Hey thank you to everyone who read my previous story, I had this idea and thought I'd give it ago. I'd really like to see what you think, and whether I should continue with it.
So here it goes :)
Caroline downed her wine offering her hand which was holding the empty glass to her companion, "thirsty eh?" She giggled, "always" Caroline slurred a little. Caroline was to everyone around her a pillar of strength and control, everybody around her lived in awe of how she managed to have everything in order.
It was as if Dr Caroline Elliot had the magic formula for perfection, she was beautiful, intelligent, witty, caring, had a fantastic career she had worked from the bottom up to achieve. Proving you work hard enough for something you can obtain it, in a few short years of gaining her PGE in teaching biology. Caroline had travelled up the ladder from a newly graduated teacher to Head of Department in 2 years. Head of year a year after that, then Deputy Head after that, and finally within 8 years she had become Head Mistress of her first comprehensive school.
It hadn't taken her long to find her stride and had soon been head hunted for private headship positions, at the very top of the league tables. She had done this to the outside world with very little effort, whilst meeting and marrying her husband a professional writer. She had had two children who adored her and all whilst maintaining her headship juggling all the hours and pressures far too easily from the outside worlds perspectives. She had therefore created herself to be a formidable opponent and easily demanded respect from colleagues and students a like. She was in all a perfect example of what everyone else in life aims to achieve, a perfect balance of work and home creating a happy well rounded, well liked individual who excels.
But on the rare occasion that she was away from work ... away from home, she finally took a long needed breathe, she giggled uncontrollably on the sofa nearly spilling her wine. Caroline clenched her body as she shook with laughter as she watched Gillian's imitation of her mother, both bursting into laughter and weeping in amusement. Caroline had found her mothers new love life a little perturbing at first, but she had to admit she was happy for her mum that she was so happy.
But the best and most precious thing to come out of it was Gillian, she was the influence she had needed all her life. The opposite to Caroline in most ways, a screw up in Gillian's own definition, but the idea of being a screw up excited Caroline. Everything in her life was like a boring book everything so organized planned it lacked any excitement. But Gillian seemed to live in a different world and she was slowly introducing Caroline to the excitement and pleasure in doing the opposite of what people expected, of what you should do. It was enlightening and most of all she had found although they were so different in many ways they were also the same. Their deep friendship had only grown in the year that their parents had newly been reunited, but it had blossomed.
It felt like she had been submersed under water all this time and she had finally taken a deep breathe as she reached the surface, and now everything looked different.
She was 46 had achieved everything in life she had ever set herself too and somehow, it felt empty, something greatly unfulfilled and with Gillian she felt safe. Safe to expose her imperfections, embrace them and explore them and she was finally beginning to learn who she was. And secretly Caroline Elliot had to admit she liked not being perfect, she relished the idea of saying fuck it to peoples preconceptions of her, peoples judgements, societies expectations and listening to her wild side.
Even if it was only on the occasion she was with Gillian and under the influence of an insurmountable consumption of alcohol, before returning to the predictable reliable Caroline Elliot Once more.
"Gillan stop my sides are going to burst" she clenched her stomach harder trying to ease the pain now shooting across her chest. Gillian slumped on the sofa next to her drawing out a cigarette "you don't smoke" Caroline asked confused. Gillian rolled her shoulders "I used to, I found these hidden away forgot I had them, and I fancied one".
Caroline's eyes widened a little "but you don't smoke!" "well no not now but I do occasionally if I'm stressed or fancy one. I am 46 you know I can do what I like".
Caroline smiled "yep your right, hand me one" she smirked watching Gillian's challenging look "come on. Your not the only rebellious one I used to smoke at university I only stopped to try and make john stop but he never really did".
Gillian handed her one and the lighter as they sparked them up both taking a deep breathe "fancy a brandy?" Gillian offered. "Yep" Caroline nodded in her less than compos mentos state Gillian laughed "well now that your sufficiently drunk, want to tell me what's been on your mind recently".