Chapter 1 -
The Arrival
Christine stepped off of the bus that pulled into Harmony minutes earlier. She looked around and was amazed at how peaceful everything seemed, but knew that there were probably several scandolous things going on around here. It was to quiet to be real. She grabbed her two bags and walked toward the Visitor Center that she said she would meet her cousin Beth at.
She found a bench and sat down. Everyone walked by and just kind of looked at her with odd expressions. Ok, so she wasn't all that conservative, but did they have to stare!
"I can't believe I have to live here in this creepy happy town?" She muttered to herself. Reaching into her bag she pulled out a magazine and started to read the article that she didn't get to finish on the bus. Moments later she heard her name being called.
"Christine! Where are you? Christine!" Beth called.
Christine looked up and saw her cousin Beth looking around frantically. Beth had on a white blouse and black slacks, just like everyone else in this town. Christine stood up and walked toward her cousin.
"Beth, I am right here." She exclaimed when she got up to her.
Beth looked right at her and her jaw dropped. She saw a 18 year old girl standing there with a short black skirt on. A pink shirt that went above her belly button exposing a navel ring. Her boots went all the way to her knees. Beth eyes reached her cousins face and saw an eyebrow piercing. She looked into her eyes and saw pain, but knew her cousin wouldn't open up and share it with her. She had promised Christine's mother that she would try to help out her cousin, turn her back in the right direction. Rather than what she was doing before she arrived in Harmony.
She snapped back into reality and managed to say, "Hi, how was the trip?"
Christine's face was red because she knew her cousin had disaproved with the way she looked, but that is how she had been dressing for the last 5 years. But Beth wouldn't know because she never came to visit after the horrible thing had happened to Christine. Christine looked down at her feet and replied with, "It was fine, just really long."
"Alright, well, let's get out of here and get you to the house where we can clean you up a bit. " Beth said with a comforting smile. "I mean, well, you can rest up."
Shaking her head Christine grabbed her two bags which held what was left of her life, and followed Beth down the street, towards her new home.
"This will be your room." Beth said as she opened the door to a mid-sized room with a small futon in the corner, and a dresser right next to it. She then turned around and looked at Christine, "You can change it around to how ever you want it. We can go into town and get you some more stuff for it if you want. Your mother sent me some money to get you some new clothes...."
Christine got a angry look on her face and Beth caught it just as she was about ready to finish that sentence. "She sent me here so you can brainwash me into dressing and acting just like everyone else here?"
"No no, but if you needed more clothes we could get some..... I just don't remember you dressing that way....."
Christine brushed path Beth and set down her bag. "Well, I changed a lot since you saw me last. A lot of things have happened, and I feel safe if I dress and act this way. But you wouldn't know because you haven't been all too involved with my life in the last 5 years!" she yelled, and then broke down and cried.
"Oh Christine, I am so sorry...." Beth's eyes started watering and she approached her cousin.
"Please just leave me alone." Christine said quietly.
With that, Beth nodded, and left the room.
"Good morning." Beth said when Christine got to the bottom of the stairs in her pajamas. Christine looked at Beth, she was already showered, dressed, and ready for there fun day of shopping. "You should grab some toast, and run upstairs and take a shower."
"I don't want to shop today. I like the clothes I have." She exclaimed.
Beth sighed and motioned for Christine to come and sit down next to her at the table. "I know you aren't happy about being here, but your mother wanted you to get better...you know, lead a better life. I am just trying to help...."
"I don't need your help, I am 18...I can go live on my own."
"I understand, but you have so much potential. I know you loved playing the piano, you always wanted to do that, you know, in front of big audiences. Why can't you do that?"
"I haven't done that in 5 or 6 years. A lot has changed Beth. I didn't grow up in a perfect little happy town like this one."
"Ok, well, we ARE going shopping. Get upstairs and change."
"Fine, anything in particular that you don't want me to wear?" Christine said sarcastically.
Beth stood up and straightened her shirt. She thought about how all the people in town were going to react to her cousins choice of dressing. She wasn't exactly the image everyone else in town had, but she didn't want to make her uncomfortable. "You can wear whatever makes you comfortable." She said happily even though she wasn't sure what she would actually be wearing.
"Alright, give me a hour." Christine said with a sneer smile.
