Before the last note had finished sounding out, the entire audience was on
their feet clapping. The show had gone magnificently, and Faithe had felt
so much pride when Kaytlin had performed her solo. As the little girl's
strong voice rang out through the auditorium, Faithe's brown eyes had
glazed over with tears. Then again, Faithe had been shedding a lot of tears
lately.
Wearing a sleek black dress that fit her form, Faithe sat back down until the audience had cleared out. Once the theatre was empty, she made her way up on stage and walked to the back, looking for Jake and Kaytlin. A few people nodded a greeting to her, which she returned politely but completely detached.
"Aunt Belle!" An ecstatic Kaytlin ran towards her, wrapping her arms around Faithe's legs. Smiling down at Kaytlin, she reached down and lifted the girl into her arms. She had changed into a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, but her stage make-up was still on her face. Hoisting her onto her left hip, Faithe reached up and brushed a stray strand of hair out of Kayte's face.
"You did wonderful sweetie!" Tweaking Kayte's nose, Faithe smiled as the little girl squealed with delight at her praise.
Jake came walking up, looking slightly frazzled, but he had the same ecstatic expression on his face as his daughter. Wrapping his arms around Faithe, he gave her a big hug, sandwiching Kaytlin in between the two.
"Kaytlin, why don't you go grab your bag from your dressing room?" Wriggling down from Faithe's arms, Kayte did exactly as her father told her. Once she was out of sight, Jake turned back to Faithe.
"How are you doing?" Lowering his voice, he looked at his sister with a look of concern. He hadn't really spoken to her since last weekend, and she hadn't been in great shape then.
"I'm...alive." Sighing as she spoke, Faithe's eyes fell to the ground, her smile fading. "I've been occupying myself by training a lot. I'm starting to really get back in shape. Getting ready for this summer..." Which was true. How she had managed to scrape through this past week was beyond her. Time seemed to move on so slowly, particularly during Astronomy. She had managed to avoid talking to Orlando, though it hadn't been easy. Instead of getting to class early, she showed up minutes before the start of class, and was one of the first ones out of the door at the end. Every night she had fought the urge to go rap on his door, and instead laid awake all night long.
"I can tell. You've lost weight." His eyebrows furrowed slightly as he noticed that she did seem thinner. Shrugging, Faithe looked around the backstage simply to avoid his stare. Clearing his throat, Jake's own eyes fell the ground. "Bridget was here tonight. She's been calling me all week about Kaytlin."
Before Faithe could make an outrage about the matter, Kayte herself had bounded back up to the two. Smiling halfheartedly at the goofy grin on her niece's face, Faithe placed her hand on top of the girl's head.
"Why don't we go upstairs and start getting you read for bed while your dad finishes up here?" Looking down at her, she smiled as the girl nodded vigorously. Turning her eyes towards Jake, she nodded, "We'll see you in a little bit."
*****
Twenty minutes later, Kaytlin was freshly bathed and clad in her pajamas. Faithe had been staring out at the city from the window. She had taken her heels off, and had pulled her hair down from the French Twist as she sat in the window bench. Kaytlin came bounding down the hallway, pouncing on Faithe's lap, wrinkling the dress as she did so.
"Will you read me a story before I go to bed?" Poking out her bottom lip, Kayte made her bottom lip quiver in a pouty face. Laughing, Faithe pulled the girl into her arms, hugging her tightly.
"Don't try to pull that on me; I'm the one who taught you that." Grinning, she shook her head, "Yes, I'll read you a story. Go grab a book." Squealing with delight, Kayte took off for her room, leaving Faithe smiling as she shook her head. I wish I had that much energy...
Five minutes passed and there was no sound from Kayte, nor had she come back. "You all right back there?" Calling to her, Faithe furrowed her eyebrows slightly, but there was a small smile on her lips. Kayte had been known to take forever and a day to perform the simplest task. However, her smile faded when she didn't hear anything back from the girl.
Standing up, she made her way back to Kaytlin's room. Surprised when she found the room to be pitch black, she rapped on the door frame. "Kayte? Why do you have the lights off?" Reaching over on the wall, she flipped the switch on and squinted her eyes when the bright light flooded the room. Her entire body froze when she saw Bridget, her hand covering Kaytlin's mouth, and her wand in her other hand. Kaytlin's arms had been bound together, no doubt the work of Bridget's wand.
Her eyes narrowing, Faithe made a move towards the two. The smirk on Bridget's face angered Faithe all the more, but she soon found the cause of the look of triumph. Her vision went black and a small cry escaped her eyes as something pounded the back of her head, causing her to fall forward on all fours. She didn't have time to turn around to see who had attacked her before she caught a foot to her side. Her arms and legs collapsed as she fell to the floor. Groaning, she rolled over as she heard Kayte's muffled scream.
Had she the strength, she probably would have gasped at the person behind her, but she only closed her eyes as she rubbed her forehead. Eddie's malicious smile grew as he pulled out his wand and pointed it down at her. Looking at Bridget, he winked. "Go ahead and take her, I'll finish things up here."
Hearing his words, Faithe's eyes shot open as she turned on her stomach. Not sure where she got the strength, she jumped up and made a lunge towards Bridget, "Leave her alone!" However, she didn't get very far until she felt Eddie's grip on her bicep, pulling her back. Slamming her against the wall, he let out a frustrated grunt, that malicious expression in his eyes.
The more the squirmed, the more she paid for it.Tears stung her eyes as she looked horrified as Bridget disapparated with a frightened Kaytlin in tow. Eddie brought his face close to hers, a smirk back on his face. "I've been wanting to do this all week." Backhanding her again, he threw her down to the ground. By this time, she was too weak to move or fight back. Pointing his wand at Faithe, his eyes narrowed at her, "Crucio..."
