An Awfully Big Heartache
Not All Surprises Are Merry
"Well Ladies and Gentlemen tomorrow night we will be having a Christmas party, you may attend if you wish but don’t feel bullied into it, I could do with less drunks around" Meredith says after P.L and Clara arrive, the room remains silent "Well come on then, get back to work" he continues and the crowd disbands. Turning to her left as she gazes up at P.L Clara realises that she can not got through all that heartache again, she would not allow herself to be tortured in that way. "P.L if we are ever going to do this again, and that is if, then I need time, a lot of it" she says softly, without an ounce of feeling he nods and follows Stella out the door.
As soft music radiates through out the room Clara can not help but notice that while everyone is talking they are all looking at someone else; no on notices, no one is bothered. It is just one long chain of deception, although nearly all seem to gaze at each other with love. Bunny gazes at Meredith but it is easy to tell his heart is slowly tearing apart as Meredith chatters to another, if only the ones we loved, loved us back. Then there is Stella, although she doesn't notice she is being watched by many. P.L staring at Stella who is staring at Meredith, who ever thought on small theatre company could be so intertwined without realising it.
"Would you like to dance?" a familiar voice asks, suddenly Clara snaps out of her daze to see P.L and Stella walking towards the dance floor. "How about a dance?" another voice asks, this time it is for Clara. A hand is placed on her shoulder as she turns to see Geoffrey offering her a dance, "Sure" Clara replies as the pair head to the dance floor.
"You know you really shouldn't let Meredith get to you" Clara says, "Oh" Geoffrey replies as they begin to dance. "You are a nice guy Geoffrey, don't sink to their level. Stella believes she can act, but she only got the part because she called Desmond a c…u…n…t" Clara whispers as she rests her head on Geoffrey's shoulder, "Clara-" Geoffrey begins but Clara cuts him off in mid sentence "Don't say anything, please" she says in a beg.
As the night continued the crowd died down and soon there were only a dozen or so people left, Clara had given up on dancing and sat alone watching P.L transfixed by the fiery headed child; for weeks it had been pestering Clara that Stella seemed so familiar but she could not place her face.
Desmond danced by himself in a drunken haze as P.L and Stella finally stepped off the dance floor; it frightened Clara that P.L was getting so close to Stella, he had made that mistake before. "Where is Meredith?" Stella asks in an almost pathetic tone, "He has gone to midnight mass with Bunny" someone replies. "Oh" Stella replies as her face falls, "Would you like a ride home?" P.L asks Stella, who looks ever so fragile as her red hair falls over her eyes. Clara's eyes fall to the ground; he really felt something for that child, something he had shown Clara a long time ago.
"You slept with her didn’t you?" Clara asks as she adjusts her long blonde hair, "What are you talking about?" O'Hara asks as he fondles with his fake moustache. "You know exactly what I mean, she is just a child" she continues as she turns away from the mirror and stares at P.L. "It has nothing to do with you what I do in my private life" he replies in an almost yell. Before the two can continue arguing Bunny knocks on the door, "Show time" he yells, both Clara and P.L head towards the stage.
"Clara I have a favour to ask you" Meredith says after the show, "What is it?" she asks as she wipes away her stage makeup. "Stella's uncle wishes to know what his precious virginal niece gets up to here and I said I would gladly explain to him, but you see tomorrow is the only day he is free and I am busy" Meredith says, "This is the last favour I ever do for you" Clara says as she throws her wig at him.
"Hello I am here to see Vernon Bradshaw" Clara says to a kind looking woman who answers the door as Clara stands on the doorstep, "Please come in, Vernon won't be a moment" the woman says as she leads Clara into the modest sized house. "Would you like a cup of tea?" the woman asks, "That would be nice" Clara replies as the woman ushers her to sit. Taking a seat Clara looks around the room, she notices that a few of the pictures are turned around so the photo is not showing, 'How curious' she thought to herself as the woman comes back in bearing tea, a burly looking man following close behind.
"Hello Miss, I am Vernon Bradshaw, young Stella's uncle" the man says as he shakes Clara's hand, "Hello Mr Bradshaw" she replies as the woman pours Clara a cup of hot tea. "Meredith said that you wished to know more about what Stella does at the theatre" Clara says as Vernon nods, "Well Stella helps build the stage, and often is sent on errands to get lunch for the cast, she gets along rather well with all of us and is a great asset to the theatre" Clara lies, leaving out the part about P.L and his no longer virginal niece. For about another half an hour they continued to talk about Stella and the company, and now as she was ready to leave Vernon began to speak again. "Her mother was a beautiful girl, yes she was, but she was very promiscuous, always out at late hours" Vernon says as he takes a photo frame off the mantle, "She got pregnant by a local boy, but he went away to the navy, couldn’t handle the burden, left my sister to deal with it all alone" Vernon said as he turned the picture towards Clara.
