Before the Fall

Around five in the morning, Faye was pushed off of the bed. She landed in a heap on the floor and stared up at the ceiling for several long moments. When she finally stood up, it was to see that Nace was sprawled across the entire bed.

Next time she would shove back, Faye promised herself. But for now she was already awake and really didn’t want to be on bad terms with him. Besides, she had planning to do.

After all, she needed to get a job so that she could start saving up money to get herself somewhere to live. Money for college would probably be ideal, too. Before, Faye had always assumed that her so-called parents would be paying for her. She knew that they had money to spare. But now Faye realized that she was on her own. Or nearly so. Hopefully, she could get Logan to go halves on an apartment. It was the most ideal arrangement that she could possibly imagine, even if it was a bit of a long shot. After all, Logan had a mother who loved him, and wanted him to stay at home for a couple more years, at least.

If only she had that, Faye thought. She’d always wished, every birthday, for her parents’ love. But birthday wishes never came true. Faye knew that now. In fact, yesterday had taught her that faith had no role in her life. If she wanted something, she would just have to make it happen on her own.

She found her diary, which hadn’t been written in in a few days. After adding an entry about the craziness of the day before, she started planning on one of the blank pages in the back.
1) Get car - still at the Driscols’
2) Find a job
3) Get Nace to help- rides, cover stories.
4) Save up for a car, an apartment, a new phone, new clothes.. Everything.
5) Talk Logan into coming along
6) Leave this place
7) Put this behind me.

As always, it was a seven-step plan. She would need Nace to cover for her- she knew that the Hillards would do anything in their power to keep her under their control, which meant they wouldn’t want her to have a job.

But what could she have him say to them? They’d have to work that out later.

To soften Nace up, Faye went and prepared breakfast for him, planning on serving it to him in bed. Unfortunately, she was caught in the act when he strolled into the kitchen, still shirtless, and asked, “You know we have servants to do that, right?”

Faye flushed. “I just wanted to do something nice. And I’ve heard tell that the way to a man is through his stomach. I thought to put that to the test.”

“Wait, that’s... for me? Are you serious? Why? You should hate me,” he said matter-of-factly.

“Well, I… I was going to bribe you. I need your help with something.” His brow lifted, and she was about to explain more when his mother walked in.

“Oh, the Driscols never told us you could cook, Faye! That smells wonderful!” Faye refused to take the bait. She was still furious with Nace’s parents, and was going to make that perfectly clear to them. She glared coldly at Liz before turning back to her bacon.

Nace was more than a little amused, especially since when her gaze flicked to his, she gave him a friendly half smile. Liz looked confused, but pleased that the two seemed to be getting along.

“Ignatius? Would you join me in the living room for a minute?” she asked. Richard had taken off that morning for an extended business trip, but not before giving her orders to make sure that Faye cooperated, by whatever means necessary. Nace followed her, grumbling to himself. Faye couldn’t help but laugh. It was bad enough to be stuck with an awful name like Ignatius, but to actually be called that? She wouldn’t wish that on anyone.

Well, except for maybe Richard and Liz. There were a lot of things that she wouldn’t normally wish on people that she wouldn’t mind happening to them. Stunned at her own malice, Faye rubbed her hand over her chest. It was aching with bitterness.

Liz sat delicately on the floral print couch, patting the seat beside her. Nace remained standing, staring her down. “What do you want, Mother?” he asked bitingly.

“I just wanted to tell you that your father and I spoke last night and think that it’s for the best that you spend all the time you can with Faye. Make her want you. It would make everyone’s lives much easier.” Did she really think this was valuable advice? Nace resisted the urge to scoff at her. Liz might be his mother, but that didn't keep him from realizing that she was simultaneously the densest, shallowest person he knew.

“No dice,” Nace said, turning on his heel and walking back to the kitchen. It smelled wonderful. He sat at the table and brooded. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to get to know her; she seemed like a perfectly nice girl. But he wouldn’t do it because his parents asked it of him. Normally, he was pretty obedient, but this time they’d taken things too far.

