The Break [Tori, Marisa]

Tori
Retired Staff

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The Break [Tori, Marisa] Dec 29, 2010 21:30:10 GMT -5

Post by Tori on Dec 29, 2010 21:30:10 GMT -5

Gabriella McAfee
seventeen . single . district 8

They told me that the wiring was somehow all misfiring
and screwing up the signals in my brain.
And then they told me chemistry, the juice and not the circuitry,
was mixing up and making me insane.
What happens when the burn has healed
when the skin has not regrown?
What happens when the cast, at last, comes off,
and then you find the break was always in another bone?

Gabriella was sitting outside. It might have seemed odd to some people, but it was all right for her. Her red hair was it's usual mess. It looked like she hadn't brushed it in days and it blew freely in the wind. She hadn't bothered to try to pull the knots out of her hair. The girl sat leaning against the front of her house dressed inappropriately for the weather. The district had not yet received the layer of snow it normally did during this time of year, but it was still cold. Gabriella was wearing a thin t-shirt and the long, grey sweatpants. She was barefoot and didn't mind the coldness nipping at the soles of her feet and bare arms. The only other article of clothing she wore was her sister's scarf around her neck.

She looked up towards the sun, wondering what time it was. She had had a shift at the factory today, but left before it started. Charlotte didn't follow her home, so she assumed her older sister was taking her place again. Gabriella did feel bad about it sometimes, but she knew that Charlotte liked it there sometimes. She seemed to like the factories. At least that's what Gabriella thought. When Charlotte wasn't home, Gabriella always had time to look around her sister's side of the rooms. When she was really sad, she would sneak into Charlotte's box that she thought she kept hidden. She would never tell anyone, but it always calmed her down when Charlotte wasn't there.

They tried a million meds and
They strapped me to their beds and
They shrugged and told me 'that's the way it goes.'
But finally you hit it!
I asked you just what did it.
You shrugged and said that no one really knows.

It was never noticeable. Or at least Charlotte never noticed it. Gabriella would only ever take the first piece of fabric out. But she would lie in Charlotte's bed and hold it close to her face and she would lay there for hours just thinking. Remembering. And somehow, that fabric helped her remain calm. She had done that today, but had returned the box like always. And now she sat outside waiting for Charlotte to return.

The younger twin needed to only wait a few more minutes. Charlotte was visible a few moments later, returning home. Gabriella started waving obnoxiously at her sister even though it would be very hard for Charlotte to see the movement from the distance she was currently at. When she came close enough, Gabriella stopped waving and instead called out. "Hurry up. I baked some cookies."

Wind blew a little rougher and threw the girl's hair into her face more as she rose. In a moment, she was inside the again on the way to the kitchen. She had baked some cookies earlier with her free time. Now that she examined them closer, they looked a little burnt. Well, actually, one was completely black. She wondered why she hadn't noticed it before. Shrugging, she picked it up and took a bite. While eating, she got out a plate and put the least burned cookies on a plate for Charlotte. Gabriella waited by the door.

What happens if the medicine wasn't really in control?
What happens if the cut, the burn, the break was never in my brain,
or in my blood, but in my soul?
What happens if the cut, the burn, the break was never in my brain,
or in my blood, but in my soul?

