Eyes wide shut
Candy was on her way to the barn. She had received a message from Terry who wanted to see her, in Patty's postal tree. What did Terry have to tell her? Well she would know soon enough… A bird flew in the dark and scared her. She was in front of the barn door.
- Terry? She yelled.
- Yes, said Terry.
Candy opened the door and a horse scared her with his sudden cry.
- But, where are you?
Terry was there with an oil lamp in his hand he had just lit on…
- You scared me! Why did you tell me to come here so late? Asked Candy
- But what are you talking about? You're the one who told me to come here! Said Terry
- Me? No, I didn't!
- Someone slip a note signed by your name, telling me to come here at 8 pm…
- And got a letter signed by you telling me to come here at 8 pm…
- That letter, did you bring it?
- I don't have it anymore; you told me to tear it up after I read it…
- They're from the same person…
A noise was heard… Footsteps…
- Someone is coming, said Terry, it's a trap!
Terry turned off the oil lamp. Candy panicked for a second… Then she got an idea… The barn door opened and Mother Grey entered with an oil lamp in her hand, followed by three other nuns, and Eliza and Louise…
- What are you doing here both of you in the middle of the night? Aren't you ashamed of your behaviour? Said Mother Grey
Candy and Terry were frozen on the spot; Terry wanted to say something, when…
- Anthony! Said Candy, no! Don't take the horse! Be careful! Anthony!
She turned to Terry's horse…
- Please Anthony, let's go home, please!
- But… what the hell is going on? Said Mother Grey.
Terry looked at Candy and when he heard Anthony's name, he got angry for a second, but he understood her game, she wanted to attempt to save them. That night, when she fell on the stairs, saying Anthony's name, she was walking in her sleep!
"What a great idea Freckles!" He said to himself.
Terry would've kissed her! He had to continue playing the game, for Candy.
- Mother Grey, that's the reason I'm here, said Terry, she's sleepwalking…
- What? Said Mother Grey.
- Yes, said Terry, she's sleepwalking; she walks in her sleep…
- That's a joke! Said Eliza, she's faking Mother Grey! They meet here every night!
- Mother Grey, I can assure you that it's not true, it's not the first time I find her walking in her sleep… right Sister Margaret? You remember that night I brought her to the infirmary? She was walking in her sleep and she fell on the service stairs…
- But her eyes are opened, said Mother Grey.
- That's how it is, said Terry, but I can assure you, that she's asleep.
- Wake her up! She's lying! Said Eliza.
- To wake up an sleepwalker is very dangerous, she can even attack us, said Terry.
- But…, said Eliza.
- She's your cousin, Miss Leegan, you didn't know about it?
- No, mother Grey, said Eliza.
- And how were you supposed to know about it? Said Terry, we all know that you don't like Candy!
- But, I…
- You're the one responsible for all this circus! All I was doing was to help a student in danger, the last time, she fell on the stairs, said Terry.
- I don't believe this cock-and-bull story! Said Eliza approaching Candy to shake her.
- Be careful Eliza, waking up a sleepwalker could make her violent if you try…
Eliza wasn't listening and she took Candy's hand, who was looking straight in front of her…, she freed herself and she punched Eliza on the nose…
- Ouch!Said Eliza, you little twerp!
- Eliza, leave her alone! Said Terry.
- Her eyes are opened! How could she be asleep with her eyes opened?
- It's sleepwalking Eliza, she doesn't know what she's doing, continued Terry.
Candy had empty eyes and she walked to the door… Eliza's nose was bleeding… She started crying. Terry had to restrain himself to not laugh. Candy had understood his message and she had hit Eliza for revenge for the trap!
- Mother Grey! Did you see what that savage girl did to me? Said Eliza.
The reverend mother saw that the situation with Candy was serious, that Terrence Grandchester had already taken her to the infirmary when she fell on the stairs during her sleepwalking…
Candy started talking:
- Anthony, she said, you're fine, I'm going to go back to sleep…
She walked to the door…
- Stop her! Said Eliza.
- No! Said Terry, let her go! Don't disturb her; you saw how she became violent with Eliza!
Candy walked straight in front of her, the nuns let her go through and of course, they followed her… Eliza wanted to follow them, but the reverend mother stopped her.
- Miss Leegan, she said, you brought us here in order to ruin your cousin's and Master Grandchesters' reputation…
- But Mother Grey, they were here together…
- Miss Andrew is sick; you should be more compassionate with your cousin!
- She came here to meet a boy… like the rumour said…, said Eliza.
- Eliza, if in fact I came here to meet Candy every night, you can be sure that no one would know anything about it, I wouldn't tell a soul… I came to see Sheila, my mare, when I saw Candy talking about Anthony… Her eyes were opened but she couldn't see me… I understood that was walking in her sleep, like that time when she fell on the service stairs…
- Miss Leegan, you're going to the donjon for lying and bringing us out here just to ruin your cousin's reputation… where is your compassionate heart? You are here by, expelled from Saint Paul college for wanting to ruin your cousin's and Terrence Grandchesters reputation… you're going to be in the tower until a member of your family comes to get you…
- What? No! Mother Grey… you're making a mistake…
- Come on, walk! And you too Louise!
