The Storms

Chapter nine

"You look amazing," Alyee said as she walked up too Brielle. "You too," Brielle replied. They were both wearing the school's cheer uniform. A lot had happened in a week—Brielle made the cheer team, Blake joined the band, and they even got new pets: Gideon the puppy for Brielle and Sandy the cat for Blake. Life seemed to be on an upswing, but a reminder of their past lingered.

Yesterday, Damien informed them that they had to go shopping for their party. It turned out that the twins had never celebrated their birthdays, and they didn't even know when their birthdays were.

"So, are you coming shopping with me?" Brielle asked, opening her locker.

"I don't have the money to buy a dress," Aylee admitted, a hint of shame in her voice.

"Hey, I'll get it for you. You just have to do my nails, and besides, we're having a sleepover, so you can keep it in my room," Brielle said, grabbing her math book.

Aylee smiled at her, and as they started to walk, Brielle reflected on her life. Everything seemed perfect, yet an unsettling feeling of impending loss lingered.

"Penny for your thoughts, Princess," Francis said, bringing her out of her reverie. "I'm so sorry, what?" Brielle asked, looking up at him. He pointed to the plant, making Brielle realize she had been watering the same plant repeatedly. She took it away and set the water bottle down, letting out a sigh that caught Francis's worried look.

"What's wrong?" he asked, putting a comforting hand on her back. "I just feel like my life is too well," Brielle confessed, tears streaming down. Her vulnerability surprised Francis, who had observed Brielle slowly opening up. Though she mostly sassed him off, there were glimpses of her true self.

"What do you mean by that?" Francis inquired.

"I had a rough childhood before coming to my fathers. All I can think of is, what if I am going to lose this?" Brielle poured out her fears. "I fear all the time if they are going to escape jail and come get me. I look at things that remind me of them or see people that look like them. It does something to me."

Francis stood there, holding her. When he noticed she was beginning to breathe hard, he gently guided her to face him.

"Brielle, you need to try to breathe for me," he said. Brielle tried, but it only led to hyperventilation. Her knees gave out, causing her to fall, with Francis following suit. Remembering what his mom taught him, Francis instructed, "Brielle, look at me," guiding her through a calming breathing exercise. Eventually, she regained steadiness.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah. I'm sorry," Brielle said, but Francis interrupted her.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Bri. You had a panic attack. I know that house you came from had a very bad childhood. I don't know what happened. Blake just told me you had it rough," Francis empathized.

Brielle smiled, appreciating Francis's understanding. Blake and Francis had become besties since they met during a study session at her house. The past month had been amazing for Blake and Brielle, who had formed their own little friend group.

"They would beat us, starve us, and hit us," Brielle confessed. "They didn't even call us by our real names, just boy and girl."

"I'm so sorry," Francis expressed genuine concern. Brielle just shrugged. "Also, thank you for telling me. Now let's get you cleaned up; we have a pep rally coming up," he said, wiping away her tear, eliciting a small giggle.
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"Okay, let's get changed, and then we can meet my dad," Brielle suggested, tossing her backpack on her bed. After school, Francis had promised not to tell anyone about Brielle's panic attack, but she had promised to inform someone if it happened again. The pep rally went well, and now Aylee and Brielle were at Brielle's house getting changed. Although there was a game tonight, it was only for people over 15.

Aylee placed her backpack and duffel bag on the bin at the end of Brielle's bed. She got out her clothes and headed to Brielle's bathroom. The two girls changed and met up. Brielle wore a white sweater and a plaid skirt, letting her hair down. Aylee, slightly jealous of how Brielle's hair looked perfect even after taking it out of a ponytail, admitted, "I'm jealous. Can you have such perfect hair after you took it out of a ponytail?"

"Please, I had that weird bump in the back. I just brushed it out. You look cute, by the way," Brielle complimented, then went to put on her black Mary Janes. "Thank you," Aylee responded. She looked different from Brielle, wearing a white shirt, blue jeans, and matching green Converse and sweater.

Brielle reached into her closet and grabbed a bag, as did Aylee from her duffel bag. They packed their essentials, not forgetting some bandaids, and the two girls met up, starting to walk out of the room. They encountered Damien in the hallway.

"Are you girls ready?" Damien asked. They nodded, and he smiled, walking away, with the girls following him. They got into the garage and into the car. Damien opened the door for them, closed it, got into the driver's seat, started the car, and pulled out of the garage, closing it behind them.

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"Welcome to the Made-to-Fit Dress Shop. My name is Alice, and I am a friend of your fathers," greeted Alice at the front of the shop. Brielle shook her hand, and Aylee did the same. The four started walking towards somewhere in the shop, and Brielle admired the beautiful dresses.

"Okay, so we have chosen some dresses that you said you would like when we sent you the questionnaire," Alice explained. "Here is your dressing room. Damien, I will get you some whiskey," she added before leaving.

"Thank you, Alice. Girls, go ahead and have fun," Damien said, settling into a chair. The girls entered the dressing room, finding three dresses each, all with their names on them. Aylee set down her bag, examined the dresses, and loved them all, especially the first one. Brielle, on the other hand, adored the third one.

"What do you think?" they both asked simultaneously. Turning around, they both agreed it was beautiful.

"Let's try them on," Brielle suggested, pulling the privacy curtain. Aylee followed suit, and they came out a little later, seeking help with fitting.

"Girls, are you okay?" asked Alice.

"Yes," Aylee and Brielle chorused. They moved the curtain so Damien could see them, now like a father figure to Aylee since she lived with just her grandmother and aunt, who happened to be Francis's mother.

"Girls, you look beautiful," Damien praised. "Alice, we will take them. Brielle, Aylee, why don't you go get changed and look for accessories?" Damien suggested.

They nodded, went to the changing area, and came out moments later, dressed and ready. Damien handed Brielle his card, and they headed to the shop. But before they could enter, Brielle felt a pound on her head, and everything went black