“It’s nearly ready,” Faye told him, still smiling. While she’d been thinking that morning, she’d decided that absolutely none of this was his fault and admitted to herself that she would be attracted him, if it weren’t for the circumstance. Besides, she really did need his help.

Faye and Nace were just finishing up breakfast when they heard the front door open and shut. Faye glanced questioningly at Nace and he said, “That would be Mother going to the spa. She does three days per week and spends all day there.” He rolled his eyes, showing exactly what he thought of that.

“That seems like such a waste of time,” Faye commented.

“It’s where all of her friends meet and gossip about everyone in their circle. I can’t say I understand it, but she breathes fire if she misses a day.” He imitated his mother’s voice, saying “Oh, I can just imagine what they’re saying about me.” Faye laughed.

“So I guess we need to talk,” she said. His expression changed. Instead of being casual and cheerful, it was tight, constricted. “Maybe you could show me around the house?” Faye said. She felt suddenly jittery, unable to sit still.

“Sure.” They both got up and started walking. It was obvious that Nace was waiting for Faye to speak.

“Neither of us want this,” Faye began, looking to him for confirmation. His head jerked a nod- the best he could do, considering he’d been thinking that he could, and probably would, do much worse than Faye if she ran off.

“I’ve got a plan,” she continued, ignoring his stiffness. “But I’ll need your help for it to work.” Nace listened as she explained, and thought that it was sickening, what they’d done to this girl. Sickening that she had to build a life from nothing. She had no home base to go to, no parents. If his guess was right, she had only Logan. Well, that was going to change.

That saying, life isn’t fair, was truer than he’d ever realized. “Of course,” Faye said, “it would be much easier all around if you would just tell them that you don’t want me.” Not that she expected him to. If he hadn’t already, why would he now?

“I… I can’t.”

“I understand,” Faye muttered, then stopped walking and shook her head. “Wait, I don’t. Why? Why are you just letting them control you? It’s your life!”

“It is my life, and… agreeing, it’s a means to an end. I don’t have your courage. I don’t know how to just make it on my own. I want to be a surgeon, and this is the only way Father will pay for my schooling. Besides, terrible as they can be sometimes, they’re still my parents. I was raised to listen to what they tell me to do. I might not like it, but there you go.” He didn’t say what was really on his mind- that he was a coward.

Faye patted his shoulder comfortingly. “When I leave… they’re not going to give up, are they? They’re still going to make you do this, make you marry some stranger.”

Nace nodded, and bit his tongue. She was more understanding than he deserved, but he was sure that even her patience with him would wear thin if he told her too much. And he was dangerously close to doing so. He changed the subject. “I’ll just tell them that I’m taking you to meet my friends, or to the movies, or out of town for a couple of days. We’ll have to keep our excuses varied, but that’s alright. And I’ll give you as much of my allowance as I can. You’ll be out of here in no time,” was all he said.

“Thank you,” she whispered, touched by his generosity. For all they knew, his parents’ next choice might be some fire-breathing nutcase. She understood the risk he was taking. Especially if his parents found out. They wouldn’t forgive him easily for this, and Faye knew all too well how it felt to want nothing more than to please. This small betrayal was not being made lightly by him.

“Hey! I heard it’s someone’s eighteenth birthday. Let’s celebrate,” he said. Faye snapped out of her mood and grinned.

“What have you got in mind?”

“Well, you’ve got to buy a lottery ticket, now that you’re legal. Not cigarettes, though. That’s a filthy, disgusting habit. And we’re going to go to Marcella’s. It’s this great Italian place, with ridiculously priced food. We’ll put it on my parents’ tab. Trust me, it makes you enjoy the food even more. And after that, we’ll get ice cream.”

“That sounds wonderful,” Faye said, and meant it. It might not be bungee jumping, like she might have done with Logan, but it would be fun. And it would be normal. A normal birthday celebration. It was about time.