Trinity Awakening Read online

  "MUM!" Trinny looked in horror at her mother; Lucille gave a cheeky laugh and winked at her daughter. Trinny had only just noticed that her mum was carrying a gorgeous strawberry cheesecake with sixteen sparkling candles on top.

  "Make a wish." Her mum encouraged. Trinny looked around the cafe and smiled back at the grinning customers, then closed her large hazel eyes. I wish for a little bit more excitement in my summer holiday please; she opened her eyes and blew out the candles.

  "Thanks mum, for yet another embarrassing moment."

  "You are so welcome my beautiful daughter." Lucille kissed Trinny on the forehead and proceeded to hand out cake to her patrons.

  "Save me a piece mum!"

  "Me too!" Called out a petite girl with short, textured, brown hair who had just walked through the door. "Happy Birthday my friend!" Emma gave Trinny a big hug and held out a large pink gift bag that had a very cute white kitten on the front.

  "Thanks Em. Mum, I'm taking a break." Trinny called out to her mother.

  "Take the rest of the day off hon, it's your birthday, go have fun!" Lucille blew her daughter a kiss and continued her rounds with the strawberry cheesecake.

  "Thanks mum!" Trinny gave her mum a huge smile, grabbed her gift bag and her friends arm and lead Emma up the stairs to her bedroom.

  The room was filled with sunlight from the large ceiling to floor window, which showed off the amazing view of the white sand beach and the dark blue Indian Ocean. The sea was calm today; the surfers had left earlier with no hope of catching a wave in the stillness of today's non-existent breeze. The rooms walls were painted a warm yellow, decorated with posters of Trinny's favorite bands and the odd movie star she thought was cute. The double bed was still unmade and there were clothes strewn on her computer desk and chair. Trinny threw off her black cafe apron, sat on her bed and excitedly opened her gift from Emma.

  Emma and Trinny had been the best of friends since the moment they were thrown together for an English assignment reenacting the balcony scene from Shakespeare’s 'Romeo and Juliet.' Emma was Romeo as she had more of a boyish look back then, and Trinny had the honor of playing Juliet, she fit the costume a lot better as her bust was starting to fill out, much to her dismay. Two and a half years of friendship had felt like a lifetime to them both, they understood each other so well.

  "Wow...!" Trinny gazed at the stunning party dress that she had pulled out of the bag. "Em. I can't accept this, it would have cost a fortune, and where do you expect me to wear something like this anyway, we don't have our school ball until next year?"

  Emma shot a stern look at her friend.

  "You will accept it, and it didn't cost a fortune, I got it on eBay. And you're going to wear it tonight!"

  "Tonight? I am not wearing a cocktail dress to the movies, that is ridiculous!" Trinny exclaimed.

  "Trin, we are not going to the movies tonight, I know that's what you said you wanted to do, but I'm going to make sure my best friend celebrates her sixteenth birthday in style. You are invited to a party.... yours. 7pm at my house, I'll pick you up at 6.45pm, well my dad will. Your mum knows and is totally cool with it." Emma grinned at her friend in a kind of defiant way that told Trinny this was going to happen no matter what she said. Trinny wanted to tell her friend off for going over the top, but she knew she wouldn't be Emma if she didn't have a chance to do something big, and how many people could look happy and stubborn at the same time. Trinny gave her friend a grateful smile. "You're a good buddy! But who's coming, I really don't have that many friends?"

  "Oh, I just invited everyone we know from school, it's holidays and everyone's bored out of their tree, this is going to be the event of the summer, well, at least the month. And besides, Ben Mathers is really looking forward to seeing you tonight."

  "Ben Mathers? He doesn't even know me; in fact, I don't think he's said anything but 'Hey' to me in the past three years I've lived here. He's so...sporty, and hangs with all the jocks."

  "I love it when you use your American words like 'jock,' it so reminds me how un-Australian you are from the rest of us." Emma said teasing her friend. "Anyway, he's cute and there is definite interest there.... so lets take a look at this dress, you are about the only person I know who could pull something like this off." Trinny smiled excitedly at her friend and held the dress up to her curvy body; looking in the full-length mirror she could see it was the perfect size. Emma knew her better than anyone else, other than her mum, and she knew fashion better than any other girl her age.

