Chapter One: My Life is Turned Upside Down
England, 1995
I fluffed my rumpled bedspread, biting my lip in annoyance at the fact that it never quite seemed to straighten out. It was patterned with clutches of bluebells, which looked rather odd when crumpled up as if they were sheet paper.
Letting out a groan, I slid my fingers over the bedspread, hoping to smooth out the wrinkles. Unfortunately for me, all that it did was clump them up in certain places. The combination of the summer heat that was causing me to perspire heavily, mixed with the annoyance of my chore was making the day unbearable!
“BIANCA, YOUR FRIEND GISELLE IS HERE!” Mother bellowed, her voice a sudden shock in the quiet room. Groaning at the condition of the crumpled sheets, I gave them one last dejected pat before sliding elegantly through my cream-colored bedroom door.
There are some perks to having slippery wooden flooring, such as the figure-skating potential that had arisen in me from the many hours spent sliding around. There was also the fact that I took childish delight in such small pleasures, but I wasn’t admitting that to anyone.
Hopping lightly onto the bannister, I briskly slid all of the way down, my light-brown hair fluttering in the sudden gust of air. I landed on the ground with a slight thud, unsurprised by the abrupt stop. Years of bannister-sliding had made me quite an expert.
Smoothing my skirt, I padded quietly into the parlor, the room where Giselle would be waiting for me without a doubt. It was tradition.
My bright, sunshine-yellow dress seemed utterly out of place in the vast pastel room, which sported an array of pale, muted pinks and mild sky blues. Giselle was perched on one of the soft green chairs, muffling a yawn with one hand and gingerly cupping her watch in the other. She stole a quick glance at it, probably wondering where in the world I was.
The instant she spotted me, her vivid green eyes widened and she broke into a grin. “Hi, Bianca!”
I gave a little wave, my grin almost as bright as my dress, then turned to my mother.
I dreaded having to tell her about my unfinished chores, but it had to be done. “Mom, would you mind finishing my bedsheets?” I asked meekly, blushing scarlet at the fact that I hadn’t been able to finish the simple task myself.
“Bianca Magdelena Burnett, you are a very capable fourteen-year-old girl,” mother sniffed in the disapproving tone that she had reserved especially for me. “I expect more of you the next time that I ask you to do something.”
“I’m sorry, mother.” I curtsied gracefully in my yellow dress, bowing my head forward. One of the few things that I found myself to be gifted at was being graceful and poised. At least no one could accuse me of being a clumsy fool.
“You are forgiven.” Mother said curtly, interrupting my train of thought. She waved one white-gloved hand in a brisk shooing motion. “Go on, have fun.”
“So, where are we going today?” I asked Giselle as we strolled out of the parlor at a leisurely walking pace, our steps lining up perfectly.
“Oh, let’s go to the new cinema!” Giselle replied enthusiastically, and I knew that it had been weighing on her mind the whole time and she was just bursting to get it out. “It’s rather old-fashioned. Why, I’ve heard that they even show premieres and have a concessions stand! Oooh, and here’s the best part; the admission is completely free!”
As we walked along, I braided my hair in sections, my fingers gliding through the thick, glossy strands. One of the perks of having straight hair was that it was always a breeze to style.
As I braided, I thought back to some of our first walks. How long had it been since the first one, again?
It seemed almost like Gis and I had been best friends since forever, and now it was simply an irreversible fact of life. Every Saturday since I could remember, we had taken a stroll at 2:00 PM (providing one of us wasn’t busy) to wherever we pleased.
The cinema that Gis was bursting to go to had been a skating rink in previous years, but it was in terrible condition! The ice was always slushy and dull, speckled with deep skate marks that were almost impossible to avoid catching a skate in. In fact, the rink had become so very unpopular that they had remodeled it, probably thinking that a cinema would be more successful.
“What have you been up to lately?” I asked Giselle, eager to hear of her latest antics. She couldn’t go a week without having something lively and new happen to her.
