Shine
chapter three;
present day
It was a warm late-spring morning, the sun was rising slowly in the East, and the birds were hopping around doing what they did best. Vian's Wald, a small country town on the south coast of England, stood still for a few moments until the bodies of the many townspeople finally began to awake. Yawns, whispers, and groans from having to awake from what seemed to be a peaceful night of rest. Of course the streets were empty, and would be for another hour until the shops began to open and people moved about their daily business.
But there was always that one person trying to sneak away before anyone noticed.
Celeste crept away from the slightly ajar window and made a sprint to get away from the pale-yellow bricked house as fast as possible. Her long dark blue skirt flapped and whipped at her legs, trying to constrict her and make her day even worse, but she pulled it away before the lengthy fabric had a chance. A triumph smile graced her face as she grabbed most of the skirt in one hand and used to rest to keep her short flat hair away from her eyes and month.
Only those who listened hard enough to hear her hurried footsteps as she tried to get away. Of course her footsteps only sounded like that of a faint thud from skin hitting packed dirt since she had taken off her sandals. Running was much faster when her feet weren't held back from thin pieces of uncomfortable leather.
The teenage girl used what bit of dawn's light she could to find her home, and disappeared into the shadows that the structure gave off. No one would be able to see her unless they looked close enough to see her bright green eyes glancing back and forth, looking for anyone that could possibly see her sneaking into her house. No one was seen and she slipped into her house without a single noise - her feet barely even touched the floor hard enough to make it creak.
Celeste was so close to making it to her room and slipping into bed, that she could smell the familiar apple and cinnamon that always welcomed her because of her job. Being a sweet-chef's intern was not all cut out as it looked, but it was worth it in the end of the day when getting to eat what was left, bring home that smell that would have any man's mouth-watering, and seeing the amount that they were paid.
She had almost enough saved up to visit the sea for a few days. Of course she had talked to her boss about it, all she had to do was break it to her mother... and-
"Coming back from Zane's, I see."
It was a question, but in fact a statement. Celeste spun on her heel and the ball of her foot to find her mother indeed waiting for her, sitting in the old rocking chair by the fireplace of their small kitchen. Her hand found its way to clench at the loose cloth that hovered just above her heart. Green eyes were covered and a sigh of defeat was heard, along with the dropping of leather sandals and her hand. Celeste pulled up the only other chair in their kitchen and sat on the other side of the table to face her mother.
Another lecture; again; for the tenth time this month. Didn't she ever get tired of saying it?
"Do you love him? Do you really think he is going to waste his life on a childish romance, leaving you with a broken heart, a life-time remembrance of what you gave up, and him going about his business with another woman wrapped around his finger? " the two echoed each other, Celeste rolled her eyes and Sira gave a hard glare at her only daughter before letting her eyes soften and turning back to the crackling embers of the fireplace.
"I only tell you this because I care, and I want to best for you and - CELESTE STOP IGNORING WHAT IS TRUE AND LISTEN TO ME!"
The young brunette rolled her neck to look back at her mother, the bored dull green eyes connecting with wise burnt coffee brown ones.
"I'm listening mother, but could you make this quick? I have to get to the bakery early. I told Ms. Poppy I would come in earlier to help out more and-"
"Why didn't you tell me you wanted to go to the sea?"
Celeste's eyes widened with surprise before moving away from her mother's to not show the emotion that they held. Her lips mumbled a reply and she stood from the chair to walk to her room.
"I feel as if you don't want me as your mother, Lese. Do you not want me in your life anymore? Is that why you sneak off to Zane's every night and do the heavens-know-what?!"
Celeste spun on her heel, again, and glared darkly at her mother. Her once slightly-tan cheeks were now turning a fiery red. There was a scream, a retort, a yell building in her throat, but Celesta thought against it. A raged huff escaped her lips as she grabbed her sandals from beside the door and stormed out. Celeste no longer wanted to change out of her favorite skirt and blouse.
No one had yet to leave their homes since Celeste entered her house only a few moments before storming out. She was met with silence, other than a few shuffles from other houses; she didn't care if anyone saw her this time though.
By the time the young brunette made it to the building that had been dubbed Miss Poppy's House of Sweets, the other townspeople were now just leaving their homes to go to their own businesses and get the day started one.
Although, when Zane awake to find his bed empty, and cold showing that he had been alone for awhile, he wasn't in the least of a bit happy. His dark eyes were flaring as he flung himself from his bed and hurried to get dress and go into town. He was going to have a little talk with that, that... girl.
--
"Thank you for coming and have a nice day!" Miss Poppy smiled at the customer as she and her little boy left to go about the rest of their shopping for the day. Miss Poppy stayed at the front of the shop for most of the day while Celeste was in the back, making more and more batches of fresh sweets and pies for the more customers that would be coming. It was only around heavy holiday seasons, or during festivals, that Miss Poppy's sisters were always in the back or front helping out.