The Arrival
Christine stepped off of the bus that pulled into Harmony minutes earlier. She looked around and was amazed at how peaceful everything seemed, but knew that there were probably several scandolous things going on around here. It was to quiet to be real. She grabbed her two bags and walked toward the Visitor Center that she said she would meet her cousin Beth at.
She found a bench and sat down. Everyone walked by and just kind of looked at her with odd expressions. Ok, so she wasn't all that conservative, but did they have to stare!
"I can't believe I have to live here in this creepy happy town?" She muttered to herself. Reaching into her bag she pulled out a magazine and started to read the article that she didn't get to finish on the bus. Moments later she heard her name being called.
"Christine! Where are you? Christine!" Beth called.
Christine looked up and saw her cousin Beth looking around frantically. Beth had on a white blouse and black slacks, just like everyone else in this town. Christine stood up and walked toward her cousin.
"Beth, I am right here." She exclaimed when she got up to her.
Beth looked right at her and her jaw dropped. She saw a 18 year old girl standing there with a short black skirt on. A pink shirt that went above her belly button exposing a navel ring. Her boots went all the way to her knees. Beth eyes reached her cousins face and saw an eyebrow piercing. She looked into her eyes and saw pain, but knew her cousin wouldn't open up and share it with her. She had promised Christine's mother that she would try to help out her cousin, turn her back in the right direction. Rather than what she was doing before she arrived in Harmony.
She snapped back into reality and managed to say, "Hi, how was the trip?"
Christine's face was red because she knew her cousin had disaproved with the way she looked, but that is how she had been dressing for the last 5 years. But Beth wouldn't know because she never came to visit after the horrible thing had happened to Christine. Christine looked down at her feet and replied with, "It was fine, just really long."
"Alright, well, let's get out of here and get you to the house where we can clean you up a bit. " Beth said with a comforting smile. "I mean, well, you can rest up."
Shaking her head Christine grabbed her two bags which held what was left of her life, and followed Beth down the street, towards her new home.
"This will be your room." Beth said as she opened the door to a mid-sized room with a small futon in the corner, and a dresser right next to it. She then turned around and looked at Christine, "You can change it around to how ever you want it. We can go into town and get you some more stuff for it if you want. Your mother sent me some money to get you some new clothes...."
Christine got a angry look on her face and Beth caught it just as she was about ready to finish that sentence. "She sent me here so you can brainwash me into dressing and acting just like everyone else here?"
"No no, but if you needed more clothes we could get some..... I just don't remember you dressing that way....."
Christine brushed path Beth and set down her bag. "Well, I changed a lot since you saw me last. A lot of things have happened, and I feel safe if I dress and act this way. But you wouldn't know because you haven't been all too involved with my life in the last 5 years!" she yelled, and then broke down and cried.
"Oh Christine, I am so sorry...." Beth's eyes started watering and she approached her cousin.
"Please just leave me alone." Christine said quietly.
With that, Beth nodded, and left the room.
"Good morning." Beth said when Christine got to the bottom of the stairs in her pajamas. Christine looked at Beth, she was already showered, dressed, and ready for there fun day of shopping. "You should grab some toast, and run upstairs and take a shower."
"I don't want to shop today. I like the clothes I have." She exclaimed.
Beth sighed and motioned for Christine to come and sit down next to her at the table. "I know you aren't happy about being here, but your mother wanted you to get better...you know, lead a better life. I am just trying to help...."
"I don't need your help, I am 18...I can go live on my own."
"I understand, but you have so much potential. I know you loved playing the piano, you always wanted to do that, you know, in front of big audiences. Why can't you do that?"
"I haven't done that in 5 or 6 years. A lot has changed Beth. I didn't grow up in a perfect little happy town like this one."
"Ok, well, we ARE going shopping. Get upstairs and change."
"Fine, anything in particular that you don't want me to wear?" Christine said sarcastically.
Beth stood up and straightened her shirt. She thought about how all the people in town were going to react to her cousins choice of dressing. She wasn't exactly the image everyone else in town had, but she didn't want to make her uncomfortable. "You can wear whatever makes you comfortable." She said happily even though she wasn't sure what she would actually be wearing.
"Alright, give me a hour." Christine said with a sneer smile.