This is Prompt No. 7-Sadness

Mitchie awoke the next morning, stretching her hands above her head. She wore a smile on her face until the full effect of the morning hit her and she realized what was at stake. She closed her eyes once more, this time trying to find the courage to get out of the bed, knowing that she would never get back into it. Pretending to be brave and carefree for Mitchell and Anna was one thing, actually going through with some of the hardest parts of the plan was another entirely.

"Good morning," Anna said, coming to sit down on the bed next to Mitchie.

Mitchie opened her eyes and smiled weakly at her friend. "Morning," she responded, trying to sound cheerful.

Anna smiled knowingly at her friend. "It isn't a good morning?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

Mitchie winced. "It's alright." She bit her lip and added, "I'm nervous."

Anna, being the true friend she was, said, "We don't have to do this, you know." She reached for Mitchie's hand and held it tightly. "We can just call everything off right now and we won't have to worry about it."

Mitchie had to work hard at blinking back the tears. "Thank you," she said sincerely, knowing that Anna knew all that she was offering to give up, "but I really want to do this." She paused, glancing toward the windows in her bedroom, studying the rays of light that were coming in through the cracks in the shutters. "I'm just scared."

Anna nodded, resolved to say no more about backing out. "I think that's perfectly natural," she said, and she stiffened, rising quickly from the bed. "After all, boarding schools are always slightly strange, or so I've been told, Miss."

Mitchie frowned, unsure why Anna's demeanor had suddenly changed until she heard the rap at the door. "Come in," she called, tensing unconsciously.

The door opened and in walked Mr. Torres, dressed for the day already. "Are you almost ready to get going, darling?" he asked.

Mitchie glanced back down at the sheets covering her and smiled back up at her father. "All I have left to do is to get dressed, daddy. Everything else is ready to go."

Her father smiled and came over to sit down on the side of Mitchie's bed, looking up at Anna questioningly. "Are you having second thoughts about boarding school?" he asked.

Mitchie then realized that Anna must have heard Mr. Torres coming down the hall, and had thus changed her manner of her address. "No," she said, in order to assure him. "I'm actually looking forward to going. I'm just a little nervous, that's all."

"Alright," he said warily, backing out of the room. "Hurry up, it's almost time for you to go."

"Okay," Mitchie said, willing him out of her room as fast as possible. When her father left, she and Anna breathed a sigh of relief and Mitchie pushed back the covers and hopped out of bed, dressing quickly, and silently, with Anna's help. "Thank you," she said softly as Anna buttoned the last button on the dress.

Anna smiled slightly at her friend. "You're welcome," she answered. She moved to the window and looked out. "The carriage is here," she told Mitchie.

Mitchie nodded. "Then I guess it's time to go," she said resolutely, picking up the valise, her small bag, and heading out the door with Anna following right behind her.

Downstairs, Mr. and Mrs. Torres were standing on the porch, waiting to wave their daughter and her servant off. Mrs. Torres hugged Mitchie lightly, making sure not to rumple her dress, and said, "I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do with myself. You're leaving today and so is Mitchell."

Mitchie nodded and said, "I know." "Oh don't I know," she was thinking, but her face remained stoically calm. "But I'm sure you'll find something to do with your days." Mitchie had to fight hard to keep the smile on her face from slipping. Her mother was acting as though she spent every day with her children, which was far from the actual pattern of her actions.

She moved to her father and kissed him goodbye, and turned to find Mitchell leaning heavily against a porch post, watching her intently. Mitchie moved over to him and threw her arms around him, struggling not to cry. Her emotions were overpowering her and she was afraid that she would be unable to hold them in for much longer. "I'll see you soon," she said honestly.

Mitchell nodded, and his whole body seemed to slump. "Soon," he responded, knowing that his sister, unfortunately, meant literally.

Mitchie turned and waved once more to her family before motioning for Anna to join her in the carriage. "See you all later!" she called as the carriage jerked into motion, taking her down the long drive of the plantation. She feared, though, that she would never come back.

The driver stopped at the predetermined spot after a half hour of driving, and Anna helped Mitchie change into her other clothes. Her mouth practically hit her knees when Mitchie handed her a pair of sheep shears and said casually, "You're going to have to cut my hair off."

"What!" Anna cried, stunned as she watched Mitchie pull her carefully-placed pins out of her hair once more.

"I said, 'you're going to have to cut my hair off,'" Mitchie responded calmly. When Anna continued to gape at her she said impatiently, "You didn't really think that I could walk right into an army camp with all my hair tucked under my hat, did you? They would know that I'm a girl the first time they told me to take my cap off in respect for a commanding officer."

Anna looked reluctant as she nodded, having understood, yet not liked, Mitchie's point. She picked up the shears again and her hands shook slightly as she cut off a fistful of Mitchie's black hair. Another fistful came next, and then another, until Mitchie's hair was short enough to pass for a boy's. "There," Anna said when she had finished.

Mitchie ran a hand through her new hairstyle and a smile spread across her face. "It's so light!" she exclaimed.

"It's so indecent," Anna retorted sullenly, staring down at her lap where she had placed each of Mitchie's tresses as she had cut them. "But it looks pretty good, if I do say so myself," she paused, "for having to use sheep shears."

Mitchie laughed and even Anna joined in, but the giggles died away when they heard the clip of a horse's canter. The laughter stilled on their lips and Mitchie tensed, knowing what was coming next. She heard her brother greet the driver, and then the door to the carriage opened and Mitchell stepped inside. When his eyes had adjusted to the dim light, he gazed at Mitchie for a long time before remarking flatly, "You look like a boy."

Mitchie, trying to keep her composure, responded tartly by saying, "That was the point, Mitchell." She pulled out the pocket watch she now carried attached to her coat pocket and glanced at the time. "I should be going," she said softly. This was already becoming painful.

Mitchell nodded and stepped out of the carriage, extended his hand to help Mitchie and Anna out. He strode to his horse, whose reins he had tied to the wheel of the carriage, and led the horse over to his sister. "He's a good, strong horse," he told Mitchie, giving her a boost into the saddle. "He'll take good care of you."

Mitchie nodded and held the reins in her right hand as she used her left to clasp Anna's hands in a parting squeeze. She was afraid that if she dismounted to hug her friend and her brother that she might start crying and ruin her whole brave façade. "I'll see you both soon," she promised, "somehow, some way, I'll find you."

Anna nodded and squeezed Mitchell's arm as she said, "Be careful, Mitchie."

"Take care," Mitchell said, and Mitchie saw that he was trying hard not to cry, so she wheeled the horse around and raised her hand in farewell, spurring the animal on and never looking back. When she was a safe distance away, she let the tears come.

A/N: Comments? Anyome? Please let me know what you think. Don't be lazy!