The day I lost all my hopes.

Susan was staring at her reflection in the mirror. She was absolutly perfect: a long and lovely mauve flowing dress, her hair tied in a neat bun, her make up so perfectly applied that you couldn't guess she was wearing some, and yet it made her look even more beautiful. And at her neck, ears and wrists, her jewells were just so nice. Here she was, the most beautiful girl of the university, about to go to the last ball of the year, and with the most handsome and richest guy. She was perfect. Well, that's what everyone would be saying later. But as she was looking at her reflection, she had that impression that something was missing, but she couldn't put her finger on what exactly.

She turned around, once to the right, once to the left. She looked at the small pendant on her neck: it was a little cat that Lucy had been offered when she turned ten. It was simple, yet so beautiful! A few days after the accident, Susan had taken upon herself to sort out her family's belongings. And she saw that little cat, her sister's favourite jewell. She cried her heart out on it, but she had been unable ever since then to let away from her. So she had put on the pendant, and since her, it was the small detail that would make her the best tonight. Comforted by this thought, she looked at her reflection once more, and this time everything was perfect. She raised her eyebrow in wonder, but then she heard someone knocking on the door, and left her bedroom to answer. There was her best friend, Annie Skyelard, with James who was her partner for the night. Annie was accostumated to Susan's perfection just aked her if she was ready to leave, and Susan answered that yes, she was. But James had always seen her crying or mourning until then, so when he saw that stunning woman in front of him, he just staid there, gaping at her. He didn't realize she was talking to him until she waved her hand in front of his eyes. He blinked and shook his head to clear his mind.

"Sorry what?"

"I was just asking you if you were alright." She told him with a worried expression.

"Hum? Oh yes, I'm fine, thank you! It's just you are amazing tonight! You will be the most beautiful at the ball!"

"Yes I know! Nothing could be better than this pendant," she said, showing it to him. "It was Lucy's, you know! It's the most amazing jewell I have ever seen before."

She sighed, a far away look in her eyes, and didn't see the wondering glance that James cast to Annie, who mouthed "Just drop it!", and nodded in Susan's direction. He answered "Yes" with his head, but he would have rather said that Susan's most amazing jewell was currently her sapphire blue eyes, that just went glistening at the mention of her sister's treasure. But he staid quiet, and offered both his arms to the girls.

"Well, Ladies, if you will!"

Annie giggled, but Susan had to wait for David, who was late, as usual. She told them, and they sat down to talk. It was small talk, things not compromising that you can say when waiting to go to a ball, like the weather or the last gossiping, but those three could just talk naturatedly and appreciate each other's company, and Susan felt herself relax and even smile at one of James' joke, something that hadn't happened for quite a few time. They didn't realize how much time had passed until they heard someone calling at the door. Susan raised up to answer, and doing this, saw that David was late by half an hour. Shaking her head, she opened the door, and he immediatly kissed her, and it soon turned into a full snogging session.

Until they heard a cough, and they turned to see Annie smirking at them.

"Hello Mister I'm-too-good-to-be-on-time! I'm glad to see that you finally decided to grace us with your presence!"

'Imbecile' was saying her glare.

Susan smiled at what she thought was a joke, but David perceived the reproach, and just glared at Annie. Besides he didn't really like her, because he wanted Susan for him alone, to be sure that nobody would take her away from him.

"Oh shut up, brat! Have you never heard about being fashionnably late? Everyone will look at us tonight! This way maybe you could finally find someone today" he smirked at her.

'Single and not interesting for any normal man' was saying his glare.

But Susan, oblivious to the tension between them, just smiled, and answered chuckling, as if they were just joking at each other.

"Oh but she won't have to look for someone tonight! James is her date!"

David realized for the first time the tall shadow in the doorway, and glared at the other guy. The situation had been quite ense between them, because of David jealousy. But Susan was too disturbed to notice it, and they didn't want to show their hostility towards each other for her sake. Still David circled her wasit with his arm possessively, and smirked at James, glad that he managed to catch the most beautiful girl, while the other guy was stuck with the "brat".

He turned to the door, still holding Susan.

"Well, are you coming? I thought we were late!" he said to the others, as if they were late because of them. They just shrugged, and followed.

The ball was quite amazing to be true. It was in a old hall, painted with Renaissance pictures, and everyone indeed noticed the arrival of the four. Most exactly, they saw David Sneil, the most handsome guys and the most admired by girls, strutting about with on his arm Susan Pevensie, the most popular as well as most envied girl since school, coming in the hall, both looking dead gorgeous.

They started dancing, and everyone did the same, once the girls managed to convince their partners/ boyfriends. After a while, Susan and David headed to the bar to have a drink. Then David spotted one of his friends, and let Susan sipping at her orange juice. Some people came to say something at her, just easy conversation, but still she felt ill-at-ease. Most girls didn't like her because most of the guys were seeing her at the perfect girlfriend, and she had enjoyed the attention very much until then. But now, it was quite bothering. There were no hypocrisy in their world for once, and girls that would glare at her back were suddenly nice and concerned.

