𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐄 ᵖᵉᵃᵏʸ ᵇˡⁱⁿᵈᵉʳˢ

𝟏𝟔, watching from afar

XVI. 1919

Much like her mother's ghost, Vivian sat in the chair in the corner of the room, expect now it was placed beside her bed, facing the window. She sat staring out the glass, looking onto the house across the street.

Never taking her eyes off it, she sat in silence. She waited for any movement. She didn't know why she pulled the chair to the window in the first place and she found no purpose in it but she felt she needed to sit there and watch.

Vivian needed to watch as Janet carried on as usual while she hurt her. She needed to watch if she missed the signs of a traitor now that she knew what she and Scott did— as if she could tell looking four small windows.

Soon Janet's bedroom window glowed. The Shelby watched as the room got brighter with every candle that was lit. She saw Janet's silhouette walk around her room. Her silhouette danced around the room.

Normal. As if nothing happened, the Greene girl danced around her room.

The brunette girl's eyes follow her around the room, coming in and out of view every so often, before she heard the door.

"What are you doing in the dark?" Polly asked, carefully. A moment ago the woman was frantic, after not finding her in Ada's room. She calmed down seeing her niece sat in the chair in her own room.

Polly didn't get a response from the girl, "would you like anything?" Polly watched as her niece's hair waved from side to side as Vivian shook her head a little. "Can you at least lie down, it will be better for you if you do?"

"I will, but not right now." Vivian responded. The woman across the street danced in her room, carelessly.

Although Vivian hated Janet so much right now, she admired her ability to just let go and dance. With everything, she was to just be free and at peace, even for just one song. The Shelby girl could never do that. She was never able to just let go, or at least not anymore.

The two were different in that way, but Janet bought that side out in Vivian, the free side.

Without the other, one was sat in a dark room watching as the other moved freely around in a dimly lit. So in a sense, Vivian Shelby was jealous of the person that ruined her relationship.

All of a sudden, she felt her aunt kiss her head, "Goodnight, love, get some sleep." Polly whispered. She knew wouldn't get much out of the girl and she didn't want to leave her either but she didn't want to push her.

"Night Pol." Vivian whispered, as Polly left. Her aunt hesitated at the door for a moment before she closed the door quietly.

Vivian wasn't sure how she felt about the situation or anyone that knew. Was she sad or anger or alone or all of the above? She had no clue what she was feeling.

She knew for sure that Scott and her were over. She didn't think of him right now though. She knew if she did she would think too much about it.

Focusing on Janet, she wondered how Janet would react to her knowing. The Shelby knew the trust was gone, there was no going back. Their friendship was over and that hurt just as much as Scott hurting her was.

She stopped herself from going into it and focused on what she was going to do. She wasn't just going to mope around and show how much the two had got to her, she wouldn't do that, no, that wasn't the Shelby way.