Chapter 3
Chloe slowly made her way up to the door of her home. She silently prayed that Craig & Nancy would be in bed already or out for the night. She had already been through enough; she didn't want to have to deal with Nancy right now.
She hesitated at the door, a light was on inside, which was expected because they wouldn't want Chloe coming home to a dark house and stumbling around in the dark. She listened for noise, conversation - the television. But, all she heard was the voices of her teenage tormentors. Ghoul Girl! Ghoul Girl! Give me an H! Give me an O! What does that spell? HO! I can't hear you! HO!
She took a deep breath, and finally mad her way into the house. Craig and Nancy looked up from the living room. Nancy looked at Chloe oddly, and put the book she was reading on the couch beside her.
"Chloe. You're home early. Is everything alright? Did something happen at the dance?"
"I don't want to talk about it, Nancy. I REALLY don't. Sorry." Chloe couldn't even look her in the eyes. She just turned and headed up the stairs to her bedroom in silence.
Once inside her room, the first thing Chloe did was take off her beautiful blue dress and laid it on the bed. She changed into a pair of pajamas, took off all the makeup and quickly washed her hair in the sink. As she was drying her hair with a towel, she took one last long look at the dress lying on the bed. That dress had so much, and now it only stood for torment, hatred and pain. The promise of a night that was supposed to be special, but had turned into the worst night of Chloe's life. She put the towel down and picked up the dress and shoved it far into the back of her closest. Best keep it there until she can burn it and put it out of its misery.
As she was closing the closet, she heard a soft knock on her bedroom door.
"GO AWAY! I SAID I DIDN'T WANT TO TALK!"
From behind the door, came a muffled male voice:
"Chloe, it's Craig. I know you don't want to talk about it. I just want to make sure you're okay. Please let me in for just a minute, and then I'll leave you alone."
Chloe stepped over to the door, and sighed heavily. She unlocked it and opened it to let her stepfather in.
"Listen Chloe, I'm not going to force you to talk about things if you don't want to. I just want you to know that I'm here if you need me. I care about you a lot Chloe, and I hate to see the hurt in your eyes like this. Nancy cares too. I know she shows it in funny ways, but she loves you Chloe. So do I."
Chloe just nodded. She was too weak to even force a smile. "Thank you. I may take you up on that eventually. After tonight, I'm not sure I have any friends anymore."
Craig sensed a break in her voice. He knew she was trying to hold back her emotions. That's our Chloe. Strong on the outside, but crying on the inside. He sensed her pain and took her in a comforting embrace.
"It's alright, Chloe. You haven't lost me."
Not yet. She thought. Just wait until Nancy find out about those pictures, she'll probably get rid of me again.
Despite the thoughts in her head, Chloe looked up and Craig and somehow managed a weak half-smile. "Thanks, Craig."
"Anytime..." He smiled back at her, and gave her a quick kiss on her forehead. "I'll leave you alone now. If you need me, you know where I am."
Chloe nodded, and watched as Craig backed out the door silently. She walked over to the bed and laid down, making sure to turn over the picture of her and Phillip together at Bo & Hope's wedding. She'd just trash it tomorrow, but for now she was too drained to even think about it. She didn't know if she'd be able to sleep tonight, but maybe if she laid here and closed her eyes - she'd be able to think about something else besides Phillip Kiriakis.
Not likely. Not likely at all. She rolled over and curled herself tightly under her covers. Praying into the darkness that tomorrow she would wake up and find out that tonight was just a terrible nightmare.
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Chloe slowly made her way up to the door of her home. She silently prayed that Craig & Nancy would be in bed already or out for the night. She had already been through enough; she didn't want to have to deal with Nancy right now.
She hesitated at the door, a light was on inside, which was expected because they wouldn't want Chloe coming home to a dark house and stumbling around in the dark. She listened for noise, conversation - the television. But, all she heard was the voices of her teenage tormentors. Ghoul Girl! Ghoul Girl! Give me an H! Give me an O! What does that spell? HO! I can't hear you! HO!
She took a deep breath, and finally mad her way into the house. Craig and Nancy looked up from the living room. Nancy looked at Chloe oddly, and put the book she was reading on the couch beside her.
"Chloe. You're home early. Is everything alright? Did something happen at the dance?"
"I don't want to talk about it, Nancy. I REALLY don't. Sorry." Chloe couldn't even look her in the eyes. She just turned and headed up the stairs to her bedroom in silence.
Once inside her room, the first thing Chloe did was take off her beautiful blue dress and laid it on the bed. She changed into a pair of pajamas, took off all the makeup and quickly washed her hair in the sink. As she was drying her hair with a towel, she took one last long look at the dress lying on the bed. That dress had so much, and now it only stood for torment, hatred and pain. The promise of a night that was supposed to be special, but had turned into the worst night of Chloe's life. She put the towel down and picked up the dress and shoved it far into the back of her closest. Best keep it there until she can burn it and put it out of its misery.
As she was closing the closet, she heard a soft knock on her bedroom door.
"GO AWAY! I SAID I DIDN'T WANT TO TALK!"
From behind the door, came a muffled male voice:
"Chloe, it's Craig. I know you don't want to talk about it. I just want to make sure you're okay. Please let me in for just a minute, and then I'll leave you alone."
Chloe stepped over to the door, and sighed heavily. She unlocked it and opened it to let her stepfather in.
"Listen Chloe, I'm not going to force you to talk about things if you don't want to. I just want you to know that I'm here if you need me. I care about you a lot Chloe, and I hate to see the hurt in your eyes like this. Nancy cares too. I know she shows it in funny ways, but she loves you Chloe. So do I."
Chloe just nodded. She was too weak to even force a smile. "Thank you. I may take you up on that eventually. After tonight, I'm not sure I have any friends anymore."
Craig sensed a break in her voice. He knew she was trying to hold back her emotions. That's our Chloe. Strong on the outside, but crying on the inside. He sensed her pain and took her in a comforting embrace.
"It's alright, Chloe. You haven't lost me."
Not yet. She thought. Just wait until Nancy find out about those pictures, she'll probably get rid of me again.
Despite the thoughts in her head, Chloe looked up and Craig and somehow managed a weak half-smile. "Thanks, Craig."
"Anytime..." He smiled back at her, and gave her a quick kiss on her forehead. "I'll leave you alone now. If you need me, you know where I am."
Chloe nodded, and watched as Craig backed out the door silently. She walked over to the bed and laid down, making sure to turn over the picture of her and Phillip together at Bo & Hope's wedding. She'd just trash it tomorrow, but for now she was too drained to even think about it. She didn't know if she'd be able to sleep tonight, but maybe if she laid here and closed her eyes - she'd be able to think about something else besides Phillip Kiriakis.
Not likely. Not likely at all. She rolled over and curled herself tightly under her covers. Praying into the darkness that tomorrow she would wake up and find out that tonight was just a terrible nightmare.
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