"Home"
Disclaimer: I do not own Juliette or any of the other characters in this story.
Authors Note: Second chapter of "Going Home". Sequel to "Daddy's Girl." Hope you
like it!
"There were days, lonely days
When the world wouldn't throw me a crumb
But I kept on believing
That this day would come"
~Taking You Home by Don Henley
JULIETTE'S HOUSE
THE NEXT DAY
Sitting in that room brought back so many bad memories. There was so much pain in that house. Juliette wondered how she had ever withstood it in the first place. She guessed that was where the bulimia and the cutting came into play. It had been her way of coping with the agony going on around her, and within her.
Falling asleep had been difficult at best. The creepy sensation she felt just lying in that bed never left her. The shadows on the walls that were once familiar, were now strangers to her. Every noise and creak had woken her from her light slumber, and she longed for her bed at Mt. Horizon. Peter had promised he'd save it for her. She had no doubt that he had kept his promise.
As she stood from her bed that following morning, everything was hazy. She looked through tired eyes into her suitcase, where she searched for the perfect outfit to where on her first day back.
Suddenly she was a little girl again, picking out the perfect dress for her first day of school. Her mother had done her hair just right and her father had bought her brand new shoes just for the occasion. A smile lit her face as she remembered the excitement of that day. It had been one of the better days in this room.
Juliette jumped as she noticed a single object lurking in the bottom of her sock drawer. She eyed it with both fear and dread. Slowly she picked up the make-up bag and held it at eye level. She let out a large breath that she hadn't even realized she'd been holding. Placing it on the vanity table, she unzipped the top.
Juliette chewed her lip as she realized her suspicions had been correct. A few solitary white pills lined the bottom of the dusty bag. Next to them, a shiver shine caught her eye. Her old best friend was there, her savior on all those nights when she just couldn't take the pain or frustration. Her razor was there.
Full of regret and defiance Juliette zipped the bag back up and finished getting dressed. Make-up bag in hand, she marched outside to where the garbage cans were kept. Without a second thought, she flung the bag into the garbage can.
"Never again! I'm stronger then you are." She said.
Back in the house, Juliette sat down at the breakfast table. To her surprise, Hal was cooking breakfast. She smiled at the thought. Mother finally found a good one. I hope she keeps him this time.
"Eggs?" She glanced up to see Hal. She smiled.
"That would be wonderful thank you." She cringed at her proper vocabulary. Mother had trained her well.
After serving her he sat down across from her and waited for her to take a bite. After she silently gave her approval, he began eating.
Carefully she slipped the food into her mouth. The old feelings were still there. The urge to throw up her food hadn't left her. Chances were it wouldn't for a long time, at least that's what Peter, Sophie, and Clara had all told her. What she could do was control those feelings and revert back to what she had been taught at Horizon and at the hospital. This time Juliette was determined to make it work. She had to make herself better; she'd make a promise to Auggie that she intended to keep.
"So where's Trisha?" Juliette inquired about their maid, who usually cooked all the meals. Hal smiled.
"I gave her the day off. She's been working hard lately and I figured she deserved it." He stopped to take another bite and swallow. "It's really great to have you back here Juliette. I wish we could have gotten better acquainted before..." His sentence trailed off.
"It's ok Hal. I wish we could have too." She stopped to take a drink of her orange juice. "So how have you and Mother been?" She asked in an effort to make conversation. Hal seemed to become uneasy.
"I've been very well. Your mother on the other hand..." Juliette frowned.
"Has she been ill?"
"No, no nothing like that. She just worries me. Has she always....has she always thrown up her food like she does?" Juliette fell silent.
FLASHBACK
A young Juliette gets out of bed and hurries to the bathroom. A horrible retching sound can be heard from behind the slightly closed door. Curious, Juliette opens the door to reveal her mother bent over the toilet. She stares in confusion.
"Mommy are you sick?" She asks. Her mother glances up.
"Mommy's not sick; mommy just has to fit into her dress tomorrow night." She looks up at Juliette and pulls her inside the bathroom. "This is what women do when they want to be thin and beautiful Juliette." Juliette frowns.
"But you're already beautiful Mommy." Her mother frowns and pushes her back out the door.
"I told you never to lie Juliette! Now Go! Go back to your room and close the door! I need to be alone!"
KITCHEN
"Yes she has." She answered simply. Hal nodded.
"Juliette you know more about this then I do. Do you think I should get her some help?"
Juliette closed her eyes for a moment. She had never realized how sick her mother was until now. She hadn't realized how sick she was until a few months before. The reality of her mothers situation startled her.
"Mother's sick Hal. I'm sick too, but I'm getting better. Mother needs help, but I don't know if she'll get it." Hal shifted uneasily in his chair.
