The Beautiful People - Butterfly Logic

Chapter 1

            Behind the old brick wall lies a sacred realm where the loved ones of founding families rest eternally. This section of the cemetery resembles a city within a city, its landscape defined by rows of mausoleums that stand as permanent testaments to lives once lived. Each mausoleum, crafted from stone or marble, tells a story through its design and inscriptions. Plaques adorn these structures, bearing names, dates, and sometimes epitaphs that inform and evoke contemplation among visitors, serving as tangible connections to those who have come before. The atmosphere is both solemn and respectful, where the past whispers through the silence, inviting reflection on the passage of time and the legacies left behind.

Hidden deep within the labyrinthine passages of the graveyard's catacombs, Tucker sat with his arm draped around Elodie, their bodies nestled against the cold stone walls. Tucker's lips tightened with unease as the fading sunlight filtered through the cracks above. He knew he would soon have to part ways with her due to his mother's forbidding their relationship, rooted in Elodie's modest background. Despite Tucker's vigorous attempts to sway his mother's opinion and demonstrate his deep affection for Elodie, his efforts faltered against the rigid barriers of social status that his mother held dear. Annoyance simmered within Tucker as he reflected on his mother's narrow-minded focus, yearning for a love unfettered by societal expectations and determined to defy his mother's constraints to embrace his feelings for Elodie without reservation. With unwavering resolve, Tucker vowed to defy the boundaries imposed by his mother's expectations, willing to risk everything, even his freedom, to be with Elodie. Every day, Tucker managed to find a couple of hours after practice to spend time with Elodie. The glitch in the system had to be in the town's graveyard. It was not ideal for teenage, budding lovers. It was the only place they could be alone and unseen – with emphasis on the unseen. If anyone were to catch Tucker with Elodie outside of school, it would be social suicide for his freedom. He knew the risk. His mother reminded him often.

Elodie absentmindedly plucked a blade of grass, her legs folded tightly together in the dimly lit catacombs. As the inevitable moment of departure approached, she felt a pang of frustration. Their stolen moments together, she always seemed to slip away too quickly, leaving her yearning for more. She longed for a relationship with Tucker that didn't need to be concealed, like the couples she observed around school—a relationship where she could freely go to the movies with Tucker without fearing the consequences of his mother's overbearing presence. Elodie needed Tucker to find a way for them to break free from the shadows and embrace their love openly, without secrecy or fear.

Tucker glanced down at his phone, the soft glow illuminating his tense expression as it displayed seven o'clock. The sky outside hinted at the approaching sunset, a subtle gradient of dusky hues spreading across the horizon, casting long shadows over the graveyard's ancient tombstones. During this time of year, the sun typically sets around this hour, marking the transition from day to night. With a heavy sigh that mingled with the cool evening air, Tucker clenched his fist and pounded it into the soft earth beneath him, feeling the ground yield slightly to his touch. Frustration welled inside him as he grew weary of the relentless secrecy shrouding their relationship, the constant need to hide their love like a forbidden secret. Tucker's resolve hardened as the fading light painted the world in shades of amber and violet. He knew he couldn't endure this facade much longer. Elodie deserved better, and he was determined to find a way to break free from the suffocating constraints imposed by his mother's expectations.

"One more year," Elodie sighed.

Tucker fiddled with a blade of grass in his fingers.

Even though Elodie understood that secrecy was necessary to maintain her relationship with Tucker, she could never fully acclimate to the suffocating constraints imposed on their love. The constant need to look over her shoulder and suppress her natural affection made her feel like an outsider, unable to express her feelings like a regular girlfriend freely. Elodie resented the perpetual scrutiny that shadowed their interactions as if every glance or touch had to be concealed like a forbidden secret. This burden weighed heavily on her, transforming her into an unwilling participant in a clandestine romance and fostering a sense of unease and isolation that gnawed at her like an unwelcome specter.