The Break
Next to Normal

~~~~~

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Last Edit: Dec 30, 2010 0:09:38 GMT -5 by Tori

My characters can be found here. PM me to roleplay.

Marisa
Merchant

[M:-200]

125 POSTS
last seen Mar 15, 2013 12:58:34 GMT -5

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The Break [Tori, Marisa] Dec 29, 2010 23:18:11 GMT -5

Post by Marisa on Dec 29, 2010 23:18:11 GMT -5

Charlotte McAfee
seventeen || single || district eight

Please wait while I slowly untie my tongue tonight
I pray by some feeble attempt
My words would tell you what my heart has to say
'Cause you've always been right beside me for so many days
How could I be without you now

[/color][/i]

Charlotte crossed her arms tightly around her chest as a cold breeze blew against her skin. She had just finished her sister’s shift at the clothing factory and was now walking home. Sewing does not seem like a strenuous job, but as Charlotte unfolded her arms, she realized how sore she was for the twelve straight hours she spent at the factory. Even Charlotte’s fingers cramped as she reached into her pocket to find today’s treasure.

A folded small square of velvet met her fingers and she pulled it out of her pocket. She rarely got to work with such elegant fabrics such as velvet, let alone have any left over to steal. She placed the soft fabric on her cold cheek and thought of Valerie. Velvet was Valerie’s favorite material.

When the girls were nine years old, they visited the district’s park. Or the barren land they called a park. Valerie had come across a velvet jacket on one of the benches. And though it was unlike her to just take it and not attempt to find the owners, Valerie did love the feel of velvet. Instead of hoarding the luxurious material, like Charlotte probably would have, Valerie shared the jacket with her two sisters. They took turns wearing it around the house, to stores, and while playing games.

A tear fell onto the fabric as Charlotte recounted the memory with the velvet still on her cheek. She stopped in the middle of the side walk, took two deep breathes, neatly folded the velvet and put it back in her pocket, and wiped off the tear. She would not let anyone see her cry.

As she got into the view of her home, she saw her sister smiling up at her, waving. A smile replaced the sadness on Charlotte’s face. Gabriella never had trouble when it came to making Charlotte smile. “Hurry up. I baked some cookies,” Gabriella called out.

Charlotte followed her sister into the house and immediately smelled the burnt cookies. That wasn’t the only thing she smelled, though. She smelled something she dreaded. Chocolate. Charlotte felt the churning in her stomach as soon as the smell hit her nose. She looked to her right and saw Gabriella standing there with a plate of cookies. She needed to get out of there before she puked on the carpet, which would probably result in one of Gabriella’s fits.

“Uhm. Gabbie, I’ll be right back, okay? I’m just going to go change out of these uncomfortable clothes. I’ll be right back,” she said as she quickly made her way to the bathroom. She just made it when chunks of her lunch came back up her mouth and splashed into the toilet. She tried to be as quiet as possible knowing that, if Gabriella heard, things would end badly. She coughed up whatever was left in her stomach, stood up, and flushed the toilet. She looked at herself in the mirror. She was still wearing her perfect little mask. Perfect make-up. Perfect buttoned up cardigan. Perfectly ironed skirt. The only thing that wasn’t perfect was her curly red hair and the little bit of puke that was on her chin.

She wiped off her chin, put her hair up in a messy bun, and walked into her bedroom. As soon as she closed the door, she ran to the box under her bed, opened it, and placed the velvet square on the bottom of the pile of fabric squares. Before closing the box, she picked up the fabric pile and looked at the old picture on the bottom of the box. The picture was six years old and on the cheapest material a picture can come on. It was a luxury to have a photo at all, but no one in the districts could afford a photo on actual photo paper. A set of young triplets smiled up at her from the bottom of the box. “I’m so sorry, Valerie,” Charlotte whispered.

Charlotte replaced the fabric and closed the box. She had been keeping Gabriella for far too long and didn’t want her to get worried. She quickly through off her clothes and put on a large tee shirt and a pair of sweat pants. When Charlotte returned to the living room with Gabriella, they looked exactly the same. When Charlotte has her little mask on, they look fairly different from each other. As different as identical twins can look. But with them both wearing the same outfit, Charlotte looked like a mirror image of Gabriella.

Charlotte swallowed down her incoming nausea and took a cookie. She took a big bite, knowing that would make Gabriella happy. The chocolate chips seemed to scrap across her tongue and her inner cheeks as she chewed. She reluctantly swallowed and looked up at Gabriella, who was watching her expectantly. “These are delicious, Gabbie. Great job! ”

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'Cause I am changed by you
The more I get to know you
The more I want you close to me
And I'll take care of you
Please just say you love me
Forever be whatever you need

(Changed by You // Between the Trees)

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>>>>> Currently trying to rebuild my character supply after another long hiatus. (:

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Tori
Retired Staff

1,071 POSTS
last seen May 7, 2013 21:56:19 GMT -5

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The Break [Tori, Marisa] Dec 30, 2010 0:09:13 GMT -5

Post by Tori on Dec 30, 2010 0:09:13 GMT -5

Gabriella McAfee
seventeen . single . district 8

The moment Charlotte entered; Gabriella shoved the plate towards her. She smiled and held them out to her sister. Charlotte quickly told her she needed to change and she left the room. Gabriella found her way over to the couch and waited for her sister to reemerge from their room. She before she really realized what she was doing, she started eating the cookies on the plate. One. Two. Three. The plate was empty before she had time to realize it. Gabriella quickly looked around to make sure Charlotte was not coming out any time soon.

She ran into the kitchen and quickly re-dished the plate, not checking to make sure she grabbed ones that were not burnt. Gabriella quickly ran back into the living room and placed the plate on the table before sitting on the couch. She placed her hands in her lap and intertwined her fingers. She sat up straight and stared at the door to her room. Charlotte had been in there awhile. She wondered if maybe her sister was having a hard time finding clothes or something.

A few minutes later, the door opened and Charlotte entered once more. Gabriella was staring at a reflection of herself. When they wore the same style of clothes, sometimes Gabriella forgot that she wasn’t actually looking in a mirror. The girl grabbed the plate of cookies once again and held them up towards her twin sister. Charlotte took a cookie from off the plate and bit into it. She smiled and complimented Gabriella on her baking.

Gabriella smiled wide in response and took the rest of the plate back into the kitchen. She removed the rest of the cookies from the tray and placed them on the plate. Then she grabbed them up and left them on the counter for when her parents eventually came home. Chocolate was still a delicacy, but she didn’t think they would mind that she baked some that they bought into cookies for everyone. At least she didn’t think they would get mad.

“How was your day?” Gabriella returned to the living room with her sister. She took a seat on the other side of the couch and grabbed the remote as she listened to Charlotte. When her sister finished, she waved the remote in the air. “Ready? It was on two minutes ago.” This year’s Hunger Games was more brutal than usual, and it looked like a career might actually win this year. There were four tributes left in the running. Both representative of District 8 were gone.

It was a requirement for the people of every district to stay updated on the games. Gabriella always had different reactions to the games. It really depended on… just her. Most of the time she just spaced out while watching it anyways and didn’t pay attention. But sometimes she watched it. Sometimes it ended with a tantrum.

~~~~~

Last Edit: Dec 30, 2010 0:10:34 GMT -5 by Tori

My characters can be found here. PM me to roleplay.

Marisa
Merchant

[M:-200]

125 POSTS
last seen Mar 15, 2013 12:58:34 GMT -5

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The Break [Tori, Marisa] Dec 30, 2010 2:08:26 GMT -5

Post by Marisa on Dec 30, 2010 2:08:26 GMT -5

Charlotte McAfee
seventeen || single || district eight

It’s hard to admit, my weaknesses can consume me.
I search for the cure in the bottles of varied volumes, yeah.
The joke of it is I express myself without purpose.
Yet, you devour my small bits
Of madness and make-believe.

