C´est moi! I'm back after a while. I finally got a chance to watch Beforel Orel, which just aired on my birthday, and it was the best present for a lousy birthday! I loved the music, I´m obssesed with one song... I thought the special would ruin or make my story obsolete, but it didn't, which is great. I even got a chance to apply some things from Beforel Orel on this...
Recently I read in Tv Tropes that someone, like me, was complaining about Christina´s lack of personality, so I´m still on the quest of finding her one. I decided to make her a little yandere, someone sweet but quick tempered, a little based on Fluttershy´s personality of MLP.
This is the longest chapter, it's the climax. I hope you enjoy. Many people began reading this and I couldn't be happier! Keep reading please!
"Do you really want a Prince Albert again? The other one lasted like two days!" Stephanie sighed, boringly.
"Yes, It´s urgent! Please!" Orel pleaded, joining his hands together for the first time in weeks
"Listen kid, you can't fool me. I know what you're doing, I've done it myself. And believe me when I tell you that even all the piercings of the world won't make you feel less hurt. Quite the contrary; it will make you feel a lot of pain, in your crotch. It's not pretty to watch"
"I'm not trying to…" Orel began, and they heard the sound of Putty coming home. "Great, he´s back" he mumbled. "Don't think this is closed!" He told Stephanie before locking himself in the guest room.
Putty entered the house, and he was soaked, something Stephanie knew her father hated. But instead of cursing everything about Mother Nature and her infamous weather, he was smiling.
"Dad, what took you so long? Why are you so wet? And why does it seem you found a treasure or something?"
"Because I did! I almost got hit by a tree, but it doesn't matter, look who I found!" And he pulled a little soaking girl inside the living room.
Stephanie had better memory.
"Hey, you´re Orel´s Closeface! So long without seeing you, where were you, girl?"
"Why everyone has a nickname for me?" Christina asked, getting more flustered with every second.
"He´ll be so happy to see you! Surely he´s been in need for some loving! You guys need to meet again, He´ll be ecstatic! Come on, what are you waiting for? Go to his room!"
"Wait, she needs to clean herself a little, what if she catches a cold?" Rod interrupted
"I hope when she´s done with him he catches one as well…" Stephanie said, thoughtfully, and Christina´s face reddened. "Alright, whatever, but hurry up!"
After said shower, Christina was standing in front of Orel´s door, trembling of fear and embarrassment. She chose to keep the tight hair bun; it was even tighter than before, so she could feel a little pain from breaking the commandments, since she had no remorse. Her mother had taught her that pain was the best way to feel guilty for things you weren't. And she knew she had to feel remorse for disobeying her father´s strict laws, and behaving so unlike her, running away and stuff, but the thing is, she wasn't feeling guilty.
She wore her clothes, dry but dirty, and listened to Putty´s last directions:
"Now, before you come in, you have to know: He´s not the same anymore. He thinks different, he even dresses different. Don't show your surprise when you see him, pretend you´re not horrified by his new look. Don't ask him why he is limping, and…"
"Come on, Dad, let the girl do what she wants, and she´ll know how to break Orel´s shell."
"Why is he limping?" Christina asked, feeling an uncomfortable knot in her stomach
"He´ll tell you if he wants to." Putty said
"Of course he will; she was his first Closeface, he won't be as rude with her as he is with us. She´s like… the chosen one." Stephanie replied, smiling widely.
"I don't think so…Anyway, girl: His grandfather passed away a few weeks ago, so he´s in grief. We hope you can help him find the way again. Now, go inside and pour some sugar over his misery like a good Protestant!"
Those were Rod Putty´s last words, before pushing the girl to the door.
"Oh my, all of this has given me some romantic feelings… I better go to Forgetty´s" Stephanie sighed
"To sink them on booze?" Rod asked playfully
"Nope, to see if I get enough courage to flirt with the bartender" She explained and left.
Meanwhile, Christina was knocking softly on the wooden door and the response was simple:
"Go away" Orel´s answer was muffled by the door.
"Orel? It´s me, Christina Posabule. Do you remember me?" She asked and there was silence on the other side of the door, for a few minutes. Finally she chose to enter the room.
The white walls were filled with disturbing posters of metal bands, with some disturbing music playing and a disturbing Orel sitting over the bed, without facing her. The boy slowly turned around, and Christina gasped. He was wearing black clothes, black eyeliner, black make up, lots of piercings and his hair was a mess. But the most disturbing part was his eyes. Huge bags were below them, and he was looking sad, pale, sick and angry.
"Uhm… Hi, Orel. It´s been a while…" She saluted him.
"Quite some time ago" he stated. "Anyway, you´ve seen me, so I guess you can go. There´s the door." Orel said in a dry way that pissed the girl to no end.