As if time stood still the cup in her hand slowly fell to the ground, that woman, the picture, she knew her. "Miss are you alright?" Vernon asked as he placed the picture back on the mantle, "I am sorry, I must be going" she spoke quickly as she grabbed her coat and practically ran out the door without so much as a goodbye. Her whole body shaking as she made her way back through the streets of London, towards the theatre, "This can't be" was all she mumbled as she continued to shake, warm tears running down her cheeks.
As soft music radiates through out the room Clara can not help but notice that while everyone is talking they are all looking at someone else; no on notices, no one is bothered. It is just one long chain of deception, although nearly all seem to gaze at each other with love. Bunny gazes at Meredith but it is easy to tell his heart is slowly tearing apart as Meredith chatters to another, if only the ones we loved, loved us back. Then there is Stella, although she doesn't notice she is being watched by many. P.L staring at Stella who is staring at Meredith, who ever thought on small theatre company could be so intertwined without realising it.
"Would you like to dance?" a familiar voice asks, suddenly Clara snaps out of her daze to see P.L and Stella walking towards the dance floor. "How about a dance?" another voice asks, this time it is for Clara. A hand is placed on her shoulder as she turns to see Geoffrey offering her a dance, "Sure" Clara replies as the pair head to the dance floor.
"You know you really shouldn't let Meredith get to you" Clara says, "Oh" Geoffrey replies as they begin to dance. "You are a nice guy Geoffrey, don't sink to their level. Stella believes she can act, but she only got the part because she called Desmond a c…u…n…t" Clara whispers as she rests her head on Geoffrey's shoulder, "Clara-" Geoffrey begins but Clara cuts him off in mid sentence "Don't say anything, please" she says in a beg.
As the night continued the crowd died down and soon there were only a dozen or so people left, Clara had given up on dancing and sat alone watching P.L transfixed by the fiery headed child; for weeks it had been pestering Clara that Stella seemed so familiar but she could not place her face.
Desmond danced by himself in a drunken haze as P.L and Stella finally stepped off the dance floor; it frightened Clara that P.L was getting so close to Stella, he had made that mistake before. "Where is Meredith?" Stella asks in an almost pathetic tone, "He has gone to midnight mass with Bunny" someone replies. "Oh" Stella replies as her face falls, "Would you like a ride home?" P.L asks Stella, who looks ever so fragile as her red hair falls over her eyes. Clara's eyes fall to the ground; he really felt something for that child, something he had shown Clara a long time ago.
"You slept with her didn’t you?" Clara asks as she adjusts her long blonde hair, "What are you talking about?" O'Hara asks as he fondles with his fake moustache. "You know exactly what I mean, she is just a child" she continues as she turns away from the mirror and stares at P.L. "It has nothing to do with you what I do in my private life" he replies in an almost yell. Before the two can continue arguing Bunny knocks on the door, "Show time" he yells, both Clara and P.L head towards the stage.
"Clara I have a favour to ask you" Meredith says after the show, "What is it?" she asks as she wipes away her stage makeup. "Stella's uncle wishes to know what his precious virginal niece gets up to here and I said I would gladly explain to him, but you see tomorrow is the only day he is free and I am busy" Meredith says, "This is the last favour I ever do for you" Clara says as she throws her wig at him.
"Hello I am here to see Vernon Bradshaw" Clara says to a kind looking woman who answers the door as Clara stands on the doorstep, "Please come in, Vernon won't be a moment" the woman says as she leads Clara into the modest sized house. "Would you like a cup of tea?" the woman asks, "That would be nice" Clara replies as the woman ushers her to sit. Taking a seat Clara looks around the room, she notices that a few of the pictures are turned around so the photo is not showing, 'How curious' she thought to herself as the woman comes back in bearing tea, a burly looking man following close behind.
"Hello Miss, I am Vernon Bradshaw, young Stella's uncle" the man says as he shakes Clara's hand, "Hello Mr Bradshaw" she replies as the woman pours Clara a cup of hot tea. "Meredith said that you wished to know more about what Stella does at the theatre" Clara says as Vernon nods, "Well Stella helps build the stage, and often is sent on errands to get lunch for the cast, she gets along rather well with all of us and is a great asset to the theatre" Clara lies, leaving out the part about P.L and his no longer virginal niece. For about another half an hour they continued to talk about Stella and the company, and now as she was ready to leave Vernon began to speak again. "Her mother was a beautiful girl, yes she was, but she was very promiscuous, always out at late hours" Vernon says as he takes a photo frame off the mantle, "She got pregnant by a local boy, but he went away to the navy, couldn’t handle the burden, left my sister to deal with it all alone" Vernon said as he turned the picture towards Clara.
As if time stood still the cup in her hand slowly fell to the ground, that woman, the picture, she knew her. "Miss are you alright?" Vernon asked as he placed the picture back on the mantle, "I am sorry, I must be going" she spoke quickly as she grabbed her coat and practically ran out the door without so much as a goodbye. Her whole body shaking as she made her way back through the streets of London, towards the theatre, "This can't be" was all she mumbled as she continued to shake, warm tears running down her cheeks.