[/color][/i]

When Gabriella got up from the couch and entered the kitchen, Charlotte downed the glass of warm water on the coffee table. She had to get the chocolate out of her mouth. Every little crumb that she felt in her mouth was just another reminder of how it was her fault that Valerie was dead right now. The water had done the job, and got the chocolate out of her mouth. Unfortunately, the taste still lingered.

“How was your day?” Gabriella said as she made her way back over to her sister. How was my day? Well, let’s see, I woke up at four in the morning, two hours earlier than I have to, so that I could calm you down after your nightmare. Then for the next two hours, I lied next to you. Wide awake. Holding your hand, just in case. It took me an hour to goop on my make-up, so no one at the factory can see how tired I am.

I walked in the freezing cold to the factory to find that I had to work for six hours in a building with a broken heater. You didn’t show up for your shift. So, I went to the bathroom, wiped off my pretty make-up, put an old tee-shirt over my blouse, and put my hair in a bun. Another six hours of cramping fingers, no heat, and smoking, gossiping old women next to me.

Finally, when I was in the comfort of my own home, I got the worst surprise you could have given me. Chocolate. I remember when chocolate tasted great. When my tongue would tingle with happiness as it melted. But because I can’t keep my hands to myself. Because I don’t know what the word “no” means. Because I’m selfish and stupid and immature and greedy, chocolate is the worst thing on this planet. So, all in all, I would say it was not my best day.

Gabriella grabbed the remote as she patiently waited for Charlotte’s reply. She smiled at her, expecting the same old explanation of a great day at the factory that Charlotte was sure to provide. “Honestly, my day was exhausting. I don’t mind though, now I can get a great night’s sleep. Other than that, it was a pretty good day at the factory. They had me sewing the seams of skirts today. I’ll tell you, some of the patterns they gave me were crazy. Don’t tell anyone I said this, but I would never even leave the house if I had to wear some of the things the people in the Capitol wear, ” Charlotte said with a small smile. The explanation was mindless and simple, but Charlotte knew Gabriella enjoyed it.

“There was this one skirt that I was sewing that was covered in buttons. Big, small, gold, pink, you name it. It was really tacky, if you ask me. Some of the buttons hadn’t been sewn on yet, so they asked me to do it. I saw this one button, and even though it was outrageous, it reminded me of you.” Charlotte pulled out a large, light pink, rose-shaped button and handed it to Gabriella.

“Oh, and you’ll never guess! Mildred’s daughter just had a baby boy. She invited you over anytime to see him.” Charlotte finished the story with a smile and Gabriella held the remote up in response. “Ready? It was on two minutes ago.” Charlotte nodded, though she wasn’t looking forward to it.

The screen flickered on as two pretty girls filled the screen. Charlotte smiled as she realized they wouldn’t be coming upon a death, but a friendly scene. The two female career tributes were allies and as the games went on, they became more friendly with each other. The games were no place for romance, but in these more-brutal-than-usual games, Charlotte welcomed it. She felt bad for the girls, of course, knowing that it wouldn’t end well, but she continued to watch. Hoping for a pointless miracle. Charlotte never admitted it, but she was a sucker for a happy love story.

Before Charlotte knew it, one of the girls, the one from District two, asked her ally to do the unthinkable. To kill her. Charlotte grimaced as she watched the ally, Topaz, oblige. Charlotte closed her eyes and softy reached for Gabriella’s hand. She didn’t want to witness this and she didn’t even want to know how Gabriella was feeling right now. Charlotte, with her eyes still closed, leaned on her sister and listened to the sound of Nash’s death. Charlotte’s long day had taken the best of her, though. And she felt herself drifting off into a sleep.

Charlotte woke up, not knowing how long it had been. Five minutes? An hour? The TV was off now, but Gabriella was still sitting under Charlotte’s head. From the lighting, it seemed she had only dozed off for a few minutes. She sat up and looked at Gabriella, waiting for her reaction to another young girl’s death. “How are you feeling, Gabbie? How was your day? I forgot to ask.”

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If I can pretend, I don’t depend.
I can deny, deny denial.
Yet when push comes to shove and all the above,
I decide to live the lie.

(Invisible Monsters // Motion City Soundtrack)

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>>>>> Currently trying to rebuild my character supply after another long hiatus. (:

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Tori
Retired Staff

1,071 POSTS
last seen May 7, 2013 21:56:19 GMT -5

Pigfarts, Pigfarts, yum, yum, yum.

The Break [Tori, Marisa] Dec 30, 2010 8:11:50 GMT -5

Post by Tori on Dec 30, 2010 8:11:50 GMT -5

Gabriella McAfee
seventeen . single . district 8

Gabriella turned on the television. She didn’t immediately watch it. Her mind was still occupied with what Charlotte said earlier. The twin was staring at the button now resting in her hands and imagining the skirts that her sister had to make today. The thought made her want to laugh. All the fabrics in Charlotte’s box seemed to look nice. Maybe it was part of that OCD tick Charlotte had developed or maybe it was just a coincidence.

As she thought about the skirts, she always thought about what Charlotte had said about someone named Madge. Gabriella didn’t know who she had been referring to. The girl didn’t recall knowing anyone named Madge. Or had she said Midge? It didn’t matter. Gabriella quickly shoved the button into her sweats pocket and focused on the television.

