Broken Lockets
1 3 7 3 w o r d s
The girl with the pick hair raced into the salon. The place was her last –and first– place of work, but that wasn't why she was there. She had messed up and she knew it all too well. The women in the shop looked up, the clients wondering why she burst through the doors like she did and the workers shaking their head at the girl. They knew what had happened and right now the girl wasn't in their good books. She approached the front desk where the receptionist looked at her with disgust.
"You have nerve coming back here," she said sharply to the girl, and she's right. After what she did to the poor girl, she had no right coming back in here.
She sighed. "You have every right to hate me, Claire. Every right, but I need to fix this," the girl explained only to have Claire scoff at her.
"Fix this? I don't know what planet you're on, Sherine, but there is no fixing this."
"My name is Dulcea, and you know that. I know I messed up, I really do--"
She was cut off by a slap. This gained the other worker's attention but not one of them came over to see what was happening, not even the manager. "Messed up? You did more then mess up. You went beyond the limit, and after everything she did for you. You should be ashamed of yourself," Claire hissed.
The girl grew annoyed. "You don't think I know that? Do you know what it's been like to live with myself for the last few days, knowing just what I did?"
Claire shook her head. "There you go again. All about me, me, me. Stop being so up yourself and start thinking of others!" she exclaimed.
Dulcea looked between Claire and the rest of the workers, words on her tongue but her mouth doesn't open. She knows that coming here was a mistake, but she didn't think they would be this hostile with her. It was like they didn't want to hear anything that she said, whether it was an apology or not. She felt herself losing more grip on what she had before. How could she have lost everything that she had had in just a short space of one week? The only people she had now are her parents, and that's only because they don't know what's gone on in their daughter's life. As far as they're aware, she still has her job and all her friends. She wouldn't be able to stand looking at them if they knew what she had done.
"I-I just..." she started but couldn't form any more words.
"You just what? Didn't think that words would hurt? Grow up, little girl," Claire told her, and at that moment the manager came over to them. Dulcea looked at her. The manager was a newly turned thirty year old. Step-sister to the owner of the shop, and more or less in charge all the time. It was rare that the owner came into the shop, and whenever she did it was to act as a client.
"I think you had better leave, Dulcea. And it would be in your best interest if you didn't come back. Not tomorrow, not ever," she advised the girl. Her lip trembled, almost as if she was going to cry. She didn't, though. With one last look around the place, she slowly turned around and exited the shop. Tears stung her eyes at the rejection she had just felt, but she knew that she deserved that and more. All she wanted to do was fix it but it seemed like no one would allow her to do that. Maybe it was best if she didn't try via other people. That would mean going to see her, and Dulcea knew that what she had been greeted to in the salon would be weak compared to if she showed up at the girl's house. But that's what she was going to do, and she was going to do it right now.
It didn't take her long to get to the house but when she saw the car in the drive she felt herself wishing that it had taken her hours to get there. Her brother was there and she knew that he had never liked her in the first place. Claire's words rang in her head and she knew she had to try and see her despite her brother being there. She walked up the path and knocked on the door. Her heartbeat heavily in her chest and she felt like turning on her heel and disappearing away from the house. The door opened which stopped her thoughts and she wished for it to be her who answered the door, but it was her brother and she could tell that he knew what had happened.
"You have some fucking nerve to show your face here," he snapped at her. "But then you truly are a heartless bitch so it's not surprising." She felt herself flinch at his words. It wasn't the first time that she had been called a heartless bitch, but for some reason this time it actually hurt her. She had fully well deserved it, but she was hurt over it.
She opened her mouth to say something but then closed it straight away. What could she say to her brother that would make him let her in? There was nothing she could think of but she knew she had to try. "Look, I need to talk to Belle. Please," she said, her tone pleading.
He stepped out of the house and pulled the door gently behind him. "You need to talk to her? Really? Let me tell you something, Dulcea. You do not need to do anything that involves my sister," he spat.
"But—"
"Do you know what it's like to be called up during the night by your sister who's crying and repeating over and over that no one will ever love her because who loves fat people? You knew she was recovering. Those girls at the salon were her strength, and when you came into her life you became that strength too." He stopped for a moment and the girl wanted to say something but she wouldn't put it past him to hit her much like Claire did. "What possessed you to throw those insults at my sister when you knew that she was still fragile? What the fuck made you tell her to starve herself to death so that the world would be a better place without her?"
She couldn't reply, not even with how mad he was. How could she justify something that she would never forgive herself over? Those words that she said forever echoed around her head. She didn't mean them, she knew she didn't even as she was saying them, but for some reason that didn't even stop her. She just had to feel something. The day had been terrible for her and Belle was there. She always was because that's who she was. But Dulcea didn't want that and no matter how many times she told Belle to go away and leave her alone the girl just wouldn't do that. And something within her just snapped and she opened her mouth to tell Belle to fuck off and never come back, but instead.... those words came out.
He dropped something on the floor and her eyes snapped to it straight away. It was a locket. More precisely, it was the locket that she had given to Belle. But instead of it being in pristine condition, it looked like someone had stepped on it several times. "Belle doesn't want anything to do with you," he said before turning and going back in the house. The door slammed shut on her but she couldn't take her eyes off of the locket. That locket meant everything to her, and when she had given it to Belle she had told her just how much it had meant to her. And now it was on the floor, broken and ruined.
