(no subject)
As far as birthdays went, this had definitely not been one of Jenny's happier ones.
Even now, she couldn't understand how, in the course of twenty-four hours, everything had gone so horribly wrong. The night before at Hazel's, the plan had seemed foolproof: take the dress, trade the dress, go out for her birthday and have it back before anyone ever noticed it was gone. As if its absence being discovered right away wasn't enough, though, not only was the value far beyond anything she'd expected, but she'd had to resort to stealing again, too, and she didn't like it. At least now she was almost home. A minute or so more and she'd be taking it off; then, all she'd have to worry about was getting it back in Hazel's mom's closet unnoticed. It would all be okay. It had to be.
She was still tense as she fumbled with the keys to unlock the loft, although less so than she'd been. It probably would've been too much to ask to hope that no one else was home, that she wouldn't have to answer any questions about where she'd been or why she was in such a hurry to get changed, but she couldn't help but hope. After the day she'd had, she should've been able to get through this part easily. The worst was over.
That is, she thought it was, until she swung open the door and found herself facing not the Humphrey loft, but a hallway of curtains that she was certain she'd never seen before. Despite knowing that there wasn't really any chance she'd gone to the wrong door, she turned around anyway; she'd been distracted enough that it seemed, if only for a moment, to be a possibility. She was even more uncertain of where she was when she did, though, looking at a piano in an unfamiliar room instead of a hallway, and then, she couldn't hide her nerves. Biting her lower lip, if only to fight off the familiar prickling sensation of tears in the corners of her eyes, she paled, and drew in a shaky breath. She couldn't have gotten lost just going up to the loft. There was no way; she had spent her entire life there. She could see no other explanation, though, and especially after the way the rest of the day had gone, it was enough to send her nearly into a panic.
"Dad?" she called out, not wanting to draw too much attention to herself from the people she'd seen in the room behind her, but too scared now not to say anything. "Dan? Where are you guys?" When there was no response, her frown deepened into what could only have been described as a pout, and she folded her arms over her chest as she leaned against the doorway. The day had been bad before, but she was pretty sure that it had just gotten a lot worse.
Even now, she couldn't understand how, in the course of twenty-four hours, everything had gone so horribly wrong. The night before at Hazel's, the plan had seemed foolproof: take the dress, trade the dress, go out for her birthday and have it back before anyone ever noticed it was gone. As if its absence being discovered right away wasn't enough, though, not only was the value far beyond anything she'd expected, but she'd had to resort to stealing again, too, and she didn't like it. At least now she was almost home. A minute or so more and she'd be taking it off; then, all she'd have to worry about was getting it back in Hazel's mom's closet unnoticed. It would all be okay. It had to be.
She was still tense as she fumbled with the keys to unlock the loft, although less so than she'd been. It probably would've been too much to ask to hope that no one else was home, that she wouldn't have to answer any questions about where she'd been or why she was in such a hurry to get changed, but she couldn't help but hope. After the day she'd had, she should've been able to get through this part easily. The worst was over.
That is, she thought it was, until she swung open the door and found herself facing not the Humphrey loft, but a hallway of curtains that she was certain she'd never seen before. Despite knowing that there wasn't really any chance she'd gone to the wrong door, she turned around anyway; she'd been distracted enough that it seemed, if only for a moment, to be a possibility. She was even more uncertain of where she was when she did, though, looking at a piano in an unfamiliar room instead of a hallway, and then, she couldn't hide her nerves. Biting her lower lip, if only to fight off the familiar prickling sensation of tears in the corners of her eyes, she paled, and drew in a shaky breath. She couldn't have gotten lost just going up to the loft. There was no way; she had spent her entire life there. She could see no other explanation, though, and especially after the way the rest of the day had gone, it was enough to send her nearly into a panic.
"Dad?" she called out, not wanting to draw too much attention to herself from the people she'd seen in the room behind her, but too scared now not to say anything. "Dan? Where are you guys?" When there was no response, her frown deepened into what could only have been described as a pout, and she folded her arms over her chest as she leaned against the doorway. The day had been bad before, but she was pretty sure that it had just gotten a lot worse.