A Collection of Short Stories
Back to Basics
Celeste combed her long blonde hair with her trembling fingers, staring at her reflection through the moist mirror in front of her. The sweet facade that she had learned to put on when she was serving at the diner had come down, only leaving her with bitterness and disgust. Her feelings of hatred were mostly directed towards herself for being such a failure. Everyday, she did her best to be the perfect daughter. She went out of her way to do the things Julianne asked her to do, but she would always come home as a failure. Never progressing, never growing up.
Her usually expressive blue eyes now held a vague look of emptiness in them. If they did hold an expression, it was regret - regret that she had let her mother win. She could feel tears in her eyes that threatened to fall, but she willed them not to come out. They would only be a justification for what had already happened - her mother’s victory.
Her chest heaved with burdens, and whenever she closed her eyes, all she could see was his face. The thought of James had finally caused the tears to fall, leaving her defenseless against her thoughts and feelings that appeared to be like sharp daggers that pierced through her. She let her mind fly back to the times when James and her had been friends. The one person that ever mattered to her aside from Aurora, gone now too. Her mother was right; he had only used her and played with her.
Julianne had been right all along; the world was cruel and the people in it were cruel. Her mother had won. She had yet again proven herself right. And again, proved Zel wrong.
She repeated the words over and over again, inculcating them into her mind. Her mother was right; she was a failure. She wiped the tears on her face, convincing herself that the pain was right. She needed the pain. She deserved the pain.
Her usually expressive blue eyes now held a vague look of emptiness in them. If they did hold an expression, it was regret - regret that she had let her mother win. She could feel tears in her eyes that threatened to fall, but she willed them not to come out. They would only be a justification for what had already happened - her mother’s victory.
Her chest heaved with burdens, and whenever she closed her eyes, all she could see was his face. The thought of James had finally caused the tears to fall, leaving her defenseless against her thoughts and feelings that appeared to be like sharp daggers that pierced through her. She let her mind fly back to the times when James and her had been friends. The one person that ever mattered to her aside from Aurora, gone now too. Her mother was right; he had only used her and played with her.
Julianne had been right all along; the world was cruel and the people in it were cruel. Her mother had won. She had yet again proven herself right. And again, proved Zel wrong.
She repeated the words over and over again, inculcating them into her mind. Her mother was right; she was a failure. She wiped the tears on her face, convincing herself that the pain was right. She needed the pain. She deserved the pain.