The two girls on the screen were from district 2 and district 1. They had become close in more ways than one. But something was startling to Gabriella. One was attacking the other. Why? She thought they had meant something to each other. Charlotte’s hand was suddenly squeezing her own. Was that to support her? Or Charlotte’s self? Gabriella squeezed her hand and smiled in return, though her sister did not seem to notice.

The girl on screen named Topaz continued to attack Nash, and Gabriella felt extremely sad watching it. Her sister’s head slowly sank onto her shoulder. She froze and remained very still, as not to make Charlotte need to move. After awhile, Gabriella had stopped paying attention to the Games. She hadn’t watched what happened, and her sister appeared asleep. She grabbed the remote and switched off the television, not wanting to watch the rest.

Gabriella wasn’t sure how long Charlotte was out for. She occupied her time by removing the hair tie from her sister’s hair and running her fingers through it. The red was extremely bright and she worked her hands through, pulling out all the knots. Charlotte arose shortly after and asked her about her day, still looking tired.

She smiled. “That’s okay. I probably would have told you later anyways. I’m okay. That was a bit sad though.” The girl motioned to the television. “I didn’t really do much off anything. I don’t know if you noticed, but I tidied up our room a bit. And I baked the cookies. I didn’t really do much of anything else.”

Without stopping, she continued talking even though it was on a different topic. “Did you fall asleep just now? It didn’t take long. You really were exhausted, weren’t you?” Gabriella grabbed her sister’s hand and spun to face her as she sat on the couch. “Did you have any dreams?”