“Well,” she began, a grin breaking across her face,” this week, when I was walking by Everhurst Lane, I saw this family carrying suitcases and other things of the sort into the old manor right up the street. You know, the cream-colored one?”
“With the mold?” I wrinkled my nose.
“That was fixed a while ago, Bee.” Gis countered demurely, in an almost adult-like manner. “Anyways, shall I go on?”
“Oh, please do!” I wanted badly to know if kids our age had moved in, and I didn’t want to seem like a petulant child.
“Well, I saw this beautiful, ornate chestnut-wood desk in perfect condition, followed by some daisy-patterned furniture and an enormous brass chest!” she breathed, her eyes shining with excitement.
I wondered what could possibly be so entrancing about a chest, of all things! But I suppose that it must have been a fascinating thing, glowing with the kind of refined lustre that only polished wood can give off.
“Then,” she continued, her face lighting up,” I saw a boy!”
“Soooo?” I replied, waving my hand in front of her face. “What’s important about a boy?” I wrinkled my nose in faux repulsion and fanned my face with one hand. “It’ll go rummaging through the garbage and go cause mischief like all of the other young ‘uns!”
“I guess.” Giselle replied uncertainly, but it only took her a minute to regain her old jubilance. “Ooh, there it is!” she squealed, folding her hands against her chest and jumping up and down.
The cinema loomed over us, glimmering golden and bright in the beaming sun, about a shade paler than my dress. We were standing in the smooth stone entryway, the light casting a soft sheen over us that was reflected by a myriad of refracting crystals dangling from a nearby willow tree.
“This is… beautiful.” I said, spotting my reflection in the smooth, shiny marble staircase. My French-braided hair rippled as I tilted my head, and I had to bite back a laugh at its odd deformity.
“Isn’t it?!” Giselle gushed, clasping her hands together and turning in a full circle. Her crimson dress swooshed elegantly around her heels. Only Gis could do such “movie-star things,” as we called them, and get away with it.
“C’mon!” I grabbed Giselle’s hand and tugged her into the vast doorway.
They could probably fit an entire sofa through the entryway I thought, suddenly feeling very small.
Giselle skipped around the brown-and-yellow tiled lobby, examining the delectable-looking pastries and snacks perched atop the concessions stand. My mouth watered, and my hand instinctively flew to the lavender-colored coin purse in my blouse pocket. I expertly flicked open the smooth silver clasp between my fingertips and felt around inside for some loose change. Nothing.
With a light, airy sigh, I slid my purse back into my pocket and leaned wearily against a pillar. My eyes fluttered shut, despite the steady hum of people examining and purchasing different treats. It faded slowly into the background, as subtle and soothing as a lullaby.
I had almost forgotten my surroundings and dozed off when Giselle suddenly yanked my arm, her fingertips practically vibrating with energy.
“COME ON!” Giselle exclaimed empathetically, her voice ringing with excitement and a touch of impatience. “Gone With the Wind is playing, Bee! We simply can’t miss it!”
I gasped in delight, my hand fluttering to my mouth like an impulsive butterfly. “Really? Oh, Gis, that’s our favorite!” I exclaimed, my eyes shining. “What are we waiting for, then?”
We both dashed up to the set of double doors leading to the vast, darkened cinema room, fueled by excitement. The screen was playing a segment of the program about getting one egg cream for the normal price, and the second one free! Egg creams tasted frothy and delicious, but I didn’t dare ask Gis if she had any spare change when she obviously didn’t, with finances being stretched so tight at her own household.
My eyes flicked wistfully to the door as I thought of the delicious concessions that were being sold on the other side.
I gingerly took a seat on a silky, crimson pillow on the floor, as all of the other seats were occupied. No surprise, considering the current movie’s popularity I thought with a glib little grin, scooting over to make room for Gis on the floor.
