Truth Out Of Darkness
Chapter 3
Brady stared at the alarm clock for the thousandth time. I might as well get up now. It was 6:00. After catching a quick shower, he threw on the first pair of jeans and sweater he could find that didn't smell. He then made his way downstairs. Upon entering the kitchen, he stopped dead at the sight of his sister Belle eating breakfast.
"What are you doing up this early? It's like 6 o'clock."
"Yeah, I know." She replied. "I always get up this early."
"Belle, you don't have to be a t school for another 2 hours. That's like an hour and 45 minutes hardcore sleep time."
Belle laughed. "Well, unlike you Brady, I can't get up, take a shower, get dressed and get to school in 15 minutes, let alone do my makeup and hair. Besides, I get up early so I have time to relax and enjoy my morning. It gets me in the right frame of mind. Hey, it's not easy being this perky." She joked.
"Yeah, well the only time I see this side of sunrise is when I've just spent the entire night party… I mean studying."
"Yeah right… so what are you doing up?" Belle asked.
He plopped down in a chair in front of her. "I didn't get a lot of sleep last night. Kept tossing and turning, finally decided to get up." His eyes lost focus while he remembered his dream from last night.
"Bad dream?" Belle asked, full of concern for her big brother.
"Oh no, quite the opposite. It was a very nice dream." He answered with a silly, lopsided grin.
"OOOH, one of those dreams." She teased.
"Isabella Black, would you kindly remove your mind from the gutter? Anyway, it wasn't like that. It was just…weird."
"So, it was a nice, weird dream. Who was it about?" she asked, grinning, like she didn't already know.
"I am not even going to answer that."
"You know, I can't believe Phillip last night. Crashing the party. He really hurt Chloe." Bell said to change the subject.
"Yeah, Chloe's been through a rough couple of days." Brady replied thoughtfully, remembering her attack Saturday night. His blood still ran could every time he thought of her in the clutches of those two bastards. He had actually thanked God that he had been driving by at that time. He couldn't even imagine what might have happened if he hadn't been there. Brady then noticed that Belle's face had grown troubled.
"Tink, what's wrong?"
"It's just…I still feel so bad about what happened on your date. If I hadn't jumped to major wrong conclusions and told you that Chloe had left with Phillip, then you wouldn't have left her behind and she wouldn't have been attacked. She was almost seriously hurt, and it's because of me."
"Belle," Brady began, wanting to comfort his sister.
"The worst part is that I ran into her afterwards outside the theater. I knew you had left and that she didn't have a ride, but I was so angry with her that I didn't even let her explain her side. She's told me over and over that she forgives me, but I still feel bad." Belle drooped her shoulders.
"Hey, I'm just as much to blame. I was the one who left her there, alone. I should have known that Chloe would never have run out on me without talking to me first, even if it was with Phillip. What we have to do now is push our own guilts aside and focus on Chloe. I'm really worried about her, Belle."
"Me too. She told me that she can't stop thinking about the attack." Belle said, concerned.
"She's mentioned it a few times to me, too. It's to be expected. She's suffered a major shock."
"What would Mom call it? Posttraumatic stress? Do you think that's what it is?" Belle asked.
"Maybe. In any case, we have to give her a few days to get over it. And that, my dear sister, is where you come in. As her best friend, it is your job to keep her busy with talk of boys, shopping and makeup." He teased.
"Oh, that's all you think we do? HMPH! You're so far off course, you're not even on the map." She countered upon leaving the room.
Meanwhile, Brady thought, I'll just have to find my own way of helping Chloe.
Chapter 3
Brady stared at the alarm clock for the thousandth time. I might as well get up now. It was 6:00. After catching a quick shower, he threw on the first pair of jeans and sweater he could find that didn't smell. He then made his way downstairs. Upon entering the kitchen, he stopped dead at the sight of his sister Belle eating breakfast.
"What are you doing up this early? It's like 6 o'clock."
"Yeah, I know." She replied. "I always get up this early."
"Belle, you don't have to be a t school for another 2 hours. That's like an hour and 45 minutes hardcore sleep time."
Belle laughed. "Well, unlike you Brady, I can't get up, take a shower, get dressed and get to school in 15 minutes, let alone do my makeup and hair. Besides, I get up early so I have time to relax and enjoy my morning. It gets me in the right frame of mind. Hey, it's not easy being this perky." She joked.
"Yeah, well the only time I see this side of sunrise is when I've just spent the entire night party… I mean studying."
"Yeah right… so what are you doing up?" Belle asked.
He plopped down in a chair in front of her. "I didn't get a lot of sleep last night. Kept tossing and turning, finally decided to get up." His eyes lost focus while he remembered his dream from last night.
"Bad dream?" Belle asked, full of concern for her big brother.
"Oh no, quite the opposite. It was a very nice dream." He answered with a silly, lopsided grin.
"OOOH, one of those dreams." She teased.
"Isabella Black, would you kindly remove your mind from the gutter? Anyway, it wasn't like that. It was just…weird."
"So, it was a nice, weird dream. Who was it about?" she asked, grinning, like she didn't already know.
"I am not even going to answer that."
"You know, I can't believe Phillip last night. Crashing the party. He really hurt Chloe." Bell said to change the subject.
"Yeah, Chloe's been through a rough couple of days." Brady replied thoughtfully, remembering her attack Saturday night. His blood still ran could every time he thought of her in the clutches of those two bastards. He had actually thanked God that he had been driving by at that time. He couldn't even imagine what might have happened if he hadn't been there. Brady then noticed that Belle's face had grown troubled.
"Tink, what's wrong?"
"It's just…I still feel so bad about what happened on your date. If I hadn't jumped to major wrong conclusions and told you that Chloe had left with Phillip, then you wouldn't have left her behind and she wouldn't have been attacked. She was almost seriously hurt, and it's because of me."
"Belle," Brady began, wanting to comfort his sister.
"The worst part is that I ran into her afterwards outside the theater. I knew you had left and that she didn't have a ride, but I was so angry with her that I didn't even let her explain her side. She's told me over and over that she forgives me, but I still feel bad." Belle drooped her shoulders.
"Hey, I'm just as much to blame. I was the one who left her there, alone. I should have known that Chloe would never have run out on me without talking to me first, even if it was with Phillip. What we have to do now is push our own guilts aside and focus on Chloe. I'm really worried about her, Belle."
"Me too. She told me that she can't stop thinking about the attack." Belle said, concerned.
"She's mentioned it a few times to me, too. It's to be expected. She's suffered a major shock."
"What would Mom call it? Posttraumatic stress? Do you think that's what it is?" Belle asked.
"Maybe. In any case, we have to give her a few days to get over it. And that, my dear sister, is where you come in. As her best friend, it is your job to keep her busy with talk of boys, shopping and makeup." He teased.
"Oh, that's all you think we do? HMPH! You're so far off course, you're not even on the map." She countered upon leaving the room.
Meanwhile, Brady thought, I'll just have to find my own way of helping Chloe.