[/justify]

~~~~~

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Last Edit: Dec 30, 2010 8:13:44 GMT -5 by Tori

My characters can be found here. PM me to roleplay.

Marisa
Merchant

[M:-200]

125 POSTS
last seen Mar 15, 2013 12:58:34 GMT -5

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The Break [Tori, Marisa] Dec 30, 2010 15:54:10 GMT -5

Post by Marisa on Dec 30, 2010 15:54:10 GMT -5

Charlotte McAfee
seventeen || single || district eight

So it's times like these I wonder how I take it,
And if other families live the way we do.
If they love each other or if they just fake it,
And if other daughters feel like I feel too.
Cause some days I think I'm dying,
But I'm really only trying to get through.

[/color][/i]

“I don’t know if you noticed, but I tidied up our room a bit.” Gabriella’s proud voice rang in Charlotte’s ears as tried to remember what her room looked like earlier that day. She had just run in there, paying attention to nothing but the box and the clothes she threw on. She tried not to let her expression flicker as she mentally recounted her surroundings.

Gabriella continued to talk, and even asked Charlotte a question, but she was too busy trying to remember. Then Charlotte remembered a few things. Her books, no longer ordered alphabetically, instead piled into a neat pyramid. The clothes in her closet were in tacky pre-made outfits, not organized by color – how Charlotte had spent hours organizing them just so. There were also some flowers on her desk, with the roots still attached. Leaving the little room she had to herself covered in dirt.

Charlotte tried to breathe calmly, making sure her smiling face never broke. Gabriella was looking at her expectantly; Charlotte was supposed to answer the question. “What? Oh, sorry Gabbie, uhm, yeah. I fell asleep for a few minutes. Or, at least I hope it was a few minutes,” she smiled. “No, dreams. No. I don’t think I fell into a deep enough sleep to go into a dream state, Gabbie. But I’ll probably have really good dreams tonight. I’ll tell you all about them tomorrow, okay?”

Charlotte got up from the couch and walked to the kitchen. She absent-mindedly fiddled with the dirty glasses and plates in the sink. She started to wash them, thinking about her day, thinking about sleep. She wished more than anything that she could just go crash on her bed right now. She could just cover up with her warm blanket and put her throbbing head under her thin, old pillow. But she needed to wait for Gabriella to fall asleep first. She had to make sure that nothing happened to Gabbie while she was doing a stupid thing like sleeping.

“Hey, Gabbie, why don’t we go in our room and I’ll paint your nails or do your hair or something? I know we’re just going to sleep, but wouldn’t that be fun?” It was something simple that would make Gabriella happy. Some quality time together, that also allowed Charlotte to sit down and rest.

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Every day is just another and another and another
I will hold it all together
We're the perfect loving family
If they say we're not, than fuck 'em
The perfect loving family
I will keep the plates all spinning
And the world just keeps on spinning

(Just Another Day // Next to Normal)

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>>>>> Currently trying to rebuild my character supply after another long hiatus. (:

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Tori
Retired Staff

1,071 POSTS
last seen May 7, 2013 21:56:19 GMT -5

Pigfarts, Pigfarts, yum, yum, yum.

The Break [Tori, Marisa] Dec 30, 2010 16:31:01 GMT -5

Post by Tori on Dec 30, 2010 16:31:01 GMT -5

Gabriella McAfee
seventeen . single . district 8

Gabriella thought for a moment in response. She actually wasn't sure how long they had been on the couch together. Her eyes found their way to the windows and she was able to see that it was now dark outside. That meant their parents would be home soon. Charlotte mentioned going in their room to get ready for bed. She offered to do Gabriella's nails or hair. The thought made her smile in response. She jumped up saying, "Yeah, sure!"

She waited for Charlotte to get up and then followed her over to their door. "Wait, I'm going to go to the bathroom. I'll be right back in." Gabriella turned to the left and shut the door behind her. She felt the need to pee, but never actually made it to the toilet, for some reason she was stopped. The red head slowly turned to her left and looked into the bathroom. She got closer and examined herself.

In the last 17 years, she had never had a boyfriend. She could understand why though, even her own family didn't like her very much. A boy was out of the question. Gabriella pulled at the frayed pieces of her bangs as she looked in the mirror. Maybe if they were cut more even? Dark circles remained under eyes, probably the result of this morning. When was the last time Charlotte slept? Maybe that was why she so tired that she passed out on the couch.

It was her fault. She was making all of this happen. As she looked in the mirror, someone she didn't know looked back at her. How long ago did she turn into this? She'd forgotten. Gabriella smiled at her reflection. It seemed to brighten her face a little. She searched through the drawers until she found a pair of scissors. Gabriella hurried ran over and locked the door to the bathroom before returning to the mirror. She snipped a small section on her bangs.

The excess hair fell upon the sink and lay there. She stared at it for awhile until she returned to look at herself. The cut was sort of noticable. Only because that piece of hair had been far longer than the others for awhile and now it was gone. She snipped another piece, but it ended up slanted she got angery. Gabriella hit the sink with her fist, and in a fit of frustration she turned and sunk to the floor with her backk against the sink.

She thought she heard noise outsidethe door, but maybe she was just hallucinating against. Why was she such a hassle? No one liked her, and maybe it would be better if she disappeared too. At least the nightmares would be gone. It would be like seeting Charlotte free from her responsibilities. Gabriella took a moment to realise that she'd been digging the point of the scissors into the palm of her skin. She held her hand close to her faceand watched the bit of blood poor out it.

It didn't bother her as much as it normally it. Blood used to bother her. it used to brig back all sorts of memory. But, now it was calming in a way. It didn't like she though blood might. Gabriella made a wound similar to the one on her palm on her wrist. It was a little bigger and now it bleeding as well. More so than the other wound. Now she was positive she heard noise outside the bathroom. Was it her parents coming home?

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~~~~~

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Last Edit: Dec 30, 2010 16:34:14 GMT -5 by Tori

My characters can be found here. PM me to roleplay.

Marisa
Merchant

[M:-200]

125 POSTS
last seen Mar 15, 2013 12:58:34 GMT -5

whatmakesyouhaha.mp3

The Break [Tori, Marisa] Dec 30, 2010 17:33:03 GMT -5

Post by Marisa on Dec 30, 2010 17:33:03 GMT -5

Charlotte McAfee
seventeen || single || district eight

Fell down, found God
Just to lose it again
Glue the community together
We were hammering it

[/color][/i]