Susan should have liked it, beause she had always anted to be friend with anyone, and never liked conflicts, but she realised that people were acting out of pity for her. In spite of her determination, she felt tears in her eyes. She looked for David, but he was nowhere to be seen. So she put on the fake smile she always used to hid her hurt, a smile that could even deceived her family, and pretend to be in need of fresh to excuse herself near the person she was currently talking to. Then she ran outside, and let her tears fall freely, whilt she as sliding down a wall.

She didn't notice a tall guy who tried to call her as she was running out. She didn't hear him closing the door and crouching near her. However she felt his strong arms circling her shoulders, and looked up to see deep green eyes staring at her in wonder.

"I can't ... do it ... James ... I can't... no way ... it' too...hard... can't stand it..." She said between her sobs.

"Susan! Shhh... What are you talking about? Is it about your..."

"Their looks! Have you seen them? All staring and talking to me like at a poor lost puppy! I don't want that! I can't stand pity! I don't want to go inside again!"

"Hey! Hey! It's alright! I'll just find Annie and David and we can leave."

She managed to smile weakly at him, but put quickly her head on his shoulder, while he was rubbing her back in comfort. When her tears stopped, she looked up.

"Oh no! I'm sorry, I've put mascara on your shirt..."

"Don't bother, you are more important than a shirt! I'll just have to make it cleaned!"

"But..." She stopped what she was going to say when he chuckled. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"What's so funny?"

"It's just...you! You have so much reasons to feel bad, your eyes are still wet from the lak of tact of the whole university, and you worried about my shirt! You are just so great, caring about me for a so little thing!"

She opened her mouth to protest, but he kissed her forehead in a very brotherly manner, so close to what Peter used to do, so long ago... She just starlted and hugged him. Then they heard someone cough, and they both jumped apart blushing, even if they had been doing nothing wrong. They looked a Annie who had an amused smile.

"That's so cute! But you should be careful, people can misunderstand such actions."

"Annie..."

"Don't worry, Suzie, nobody saw you apart from me, but pay more attention to your surroundings in the future!"

"I know! It's just so hard."

"Don't worry, in little time, you will be again the girls of whom every other girl is jealous, the subject to rumors and other nonsense. Then you could pretend to feel like you were above them again."

"I don't know if I still want to be seen like that anymore. It matters so little now. I want to be true, not pretending. I owe that to my family!"

"I know, but rumors can hurt David... or James."

"I don't care if..."

"I know you don't! But Susan does! Once she punched a girl who asked her if it was true that Peter was an eunuch."

She chuckled, but Susan got red again, this time in anger, mumbling something like 'that idiot, just because he never had a girlfriend didn't mean...'. Annie looked at James in a 'told you!' way.

"James, go and fetch David inside, I'll wait for you here with Susan."

He tried to protest, but she whispered in his ear. "He might be quite angry if he find you alone with his girlfriend outside. Tell him I asked you to come."

She went by Susan again, and added with a smirk.

"Oh, and put your jacket on!"

He looked down at his shoulder, understood immediatly. After all, oyu ould see a faint mark of lipstick on it...

David was quite angry at being taken away from a party where he was drawing so much attention, but he was loving Susan, and after all would have looked stupid without her. But he didn't take her back home, instead he left Annie and James walk her back. Susan looked slightly disappointed, but Annie rolled her eyes to the sky, not understanding how her friend could excuse such a rude behaviour from her boyfriend.On the other end, that meant that he couldn't get more that a chaste kiss from her, and Annie was quite glad for it, she never liked when they were snogging.

The three remaining walked to Susan's house because it was near the hall, unlike her student accomodation. Annie would spend the night there, as well as James since David would not been here to opposed them. They talked amiably all the way, the night air and the absence of people pitying her making Susan feel better. But as they were nearing the corner of her street, they heard the sound of people screaming, and firemen's vehicles. They ran to the origine of the noise, and what they saw made them stop at once. Susan's house was burning, for quite some times it seemed, as theroof and the top floor had already disappeared, and the rest crumbled down in front of their eyes.

Susan fell on the floor, her eyes pouring out so much tears that she was just unable to see anything. She hoped to faint again, but this time darkness just didn't want to relieve her. So she stayed there, in her most beautiful dress, knees on the hard tarmac of the street, hugged by her two best times friends while the last souvenir of her childhood, of her family, was disappearing in a blazing fire.

A/N:

Oh my! I'm horrible! But believe me, I'm not a bloodthirsty monster that want to kill Susan. I'm doing it for a reason, that you will discover later.

Until then, review as you read, please, I'll might satisfy your curiosity faster!