I hope everyone had a good start to their week! Life is crazy, but I'm hopefully back for a bit. Thanks for staying with me! Cheers! :o)
"Come on, let's go say good-bye."
Elizabeth looked up at her sister from her window seat. Snow's face showed sorrow, heartbreak, and endless pain and sadness. Elizabeth's, on the other hand, was blank and void of any emotion. Snow held out her hand to the younger girl, but Elizabeth just stared back, before turning back to her window overlooking the grounds.
"You have to acknowledge what it going on, Beth." Snow said gently, her voice strained from trying not to cry.
"Don't call me that." Elizabeth bit at her sister, as she whirred around to face Snow, again. Elizabeth's face was full of anger and pain. Beth had been what her father called her, and now he was dead.
"I don't want to see his dead body just lying there. Go without me."
"Elizabeth..." Snow tried one more time. Elizabeth swallowed the lump in her throat, but turned back to the window. She couldn't do this. She couldn't say good-bye to her father, her hero.
Snow walked over and hugged Elizabeth's stiff body, before turning and walking out. Elizabeth could feel the walls building within her. The pain was too much, so she swallowed back the tears, the feelings, the grief. How would this work, it being just her, Snow, and her mother?
Her father's laugh wouldn't echo down that halls. No one would take her riding through the forest. No more presents from his trips through the lands. The bear hugs, she wouldn't get another giant bear hug from him ever again.
Elizabeth shook her head. Maybe she should say good-bye. Her heart tore at the idea, but the girl still stood and headed to the viewing room. As she was walking down the corridor, she could hear Snow and her mother's grief stricken voices.
"I'm so sorry, Snow." Came Regina's soothing voice. "I loved him so much."
Elizabeth froze in the shadows of the hall. She hadn't seen Regina since the servants found the King. The girl had refused to leave her room. She figured, if she didn't leave, then maybe she'd wake up and realize it was all just a bad dream, but the voices down the hall made reality hit Elizabeth like a troll plowing through a field. Snow's break down, Regina's sorrow...
Elizabeth backed against the wall. She couldn't do this. Her mother's voice had been too much. Suddenly, she felt like someone had punched her in the gut and her knees gave out. Elizabeth slid down the wall and shoved her skirt into her mouth to muffle any sounds that tried to escape. Her body was trembling, not sure how to react to the swarm of emotion trying to rush out. He was gone. Father was really gone.
Rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, I staggered into the kitchen. Mom was reading the newspaper at the kitchen counter, a cup of coffee cradled in her hands. I was surprised to find her still in her pajamas and bathrobe. Usually, she'd be dressed by now.
"Morning." I mumbled, as I walked to the cupboard and pulled the cinnamon toast crunch out. "How about something healthier, please?" Mom replied as a way of greeting. She casually turned a page of the newspaper, "There's oatmeal in the fridge."
I let out a tired sigh, but returned the cereal to the cupboard and made my way to the refrigerator. Upon inspection, I quickly located the bowl of overnight oats and pulled them out. I made myself a small bowl, and popped it in the microwave.
"You're supposed to eat them cold." Mom stated, as the smell of cinnamon and apples filled the air.
I simply shrugged, as I stared into the microwave, watching my bowl turn in small circles. Then I remembered, "Was someone here last night?" I asked, changing the topic from my breakfast choice. "No, why?" Mom said back coolly.
"I thought I heard you talking to someone..." I'd woken up at one point, and could have sworn I heard a man's muffled voice coming from my mom's room last night. Mom looked up at me from her bent position over the paper and as she straightens she said, "I left the TV on down stairs on accident. That was probably what you heard."
"Oh," was all I said back. That made sense, the TV did carry voices weirdly up the stairs. I retrieved my oatmeal and sat the counter across from my mom. Staring at my food, I had no energy to eat it. I shouldn't be this tired, I thought to myself, as Henry came bounding into the kitchen, already dressed and perky as ever.
"Good morning." Mom said to him as she went to the fridge and pulled the oatmeal out to fix him a bowl. "Eat up," She stated, as plopped Henry's bowl in front of him and left the kitchen to get ready for the day.
Henry sniffed the oatmeal, then looked back towards the stairs, and cocked his head to listen. I faintly heard mom's door close after a second, and with that Henry hopped off his stool with his bowl, walked over to the sink, and dumped the oatmeal down the drain while running the garbage disposal.
He then walked to the cupboard and pulled out the Cinnamon Toast Crunch that I'd tried to eat 20 minutes earlier. "Want some?" Henry asked, as he retrieved a new bowl. I looked down at my oatmeal, and then back up at him. "Hook a sista up!" I said, as I jumped off my stool and disposed of my own gross oatmeal.
"No, it was 1-15 for the pre-calc homework, 1-10 for the history worksheet, and 5-15 for the English review sheet." I explained to Ray as we walked down the hall.
"Crap!" Ray huffed out next to me. "I did the wrong English questions. Ugh! Can I copy yours when we get to our table, please?"
"Sure." I said with a shrug.
"Oh, I think Chris, Derrick, and I are gong to Granny's after school." Ray continued, as we reached our lockers. I opened mine and pulled out my lunch bag. "When do you guys make all these plans?" I responded back.
"I just made them. The guys don't know yet, but they'll be there."
"Well, I won't be. I'm on Henry duty and I haven't finished my chores since I've been at the Mayor's office so much lately. Plus, I was too tired to go running this morning, so I need to do that."
"Mads, really? Come on. Henry's fine at home. Don't you want to hang with your friends and boyfriend?" Ray said jokingly, but also had a serious glint to her stare.
"I do, but I have responsibilities. End of discussion." I said a little sharply.
"Dude, what's your problem?" Ray snapped at me. "One second you're like a normal teenager and then you go right back to having a stick up your ass and acting like 'Mommy's pet.' Whatever. Fine, don't hang with us."
My mouth dropped. "What the hell, Ray? A little harsh much? I hang with all of you all the time. Sorry I have a mom that has expectations for me and sorry I want to be a good daughter."
"Excuse you?! My parents trust me enough actually let me be my own person. Every time you try, your mom tightens her reins on you and you don't even bat an eye."
"I'm not arguing with you about this. You're over stepping and you know it." Why the heck was Ray so irritated that I didn't want to go to Granny's? This was stupid. "I'm your best friend, it's my job to over step and call you out." Shaking my head, I turned to walk away from Ray, knowing that if I stayed a full blown argument would happen.
"Why are you wearing your locket again?" Ray called to me. I'd made it only about ten steps away, but I stopped and turned to face her. "What are you talking about?" I asked, genuinely confused. "I've never taken it off."
Ray looked at me with a surprised look, that turned to confusion. She looked like she was about to say something but I cut her off. "I'm not doing this." I thought to myself. "You know what, find someone else to let you copy their homework." With that I turned to storm out of the building.
I had only made it around the corner when the sheriff walking into Ms. Blanchard's classroom caught my eye. Sheriff Graham… Gears were turning in my head, and suddenly the voice form early this morning clicked. Sheriff Grant had been in my mom's room. That's the voice I'd heard, not the TV. My mom was sleeping with the Sheriff.
My stomach turned, and I threw my lunch into the nearest garbage can. Today was just awesome.