Wearing a sleek black dress that fit her form, Faithe sat back down until the audience had cleared out. Once the theatre was empty, she made her way up on stage and walked to the back, looking for Jake and Kaytlin. A few people nodded a greeting to her, which she returned politely but completely detached.
"Aunt Belle!" An ecstatic Kaytlin ran towards her, wrapping her arms around Faithe's legs. Smiling down at Kaytlin, she reached down and lifted the girl into her arms. She had changed into a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, but her stage make-up was still on her face. Hoisting her onto her left hip, Faithe reached up and brushed a stray strand of hair out of Kayte's face.
"You did wonderful sweetie!" Tweaking Kayte's nose, Faithe smiled as the little girl squealed with delight at her praise.
Jake came walking up, looking slightly frazzled, but he had the same ecstatic expression on his face as his daughter. Wrapping his arms around Faithe, he gave her a big hug, sandwiching Kaytlin in between the two.
"Kaytlin, why don't you go grab your bag from your dressing room?" Wriggling down from Faithe's arms, Kayte did exactly as her father told her. Once she was out of sight, Jake turned back to Faithe.
"How are you doing?" Lowering his voice, he looked at his sister with a look of concern. He hadn't really spoken to her since last weekend, and she hadn't been in great shape then.
"I'm...alive." Sighing as she spoke, Faithe's eyes fell to the ground, her smile fading. "I've been occupying myself by training a lot. I'm starting to really get back in shape. Getting ready for this summer..." Which was true. How she had managed to scrape through this past week was beyond her. Time seemed to move on so slowly, particularly during Astronomy. She had managed to avoid talking to Orlando, though it hadn't been easy. Instead of getting to class early, she showed up minutes before the start of class, and was one of the first ones out of the door at the end. Every night she had fought the urge to go rap on his door, and instead laid awake all night long.
"I can tell. You've lost weight." His eyebrows furrowed slightly as he noticed that she did seem thinner. Shrugging, Faithe looked around the backstage simply to avoid his stare. Clearing his throat, Jake's own eyes fell the ground. "Bridget was here tonight. She's been calling me all week about Kaytlin."
Before Faithe could make an outrage about the matter, Kayte herself had bounded back up to the two. Smiling halfheartedly at the goofy grin on her niece's face, Faithe placed her hand on top of the girl's head.
"Why don't we go upstairs and start getting you read for bed while your dad finishes up here?" Looking down at her, she smiled as the girl nodded vigorously. Turning her eyes towards Jake, she nodded, "We'll see you in a little bit."
*****
Twenty minutes later, Kaytlin was freshly bathed and clad in her pajamas. Faithe had been staring out at the city from the window. She had taken her heels off, and had pulled her hair down from the French Twist as she sat in the window bench. Kaytlin came bounding down the hallway, pouncing on Faithe's lap, wrinkling the dress as she did so.
"Will you read me a story before I go to bed?" Poking out her bottom lip, Kayte made her bottom lip quiver in a pouty face. Laughing, Faithe pulled the girl into her arms, hugging her tightly.
"Don't try to pull that on me; I'm the one who taught you that." Grinning, she shook her head, "Yes, I'll read you a story. Go grab a book." Squealing with delight, Kayte took off for her room, leaving Faithe smiling as she shook her head. I wish I had that much energy...
Five minutes passed and there was no sound from Kayte, nor had she come back. "You all right back there?" Calling to her, Faithe furrowed her eyebrows slightly, but there was a small smile on her lips. Kayte had been known to take forever and a day to perform the simplest task. However, her smile faded when she didn't hear anything back from the girl.
Standing up, she made her way back to Kaytlin's room. Surprised when she found the room to be pitch black, she rapped on the door frame. "Kayte? Why do you have the lights off?" Reaching over on the wall, she flipped the switch on and squinted her eyes when the bright light flooded the room. Her entire body froze when she saw Bridget, her hand covering Kaytlin's mouth, and her wand in her other hand. Kaytlin's arms had been bound together, no doubt the work of Bridget's wand.
Her eyes narrowing, Faithe made a move towards the two. The smirk on Bridget's face angered Faithe all the more, but she soon found the cause of the look of triumph. Her vision went black and a small cry escaped her eyes as something pounded the back of her head, causing her to fall forward on all fours. She didn't have time to turn around to see who had attacked her before she caught a foot to her side. Her arms and legs collapsed as she fell to the floor. Groaning, she rolled over as she heard Kayte's muffled scream.
Had she the strength, she probably would have gasped at the person behind her, but she only closed her eyes as she rubbed her forehead. Eddie's malicious smile grew as he pulled out his wand and pointed it down at her. Looking at Bridget, he winked. "Go ahead and take her, I'll finish things up here."
Hearing his words, Faithe's eyes shot open as she turned on her stomach. Not sure where she got the strength, she jumped up and made a lunge towards Bridget, "Leave her alone!" However, she didn't get very far until she felt Eddie's grip on her bicep, pulling her back. Slamming her against the wall, he let out a frustrated grunt, that malicious expression in his eyes.
The more the squirmed, the more she paid for it.Tears stung her eyes as she looked horrified as Bridget disapparated with a frightened Kaytlin in tow. Eddie brought his face close to hers, a smirk back on his face. "I've been wanting to do this all week." Backhanding her again, he threw her down to the ground. By this time, she was too weak to move or fight back. Pointing his wand at Faithe, his eyes narrowed at her, "Crucio..."
