(This café is a fine example of why I stink at decorating. Ugh. Too much red lol.)
Elena
(I originally wanted this to be a lunch scene, but my game is driving me UP THE WALL with the error code 12 thing.(and the best save I have starts at 4:15pm-so it's a dinner or after dinner scene now) I just NEED to get to a certain point... update after this one... or the one after that, and then I can just wipe everything after putting what I want in my simbin. Hopefully I can get rid of the dern thing once and for all then if I start fresh. /sigh.)
I've decided to ask Brook to meet me at the café. This is where it moved when the owner could no longer afford the high rent of the place I own now.
Can I do this? What if I can't do this? How am I going to do this? I need to do this.
In walks Brook in this not-so-happening café. She looks a little confused as to why I asked her here.
I guess the place being deserted is actually a good thing. Still, I wonder where the girl went that runs the cash register?
Brook: Hey, Elena! I'm so glad you're okay! What's up?
Me: I need to talk to you about something.
Brook: Well, obviously. Otherwise why not just invite me to your house? Is this something you don't want John to hear?
I gulp: Not exactly.
Her eyebrows raise.
Me: I just don't want to involve him in this.
Brook: Okay, now you have me curious.
I put on a fake smile: Heh. Yeah. Well. I don't know how to get started.
Brook: How 'bout just telling me the general subject?
She puts her elbow on the table and her cheek in her hand, waiting for me to say something. I freeze.
I can't do it!
Brook looks at me like she figures out that I'm freezing up and not just being quiet on purpose: Just the general topic.
I take a deep breath: Tate.
Brook sighs and sits back in her chair: So you're finally ready to talk about it and you choose ME?
Me: I thought you could be the one that would most understand.
Brook lets out a short laugh: True. What a pig he was.
I can't do this!
I sit there mute again.
Brook's jaw clenches and her eyes narrow like she's trying to figure me out: Is this about that night?
I nod.
Brook: He r*ped you.
I feel like the earth just opened up and I'm falling down a deep, dark hole. I nod. Brook has always been very blunt. I guess that's what makes us good friends. I can always trust her to tell me exactly what she's thinking. As long as we're one-on-one.
Brook: You guys were both at that party while I was working...
Me: Yes. He talked about you.
Brook: Hah. He did, did he?
Me: Yeah. That you were never at home at night.
Brook: You can't blame me. He was starting to disgust me, and I didn't want to be there when he got home. My job made it VERY convenient since most of my cases I need to be there at night.
(reminder: She's in the ghost hunter profession.)
I'm quiet again.
Brook prods me some more: So, he mentioned that he said that I was never home at night.
Me: Yes. He said he hated having an empty bed.
I liked that new bed at first. I feel the blood drain from my face.
Brook leans forward: Elena, you don't have to tell me all this if you don't want to.
Me: But I need to tell SOMEONE!
Brook: What about John?
I shake my head: No. I want to talk about it with you because you're someone who understands fully just how much an as*hole he was.
Brook can't help but smile.
I sigh: So then I mention something about how I didn't plan on having an empty bed for long. I was talking about John, of course, but he took it differently I think.
Brook looks down and nods a little.
Me: So he offers me a ride home, and I take it. Stupid me.
Brook sighs exasperatedly: You're not stupid.
I wave my hand through the air in front of me in some subconscious way of expressing I want this 'stupid' comment to fly away: Okay.
Brook: So then what? Obviously he didn't go back home.
Me: No, he was outside... playing with my sprinkler of all things.
Brook rolls her eyes.
Me: I know, right? So, out of politeness I invite him in.
Her expression is grim now: What did he do?
Me: This is where it starts to get a little fuzzy.
Brook: Just tell me what you DO remember.
I scowl and try to bring up things I have had buried for years: Um, I remember talking about my bed. He had this strange look on his face that I kept trying to ignore. (A nauseated feeling hits me.) He called me 'my sweet'.
Brook: Hm.
I look up, grateful for the distraction: What? What are you thinking?
Brook: Don't worry about it. Keep going.
I bite my lip for a few seconds before I start again: Then ... I don't even know how it happened, but I started feeling dizzy and sick.
I lean on the table and place my hands over my face. I then relate as many details as I can to Brook. She sits and listens. I don't know what her facial expressions are because I don't look up. Remembering frightens me, but I keep going anyway. The more I try to remember, the more I actually remember. It's like... remembering remembering. The words flow out of me. I'm reminded of when people used to think that a sick person needed to be bled to get the "bad blood" out. That's what I am doing, letting the bad blood out. I am extremely glad that we are the only ones here.
When I sit up again I get out the tissue I knew I would need and wipe my face. I was right in thinking that I would need the waterproof mascara today.
Me: And then I woke up with a splitting headache and he was still there.
Brook nods.
Me: Then it was scary trying to avoid him all the time. Before I started making myself forget what really happened.
Brook: I can understand why you wanted to just forget.
Me: Also I kept wondering if I had done anything to encourage him... ever... I didn't. Honest, Brook.
Brook: I know that.
Me: And I hate that John went after him like he did. He ruined your life. I'm sorry.
Brook: I'm not! He did us both a favor! He did the whole TOWN a favor!
Me: But Janie...
Brook: Is better off without him. I used to live in fear that when I was at work he'd...
Me: Oh no! Would he? That's terrible!!!
Brook smiles a scary smile: If he ever did, I'd be in jail for murder.
I shudder at the thoughts in my head now.
Brook: Elena...
Me: Yeah?
Brook: You did nothing wrong.
Me: I know.
Brook: Do you?
I'm quiet for a minute. I feel so spent from telling Brook everything that happened.
Brook: You know, maybe you should talk with a professional about this. I'm hardly the right person to...
Me: You're the perfect person, I told you that.
Brook looks down and gets quiet for a moment or two before she speaks: My life was hell when I was married to him.
My eyes get wide: You didn't act it when we first became friends.
She runs her fingers through her hair: I know. I was just as good at ignoring the truth when it's right in front of my face as you are. My home life was so dark and depressing that when we became friends it was like a ray of hope, like a breath of fresh air. Then he had to go and ruin that too. (She pauses.) I can't believe what his apparent step-brother did to you.
Me: Thank goodness for John, right?
She grins: Yes. You hang on to him this time around, k?
I grin back: I plan on it. And you hang on to that Stephen, even though as the owner of Leo's he's my biggest competition.
Brook laughs: Nah, your pub is like a hybrid bar and dance club. We're a bar that people sometimes dance in. The dance club is a place where people dance and sometimes order a drink.
I pause now: Thank you, Brook.
Her eyebrows raise: I don't know what I did.
Me: You listened.
She chuckles a little: Anytime then.
She tells me that she needs to get to work, so we stand up and hug. This is the first time in a long, long time that she really feels like my best friend again. We have a common bond now, it's just awful that our bond is something terrible.
Out of bad comes good. Good wins. I smile at this thought.
No comments:
Post a Comment