Dusk Till Dawn [ will herondale ]

7 - grief of carstairs

[ unedited ]

"'Maybe nothing will ever change for us,' he said. 'But don't you want to be around just in case it does?'"

Alexandra Bracken, The Darkest Minds (The Darkest Minds, #1)

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Arabella sighed as she pushed back the heavy curtain that shaded them from the sun and curious glances of London. They had spent more than half the day shopping around the busy city, leaving Arabella absolutely exhausted. It first started with the constant complaining of the dreadful traffic, and the overcrowded streets full of people yelling amidst them. Arabella had stared out the window in visible shock as Tessa said, 'my god, I don't think even New York was ever this bloody bad'.

It was a bloody blessing that anyone in all of London was still able to hear.

Arabella's eyes watched as many different people walked past their carriage, which was currently stuck in horrendous traffic. Tessa sat across from her, trying to not so subtle look out the window too. Jessamine didn't even seem to notice the two young girls weren't even listening to her as she talked away. If Arabella had to guess, it was about how she hated the Institute and would do anything to live a normal life. As annoying as it was to hear the same repetitive argument, Arabella couldn't help but agree.

As soon as they reached the fashionable West End, things did not seem to look up. Arabella cautiously left the carriage with the two girls in tow, leaving behind Thomas - their carriage driver - to idly stand by. Arabella was still amazed that she was able to experience this, even if not all of it was exceptionally spectacular.

Stretching her arms above her head, Arabella heard three soft sounds that resonated from her shoulder. Instant relief flooding her figure before she started to walk again. She tried to mentally prepare herself for the next shop they entered. It seemed that Jessamine longed to be someone else, even if just for a day. In every salon, Jessamine gave herself a fake identity and falsified a heart wrenching story. The distraught on the beautiful girls face was so vivid and realistic, Arabella wasn't even sure Jessamine was acting at all.

The walk to the closest shop wasn't long. Arabella spotted the small building and the panes of glass that showcased gorgeous gowns. A white sign hung over the door, too small to read from a distance. It only became clearer when Arabella walked closer, squinting her eyes to read the small letters. Betty's Salon.

Arabella pushed the wooden door open before walking fully inside the store. The strong smell of lavender hitting her nose as soon as her foot stepped in. Tessa followed shortly after, her nose scrunching at the pungent smell. Jessamine simply walked into the room, a sense of entitlement following her. That was probably why Jessamine got served first.

Arabella and Tessa shared an exasperated look before going their separate ways to look through the fabrics. Her hands skimming across varying types of fabric, sliding against the smooth clothing as she walked past. As she was beginning to turn around and head back, she spotted a beautiful heart wrenching blood red gown. The white lace surrounded a square cut neckline, decorating the bodice beautifully. Arabella stood in front of the dress for a few more seconds before sighing.

Jessamine inserted her dainty finger into the sleeve of a horrendous orange dress, before looking over at Arabella, ready to rant about how Orange looked with her skin tone. Instead, Jessamine stopped and watched as Arabella simply stared at the beautiful dress almost wistfully. Jessamine put the dress back and slowly came to stand behind Arabella, taking a closer look at the dress.