It couldn't be salvaged and deep down, Dulcea knew that it was representing their relationship.
"You have nerve coming back here," she said sharply to the girl, and she's right. After what she did to the poor girl, she had no right coming back in here.
She sighed. "You have every right to hate me, Claire. Every right, but I need to fix this," the girl explained only to have Claire scoff at her.
"Fix this? I don't know what planet you're on, Sherine, but there is no fixing this."
"My name is Dulcea, and you know that. I know I messed up, I really do--"
She was cut off by a slap. This gained the other worker's attention but not one of them came over to see what was happening, not even the manager. "Messed up? You did more then mess up. You went beyond the limit, and after everything she did for you. You should be ashamed of yourself," Claire hissed.
The girl grew annoyed. "You don't think I know that? Do you know what it's been like to live with myself for the last few days, knowing just what I did?"
Claire shook her head. "There you go again. All about me, me, me. Stop being so up yourself and start thinking of others!" she exclaimed.
Dulcea looked between Claire and the rest of the workers, words on her tongue but her mouth doesn't open. She knows that coming here was a mistake, but she didn't think they would be this hostile with her. It was like they didn't want to hear anything that she said, whether it was an apology or not. She felt herself losing more grip on what she had before. How could she have lost everything that she had had in just a short space of one week? The only people she had now are her parents, and that's only because they don't know what's gone on in their daughter's life. As far as they're aware, she still has her job and all her friends. She wouldn't be able to stand looking at them if they knew what she had done.
"I-I just..." she started but couldn't form any more words.
"You just what? Didn't think that words would hurt? Grow up, little girl," Claire told her, and at that moment the manager came over to them. Dulcea looked at her. The manager was a newly turned thirty year old. Step-sister to the owner of the shop, and more or less in charge all the time. It was rare that the owner came into the shop, and whenever she did it was to act as a client.
"I think you had better leave, Dulcea. And it would be in your best interest if you didn't come back. Not tomorrow, not ever," she advised the girl. Her lip trembled, almost as if she was going to cry. She didn't, though. With one last look around the place, she slowly turned around and exited the shop. Tears stung her eyes at the rejection she had just felt, but she knew that she deserved that and more. All she wanted to do was fix it but it seemed like no one would allow her to do that. Maybe it was best if she didn't try via other people. That would mean going to see her, and Dulcea knew that what she had been greeted to in the salon would be weak compared to if she showed up at the girl's house. But that's what she was going to do, and she was going to do it right now.
It didn't take her long to get to the house but when she saw the car in the drive she felt herself wishing that it had taken her hours to get there. Her brother was there and she knew that he had never liked her in the first place. Claire's words rang in her head and she knew she had to try and see her despite her brother being there. She walked up the path and knocked on the door. Her heartbeat heavily in her chest and she felt like turning on her heel and disappearing away from the house. The door opened which stopped her thoughts and she wished for it to be her who answered the door, but it was her brother and she could tell that he knew what had happened.
"You have some fucking nerve to show your face here," he snapped at her. "But then you truly are a heartless bitch so it's not surprising." She felt herself flinch at his words. It wasn't the first time that she had been called a heartless bitch, but for some reason this time it actually hurt her. She had fully well deserved it, but she was hurt over it.
She opened her mouth to say something but then closed it straight away. What could she say to her brother that would make him let her in? There was nothing she could think of but she knew she had to try. "Look, I need to talk to Belle. Please," she said, her tone pleading.
He stepped out of the house and pulled the door gently behind him. "You need to talk to her? Really? Let me tell you something, Dulcea. You do not need to do anything that involves my sister," he spat.
"But—"
"Do you know what it's like to be called up during the night by your sister who's crying and repeating over and over that no one will ever love her because who loves fat people? You knew she was recovering. Those girls at the salon were her strength, and when you came into her life you became that strength too." He stopped for a moment and the girl wanted to say something but she wouldn't put it past him to hit her much like Claire did. "What possessed you to throw those insults at my sister when you knew that she was still fragile? What the fuck made you tell her to starve herself to death so that the world would be a better place without her?"
She couldn't reply, not even with how mad he was. How could she justify something that she would never forgive herself over? Those words that she said forever echoed around her head. She didn't mean them, she knew she didn't even as she was saying them, but for some reason that didn't even stop her. She just had to feel something. The day had been terrible for her and Belle was there. She always was because that's who she was. But Dulcea didn't want that and no matter how many times she told Belle to go away and leave her alone the girl just wouldn't do that. And something within her just snapped and she opened her mouth to tell Belle to fuck off and never come back, but instead.... those words came out.
He dropped something on the floor and her eyes snapped to it straight away. It was a locket. More precisely, it was the locket that she had given to Belle. But instead of it being in pristine condition, it looked like someone had stepped on it several times. "Belle doesn't want anything to do with you," he said before turning and going back in the house. The door slammed shut on her but she couldn't take her eyes off of the locket. That locket meant everything to her, and when she had given it to Belle she had told her just how much it had meant to her. And now it was on the floor, broken and ruined.
It couldn't be salvaged and deep down, Dulcea knew that it was representing their relationship.