  "Hey, I'm pretty sure those flowers didn't look like that last night." Trinny was looking at a pot plant on her desk in the reflection of the mirror; she turned and walked over to them. There sat three hot pink gerberas looking like they had just been bought from a florist and delivered today at her door, but she knew that her mum had got them a couple of weeks ago from one of her customers, and the hot sun in her room with the combination of a non existent green thumb had done some damage, so much so she was going to throw them out. "They were ready for the compost heap, now they're just like new?"

  "Yeah, well plants change, maybe your mum has been watering them. So, what else did you get for your sweet sixteen?" Emma was dying to hear, even though she knew already, as she had been helping Lucille keep the secret for a month now.

  "Oh, I got the cutest vintage lime green scooter!" Trinny’s eyes lit up as she spoke. Emma was trying to look puzzled.

  "Uh, huh..."

  "You know! The one that I've wanted since forever, and you always complained every time I screamed when I saw one in a mag. Gosh, you should have heard me this morning when mum let me pull the sheet off it...." Trinny trailed off, and then realized Emma was still looking like she was pretending to understand her. "It's a '1966 VBC Vespa,' it also came with a pack of those pink flower car stickers. And bonus, it's a two-seater"

  "Oooo, now that sounds like fun, and vintage is all the rage! When can we go for a ride?" Emma was thrilled for her friend.

  "A few more weeks and I’ll have my license for it and be free to take us on an adventure, or at least to the movies." They laughed together.

  "I will wait with baited breath. That really is an odd saying, it's like you're really saying I'll wait here with my fishy breath, wouldn't waiting with minty breath be far more pleasant?" Emma always had to over think things that didn't even need to be thought about. "Back to tonight, it's going to be amazing Trinny, so make sure you are ready on time. I have to go and prepare for the party, I am soooo looking forward to this." Emma gave her friend a big hug and bounced out the door.

  "Thanks Em, I really love it!" Trinny yelled out to her friend, who was already half way down the stairs.

  Trinny spent the next hour cleaning her 'pig sty' of a room, as her mum had called it, then threw on her bikini and a light blue oversized Billabong t-shirt, grabbed a towel and took the very short walk to the beach for a cooling swim. This was one of her favorite places to come, she came here everyday for either a swim or a walk. This was where she had spent her most memorable moments with her dad before he died. She knew he would have liked to be here today, sharing her birthday. He had always said that turning sixteen was one of the most special and significant moments of growing up. It was still a fresh pain in her memory when she thought of him. Moving to Western Australia was meant to be a new exciting chapter in their lives, but only after two months of being here her dad had been killed in a mining accident where he worked as a geologist. As Trinny and her mum had no family left in the United States, Lucille made the decision to stay. The community had rallied around them and supported Trinny and her mother through their grief, and now they could not bear to leave the beautiful seaside town. Trinny walked into the waves, the water was warm but felt cooler than the dry air around her, it had been a hot summer! She kept her baggy t-shirt on, she didn't like to show her body as she had developed a lot quicker than most girls her age and had never really accepted her womanly figure. Her long strawberry blonde hair shone in the bright s
un and she tied it up into a bun at the back of her neck with the hair tie that was around her wrist. She dived into a small wave and felt the refreshing ocean water brush over her skin. Trinny felt alive when she was in the water, she knew she inherited that love from her mother, there wasn't one morning her mother didn't get up and take a swim, even in the middle of winter, although Trinny wasn't as keen when it was cold. As she came up out of the water she looked back towards the cafe, the outside seats were empty now; the early afternoon sun had obviously moved the patrons into the comfortable air-conditioned area inside. There were a few people cooling themselves in the sea, but most had gone home for the hottest part of the day. Then Trinny noticed something odd. Around a hundred meters down the beach there were three guys in long dark pants and light colored shirts, one was a lot bigger than the other two. She could’nt make them out, but they seemed to be looking her way. They didn't move any closer, but just talked between themselves, looking toward her every now and then, who would wear clothes like that to the beach on a day like this, she thought. After going under the waves a few more times, Trinny got out of the ocean and grabbed her towel, wrapped it around herself and headed back to the cafe. She noticed the three guys were now moving toward her. She felt odd, and a naturally protective instinct kicked in making her move faster even though it was broad daylight. She could now hear their voices, but did not want to look back. As she got to the cafe door she turned thinking they would be right behind her, they were nowhere to be seen. But there was also nowhere to hide, the native beach bush could only hide a child, not three fully grown men. A shiver went down her spine and she walked inside quickly. Grabbing a cold drink, she ran up to her room and looked out her window, nothing. Was she imagining it? She lay on her bed and closed her eyes; they were a little irritated from the sea salt. She drifted off to sleep.

