passion. Knowing Coleman would be in the library ready to usher her into his side she took a direct route back to her room and closed the door firmly, so that she could lean against it.

“Okay” spoke the young woman to herself in a calming tone.

“Maybe if I just say it out loud, get my thoughts straight…” she trailed off as her eyebrows knitted together and her hand located the ashtray to stub out the cigarette.

“Maybe then all the mystery, the curiosity all that bullshit can be set free and blow over.”

As soon as she said Bette had the dreaded suspicion that this may not be the case, but braved onwards all the same- closing her eyes in preparation she held her breath before an exasperated exhale.