Charlotte walked into their bedroom only to find that she was without her sister. Then she heard from behind her, "Wait, I'm going to go to the bathroom. I'll be right back in.” Charlotte patiently waited for her Gabriella in their room. She walked around, noticing even more things that were wrong. Her shoes had been moved to her closet, no longer residing at the foot of her twin bed in a straight line. Her sister had sharpened all the pencils that were on the desk. Now when they were in the pencil holder, the all stood at different heights.

Charlotte shook her head and tried to get rid of her negative thoughts. Her sister didn’t know any better. Though it was fairly obvious, no one seemed to acknowledge that Charlotte had a mild case of OCD. Charlotte moved to the other side of the room, where she kept her make-up, hair supplies, and nail polish. She didn’t have many colors; well, she didn’t have any colors. In the districts, they only sold clear polish, but it did the job.

Charlotte neatly laid out all of the supplies on her night stand. She made sure that everything they would need was there. All she needed now were some cotton balls, which were kept in the bathroom. Charlotte got up and walked to the door, which was still shut. As Charlotte crossed the room to the bathroom door, she heard a loud thump. She ran to the door, hoping that something fell; a bottle, a hairbrush, anything. Just not her sister.

"Gabbie? Gabbie, honey is everything okay?” Charlotte received no answer and she reached for the door knob. Locked. As Charlotte started to panic, she knocked on the door. Though she was frantic, she knew better than to shout, yell, or pound on the door. "Gabbie, it’s Charlotte. Can you let me in please? I need to grab something from under the sink.”

Going through these motions quite often, Charlotte knew that accusation was also another way not to go about things. When the bathroom door still didn’t open, Charlotte ran back to her room. She opened the drawer with her hair ties and bobby pins. "Gabriella,” Charlotte sighed as she realized Gabriella had reorganized this drawer as well. Charlotte put her hands in her hair, searching for a bobby pin and felt one inside her bun.

After much struggle, Charlotte pulled it free and ran back to the bathroom. "Gabs, I’m going to open the door, okay?” Charlotte shoved the bobby pin into the door knob and fiddled with it a few times until she finally opened the door.

Gabriella was sitting on the floor in front the sink, blood pouring out of both hands. Like a reflex, Charlotte opened the cabinet almost immediately and pulled out the first aid kit. There was no medication in there, that’s far too expensive. But they did stock it with some bandages. She filled the cup on the sink with some water and sat down on the floor next to Gabriella. She grabbed her right hand gently, taking the scissors out of it as well. She methodically began to wash the wound with water and wrap a strip of gauze around it.

While she worked on the second hand, she looked up at her sister’s tired face. She smiled at her, knowing that even with all the grief she brought, she was the perfect sister. When she finally finished with the left wrist, she studied Gabriella’s face. "Your hair looks very pretty, Gabbie,” she said. Charlotte kissed her on the forehead and got up from the floor. "Come on, let’s go paint your nails before mom and dad get home. We can show them how nice you look,” she said as she held out a hand for her sister.

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Fell down, found love
But I can lose it again
But now our communal heart
It beats miles from here

(The Loneliness and The Scream // Frightened Rabbit)

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>>>>> Currently trying to rebuild my character supply after another long hiatus. (:

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Tori
Retired Staff

1,071 POSTS
last seen May 7, 2013 21:56:19 GMT -5

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The Break [Tori, Marisa] Dec 30, 2010 17:58:45 GMT -5

Post by Tori on Dec 30, 2010 17:58:45 GMT -5

Gabriella McAfee
seventeen . single . district 8

Now Gabriella knew what it was. It wasn't her parents. Charlotte was at the door. She said she needed something from under the sink. Gabriella didn't move. She just stared at the door. Her sister said her full name and she knew she had done it again. Her sister was worried. Charlotte only ever used Gabriella's full name when she was worried or upset. Gabriella had never called Charlotte, Char. Char was the pet name she used when they were younger, when there was three of them.
The girl looked down at her hand and watched the blood ooze a little more. She wondered how long it would take to clot. Charlotte was at the door again. She said she was coming in. The doorknob jiggled a bit and then Gabriella watched as the locked turned with a simoltanious click. Charlotte was on the floor next her and before she realise what happened, there was pressure were her cuts had been.
Charlotte's hands were taking care of the new marks and she was the one in possession of the scissors. After she was banaged, she glanced up into Charlotte's face. Was she mad? Her sister only complimented on her hair looking nice. Gabriella felt the tip of her bangs where she had chopped a little off. She hesitantly smiled at Charlotte. She felt her sister's lips on her forehead and her smile became more reassured.
Gabriella took Charlotte's hand when she offered it to her and they walked to their bedroom together. When they entered, she could see that all the things for her nails were already laid out and ready. Gabriella plopped down on her bed and waited her Charlotte to pull up the chair like she always did. She studied her own hand as she waited. Why did she do it? Why wasn't it really hurting anymore? The questions concerned her little.
Her hand was taken into Charlotte's again as sher sister began painting. "Hey, Charlotte." She shivered at the sound of her weak and pathetic voice. She wasn't sure what she was saying, but the words came to her lips. "Do you like me? Am I... Am I an okay sister? She bit into her lip as she asked. The taste of blood was faint, but still present in her mouth from biting too hard. She felt as if she could cry. Why did she just ask that? And why had is been so hard to do so?

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Marisa
Merchant

[M:-200]

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The Break [Tori, Marisa] Dec 30, 2010 18:57:02 GMT -5

Post by Marisa on Dec 30, 2010 18:57:02 GMT -5

Charlotte McAfee
seventeen || single || district eight

And all the roads we have to walk are winding
And all the lights that lead us there are blinding
There are many things that I would like to say to you
But I don't know how

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Before Charlotte led Gabriella to the room, she grabbed the cotton balls from under the sink. Gabriella sat down on the bed, waiting for Charlotte. Charlotte pulled a chair up in front of her sister and sat down, taking Gabriella’s right hand into her own. She started to absent-mindedly file down the nail so that it’s chewed-on edges were rounded. As she filed down the nails, she thought of her sister.