“Hey, you look hungry. Would you like my bagel?” a blonde-haired boy asked. He was our age, short and slender, with mud-brown eyes. He scooted over to sit next to Gis and I, holding out a plain, bready bagel smothered with cream cheese.
“No thank you.” I declined politely. My stomach growled, as if in protest. Mother had been taught me not to take food from strangers at quite an early age by telling an array of gruesome stories, all of them ending with the same moral: don’t take food from strangers or you’ll meet a gruesome demise.
“Well, okay. Suit yourself.” He shrugged, taking a bite out of the doughy bread.
“I’m Giselle, and this is Bianca,” Gis said warmly, shattering the awkward silence. “What’s your name?”
“I’m Phillip,” he replied, leaning over and cupping his chin in the bottom of his hand. “Isn’t this movie great?”
“It’s our favorite!” Giselle and I chorused enthusiastically, then looked at each other and giggled. “Sometimes I think that our minds are synched,” she said giddily.
All of a sudden, a wave of nausea rolled over me. I gulped, and my mouth felt dry. “I’ll… be right back.” I said faintly. “I have to get some fresh air.” I stumbled outside, my stomach growling angrily.
It had begun to drizzle in sheets of thick, icy rain. I shuddered, rubbing my palms along my arms and leaning against a bench for support.
How could I have been so dumb? I thought angrily. I forgot to eat lunch, and now I feel terrible.
Suddenly, I felt a warm hand on my shoulder. I whipped around, my brown hair flying around my face, and momentarily forgot my surroundings.
Standing right next to me (How had he gotten so close without me noticing? Was he a ninja or something?) was a boy who was about half of a head taller than me. His blue eyes were weirdly concerned, as if he had known that I was feeling nauseous. (But how does that make sense? He just appeared… he couldn’t have had time to study me.) He had straight, dirty-blonde hair and a half-smile that both intimidated me and made me want to smile back.
“Um… hi?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. The boy quickly moved his hand from my shoulder.
“Sorry, did I startle you?” he asked. The rain fell in a weird, sloppy blur all around us, as if we were in a funnel, miles away.
“Yes, you did. That’s okay, though.” I said, finding my voice. “Are you new here?”
“Yeah, I’m from Arizona. So, somewhere in America,” he replied, adjusting the strap of a satchel that was hanging over his shoulder. “I wanted to make sure that you were okay. You look like you might be ill.” He winced. “I want to be a doctor when I grow up, so I’m always trying to help people… even if they don’t necessarily need it.”
“No, I think it was nice of you to make sure.” I said, and his pained expression melted away. “I just forgot to eat lunch, and…” My voice trailed off. I didn’t want this strange new boy to know that I didn’t have enough of my own money to buy something to eat.
“No, it’s fine,” he reassured. “I’m Roger, by the way. Roger Evans.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Roger Evans.” I said. My voice sounded weird and trance-like, half asleep. I noticed that his eyes were a shade darker than mine, with golden flecks.
“Well.” I said.
“Well…” he said.
Neither of us moved.
After a moment he said,” I don’t want you to feel sick.” Just like that.
“Well,” he said again,” I was going to see whatever movie’s playing-”
“It’s Gone With the Wind,” I said faintly. I couldn’t believe where the current of events was going.
“- so, would you like to come with me?” he asked cautiously. “You’d feel better if you ate something.”
“Oh, well…” my mind was reeling. “I was just about to watch it with my friends. But, if you want to, you can come and join us.”
He nodded then, and we walked into the theater. My mind was still in a whirl, and the only thing that I can remember in the blur of events was that our footsteps synchronized perfectly, about as far from a stranger as you can get.
All of this happened in about 5 minutes, but it had flipped my world upside-down… and part of me deep inside knew that things would never be the same.A/N: I'm not sure what I was thinking when I added Roger to the story, but I'm kind of glad that I did. c:
Oh, and I'll probably continue Scarlet eventually, but this is my main project right know. Hope you enjoyed! ^.^