"I didn't intend to discuss this with you, especially now when you're getting ready to go back to school. I just don't know what to do. Do you know where I can find someone to help her?" Juliette thought for a moment and then nodded.
"I know someone I can call."
MT. HORIZON
Auggie fidgeting nervously as he watched the others doing their homework. Juliette was coming back today, and he was so excited he could barely sit still.
"Hey Auggie man, whats up with you?" Scott asked from across the room. The others looked up, expecting an answer.
"Nothin' meat. Just had a little too much coffee this morning." The others rolled their eyes at his attempt to make a joke.
"Don't even joke about coffee..." Shelby commented.
"Oh sweet caffeine, how I do miss you!" Ezra chimed in, only to be slapped on the arm with Shelby's notebook. "Hey!" He screamed in protest.
"You know who can have coffee right now...Juliette." Daisy said. Auggie jumped at the mention of the name.
"Yea too bad Juliette doesn't drink coffee." Scott said. Shelby sighed and shook her head.
"What a waste."
"Hey weren't you guys workin' on something?!" Auggie shouted in an attempt to silence them.
"Well someone's a bit testy this morning!" David commented from his seat on the floor.
"Just shut up man alright." Auggie replied.
"What was that Auggie?" Peter said as he marched into the room.
"It's not worth repeating man." Auggie explained.
"I hope not." He sat down on the arm of the sofa. A small silence lapsed before Scott spoke up.
"So is she coming back today or what?" Peter turned to him and smirked.
"Yes Juliette is coming back today. I just want to remind you all to..."
"Go easy on her." Shelby interrupted.
"And give her time to readjust." David added.
"We got it Peter." Ezra said. Peter smiled in embarrassment.
"OK then. She'll be here at about five this afternoon. I've set it up so you guys can eat dinner later then the rest of the students, just for tonight."
"Can we still have cake?" Ezra asked.
"Yea Peter please! Can we have cake can we?!" David mocked, hands in a begging position. Ezra just glared at him.
"Yes there is a cake, and NO I didn't make it." Daisy and Shelby smiled at the inside joke.
"Well I think I speak for all of us when I say that's a relief." Sophie said from behind Peter. He turned around and smirked playfully.
"All right all right." He replied.
"You have a phone call Peter, it's important." Her face turned serious and Peter knew that this couldn't be good.
"OK guys. See you later." He turned and followed Sophie to his office.
To Be Continued....
Disclaimer: I do not own Juliette or any of the other characters in this story.
Authors Note: Second chapter of "Going Home". Sequel to "Daddy's Girl." Hope you
like it!
"There were days, lonely days
When the world wouldn't throw me a crumb
But I kept on believing
That this day would come"
~Taking You Home by Don Henley
JULIETTE'S HOUSE
THE NEXT DAY
Sitting in that room brought back so many bad memories. There was so much pain in that house. Juliette wondered how she had ever withstood it in the first place. She guessed that was where the bulimia and the cutting came into play. It had been her way of coping with the agony going on around her, and within her.
Falling asleep had been difficult at best. The creepy sensation she felt just lying in that bed never left her. The shadows on the walls that were once familiar, were now strangers to her. Every noise and creak had woken her from her light slumber, and she longed for her bed at Mt. Horizon. Peter had promised he'd save it for her. She had no doubt that he had kept his promise.
As she stood from her bed that following morning, everything was hazy. She looked through tired eyes into her suitcase, where she searched for the perfect outfit to where on her first day back.
Suddenly she was a little girl again, picking out the perfect dress for her first day of school. Her mother had done her hair just right and her father had bought her brand new shoes just for the occasion. A smile lit her face as she remembered the excitement of that day. It had been one of the better days in this room.
Juliette jumped as she noticed a single object lurking in the bottom of her sock drawer. She eyed it with both fear and dread. Slowly she picked up the make-up bag and held it at eye level. She let out a large breath that she hadn't even realized she'd been holding. Placing it on the vanity table, she unzipped the top.
Juliette chewed her lip as she realized her suspicions had been correct. A few solitary white pills lined the bottom of the dusty bag. Next to them, a shiver shine caught her eye. Her old best friend was there, her savior on all those nights when she just couldn't take the pain or frustration. Her razor was there.
Full of regret and defiance Juliette zipped the bag back up and finished getting dressed. Make-up bag in hand, she marched outside to where the garbage cans were kept. Without a second thought, she flung the bag into the garbage can.
"Never again! I'm stronger then you are." She said.
Back in the house, Juliette sat down at the breakfast table. To her surprise, Hal was cooking breakfast. She smiled at the thought. Mother finally found a good one. I hope she keeps him this time.
"Eggs?" She glanced up to see Hal. She smiled.
"That would be wonderful thank you." She cringed at her proper vocabulary. Mother had trained her well.