Celeste brushed her hair behind her ear with the back of her hand, not noticing the specks of flour that she was getting on her face. She continued to roll out the cookie dough and grabbed a handful of the different shaped metal cutters. She punches them into the thick, yet soft, dough and pulled the cutter away. The cookie was lifted with the cutter and placed onto a metal plate so that she could place them into the oven.
As Celeste worked, she missed hearing the wooden door of the shop's front being slammed open the hit the window beside it, the annoying copper bell ring, the surprised voice of Ms. Poppy, and the rather irritated one of a young man. One voice, that she knew quite well.
"Lese!"
Celeste jumped slightly and looked up from the batch of cookies that she was sprinkling sugar on. Ms. Poppy was poking her head in from behind the young man to make sure nothing bad happened with him there. The aura he was giving off told her to be careful.
The baker's intern wiped her hands quickly on the crumb covered white apron and wiped her face of any flour that may have latched on by accident.
"Zane, what are you doing here?!" she asked, surprised to see him even talking to her in public. Well... no one could exactly call a bakery's kitchen "public".
"I have had it, Celeste! I have come to my last nerve on waking up and find you long gone! Do you not love me?!"
Celeste was lost of words, at not only him yelling this for the whole town square to hear, but also questioning her love. She had all but married, and given her body to him. With slow and hasty steps, she walked up to him.
"Zane, what do you talk of? I am only gone because I must help Ms. Poppy with getting ready for the day. You know how long it takes to bake all of the sweets and-"
"Do not give me that shit of an excuse!" he interrupted, ignoring the small crowd that was gathering at the doors of the sweet shop. Ms. Poppy was waiting, watching for any moment that would give her the right to attack him if she must. Poppy may have been a woman in her mid-ages, but she still knew how to fight correctly against a man.
"Do you love me or not?!"
Celeste was speechless. Of course she loved him! She would give up her whole world for him, it was just...
"Yes, I love you Zane," she smiled at him, giving a loving look in her eyes that immediately made him calm down. "I'm just not in love with you."
She cared for him, she really did, but if he dared questioned her like this - it suddenly made her realize it all. She wanted to see the sea, she wanted to read books and write recipes of her own one day after becoming a baker or chef just as good, or even better, than Ms. Poppy. She wanted to travel away from Vian's Wald and live in London.
Celeste wanted, more than anything, to finally prove the stories of the forest just outside their town were all lies.
There was a tense moment of silence, and one sound echoed throughout the entire area.
A slap.
It was a warm late-spring morning, the sun was rising slowly in the East, and the birds were hopping around doing what they did best. Vian's Wald, a small country town on the south coast of England, stood still for a few moments until the bodies of the many townspeople finally began to awake. Yawns, whispers, and groans from having to awake from what seemed to be a peaceful night of rest. Of course the streets were empty, and would be for another hour until the shops began to open and people moved about their daily business.
But there was always that one person trying to sneak away before anyone noticed.
Celeste crept away from the slightly ajar window and made a sprint to get away from the pale-yellow bricked house as fast as possible. Her long dark blue skirt flapped and whipped at her legs, trying to constrict her and make her day even worse, but she pulled it away before the lengthy fabric had a chance. A triumph smile graced her face as she grabbed most of the skirt in one hand and used to rest to keep her short flat hair away from her eyes and month.
Only those who listened hard enough to hear her hurried footsteps as she tried to get away. Of course her footsteps only sounded like that of a faint thud from skin hitting packed dirt since she had taken off her sandals. Running was much faster when her feet weren't held back from thin pieces of uncomfortable leather.
The teenage girl used what bit of dawn's light she could to find her home, and disappeared into the shadows that the structure gave off. No one would be able to see her unless they looked close enough to see her bright green eyes glancing back and forth, looking for anyone that could possibly see her sneaking into her house. No one was seen and she slipped into her house without a single noise - her feet barely even touched the floor hard enough to make it creak.
Celeste was so close to making it to her room and slipping into bed, that she could smell the familiar apple and cinnamon that always welcomed her because of her job. Being a sweet-chef's intern was not all cut out as it looked, but it was worth it in the end of the day when getting to eat what was left, bring home that smell that would have any man's mouth-watering, and seeing the amount that they were paid.
She had almost enough saved up to visit the sea for a few days. Of course she had talked to her boss about it, all she had to do was break it to her mother... and-
"Coming back from Zane's, I see."
It was a question, but in fact a statement. Celeste spun on her heel and the ball of her foot to find her mother indeed waiting for her, sitting in the old rocking chair by the fireplace of their small kitchen. Her hand found its way to clench at the loose cloth that hovered just above her heart. Green eyes were covered and a sigh of defeat was heard, along with the dropping of leather sandals and her hand. Celeste pulled up the only other chair in their kitchen and sat on the other side of the table to face her mother.
Another lecture; again; for the tenth time this month. Didn't she ever get tired of saying it?
