The Beauty and the Bastard

Hatchetfield's Temptress

Holly sat up in her small room, yawning as she ran her hands through her curly black hair. She blinked as she glanced out the window.

The sun shined down on her carpet, despite the thick curtains that covered her windows. Holly rubbed her eyes, frowning. "How does the sun get through every time? God, I want my room purple for a reason." She stood, mumbling to herself about how much she hates yellow, opening the curtains to let in light and walking to her bathroom.

Holly picked up her hairbrush and ran it through her hair, humming to herself as she did so. She closed her eyes, letting her mind wander as she brushed her hair.

That familiar void filled her head as she sighed, her spirit wandering through the black. It was calming to her, so she had gotten in the habit of allowing her soul to fade off which she did small, boring tasks that she didn't want to stand through.

She was yanked back to reality as she grazed her scalp with the brush, just a bit too hard. She winced as she pulled it out of her hair. "God- ow!" She looked in the mirror, sighing. She leaned in, adjusting her purple contacts.

When she went into her Freshman year, she had bought those, deciding she needed a new look that set her apart. They kinda made her look like a witch, pairing with her hair to give her a mature appearance. She smiled at her reflection, taking a moment to softly touch her cheek.

Holly was gorgeous, and everyone knew it. She was so gorgeous that her official nickname was 'Hatchetfield's temptress'. Sometimes people used it against her, but she didn't mind. She loved the attention anyway. Who wouldn't?

Her mom knocked. "Holly, I finished breakfast." Holly looked at the door and sighed. "Be down in a sec. Just gotta put on my retainer." She grabbed it and slipped it into her mouth, clicking it in place and sighing. Everyone had flaws. That's why she only grinned.

She slipped out and walked downstairs, smiling as she sat down at the table. "So, what are we eatin, mom?" Stephanie Lauder turned to face her daughter, smiling. "Well, I thought we should get something different today, so I went and got some poppyseed muffins. I got some dough from a friend and thought I would give it a go."

Holly picked up a muffin and bit in, letting out a small 'mm!' She took off the cover, placing it in the trash. She took another bite. "So, did dad already get to work?"

Stephanie nodded. "Yeah, you know how much he hates being late. I bet you can catch him when you get home! He said he'd be off early today. He might even a bringing a special somethin' for ya..."

Holly smiled. Dad liked to bring her stuff. Jewelry, trinkets, other things. He did the same thing to Stephanie when they got together. It was his love language.

Holly smiled, sitting down as she kept eating the muffin. Stephanie began organizing an array of legal papers laying on the table. They revolved around her newest case, which was, predictably, the missing person's case of a high school student, the fifth this month. Holly wasn't surprised, though. It's Hatchetfield, people went missing every day.

"Any new evidence to convict this guy?"

Steph sighed. "No, but I really have a feeling it was him. It'd be too much of a coincidence for him to not be the guy. But something about it just feels off, you know? I hate to be convicting a guy so down on his luck like that. Guy doesn't even have a place to stay."

Holly frowned. This stuff always got messy. She gave her mom a pat. Her eyes drifted to her watch, and she realized how close she was to being late.

"SHIT! Sorry mom, I gotta go-" She started gathering her stuff in a hurry, running out the door and down the street towards Hatchetfield High School. Her sneakers smacked loudly on the concrete as she ran, but she failed to remember the high curb as she tripped and face planted hard on the road. She lifted her head, not noticing the blood coming out of her nose and onto the road. "Get up, dammit..." She muttered, standing up again and continuing to run to the school.

She walked into the bathroom and grabbed a wad of paper towels. She wrapped them up and stuck them in her nose recklessly. She tore them so it wouldn't be obvious and splashed her face with water, sighing. She rubbed off some dirt and walked back out to the halls, making her way to class with a smile.

(Thanks for reading! This is self indulgence combined with T'noy Karaxis content craving.)