Author's Note: This is my first story on FF. Please give constructive criticism to help me grow as a writer. Also, please know that I have never attempted to write anything this...dark. Usually my stories are happy and bright, as you will see in my future writings. If this kind of writing isn't my thing, please tell me. Thanks and enjoy the story!
"Liz! Hey, Liz! Are you watching? Watch!"
Elizabeth's head snapped up. "Huh?" she mumbled, startled. "Oh, yeah, I'm watching, Felicity. Go ahead, do your trick." She hoped her best friend wouldn't notice the dullness in her voice.
She did.
Felicity's face changed instantly from an expression of annoyance to one of concern. She quickly hopped down from the fence – which she had been preparing to do a flip off of – and ran over to Elizabeth, flopping down beside her on the grass and probably ruining the seat of her dress. Not that she cared about that at the moment...or any moment, really. Felicity wasn't one to worry about such things as dirty dresses.
"Hey, what's the matter?" Felicity said softly. Elizabeth looked away. "Nothing, I'm just tired is all. I didn't sleep very well last night." She gently nudged the heel of Felicity's shoe with the toe of her own. "Do your trick, please. You know I've been wanting to see it."
Finally Elizabeth looked up. She forced a smile, and hoped it reached her eyes. She hoped Felicity wouldn't notice her true expression under the mask.
Again, she did.
She saw the fakeness in her smile, the dullness of her face...she no longer had the happy glow that she had once had. And her eyes....she saw a million things in Elizabeth's eyes. Fear, hurt, and despair were prominent in them, and happiness nowhere to be found. There were dark, tell-tale circles under her blue eyes – a trace of truth to her story. She was tired, very tired. But most of all, she saw the lifeless look in her eyes. This was the look of someone who had witnessed something terrible, not the face of a usually cheerful, bright ten-year-old girl. This was the face of someone who had nothing to live for.
Felicity saw it all. And it scared her.
All of it hit Felicity at once, and she held back a shocked gasp as she wondered how she had not noticed it before. It terrified her. She had never seen Elizabeth look this way.
"Liz..." she whispered. "R..." she gulped, unable to form words. "...Really. What's wrong?"
Elizabeth blinked and swallowed. The words, "Nothing's wrong," came out of her mouth, but her voice said, "Everything's wrong."
"I'm fine. I promise."
Felicity didn't believe her. But something in Elizabeth's voice said that she would never tell, no matter how much her friend asked.
And so, for the first time in her life, Felicity didn't push it.
"Oh-kayy..." her voice was laced with doubt and worry. "I guess I'll just go do my flip."
Elizabeth gave her another fake smile. "I promise I'll watch this time."
As Felicity stood up and walked back to the fence, Elizabeth once again gazed down at her feet. Tears burned her eyes but she refused to let them fall.
Oh, Felicity, if only you knew...
Please tell me what you thought! Also, sorry this chapter was really short...future chapters will be longer. I just want some thoughts and criticism before I post any longer chapters. Thanks for reading!