Charlotte felt helpless when it came to Gabriella; that’s not how things were supposed to go. Gabriella was the sister that Charlotte was supposed to take care of. She screwed over her other sister, she owed Gabriella this much. And yet, when Gabriella was on her watch, she cut her wrists open. Charlotte hated herself for not watching more carefully; she knows better. She’s just so tired…

"Hey, Charlotte," Gabriella said quietly, " Do you like me? Am I... Am I an okay-sister?" Charlotte sighed, put down the nail file, and gently held Gabriella’s hands. Looking directly in Gabriella’s green eyes, she replied, "Gabbie, do you remember our fourteenth birthday? Two years after Valerie’s death. Mom and dad had asked me to be as calm as I could be, for your sake. Pretend it was a normal day, for Gabriella, she said. And whatever you do, don’t cry. Of course you don’t remember that, you weren’t there, but do you remember that night?" Before Gabriella could acknowledge Charlotte’s question, she continued.

"It was about one in the morning, only an hour after our parents left our room, sure that you were soundly asleep. I started to quietly cry. Finally, I was allowed to. Finally, I didn’t have to think about you and I could care for myself. Finally, I thought. But then, though I didn’t hear you get out of your bed, you crawled into my twin bed with me. You put our…Valerie’s velvet jacket around my shivering shoulders. You didn’t say anything, you just lied with me holding my hand while I tried to stifle my cries."

Because of your disorder, you’re a lot of work. But if that night proved anything, it’s that your disorder does not define you. You are still the most beautiful person that I know. You’re still my perfect little sister. My perfect Gabbie.” And with that Charlotte gave Gabriella another kiss on the forehead and picked up her hand to continue filing.

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Because maybe
You're gonna be the one
that saves me
And after all
You're my wonderwall

(Wonderwall // Oasis)

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>>>>> Currently trying to rebuild my character supply after another long hiatus. (:

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Tori
Retired Staff

1,071 POSTS
last seen May 7, 2013 21:56:19 GMT -5

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The Break [Tori, Marisa] Dec 30, 2010 19:10:42 GMT -5

Post by Tori on Dec 30, 2010 19:10:42 GMT -5

Gabriella McAfee
seventeen . single . district 8

Charlotte stopped what she was doing and looked Gabriella in the eyes while she spoke. When she mentioned Valerie's name, Gabriella's vision fogged she could see red. And a body. Gabriella open and shut her eyes, inhaling deepily to push the images from her mind and concentrate on Charlotte's voice. Her words made it sound like a burden. Their mother was already forcing that on her at that young? She had never known.

Her eyes found Charlotte's again and she listened to the rest of her sister's story. Yes, she remembered too. When Charlotte was done, she kissed Gabriella's head again and then returned to doing her nails. "You're beautiful too, Charlotte." Her voice was quiet, but she contiued. "We look the same." A small smile danced on the edge of her lips when her sister looked backup at her.

ooc: sorry it's so short, dad was yelling and I lost muse. I'll have it for the next post.

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~~~~~

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My characters can be found here. PM me to roleplay.

Marisa
Merchant

[M:-200]

125 POSTS
last seen Mar 15, 2013 12:58:34 GMT -5

whatmakesyouhaha.mp3

The Break [Tori, Marisa] Dec 30, 2010 22:43:40 GMT -5

Post by Marisa on Dec 30, 2010 22:43:40 GMT -5

Charlotte McAfee
seventeen || single || district eight

"We look the same.” Gabriella said simply as a smile crossed her face. Charlotte let out a small giggle as she continued to file her nails. She couldn’t stop laughing though, and she had to put down the file. Gabriella was laughing too, now. Charlotte couldn’t stop. Maybe it was from exhaustion, but she didn’t care. It felt great to laugh.

When Charlotte gained her composure again, with tears in her eyes from laughing, she looked at Gabriella. "I reckon you’re still the better looking one.” Charlotte finished up Gabriella’s nails, giving them each a sleek rounded edge and a shiny coat of polish.

Then she got up from her chair in front of Gabriella and sat behind her on the bed. She gently and slowly started to brush Gabriella’s hair. It was greasy and knotted, hadn’t been washed for days. She worked her way through all the knots, making sure not to hurt Gabriella. The silence was comfortable between them. It was as if they were talking, by just breathing next to each other.

"Gabbie?” Charlotte broke the silence as she continued to comb through Gabbie’s long hair. "What about me? How am I as a sister?” Charlotte said the question a bit more quietly than she meant to. She was honestly just curious, but as she said the sentence, she thought of Valerie. And how awful of a sister Charlotte was to her. She listened to Gabriella speak as she started to make a braid in Gabriella’s hair.

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But it was not your fault but mine
And it was your heart on the line
I really fucked it up this time
Didn't I, my dear?
Didn't I, my dear?

(Little Lion Mam // Mumford and Sons)

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>>>>> Currently trying to rebuild my character supply after another long hiatus. (:

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Tori
Retired Staff

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The Break [Tori, Marisa] Dec 30, 2010 23:10:56 GMT -5

Post by Tori on Dec 30, 2010 23:10:56 GMT -5

Gabriella McAfee
seventeen . single . district 8

Gabriella wasn't sure how long they're laughing went on for. Charlotte told her she was the better looking one. Gabriella didn't say anything aloud, but in her mind, she scoffed. Did Charlotte she how she dressed everyday. Her hair hadn't be properly washed in almost 4 days. Charlotte was always the gorgeous one. She always look perfect. In every way.

Her sister was sitting behind her now, working on her hair. She felt the brush yank through it. It was better than having all the knots in it though. There was a quiet voice, and it took a moment for Gabriella to hear what Charlotte said, but she nodded in response. Charlotte was the perfect sister. She didn't know how she dealt with Gabriella some times.

"Of course you are. Better than I could ever be. You seem so much more mature." Gabriella's voice grew quiet on the next sentence. "I suppose maybe that's because all of you is there, though." She was thinking about how after she was diagnosed, nothing had every seemed as it had once been. Everything changed and became twisted.

"Extra shifts at the factory. This." She pointed out the nail polish. Her other was holding on to the button Charlotte had given her ealier. "Gifts. You always listen. You're just there." She glanced down at the bandades on her arms at the moment. "Some times I think you're the only reason I'm alive."

What if one day no one was there to stop her? Images of her dead sister's mangled body flew through her mind again. But not it was different. Twisted. she knew she was seeing her dead body. Gabriella thought she felt a tear spill over from her eyes, but she wasn't sure. She began breathing deeply again. She closed her eyes and tried hard to concentrate on the fingers running through her hair and the button in her fist. "You're wonderful."