After serving her he sat down across from her and waited for her to take a bite. After she silently gave her approval, he began eating.
Carefully she slipped the food into her mouth. The old feelings were still there. The urge to throw up her food hadn't left her. Chances were it wouldn't for a long time, at least that's what Peter, Sophie, and Clara had all told her. What she could do was control those feelings and revert back to what she had been taught at Horizon and at the hospital. This time Juliette was determined to make it work. She had to make herself better; she'd make a promise to Auggie that she intended to keep.
"So where's Trisha?" Juliette inquired about their maid, who usually cooked all the meals. Hal smiled.
"I gave her the day off. She's been working hard lately and I figured she deserved it." He stopped to take another bite and swallow. "It's really great to have you back here Juliette. I wish we could have gotten better acquainted before..." His sentence trailed off.
"It's ok Hal. I wish we could have too." She stopped to take a drink of her orange juice. "So how have you and Mother been?" She asked in an effort to make conversation. Hal seemed to become uneasy.
"I've been very well. Your mother on the other hand..." Juliette frowned.
"Has she been ill?"
"No, no nothing like that. She just worries me. Has she always....has she always thrown up her food like she does?" Juliette fell silent.
FLASHBACK
A young Juliette gets out of bed and hurries to the bathroom. A horrible retching sound can be heard from behind the slightly closed door. Curious, Juliette opens the door to reveal her mother bent over the toilet. She stares in confusion.
"Mommy are you sick?" She asks. Her mother glances up.
"Mommy's not sick; mommy just has to fit into her dress tomorrow night." She looks up at Juliette and pulls her inside the bathroom. "This is what women do when they want to be thin and beautiful Juliette." Juliette frowns.
"But you're already beautiful Mommy." Her mother frowns and pushes her back out the door.
"I told you never to lie Juliette! Now Go! Go back to your room and close the door! I need to be alone!"
KITCHEN
"Yes she has." She answered simply. Hal nodded.
"Juliette you know more about this then I do. Do you think I should get her some help?"
Juliette closed her eyes for a moment. She had never realized how sick her mother was until now. She hadn't realized how sick she was until a few months before. The reality of her mothers situation startled her.
"Mother's sick Hal. I'm sick too, but I'm getting better. Mother needs help, but I don't know if she'll get it." Hal shifted uneasily in his chair.
"I didn't intend to discuss this with you, especially now when you're getting ready to go back to school. I just don't know what to do. Do you know where I can find someone to help her?" Juliette thought for a moment and then nodded.
"I know someone I can call."
MT. HORIZON
Auggie fidgeting nervously as he watched the others doing their homework. Juliette was coming back today, and he was so excited he could barely sit still.
"Hey Auggie man, whats up with you?" Scott asked from across the room. The others looked up, expecting an answer.
"Nothin' meat. Just had a little too much coffee this morning." The others rolled their eyes at his attempt to make a joke.
"Don't even joke about coffee..." Shelby commented.
"Oh sweet caffeine, how I do miss you!" Ezra chimed in, only to be slapped on the arm with Shelby's notebook. "Hey!" He screamed in protest.
"You know who can have coffee right now...Juliette." Daisy said. Auggie jumped at the mention of the name.
"Yea too bad Juliette doesn't drink coffee." Scott said. Shelby sighed and shook her head.
"What a waste."
"Hey weren't you guys workin' on something?!" Auggie shouted in an attempt to silence them.
"Well someone's a bit testy this morning!" David commented from his seat on the floor.
"Just shut up man alright." Auggie replied.
"What was that Auggie?" Peter said as he marched into the room.
"It's not worth repeating man." Auggie explained.
"I hope not." He sat down on the arm of the sofa. A small silence lapsed before Scott spoke up.
"So is she coming back today or what?" Peter turned to him and smirked.
"Yes Juliette is coming back today. I just want to remind you all to..."
"Go easy on her." Shelby interrupted.
"And give her time to readjust." David added.
"We got it Peter." Ezra said. Peter smiled in embarrassment.
"OK then. She'll be here at about five this afternoon. I've set it up so you guys can eat dinner later then the rest of the students, just for tonight."
"Can we still have cake?" Ezra asked.
"Yea Peter please! Can we have cake can we?!" David mocked, hands in a begging position. Ezra just glared at him.
"Yes there is a cake, and NO I didn't make it." Daisy and Shelby smiled at the inside joke.
"Well I think I speak for all of us when I say that's a relief." Sophie said from behind Peter. He turned around and smirked playfully.
"All right all right." He replied.
"You have a phone call Peter, it's important." Her face turned serious and Peter knew that this couldn't be good.
"OK guys. See you later." He turned and followed Sophie to his office.
To Be Continued....