"You promised you´d come back, remember? Your exact words were: Since I know where you live, I think I could come more often, to trade brothers' back… and maybe something more. And then you kissed me on the cheek and ran away. And I waited, boy did I! And days turned into months and into years and you never came back, do you imagine how much… faith I had…?"
"Faith is worthless" Orel replied, ignoring the girl´s ramping rage, which only worsened it "And I was very busy to care about you"
"Busy?" She repeated in an irked tone and he stood up, limping while getting closer to her, but there was no love in his eyes like before. For Orel Puppington, love was gone.
"Yes, busy." He said, mimicking her tone "I was busy going to a hunting trip with my father, watching him getting drunker every time and being the most pathetic human being, getting shot by him and waiting two entire days until I was taken to the hospital, getting used to be limp the rest of my life, watching everything I believed in crumble and fall, learning my father was homosexual and that he and mom never cared for each other, having just a little glimpse of happiness when grandpa came home and losing it again when he… Passed away" Said this, his eyes watered. "I was very busy, Christina, and I never got enough time to think about stupid, stupid puppy love!" She reached out to grab him when he lost his balance, but he backed off. "Don't touch me! I´m not broken, wipe that little look off your face! What are you doing here, anyway?!"
"I can´t believe I got to think you would be my own personal hero… you couldn't even save yourself! Do you realize how… pathetic you look? You are just like my father when he´s drunk! Except for the rape part." Christina blurted, and then she covered her mouth. This is our little secret, and if you tell anybody, God will be mad… she heard her father´s voice.
"Rape?" Orel asked, with a little bit of shock
Nah, what the heck.
"Yes! That´s all he ever does, he drinks and then calls me to his studio where he would do horrible things and I had to swallow everything because I´m supposed to be a good girl, but do you know what is like having to hide everything from everyone? This was my life, and I hated it, but finally God heard my prayers and, taadaa! You came into my life. For the first time I wasn't the overly religious girl who isn't allowed to make friends, the nerd that everyone bullies at school, for the first time I wanted to disobey my parents and have a boy who could be my friend, for the first time I had will, a reason to survive, to fight and rebel! The reason was you! But then the reason disappeared, and he never called, and all I was left with was loneliness, and now look at you! My new reason to fight… broken and pathetic"
"Maybe you needed a stronger reason" Orel replied, "You shouldn't have ever trusted in me"
"Maybe you´re right! Maybe I should even leave you right now, and let you keep going with your little game of let's make everybody hate Orel Puppington´s guts! I can play that game!" Christina replied angrily before stomping to the door, only to stop when a little plead was heard, which sounded a lot like the little boy who blushed and ran away after kissing her goodbye on the Arms Length Dance night.
"No, wait a minute" Orel asked and she stopped. She turned around to see him, who for a moment thought he could open up a little. "You… how did you find me?"
"I ran away from home. Reverend Putty found me…" She explained. "They thought I could help you…"
"Now, it seems you are the one who needs help" Orel replied, in a sweeter tone than before, and invited her to sit by his side. Christina sat, a little bit flustered.
"Look at us: We´re two lousy teenagers… Do you remember how hopeful we were at the Arms Length Dance?" The girl sighed
"We thought we´d be together…" Orel continued
"You know, Art discovered that I had gone somewhere. When I crept inside my house, he was there, waiting for me in the kitchen. It was awful… And I don't wanna think what would have happened if he had known that I had been with you"
"You know, the only thing that prevented me for breaking apart the day Clay shot me was thinking of you"
"And life just worsened the day Block was gone. I came home from school and I never saw him again. Mom ignored me when I asked. And even though he wasn't talkative or… civilized, he was my only friend. He would always color my drawings; I don't know why he always painted Jesus green. We were the weird girl with her retarded brother, and later it was just me. At least his tantrums would prevent me from hearing my parent´s constant fights... I mean, everything suddenly took a loop, what happened?" She asked rhetorically
"Life. That´s what happened."
"Weren't we supposed to be stronger than that?"
"Sometimes I wonder what grandpa would think of me now; if he would think I´m different" Orel stated "He certainly thought I was strong."
"Well, you are pierced" She pointed out and he rolled his eyes "if that´s what you mean by different."
"He wrote me a letter when I was four, but Clay hid it. I found it on his studio, the day grandpa…" His voice broke again. "I haven't read it, I don´t think I'll have the courage" Orel explained, and gave Christina a folded sheet, which she read out loud
"Dear Orel: Always remember, son. Even though you are the perfect candidate for brainwash in this town, you are also too pure and good-hearted to be corrupted. Love, Grandpa. Now, that´s sweet, don´t you think? I think he wouldn't even care to see you all pierced… Orel?" She asked and turned around to see him. He was pressing his lips together, trying so hard not to cry.