"Do you love him? Do you really think he is going to waste his life on a childish romance, leaving you with a broken heart, a life-time remembrance of what you gave up, and him going about his business with another woman wrapped around his finger? " the two echoed each other, Celeste rolled her eyes and Sira gave a hard glare at her only daughter before letting her eyes soften and turning back to the crackling embers of the fireplace.
"I only tell you this because I care, and I want to best for you and - CELESTE STOP IGNORING WHAT IS TRUE AND LISTEN TO ME!"
The young brunette rolled her neck to look back at her mother, the bored dull green eyes connecting with wise burnt coffee brown ones.
"I'm listening mother, but could you make this quick? I have to get to the bakery early. I told Ms. Poppy I would come in earlier to help out more and-"
"Why didn't you tell me you wanted to go to the sea?"
Celeste's eyes widened with surprise before moving away from her mother's to not show the emotion that they held. Her lips mumbled a reply and she stood from the chair to walk to her room.
"I feel as if you don't want me as your mother, Lese. Do you not want me in your life anymore? Is that why you sneak off to Zane's every night and do the heavens-know-what?!"
Celeste spun on her heel, again, and glared darkly at her mother. Her once slightly-tan cheeks were now turning a fiery red. There was a scream, a retort, a yell building in her throat, but Celesta thought against it. A raged huff escaped her lips as she grabbed her sandals from beside the door and stormed out. Celeste no longer wanted to change out of her favorite skirt and blouse.
No one had yet to leave their homes since Celeste entered her house only a few moments before storming out. She was met with silence, other than a few shuffles from other houses; she didn't care if anyone saw her this time though.
By the time the young brunette made it to the building that had been dubbed Miss Poppy's House of Sweets, the other townspeople were now just leaving their homes to go to their own businesses and get the day started one.
Although, when Zane awake to find his bed empty, and cold showing that he had been alone for awhile, he wasn't in the least of a bit happy. His dark eyes were flaring as he flung himself from his bed and hurried to get dress and go into town. He was going to have a little talk with that, that... girl.
--
"Thank you for coming and have a nice day!" Miss Poppy smiled at the customer as she and her little boy left to go about the rest of their shopping for the day. Miss Poppy stayed at the front of the shop for most of the day while Celeste was in the back, making more and more batches of fresh sweets and pies for the more customers that would be coming. It was only around heavy holiday seasons, or during festivals, that Miss Poppy's sisters were always in the back or front helping out.
Celeste brushed her hair behind her ear with the back of her hand, not noticing the specks of flour that she was getting on her face. She continued to roll out the cookie dough and grabbed a handful of the different shaped metal cutters. She punches them into the thick, yet soft, dough and pulled the cutter away. The cookie was lifted with the cutter and placed onto a metal plate so that she could place them into the oven.
As Celeste worked, she missed hearing the wooden door of the shop's front being slammed open the hit the window beside it, the annoying copper bell ring, the surprised voice of Ms. Poppy, and the rather irritated one of a young man. One voice, that she knew quite well.
"Lese!"
Celeste jumped slightly and looked up from the batch of cookies that she was sprinkling sugar on. Ms. Poppy was poking her head in from behind the young man to make sure nothing bad happened with him there. The aura he was giving off told her to be careful.
The baker's intern wiped her hands quickly on the crumb covered white apron and wiped her face of any flour that may have latched on by accident.
"Zane, what are you doing here?!" she asked, surprised to see him even talking to her in public. Well... no one could exactly call a bakery's kitchen "public".
"I have had it, Celeste! I have come to my last nerve on waking up and find you long gone! Do you not love me?!"
Celeste was lost of words, at not only him yelling this for the whole town square to hear, but also questioning her love. She had all but married, and given her body to him. With slow and hasty steps, she walked up to him.
"Zane, what do you talk of? I am only gone because I must help Ms. Poppy with getting ready for the day. You know how long it takes to bake all of the sweets and-"
"Do not give me that shit of an excuse!" he interrupted, ignoring the small crowd that was gathering at the doors of the sweet shop. Ms. Poppy was waiting, watching for any moment that would give her the right to attack him if she must. Poppy may have been a woman in her mid-ages, but she still knew how to fight correctly against a man.
"Do you love me or not?!"
Celeste was speechless. Of course she loved him! She would give up her whole world for him, it was just...
"Yes, I love you Zane," she smiled at him, giving a loving look in her eyes that immediately made him calm down. "I'm just not in love with you."
She cared for him, she really did, but if he dared questioned her like this - it suddenly made her realize it all. She wanted to see the sea, she wanted to read books and write recipes of her own one day after becoming a baker or chef just as good, or even better, than Ms. Poppy. She wanted to travel away from Vian's Wald and live in London.
Celeste wanted, more than anything, to finally prove the stories of the forest just outside their town were all lies.
There was a tense moment of silence, and one sound echoed throughout the entire area.
A slap.