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~~~~~

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Last Edit: Dec 30, 2010 23:12:12 GMT -5 by Tori

My characters can be found here. PM me to roleplay.

Marisa
Merchant

[M:-200]

125 POSTS
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The Break [Tori, Marisa] Dec 31, 2010 3:21:23 GMT -5

Post by Marisa on Dec 31, 2010 3:21:23 GMT -5

Charlotte McAfee
seventeen || single || district eight

How many times
Can I push it aside?
Is it time I befriended
All the ghosts of all the things
That haunt me most?
So, they leave me alone.
Move on with my life.

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Charlotte scoffed from behind Gabriella as she continued to speak nicely about her. Mature? MATURE?! Charlotte’s mind exploded with ways she could prove her sister wrong. She wasn’t mad, just flabbergasted. I’m selfish. I’m terrible. Anything but mature. Look at my life. Look at my choices. I broke the law to get half a bar of chocolate. Then I ran. I ran. Like a coward. And I didn’t even think about the consequences. That I had two sisters with my face. That someone could easily mix us up. People had done it before, certainly a drunk rage-filled monster could mistake us.

And what’s even worse, is that I haven’t even learned from my mistake. Five years later and I’m still stealing things. Even little taking little pieces of fabric could get me killed in this district. And I’ve even stolen on your shift. They could kill you. I never learn. It’s been five years. I’m almost an adult. And I still haven’t learned.

Charlotte was thankful that she was still sitting behind her sister, because as her mind scolded itself, her eyes watered. Charlotte begged to scream at Gabriella. To have Gabriella scold her for once. For someone else to just yell at Charlotte and stop praising her and tell her how stupid she was. How selfish. And if there’s one thing I am most certainly not, it’s “all here.” I’m just as crazy as you. I can’t even leave the house unless I’ve washed my hands three times and brushed my hair with exactly 152 strokes. Yeah, maybe you have fits and throw tantrums, that’s expected. You saw her get shot, for God’s sake. If I had been that person, who knows what I would be doing. I probably wouldn’t even be able to dress myself.

Gabriella didn’t know of Charlotte’s OCD. And her parents do not acknowledge it, though they see her struggle to do things too. And if Charlotte told Gabriella that her little quirks were more than that, who knows how she would react. She might try to help Charlotte and end up messing things up more. She might get frustrated with herself and try to kill herself again. And even if Gabriella didn’t do those things; what would the extra known burden do for them? Nothing. It would just make everyone even more on edge.

Gabriella brought the best out of Charlotte. That was clear, especially now with all of Charlotte’s thoughts raging about her mind. She just wanted someone, anyone, she could talk to. Someone who would yell at her properly and then hold her and tell her everything would be okay. Trying to stall, so that she would stay behind Gabriella and not be seen, she untied the braid and redid it multiple times.

Charlotte wiped off her face and leaned forward to look at her sister. “Thank you, Gabbie. How about we just agree that we’re both wonderful, okay?” Charlotte got up off of the bed and started to put all of her supplies away. As the years went on, Charlotte’s guilt grew and grew. With each of Gabriella’s fits, Charlotte realized that those were also indirectly her fault. The girls were never supposed to keep secrets. They made those promises when they were still triplets; things shouldn’t change now. Yet, here Charlotte was, lying every day and hiding things from her sister.

“Hey, Gabbie, uhm. I need to tell you something,” Charlotte said quietly. Charlotte wasn’t sure if this was the right choice. Was she really doing this for her sister? Would her sister be better off? Or was she doing this for herself? So that she wouldn’t feel guilty anymore? “Uh, they gave your shift tomorrow to someone else. I forgot to tell you.” Charlotte smiled weakly. “I think mom and dad are home now. Let’s go show them your nails and your hair.”

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I'd rather forget and not slow down,
Than gather regret for
the things I can't change now
If I become what I can't accept
Resurrect the saint from within the wretch
Pour over me and wash my hands of it

(Forget and Not Slow Down// Relient K)

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>>>>> Currently trying to rebuild my character supply after another long hiatus. (:

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Tori
Retired Staff

1,071 POSTS
last seen May 7, 2013 21:56:19 GMT -5

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The Break [Tori, Marisa] Jan 2, 2011 4:47:08 GMT -5

Post by Tori on Jan 2, 2011 4:47:08 GMT -5

Gabriella McAfee
seventeen . single . district 8

Charlotte whispered that they were both wonderful. Gabriella smiled and nodded. She watched as her sister slowly got off the bed and started putting the supplies away. Gabriella felt the back of her hair to see what her sister had done. She smiled. As Charlotte put the things away, Gabriella placed the button she had been given in her dresser drawer. she had a plan for it later. She sat down on the bed just as Charlotte began talking again.

"Hey, Gabbie, uhm. I need to tell you something." Gabriella, crossed her legs and put her head on her hands as she waited her Charlotte to continue. It looked like she was thinking hard about it. Then she continued to tell Gabriella that they gave her shift to someone else tomorrow. "Oh." Gabriella didn't really have much to say in response. "Okay."

She had planned on actually trying to work the shift tomorrow if she didn't have any nightmares tonight. Charlotte wanted to show mom and dad Gabriella's hair and nails. She glanced down at her nails to examine them as well. Then she remembered something important.

"Charlotte. You won't tell them about today, will you?" Her voice cracked once as she spoke. She held up her hand since she was referring to the bathroom inccident earlier. "I'm sorry. But, please. You won't tell them, right? I can't stand looking mother in the face..." She looked up at Charlotte wondering if this was really something her parents needed to know anyways. It wasn't a need-to-know, was it? No one had noticed that she stopped taking her medicine three days ago, right?

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~~~~~

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My characters can be found here. PM me to roleplay.

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Post by Tori on Dec 29, 2010 21:30:10 GMT -5

Post by Marisa on Dec 29, 2010 23:18:11 GMT -5

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Post by Marisa on Dec 30, 2010 15:54:10 GMT -5

Post by Tori on Dec 30, 2010 16:31:01 GMT -5

Post by Marisa on Dec 30, 2010 17:33:03 GMT -5

Post by Tori on Dec 30, 2010 17:58:45 GMT -5

Post by Marisa on Dec 30, 2010 18:57:02 GMT -5

Post by Tori on Dec 30, 2010 19:10:42 GMT -5

Post by Marisa on Dec 30, 2010 22:43:40 GMT -5

Post by Tori on Dec 30, 2010 23:10:56 GMT -5

Post by Marisa on Dec 31, 2010 3:21:23 GMT -5

Post by Tori on Jan 2, 2011 4:47:08 GMT -5