laugh » l.t {editing}{c.s}

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1  -  g o o d  f e e l i n g  / /  d e l a n e y

| SUNDAY, the third of May, 2010, just a mere two days ago. Teenagers from the London area were caught in the midst of an ongoing drug scandal that has been put to the city's attention for the past two months. The teenagers were caught by an innocent onlooker at a shipping point, and the man, Mr. John White, called the police and was able to get them on the scene. What has shaken most people is the involvement of well-known socialite and golden-girl Ms. Delaney St. Claire. Ms. St Claire was caught amongst the teenagers who all testified saying that she had been a part of their group from the beginning. Ms. St Claire's story was that she had no involvement in the crime whatsoever and just so happened to be with the wrong people at the wrong time. Several court cases have been scheduled to plead on behalf of Ms. St Claire. Margaret Green, the lawyer to the esteemed St. Claire family tells the newspaper that Delaney will probably be proven innocent, she claims that Ms. St Claire's story is true and that the sixteen year old is favoured to win her case. Things are still happening and being settled in the family itself but no more information will be enclosed until  a later date. |

     I sighed as I pushed the newspaper to the side and wrapped my hands around my coffee mug. The date on the paper was May, fifth. I didn’t even have to check my phone calendar to know that that was what today was. I’d kept this paper from that day and for the past three years, I’ve read it nearly everyday and especially on today. It reminded me of my past – of where I’d come from. Everyday I’d wonder how different my life would be, if the drug scandal never happened.

    What the newspapers failed to mention was that, that day, my parents kicked me out of their home. They didn’t want to have such a daughter, ‘disgracing’ the sacred St. Claire name. They never listened to my part of the story; no one did; except my grandmother of course.

     She was my only relative that didn’t think I was a blemish on their esteemed and immaculate palette. She had taken me in when my parents kicked me out – but to my great misfortune she died a couple months later. She had had breast cancer, so I’d been expecting it. It still shook me though. She had left my older sister most of her possessions, but her most valuable items, she left for me. Including a vintage ‘Coco Chanel’ bracelet which I wear everyday as it  is my most prized possession.

    When she died, I had to admit, I was really scared. I had no one to turn to besides her. None of my relatives wanted me, none of my friends cared about me, it was like I was a social outcast and the worst part was: I hadn’t even done anything. I had tried to tell everybody that, even on that faithful day on the fifth of May. But here I was exactly three years later and still shunned from my own family.

     I shook my head, trying to erase the thoughts and the memories from my head. I picked my huge red coffee mug from the aged oak table it was perched on and took a long swig of the lukewarm coffee that lay inside. My dilapidated apartment block was silent as usual.

    Not many people lived in it and the majority that did were mainly elderly people who still thought they were young and youthful and could still live a rebellious lifestyle, living in a ramshackle home and listening to immensely old rock records and the minority of the residents here at Lexington Plaza were families -- usually single parent -- that weren't all that well off.

     It surprised me a little when I heard laughter and running feet from one of the only windows in the apartment; which was behind the kitchen sink. Curiously, I downed the rest of my coffee and rose from my seat. I walked over to the sink and tossed the mug in before, bending forwards to glance out the window at the sight outside it.

     Astonishingly, my eyes fell on a couple of little kids – probably five or six years old – and they were playing in the abandoned industrial park that served as the view from my window. They were kicking around a rubber-looking ball and looking like they were having the time of their lives – no cares in the world. Another sigh escaped my lips as I watched them.

     If I was honest with you, I was jealous. Really jealous. I was sure these kids would have parents or a parent that they could go home to. That’d cook them dinner and joke with them and tuck them into bed with the classic tale of ‘Thumbelina’. But I didn’t have that. And to be frank, I’d never had that. When I still lived with my parents, they never seemed to care about me as their daughter.

     I only mattered when I won an award in school. Or I was picked to represent the school in an outer school event. Or when I was chosen as the lead in the school play or mentioned in the paper for good reasons. To them I was just easy  publicity, something to make them look good. I always hated that. I sighed and shook my head for the second time that morning and continued to glance out the window silently.

     One of the little girls playing, who was very short with thick brown corkscrew curls and huge hazel doe eyes suddenly looked up at me and after a nanosecond of staring back at her, I backed away from the window. I ran a hand through my hair as I walked back to the table and a reminder on my phone caused me to jump a little; and I grabbed the cellular device from the table.

         ’11: 45 am – go grocery shopping’

       The message blinked on the screen followed by a little twinkling tone and I turned it off abruptly. I found this reminder as a great excuse to leave the apartment. I never wanted to leave the apartment on most days because once in a while, someone would recognize me, point, stare, and murmur. It was extremely unsettling, but I wasn’t wealthy anymore and I couldn’t order things online, I worked as a part-time café waitress and if I wanted my groceries – I had to go to the store physically like every body else.

      Grabbing my phone, I jogged into my bedroom to grab my brown satchel. I placed all necessities into it and slung it around my shoulder and grabbed my jeans jacket from the coat hanger as I exited the apartment.

     I navigated through the grey-walled hallways of the apartment block, trying to ignore the sickening smell and sight of damp and mould on the corners of the faded walls as I finally reached the small lobby area. I ambled swiftly past the doorman Charles – who was always a little too friendly for my liking – and flew out the door.

       The warm summer air filled my nostrils mixed with the city scent of petrol and people. I shoved my hands deep into the pockets of my shorts as I began to walk along, letting the aromatic air wrap around me. As I walked along, I began to notice a weird feeling.

     Something in the atmosphere was settling me slightly and the darkness and sadness that filled my heart seemed to cease a little. The feeling was a distant one, something that I used to always experience in my past. It only happened when something good was going to happen to me.

    And today, I was sure of it; since I hadn’t had this feeling for three years; something good was definitely going to happen.

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Her outfit in this: polyvore.com/cgi/set?id=85365784 (it's also in the comments)

So, what did you think of that first chapter? I hope you liked it and PLEASE vote, fan, comment and promote. I really want this story to become popular because I am working really hard on it, so please fan and vote and stuff. Thank you for the vote and 24 reads on the prologue, it was encouraging, but please let's see if we can go higher, thanks! Oh and I fan back anyone who fans me. Anyways, I should round up, happy reading,

~ Stephanie, xo.