"Oh, Orel, I'm so sorry…"
"Don't be! I'm alright! See?" He said, though his voice and looks said the exact opposite
"You´re doing it again, you´re closing your mind again. I bet you even pierced yourself to close your mind to all those feelings."
"You don´t understand… These piercings, they help me."
"I understand better than you think. You want to feel physical pain so it can eclipse a little all the emotional pain you´re feeling. But you could pierce your whole body and it wouldn't make a difference; you would still feel miserable."
"How do you…?" Orel began.
"…Know? My hair bun is always tight, so it can give me headaches." She explained. "I told you I knew. You feel that God has forsaken you, or that He´s mocking of you. You´re tired of His games; you just want to be left alone. You are desperately asking Him to stop playing with you as if you were his little clumsy marionette, you are pleading him to send you some help, some kind of savior who should take you away from your misery. First God was my savior, but I felt He had turned his back away from me. Then I thought of you, but you never came back. And finally I realized God wasn't playing dumb: He was waiting for me to realize if anyone will save me, it will be me. Look at that letter. Your grandpa always loved you; he had faith in you, why can´t you have some faith too? He´s right, you are kind and good-hearted and sweet, you don't need any of this. If you wanna cry, then do it! I won't judge you. But don't let that kill off the Orel we knew, the one your grandpa described in his letter, the one I fell in love with."
"Why don´t we make a little experiment?" She suggested "Close your eyes"
"What are you gonna do?" Orel asked, a little playfully.
"Don't ask." She said, and he obeyed.
Orel closed his eyes, leaving himself to Christina´s will, and she carefully removed all the piercings of his face, took a tissue and removed the makeup, and arranged the mess he had for hairdo. He wasn't angry, and for the first time in a while, he felt relaxed and a little fuzzy inside. He wasn't used to physical contact, which was reassuring, and especially that girl´s contact was somehow electrifying.
Christina told him to open his eyes, and he faced a mirror and an old photo of himself. In the picture he was looking faithful and happy.
"Now you look like your grandpa will always remember you" She said and he stared at the reflection and the picture.
"How could I be so damn happy? Maybe I was in denial. Maybe I was just plain stupid. Or maybe… Maybe deep inside I knew I was surrounded by terrible people but I chose to forgive them, because we are only humans, and we make mistakes. That´s it! Christina, you were right! I am my Own Personal Hero! And Jesus as well, I mean, He can help a little but we are the only ones who can decide what to do with our lives, if we want to be miserable or if we want to break all the pain and for once being different from our terrible parents. I don't wanna be miserable like Clay. He chose to be that way, and I can choose different. And not only me, also you and everyone." Orel said, having a strong epiphany.
Suddenly everything made sense; his parents were just acting that way because they were humans and forgiving was sometimes hard, but once you forgave you were free again, undamaged.
Orel smiled for the first time, and thought that Grandpa wouldn't want to see him in such a state. He wanted to prove him right, to show him how he, Orel Puppington, as naïve and stupid as he probably was, could be undamaged, could survive and keep his head up despite everything life put him trough. He remembered Grandpa´s last words, when he held his hand, and Grandpa asked him to be happy. Always happy, always full of love, and uncorrupted.
"I love you Orel, be good. Don't let the rain ruin your parade, okay? And by rain I mean Clay and all the other people. Never let them change who you are"
"But sometimes it is so hard not to be miserable" Christina stated, thinking of her own terrible parents, and how much she missed Block. And now she had helped Orel to repair himself, but she was still broken. It was always that way, she helped everyone but her.
"But you can try. You are stronger than that." Orel said, and he untied the hair bun she was wearing. Her hair fell upon her shoulders and she gasped. Orel surely didn't understand the great importance of his simple act, the symbolism, but without knowing he had set her free.
"Just like grandpa didn't want me to be miserable, I don't want you to be so" he explained and approached, until their foreheads were touching like many years ago, like their first encounter, or that little shy peck on the cheek.
"I told you before I had been busy… Well, I'm free right now... If you are still interested" He said and both smiled silently, leaning closer.
Watching secretly from a distance, Putty was the only witness of Orel´s and Christina´s first kiss. He closed discreetly the door, decided to leave the two lovebirds alone, and smiled. All of this had given him inspiration for this Sunday´s sermon.
Sooo, climax is done! Did you like it? I hope it wasn´t too far of the series. I think Orel was a little OCC, but considering he´s traumatized, I think it´s justified. Christina, on the other side, couldn´t be OCC because she doesn´t even have character. I hope the personality I built up for her was believable.
Liked it? loved it? hated it? tell me what you think
