Brielle - Once Upon An Oceanside Town

Chapter 2: Home

~ Brielle ~

Chapter 2: Home

Mercedes-Fleur

13/03/12©

 It’s a bit rushed, but I hope you guys like it and I’ll post the next bit if anyone wants it. I mean, its just sitting there waiting to be read as I recently had a stroke of inspiration thanks to tianajade. (:

 Enjoy …

 __________

1950

Pateo, England

 Brielle Winters

 The harsh water was chill against her milky limbs as Brielle slid into the bath. Outside the warmth was deathly and she still had traces of last night left on her body. Brielle splashed an awakening amount of ice against her face, breathing shallowly. What had she done?

A smile pinched at her lips, a bird cawed outside of the open window. Her skin pimpled with gooseflesh, hair glued to her scalp. Who was that man? Brielle could scarcely remember what had happened, with a piercing guilty conscience she ran a bar of soap down one arm and then the other. Brielle certainly knew what had happened but chose to black it out with mental ink. She didn’t know who that man was but she knew what they had done. Somehow it seemed backwards. Shouldn’t she know who he was? She did after all give him the one thing she’d … Another small smile itched to release itself onto her pale lips.

Brielle lay back in the bath, thinking she would wake up from this dream any moment.

When Brielle had come home early that morning, sneaking in through the back door only to find her grandmother sitting at the dining room table she’d expected the worse. To her surprise Grandmother hadn’t chided her or given her a lecture on what other people would think. Grandmother just sipped at her coffee before glancing in Brielle’s direction, probably noting how she was wearing the same clothes she left in, blouse torn, hair fizzed. ‘You had a good time I take it?’

Brielle smiled gently, clasping close her heels and shrugging her shoulders. She’d run upstairs, finding herself confused and forgettable.

Outside Brielle could hear the waves gently lapping against the sand, the squealing of delighted children and the familiar call of Elvis Presley coming from downstairs. She hurried into a white blouse and tucked it into her navy blue skirt, struggling to do up the zipper and turning to her mirror for assistance. When Brielle reached for her pearl earrings, Grandmother Gabrielle was standing in the doorway with her arms crossed.

Famous Jazz singer turned wealthy artist, Gabrielle was an independent woman who hadn’t relied on anyone for assistance her whole life. She couldn’t be fooled by Brielle’s avoiding her.

“Yes?” Brielle muttered, fixing a hat onto her head and placing it at just the right angle.

Her Grandmother took a seat on the bed, lounging back against the pillows. “What’s his name, then?”

“I haven’t a clue whom you’re referring to, grandmother.”

“Oh, darling. You may be able to fool your parents about these things but you sure can’t fool me. I was you at your age.”

Brielle, satisfied with her outfit snatched the book she was currently reading out of Grandmother’s hands and made her way down the stairs. “I’m going into town for the day, do you need anything?” She called up the stairs.

Brielle knew Grandmother Gabby wouldn’t stop her, she would wait until Brielle was ready to tell her what happened. She knew for certain this time would come. When, she wasn’t quite sure, but she knew eventually she would end up running, crying into her grandmother’s arms.