As soon as her brothers were tucked in bed she sneaked out of the house, a bottle of beer hidden under her blazer. Even though she had every reason in the world to hate alcohol, she needed something to numb her pain tonight; it had been a tough week, that had started with the gruesome discovery of her father's body hanging from the ceiling and ended with the subsequent funeral.
Her feet dragged her to the place where the carnival stood; she wasn't really in the mood for funny entertainments, she just felt like brooding over the happy days of her childhood that had slipped right through her fingers too soon.
Those were the days when her parents used to take her and her brothers to the funfair, bought them cotton candy and clapped as the kids took a ride on the merry-go-round. Then her mother died and her father started drinking, turning all of their lives into a living hell.
In the end he just couldn't bear it anymore; that's why he'd chosen the coward's way out, without considering how that would affect his own children. After all, they'd lost their mother when he'd lost his wife; they were all alone now, even if that meant she wouldn't have to step in to protect her brothers anymore.
Teresa sat in a dark corner with her knees huddled to her chest. Rationally she knew that God worked in mysterious ways, but she simply couldn't understand His reasons this time around.
Better not to think at all, she decided as she downed the first mouthful of beer; she didn't particularly like its taste, but that didn't really matter right now.
She was halfway through the bottle when someone showed up and wordlessly sat down beside her. In the dim light she could tell it was a boy, and he was probably about her age too.
When he felt her eyes on him, he raised his own bottle of beer and clinked it against hers.
"Cheers," he muttered and gulped down about half the contents of the bottle. Just like her, he looked like he had some trouble to forget, and the thought sounded strangely comforting somehow.
For all that she wasn't looking forward to confiding her pain to any living soul, at least she could share her solitude with someone that understood her. She brushed away a lock of hair that was dangling on her forehead, then stopped dead in her tracks remembering how her father used to do the same once.
Tears trickled down her cheeks at last, and she found herself sobbing against the stranger's shoulder. Everything she'd been through was finally taking its toll on her; she always had to be the strongest one, and she was sick and tired of it all.
"Shh, it's okay," the boy said softly, rocking her in a soothing manner.
Instinctively she fisted his shirt and leaned closer. The boy wrapped his arms around her, planting gentle kisses on top of her head.
"Life sucks sometimes. This too shall pass, I promise."
His lips brushed against her brow and she swallowed a sob. Their eyes met for the briefest of moments, then without thinking she tilted her head and kissed him.
He froze momentarily, only to respond in kind a few seconds later. This wasn't about romance; if anything, they were two lonely people seeking comfort in one another through a hard time, and that was more than enough for tonight.
When his hands slid up her sides to rest dangerously close to her chest she felt warmth bubbling inside of her, and did nothing whatsoever to stop him.
He tasted like the beer they'd both drunk, and her head began spinning a little. The slight hitch in his breath emboldened her even further, her fingers slipping to the buttons of his shirt.
This is so wrong, she thought as he discarded her blazer, then the silk blouse that had been the single present she'd received for her last birthday. What they were about to do was a sin, her mother had taught her she should preserve her purity until marriage.
However, only two words passed her lips. "Don't stop."
Later on he held her as she cried against his chest, then offered to walk her to her house. She shook her head as she hastily buttoned up her blouse, not bothering with the blazer; the last thing she wanted was her aunt and brothers to discover what she'd been up to.
What she didn't know right now was that she wasn't going to be able to keep the secret from her family, no matter how hard she tried.