- No! Said Louise, it was Eliza's idea to invent this story! I had nothing to do with it! Mother Grey! Please, don't expel me! I want to be a lady…
Terry looked at the scene satisfied. Meanwhile, Candy continued to walk, and she arrived at her balcony, she took a rope by a tree which was attached to her balcony, and she climbed, under the nuns' stunned eyes. They watched her get in her room, close the balcony door and went to bed like an automaton. The nuns went back to the barn and they met the reverend mother, Terry, Eliza and Louise who was crying her eyes out.
- What happened? Asked Mother Grey.
- She went to her room by the balcony with a rope and she went straight to bed, she's sleeping.
- Incredible! Said Mother Grey.
- Mother Grey, said Eliza, you're not going to believe this comedy, are you?
- Miss Leegan, shut up! You bothered us in order to ruin your cousin, which is very bad! You don't have a heart or any compassion for a member of your family! Take those two twerps in the tower!
- NO! Said Eliza and Louise at the same time.
The three nuns took Eliza and Louise to the tower. They were kicking and screaming.
- Terry! Said Eliza, help!
- Dream on! Said Terry.
- Terrence? Said Mother Grey.
- I think you should send Candy to see a doctor, after all, it's the second time it happens; she fell on the stairs, she could've broke her neck… you don't want to have the reputation that you neglect your students, right Mother Grey?
- Of course not, said the reverend mother, I'm going to make arrangements for Miss Andrew to get the proper treatment…
- Very well, said Terry, I'm going to go to bed in my room now. Good night Mother Grey
- Good night Terrence…
Terry left to go back to his room to sleep and the reverend mother also went to her quarters to sleep.
Candy was in her bed and she had a big sigh… That was a close one. That damn Eliza! That punch she gave her made her feel better, a lot better… Fortunately, Terry went along with her comedy. But she will have to avoid Terry for a while, so they won't raise suspicions. But of course, that was counting without Terry's rebel side; he wasn't going to wait days to do what he felt like doing right away… Candy heard noise on her balcony. She stood up to open…
- Terry! What are you doing here? Are you crazy? After what just happened?!
- I had to talk to you! You had a genius idea! Eliza and Louise are both expelled from the school.
- Oh no!
- Freckles, you're the one who would've been expelled if you didn't have that idea…
- But…
- No! Eliza wanted to ruin both of us… don't feel sorry for her!
- But Terry…
- No, you're a good person, but the system is going to take care of Eliza. Her plan backfired…
- "He who kills with the sword, will perish by the sword"? Said Candy.
- You can't contradict the bible…
- Oh Terry, she said, thank you for going along with my comedy.
- I have to admit that I was a little puzzled to hear you talk about Anthony… but I remembered that night when you fell on the stairs sleepwalking…
- I'm really a sleepwalker.
- And that saved you! Mother Grey remembered that particular night and I even told her to send you to get treatment at a doctor's
- What? But Terry…
- Hey… I had to make it look real until the end…
Candy remained silent. Terry was looking at her.
- Candy, what's going on?
- Well, I was thinking: being expel from College… doesn't seem to be that bad… I hate this place… you're the only thing keeping me in this school…
- What do you mean?
- That if you weren't here, I would've been gone…
- I'm the one keeping you here? Oh Candy!
- I have dreams Terry, I don't know exactly what they are, but becoming a lady… is not on my list… I want to do more and help people…
- And I would like to become an actor…
- Really?
- Yes, I'd like to go to Broadway and become an actor.
They looked at each other.
- You know, the problem with dreamers, it's that they only dream instead of doing something for the dream to become a reality, said Candy
Terry looked at her.
- Candy, would you like us to leave this place and follow our dreams?
- Are you serious?
- Yes… I want to follow my dreams.
- Oh…
- And you're part of those dreams…
- Terry…
- I was serious in Scotland; I have sincere feelings for you Candy…
- Terry, I thought about the kiss again… while the barn door was opening… I saw all my life flash in front of me and the kiss was the most beautiful thing, my support, my safety net… I didn't want to risk being expel… so I improvised…
- The kiss lead you?
- Yes…
He approached her and took her in his arms.
- Terry…
- I told you I had sincere feelings for you…
- I don't understand what that means, said Candy smiling.
- In other words, Miss Freckles, I love you… ever since our first meeting…
- You love me? Since our first meeting? That's why you made fun of me, of my freckles and of my nose?
- Actually, I thought you were adorable, your freckles and your nose too…
He kissed her on the nose…
- It's perfect on your face…
Candy became bright as red.
- Oh Terry…
- You had just caught me crying…you never mentioned it even when I was getting angry… you could've thrown it on my face on our first meeting when I was making fun of you… you had me on our first meeting… I love you Candy
Candy smiled.
- Oh Terry! I love you too! I can't stop thinking about you… I'm sorry for the slaps, it was the first time I was being kissed on the mouth.
- I'm so glad about that! I'm going to make sure I'm going to be the only one to do it for the rest of your life…
He leaned and he took her lips in a passionate kiss… All the emotions of the evening, the fear, the panic, the adrenaline rush, came to converge on that explosive kiss. They stepped back and they lied on the bed and they continued kissing with their tongues, savouring every lick…
When they stopped, breathless…
- So, you're coming with me? He asked.
- Yes Terry, I will follow you to the end of the world!
- I'm going to make arrangements in the next days, let's keep our distance… I'll come and see you when everything is going to be ready…
- Ok. But can you kiss me again?
He smiled and kissed her again and again… He went back to his room very late.