  CHAPTER TWO

  'Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only this meeting that a new world is born. –Annis Nin

  Trinny stood in front of the full-length mirror that doubled as her wardrobe door, looking at the dress Emma gave her, it fit like a latex glove. The dress was strapless with full black sequins around the bust, then attached to a beautiful dark fuchsia pink gathered fabric, which hugged Trinny's curves until it flared out in a skirt from just under her waist. The top layer of skirt was black tulle, but the layer under was a gorgeous fuchsia pink satin, with more layers of tulle under that giving it a full look that finished at her knees. She wore black strappy shoes with a small heel and had applied a small amount of pink shimmer eye shadow and black mascara, she wouldn't usually wear pink makeup as it didn't compliment her hazel eyes, but for this occasion it was subtle and suited the dress. What's with my eyes tonight, they look different, Trinny thought. She had always had tiny golden and green flecks mixed in with the light brown, but tonight the golden flecks seemed bigger, brighter, I must have looked at the sun a bit to long today. Trinny hadn't noticed her mum in the doorway looking at her.

  "Wow, you look so much like your dad.... In a more feminine way of course. That dress is gorgeous on you. But what's with the hair?"

  Trinny had let her hair air-dry after her shower and had not quite made up her mind what look would go best with the dress.

  "Well that's a bit of a backward compliment!" Trinny grinned back at her mum.

  "Do you want me to have a play?" Lucille loved doing her daughters hair for special events and she always knew the best look for Trinny.

  "Go for it!" Trinny sat on the chair at her desk and let her mum take over. Twenty minutes later Lucille turned Trinny around to look in the mirror, her strawberry blonde hair fell in long locks down her back and her long fringe was sweep to one side held back with a silver sparkling narrow hairpin. Her mother had turned her dead straight hair into lovely lengthy curls and Trinny loved it.

  "Thanks mum, it's perfect, helps cover up some of the bare skin that’s screaming out 'look at me, look at me!'" Lucille gave Trinny a knowing smile.

  "Not quite perfect, the whole look is missing something." Lucille put her hand in her pocket and pulled out a small natural colored box and handed it to Trinny.

  "What's this? You gave me my birthday gift already, which was beyond awesome by the way!" Trinny said with gratitude in her voice.

  "It's not from me, it's from your Dad." Lucille’s voice was soft as she spoke, and Trinny looked at her not saying anything for a long moment. She hadn’t noticed till now that her mother’s eyes looked a little puffy and bluer than usual, she had been crying. She looked tired and her red hair had a wind swept look like she had been outside for a while. When Trinny did speak it was barely audible.

  "Dad?"

  "Your dad had been holding on to this for you since you were born. It's a family heirloom, passed down through his family for a very long time. He had always told me he would give it to you when you turned sixteen, as traditionally that's when it's done in his family. I don't know if I am doing it the way he would of, but I know this is what he was going to give you, it's only right you have it now." Lucille’s voice cracked a little as she spoke, like she was holding back tears. Trinny took the small box in her hand and sat on her bed. She took a deep breath and opened the box slowly. She picked up the thin sterling silver chain and lifted it out of the box. Hanging on the end was the most beautiful golden colored amber gemstone. It was about one and a half centimeters wide, three centimeters long, and in the shape of a teardrop. Although it had a rough-cut look, it was beautifully smooth. Where it was attached to the chain was the most intricate silver carving, like the branches of a twisted willow tree were holding onto the amber stone, it was mesmerizing. Trinny's mum took the necklace from her daughters hand and hung it around her neck doing up the clasp at the back. It had such weight and substance that Trinny could never imagine wearing another piece of jewelry but this one for the rest of her life.

