Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Josephine Langford as Gracelyn West - Aged 18
***
"Aunt Pol, can I ask you something?" Finn asked sheepishly from the entrance way of the Shelby household, observing the busy woman as she stirred a boiling pan of stew on the hob.
Polly turned at the sound of her nephew's soft voice; usually Finn spoke excessively loudly, so much so that he'd frequently be reprimanded for it. "Of course sweetheart. What is it?"
Finn twisted his neck as if to check outside the door, before making his way across the kitchen to where the woman stood, very much interested in what he was about to say. Strangely, Finn gestured for Polly to lean down, giving him the ability to whisper in his Aunt's ear.
"Can Gracelyn stay here for dinner? Please Aunt Pol, she hasn't eaten in a while..."
Polly rose her eyebrows at the statement, recalling the young girl in question. Gracelyn had lost her mother just after the men had returned from war, leaving her with only her father who had been a soldier himself. Gracelyn and Finn had been friends for years, and Polly only wished she could have helped the pair more during their period of grief.
Nonetheless, Polly couldn't help but feel a sense of worry that the girl hadn't been fed, and immediately told Finn to go and fetch her. The one thing Polly hated most was the thought of children not being looked after properly.
"She's waiting just outside, Pol," Finn explained calmly, receiving a wide-eyed glance from his Aunt as she ushered him towards the door with a sense of stressed urgency. "Finn Shelby, how dare you leave little Gracelyn stood on the street all alone. It's not safe out there. Go and bring her in here right now!"
Slightly scared at her outburst, Finn ran back out of the door, thankful to see his friend completely unharmed, leaning against the brick wall whilst waiting patiently outside. Her green eyes lit up at the sight of him and she tensely awaited his answer.
Gracelyn couldn't deny that she was starving, she hadn't eaten in about four days, and even then it wasn't a meal. She felt lucky to grab a slice of bread every now and again. That's why she couldn't stop the grin that made its way onto her face as he told her the good news.
***
"Thank you so much Mrs Gray, this stew is really delicious." Gracelyn thanked Polly kindly, as Finn tried not to laugh at her excessive manners. The friend he knew would cause mischief, run through the streets and wasn't scared to get muddy; it was funny for him to see her being so polite. At least it was better than her being rude, he thought to himself.
"You're very welcome my darling, no need to thank me." Polly responded, finishing her last mouthful of vegetables. Throughout the meal, Polly had been secretly analysing the little girl, and she had already noticed a peculiar amount of bruises littered across her skin.
