Rum and Coke

Ellie Patterson walked off the stage that night, looking like she had just performed a great tragedy instead of The Phantom of the Opera. She wasn’t crying yet, for she was still deep in character, but the tears were threatening to spill behind her iron facade. She quietly made it to the women’s dressing rooms alone and unnoticed. The rest of the cast was out in the foyer greeting their family, friends, and other members of the audience. Normally, she would join them and enjoy being the center of attention, but not today. Today, she just wanted to be alone.

She carefully took off her mic and wig before placing them in their rightful spots. She then removed the bobby pins that held her jet black hair in place. Next came her costume. She hung the dress up, wary of the hole that now resided at the bottom of the formal gown. She sighed, deciding to write the costume head a note instead of telling her directly about the hole that needed to be mended. She took off her mic pack, put it in its spot before dawning on her street clothes. She went back to the makeup room and meticulously peeled off the many layers of stage makeup that were plastered on her face.

“Ellie! What are you doing in here? Kale is looking everywhere for you!” Her best friend of five years asked. Bailey was a petite girl at only 5’2,” but her presence made her seem so much bigger. She was very loud and talkative. All of her gestures were big. She had a commanding aura about her that came about from being an Army brat. She would have made a great stage actress if only she had the time.

“Not now, Bailey,” Ellie forced out as she stared at her now-clean face in the mirror. Her hair stuck to her in random places. Her blue-grey eyes didn’t have their usual spark. Her cheeks were red and puffy. Her lips were pale and chapped. She looked just as bad as she felt.

“What’s wrong?” Her tone had softened significantly.

“Nothing.”

“I love you, Matt,” Ellie sighed after the fourth movie of the day ended. It had been rainy all day, so the teenage couple opted to spend a day cuddled up on the couch and watching all of their favorite movies.

He stiffened up. “About that…”

Puzzled, she turned around to face him.

“Ellie, I’m in the Air Force now. Tomorrow, I’m going to Basic for two months, then they’re shipping me out,” he added bluntly.

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner? You must have known something!”

“I-I…”

“How long have you known?!”

“Three weeks.”

She jumped off the couch that we were sitting on and glared at him.“Three weeks? THREE WEEKS?!!! How come you’re just now telling me?”

“I didn’t want to hurt you.”

“Hurt me? You didn’t want to hurt me? What do you think you’re doing now? Filling me with so much love and confidence that I’m about to burst at the seams?”

“Ellie-”

“No, I don’t want any more bullshit out if you. I want the truth this time. Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

His entire face softened. “Because I didn’t want to give you the time to think about leaving me.”

“Congratulations, then. Due to your stupidity and complete lack of faith in me, you just lost me. Goodbye, Matthieu.”

“Ellie, you’re crying.”

Ellie turned to face her best friend. “No, I’m not.”

Bailey was taken aback by her friend’s authoritative tone. “You could have fooled me.”

“Frau Patterson, was tun sie? (Ms. Patterson, what are you doing?)”

Ellie woke up with a jolt at the sound of her German professor’s voice. “Nichts, Herr Horwege (nothing, Mr. Horwege),” she mumbled back, placing her head back on her arms.

“Dem Schlafen wird in meiner Klasse nicht erlaubt. Gehen Sie zum Büro des Schulleiters, nachdem Sie die Verben auf dem Ausschuss konjugieren (Sleeping is not tolerated in my class. Go to the board and decline the verbs, then go to the office).” He ordered.

Mumbling again, she slowly stood up and made her way to the front of the class, bringing her messenger bag with her. She conjugated all five verbs on the blackboard before exiting the room. She briefly wondered what her mother would say about her going to the headmaster’s office with only two months left of school. She shrugged the thought off as she entered the office.

“Ms. Patterson, what is it now?” Mrs. Brown, the receptionist, asked kindly.

“I fell asleep in Horwege’s class again,” she replied dully, taking a seat in the office lobby.
Smiling balefully, Mrs. Brown picked up her phone and announced Ellie’s presence to the headmaster. “You may go see him now.”

Ellie stood up with deliberate slowness before again grabbing my bag and headed into the Headmaster’s office.

“Ms. Patterson, please sit down.”

She did.

“Mrs. Brown said that you were sleeping in class again?”

“Yes, sir.”

Sighing, he placed his forearms on his desk and leaned forward. “Ellie, I know that you are active in your mom’s theatre, but maybe you should tone it down a bit. Take a break for awhile. Schoolwork should be your first priority.”

Ms. Ellie Marie Patterson-
It is with my deepest sympathies to announce that Matthieu Perry Davis died in combat on March 4, 2026…

“Sir, my acting has nothing to do with my lack of sleep. I do not believe I have to remind you about last year’s valedictorian.” she stated in her now dull voice. Her eyes were on her black ballet flats that were wearing thin. Grimly, she thought of replacing them. Overhead, the bell rang loudly.

“Oh, I see. Have you gone to Dr. Roberts? She is an excellent tool to use.”

Ellie sighed dramatically before looking back at her headmaster. “Sir, not to sound rude or anything, but I’m not comfortable with strangers delving into my mind, no matter how accredited they are. Now, I really must be going.” she swung my bag over her shoulder and walked to the door.

“Ms. Patterson, you’re a very bright and talented young woman. You could change the world one day.”

“And?”

“Think about that when you’re making decisions on your future. You’d make an excellent diplomat.”

She smiled falsely. “Thanks for the advice, but I really must be going. Are we finished?”

"Yes, you may go now, Ellie." the headmaster dismissed. Once she left his office, he dropped his head in his hands. He had seen this kind of thing before. A bright, happy teen turns incredibly depressed after receiving one letter. He had seen those letters destroy more lives than just the soldier. He hoped that it wouldn't destroy the girl with a bright future ahead of her.