Take it Slow (Bananun)

Chapter 4

Mary-Eunice froze at Lana's question.

"W-Why would you want to know that ?" She stammered.

"I'm just curious about you, I mean, you're so young... you're, like, fifteen years younger than the other nuns here... but really, if you don't want to answer, I won't force you to. I promise." The reporter gently stroked her hand.

"It's just that I've never told this to anyone... And actually, no one ever asked for it, either." The younger girl realized.

The brunette kept looking at her, waiting for her decision. Mary-Eunice finally turned herself so that she could face Lana. She was nervously fiddling her fingers, and seemed to hesitate a lot. "Well... the triggering event was when I went to a pool party... I was eighteen... it was, like, the annual event that "cool people" went to. That's why it didn't seem weird to me when Susan told me that we wouldn't wear anything underneath our robes. Not that I was at ease with the concept... I've never liked my body, I've always had complexes about it. Everyone, my parents, mostly, kept repeating that I was ugly, that nobody would ever fancy me... that my hips weren't full enough, my breasts too small, and my legs too long, which made me "too tall to get a man"... I really hated myself. But this wasn't going to ruin my chances of going to this party. I did a lot of mental work, I forced myself to look at my naked body in a mirror until I felt that I could handle the others' looks... just because I wanted to be like them. Normal. I wanted to be accepted, to stop being the girl that everyone was putting apart." Lana continued caressing Mary-Eunice's hand and forearm as she attentively listened to her, her heart breaking as she heard the hideous things the poor blonde underwent. "So... I eventually went to this party... and instead of fitting in the crowd, as I thought I would... I was humiliated. Again."

"Okay, okay everyone, it's time !" Susan announced, clapping. "Let's all welcome Mary-Eunice McKee to our annual pool event !"

"Why is she putting me in the spotlight ? I'm not the only one coming here for the first time." Mary-Eunice thought, as everyone clapped.

Susan made her get up on the diving board, so that everyone could see her. She felt intimidated by the others' stares, but she tried to reassure herself : she wasn't going to be the only one exposing her bare body for everyone to look. She felt stress growing inside her, as Susan counted to three, but she didn't turn back.

"Three !"

Mary-Eunice's vision went blurry : all the girls were wearing swimsuits, except her. The crowd burst into laughter. She'd been made a fool of, once again. Feeling tears coming up her eyes, she directly jumped into the pool, hoping that everyone would somehow forget about her being here. "They'll forget about it, as soon as they'll leave the house..." She thought, staying underwater.

Little did she know...

The next Monday, as she was coming to school, she felt disgusted stares on her, all around the place. She ignored them, thinking it was just the people from the pool party. But as she entered the hallway, her world fell apart. Pictures of her, from the party, were displayed all over the school.

The school called her parents, and the poor Mary-Eunice took a huge beating as soon as the family came home. More insults. More hits. More shame. The young girl couldn't take it anymore. The same night, she packed her things, only taking what was strictly necessary, and fled her house, then her town. She walked for days, until she found herself in front of an abbey.

"And I thought : "Maybe this is the solution." The only place I knew I'd be safe was with God. The nuns there taught me everything I know now. But since I was, and I still am, clumsy, and not really skilful, they were glad, when Sister Jude proposed to hire me here, at Briarcliff. And here I am." The young nun smiled sadly, tears running down her cheeks. Remembering all this also brought the sorrow and the pain back.

Lana had been hugging her since the moment she had related the pool event. She wiped Mary-Eunice's tears away, and gently rubbed her back. "I'm sorry I made you remember all this... but know that if you need someone, to talk, or whatever... I'll be here. I got you." She grinned and rested her chin on the blonde's forehead.

Mary-Eunice was unable to tell when was the last time she had been hugged and comforted like that. She abandoned herself in the brunette's embrace and closed her eyes. "Thank you... thank you so much..." she whispered, calming her sobs down. The blonde was glad to have someone she could count on, in the asylum.

-

Heyooo !

I added some changes to Mary's before-Briarcliff story, I hope it makes sense to y'all😅

xoxo,

-A.