Frowned Down On
Chapter 1- Almost A Classic Day
As little as it snowed in Forget-Me-Not Valley, it was falling steadily today. Instead of the sprinkles of snow the village was used to, snowflakes the size of hailstones that the countries to the north got were falling down from the heavens.
Lumina smoothed out her dress, hurrying along as the snow blotched her newly cleaned outfit. It would be no big deal, if he was there. Hoping she looked decent, Lumina held her breath, and calmly entered the Inn. They had always met there. He lived nearby, and it was a quick walk from the Villa.
Lumina was a few minutes early, and Lou wasn't there yet. Sighing, she sat down on the bench to the side of the room, allowing herself to relax a moment. Lou had just moved in that Spring, but he and Lumina had connected instantly. He was outgoing and brave, but Lumina was more on the shy side. They were a cute couple, according to Lou. Even thinking about her love made Lumina jittery. Lou had made it official in the Fall, but relationships were always short in the peace of the valley, and turned to marriage rather quickly. Lou said they needed to talk, which made Lumina excited. He must want to propose to her.
"Lumina?" It was Ruby. She was heaving a large basket of laundry while attempting to read a recipe. She was worn out. "Can you bring this basket upstairs to Rock and Nami? I need to get lunch started." Without waiting for an answer, Ruby thanked Lumina and hurried into the kitchen, humming.
Lumina shrugged, excepting the chore. It was better than sitting around waiting for Lou. She did need practice as a housewife. Lifting the wicker hamper filled with clothes, Lumina easily brought it upstairs. Nami watched her carefully, her eyes boring holes in Lumina.
"I've brought up your laundry for Ruby." She told Nami quietly, her shyness creeping in. Nami snorted.
"Whatever," With that being said, Nami took the basket and sorted her clothes from Rock's. She threw the basket with Rock's across the hall. Lumina, feeling unnatural with the bold red head, crept downstairs, her feet light on the steps. She made no noise.
"Celia? What are you doing here?" It was Lou's voice. Lumina froze. She didn't know why she felt young and vulnerable near the calm collected Celia, but she did.
"I'm here to finally get this Lumina business over with. Care to watch?" Lou inquired, laughing. The 'Lumina business'? That didn't sound like the way a man would treat his lady. Maybe he was just drunkā¦
It took Lumina a moment to remember that Lou didn't drink because he felt it would endanger his health. Lumina had admired his courage to stand out amongst the other men in Forget-Me-Not.
"Good, Lou dear. I was almost afraid you actually liked her." Celia giggled. "That wasn't very nice of me." She admitted. Lumina felt her heart sink. What had Celia just said?
"No, she was just a girl to kill time with, nothing special. I told her I would be her boyfriend as a joke, but I think she took me seriously." Lumina imagined Lou shrugging. "Where is she? Lumina's never late." Tears stung Lumina's eyes. Lou's harsh words resonated in her ears. "She was just a girl to kill time with, nothing special."
Why did the Goddess torture her like this? She sobbed, and Lou and Celia must have heard, because both of them came to the stairs with what Lumina assumed was a horrified look in their eyes.
"L-lumina?" Lou asked quietly, shock toning his silky voice.
"What? Come to kill more time with me?" She yelled, shoving past him and running into the snow.
"Lumina! Wait, I can explain!" Lou called after her as she pusher her way through knee deep snow in her short dress. The weather wasn't supposed to have gotten this bad.
"I don't want to hear your explanations." Lumina screamed, her vision blurring with a fresh wave of tears. First, her parents died in a fire that nearly took her own life. Their will had said to leave her with her grandmother Romana in Forget-Me-Not Valley, and Lumina lived there. But her grandma was strict with her piano playing, but Lumina never wanted to play. Romana had wanted more money and decided Lumina was the perfect puppet to get it through. And as if that wasn't bad enough, here came the Goddess' hatred thrown at her in another way- losing the love of her life.
Lumina wasn't paying attention to where she was going until she had reached the Villa. She couldn't let her grandmother see her coming home; she had said she wasn't going to be back for a while. She snuck up to her room, but Doctor Hardy saw her and eyed her suspiciously.
It didn't matter to the crushed girl anymore, nothing did. Lou had just broken her heart, crushing her spirit, the one thing she had left.
"Why do you do this to me, Goddess?" Lumina whispered into the folds of her pink and blue comforter. It was messily made on the queen sized bed. She sniffled.
"Do you want me to die emotionally? Lou never even cared. You do hate me." Lumina told the comforter angrily. As soon as she turned eighteen next Summer, she was going to move away. There was nothing else to it. She would be rid of the old-fashioned Goddess, and of her memories of Lou, and his real girl Celia.
Jealousy raged within Lumina, and depression followed. Everyone saw her as the shy girl who lived on the hill with her preppy grandma. She played the piano and was a respectable girl. No one cared beyond the surface. To Lumina, the world hated her.
Tears overcame Lumina again, for the wasted time, effort, and most of all, memories.
A/N: This is only going to have two or three more chapters. I intend it to be fairly short. KLS
