The early morning sunshine came through the window and washed her face in warmth. She slowly turned away from the light and opened her sleepy eyes. For a time, she made no move to get up. Sometimes she wondered what would happen if she would just lay there forever. Often when she thought of getting up and facing the day, she felt as though she would much rather slip into a coma.
It was not that she lived an especially horrible life, she just wasn't sure that she could carry on much longer. She was not expected to ever become anything more than a housewife. She would have babies, cook dinner, and keep the house clean. This was not her idea of a fulfilling life. But what choice did she have? Where she came from, who her family was, dictated that she would never rise above poverty or marry a kind and hardworking man. It was not in the cards for Sadie Tessio.
Ever so slowly, she sat up and pushed the thin sheet off of her. She reached over and opened the window so she could smell the fresh, summer air. She closed her eyes and the breeze cooled her face and brushed her hair back from her temples.
"Sadie! Hurry the hell up would you? I'm not gonna spend all day waitin' on your ass." She sighed as she heard her brother, Billy yell up the stairs.
"I'm coming!" She yelled back at him. She got up out of bed and pulled a breezy, red dress over her head. She sat down in front of the mirror and gently unwound the curlers from her honeysuckle blonde hair. She quickly put on eyeliner, mascara, and a shade of lipstick that matched her dress. Slipping gracefully into her heels, she hesitated a moment as she squirted on a bit of the perfume her boyfriend had given her for her birthday. "From France," he had told her. She rolled her eyes, as she knew even if he did have the money for something like that, he wouldn't even think for one moment to spend it on her.
When she and Billy had finally made it to the vacant lot where the Cobras spent most of their summer days, they were greeted as warmly as one could be expected to be greeted by a bunch of JD hoods. She stood in front of the boys for a short moment, but quickly retreated to Richie Chamber's side as she began to feel Ace Merril's eyes crawling over her shapely hips and healthy bosom. Everyone else called Richie "Eyeball", but not Sadie. Because a small part of her still loved him, and a big part of her knew that she would end up marrying him, even if it wasn't want she really wanted. Richie snaked his arm around her waist, as he always did, and kissed her neck, breathing in the scent of shampoo from last night's shower.
And with that, another day had begun. What it would bring, she did not know. She only knew that she must face it, as she always did, and wait for it to be over so she could crawl back into bed.