  "It's beautiful!" Trinny whispered. She could feel a lump forming in the back of her throat, she swallowed to try and keep the tears at bay. She could not stop looking at the necklace in the mirror, and it was only her mother’s voice that pulled her back to reality.

  "Now you look perfect!"

  "I can't believe you did all this!" Trinny wasn't looking at Emma as she spoke, as her attention was totally fixated on the outside pool area of Emma’s house. There were fairy lights hanging in all the trees and around the edges of tables with a layer of organza fabric acting as a tablecloth and softening the glow of the lights. The tables were laid with chips, dip, fruit and cheese platters, sausage rolls and mini hot pasties, all the types of food a typical teenager would like. And there on the center table was a cupcake tower, Trinny knew instantly who had done the catering, only her mother could make cupcakes that good! The pool had some type of underwater disco ball at the bottom that lit up in a kaleidoscope of colors. There was dance music filling the air from the surround speakers attached to the massive two-story house. A dance floor had been set up next to the pool and on the other side were small silver tables and chairs with hot pink and black helium balloons floating as table center pieces, the colors for the party matched her dress. Emma had gone up a level in her party planning skills and by the look on her face she knew she had done an amazing job.

  "I am sooooo good!" Emma exclaimed in complete self-confidence. Trinny looked at her friend and smiled in agreement.

  "You look pretty good to Em." Emma always looked good, and Trinny admired how naturally pretty her friend was, her athletic figure looked great in a classic short black sleeveless dress.

  "Fencing is great for the figure, you should come whip some butts with me sometime." Emma had been fencing since she was six years old, her father had done it before her and was now her coach, it was their way of having 'daddy, daughter time’. Like most things, she had excelled at it, State champion for the past two years in a row.

  "Mmmmm..... and how many times have I declined that offer?" Trinny nudged her friend play
fully.

  "Maybe one day we'll battle it out together. But for now, you are the beautiful princess of the night, and I am your humble servant."

  "In that case humble servant, bring on the fun." They laughed together and Emma pulled Trinny out to the main seating area. There were already a few people mingling by the pool, they called out birthday greetings. The doorbell started to ring out constantly over the next 30 minutes or so, as car loads of teenagers poured into the house. The few guests who knew Trinny well gave her big hugs and Emma was happy that the gift table was filling up nicely. Those who were just there for the party, tried their best to seem like they were there for her, but she knew it was because of Emma they had come. Everyone wanted to be Emma’s friend, she was pretty, strong willed, good at anything she put her hand to, a natural leader, along with coming from one of the wealthiest families in the area, she had it all. But even though she knew these things, she was confident enough in who she was that she brushed off the fake friends and stuck like glue to those who were true to her, like Trinny. Her father was a major partner and the CEO of the mining firm Trinny's dad used to work for, so they were always looking out for Trinny and her mum.

  "Ben Mathers is staring at you." Emma was enjoying the fact Trinny had interest from one of the most popular guys at school, most of the guys were only ever interested in Emma, but she could never understand why they never approached her friend, could they not see her beauty, dumb and blind Emma had always thought to herself.

  "He likes Laura Smyth, and she definitely likes him, so just drop it Em." Trinny was growing a little tired of her friend’s comments over the last hour about Ben.

  "I'm serious, he's been staring all night. Oh, sorry, he's stopped staring.... he’s walking now, this way."

  "What?" Trinny swung round and knocked a jug of juice over on the table she had been standing next to, which then proceeded to pour into the lap of Lizzy Parsons who stood quickly in utter shock and let out a shrill squeal. "I am sooo sorry Lizzy, let me help you with that." Trinny was embarrassed and felt terrible for Lizzy, she was wearing white and the juice was orange. Lizzy flicked her head back throwing her bottle blonde hair over her shoulders; her dark blue eyes were blazing when she looked up to see who had ruined her night.