Come Tumbling After
Title: Come Tumbling After
Summary: The grass tickled the girls’ bare legs and stained their white dresses as they rolled down the hill.
Rating: G
Word Count: 674
The grass tickled the girls’ bare legs and stained their white dresses as they rolled down the hill. Round and round and round and round, so fast that it took their breathe away, they went down, tumbling and knocking into each other, so that their laughs were shaken and frothed. It was fastest at the end, where the slope became suddenly steeper, so that it seemed as if they were for a moment flying.
They landed in a heap, almost on top of each other. Bella was still laughing when she lifted herself up, hair hanging mussed up in front of her face, grass and dandelions spread throughout the dark curtain. Cissy, grinning but more sedate, stayed lying down, looking up at her older sister. Bella stopped laughing soon, slightly unnerved by the younger girl’s calm stare. Cissy was always the cold, mature one, who danced with father’s friends, while their sons leered at Bella, who would toss her hair and bite her nails, wishing they could drag themselves away.
In the sun, they forgot all of that. Cissy sprang up, and hiking up her skirts, ran off across the field, blonde hair billowing behind her. As Bella followed, she caught the blue ribbon that had slipped off Cissy’s head, floating to the ground.
Cissy ran as hard as she could, turning corners and dodging obstacles that only she could see. There were no clouds in the sky, and the blue light beat down unceasingly. Shoes, socks and gloves had already been abandoned at the top of the hill, but her dress felt tight, and stopped her breathing. It was becoming too small across the chest anyhow, but Cissy didn’t want to ask her mother for new clothes - she’d insist on something longer, lower cut, in silver or deep sapphire, “To bring out your colouring, darling, everyone will see how beautiful you are.”
She threw herself down to the ground, a splash of white and blond on green, arms spread, sucking air deep into her lungs. She could feel Bella finally catching up to her, steps heavy and fast, then coming to a halt at her head. She heard her kneel down slowly, and felt her hands on her head, lifting it. Her hands were broader than her own, and her fingernails were torn and rough, and caught in her hair. She opened her eyes, and watched as her sister as she tied the ribbon, red lips pouting in concentration. When Bella caught her gaze, she smiled, dark eyes bright.
Cissy got tired of Bella’s hands in her hair. She reached up, grabbed, and pulled, so that Bella tumbled down beside her, who scowled at her younger sister, not appreciating the rough treatment. “Brat.”
“But your favourite brat.” Cissy smirked, a face she’d learnt from that Malfoy monster, who always hung around her. Bella glared, and looked away, hand reflexively rising to her mouth. Her teeth had already found a nail and made a split when Cissy batted her hand away from her mouth, face angry. “Don’t do that. And don’t look at me like that!” A tint of petulance crept into her voice, ruining any ice-princess image she had had, after running through the field, hair flying.
The two glared at each other for a long moment, before Cissy huffed, and turned away. Bella played oblivious for a while, before becoming bored. She turned around herself, and started playing with Cissy’s hair, plaiting it and letting it run through her fingers, and pulling it away from her white neck. When she ran her fingers down its length, goosebumps rose, despite the heat, and Cissy shivered. “That tickles,” she said in a quiet voice.
“I’m sorry,” Bella said, even though she kept moving her hand up her neck, to her cheek. Cissy turned around and looked at her, cautious and unsure. Bella took her hand away, and held the gaze for a moment before jumping up and running away, back to the hill. Cissy followed, laughter bubbling up already. Soon they were flying again.
Summary: The grass tickled the girls’ bare legs and stained their white dresses as they rolled down the hill.
Rating: G
Word Count: 674
The grass tickled the girls’ bare legs and stained their white dresses as they rolled down the hill. Round and round and round and round, so fast that it took their breathe away, they went down, tumbling and knocking into each other, so that their laughs were shaken and frothed. It was fastest at the end, where the slope became suddenly steeper, so that it seemed as if they were for a moment flying.
They landed in a heap, almost on top of each other. Bella was still laughing when she lifted herself up, hair hanging mussed up in front of her face, grass and dandelions spread throughout the dark curtain. Cissy, grinning but more sedate, stayed lying down, looking up at her older sister. Bella stopped laughing soon, slightly unnerved by the younger girl’s calm stare. Cissy was always the cold, mature one, who danced with father’s friends, while their sons leered at Bella, who would toss her hair and bite her nails, wishing they could drag themselves away.
In the sun, they forgot all of that. Cissy sprang up, and hiking up her skirts, ran off across the field, blonde hair billowing behind her. As Bella followed, she caught the blue ribbon that had slipped off Cissy’s head, floating to the ground.
Cissy ran as hard as she could, turning corners and dodging obstacles that only she could see. There were no clouds in the sky, and the blue light beat down unceasingly. Shoes, socks and gloves had already been abandoned at the top of the hill, but her dress felt tight, and stopped her breathing. It was becoming too small across the chest anyhow, but Cissy didn’t want to ask her mother for new clothes - she’d insist on something longer, lower cut, in silver or deep sapphire, “To bring out your colouring, darling, everyone will see how beautiful you are.”
She threw herself down to the ground, a splash of white and blond on green, arms spread, sucking air deep into her lungs. She could feel Bella finally catching up to her, steps heavy and fast, then coming to a halt at her head. She heard her kneel down slowly, and felt her hands on her head, lifting it. Her hands were broader than her own, and her fingernails were torn and rough, and caught in her hair. She opened her eyes, and watched as her sister as she tied the ribbon, red lips pouting in concentration. When Bella caught her gaze, she smiled, dark eyes bright.
Cissy got tired of Bella’s hands in her hair. She reached up, grabbed, and pulled, so that Bella tumbled down beside her, who scowled at her younger sister, not appreciating the rough treatment. “Brat.”
“But your favourite brat.” Cissy smirked, a face she’d learnt from that Malfoy monster, who always hung around her. Bella glared, and looked away, hand reflexively rising to her mouth. Her teeth had already found a nail and made a split when Cissy batted her hand away from her mouth, face angry. “Don’t do that. And don’t look at me like that!” A tint of petulance crept into her voice, ruining any ice-princess image she had had, after running through the field, hair flying.
The two glared at each other for a long moment, before Cissy huffed, and turned away. Bella played oblivious for a while, before becoming bored. She turned around herself, and started playing with Cissy’s hair, plaiting it and letting it run through her fingers, and pulling it away from her white neck. When she ran her fingers down its length, goosebumps rose, despite the heat, and Cissy shivered. “That tickles,” she said in a quiet voice.
“I’m sorry,” Bella said, even though she kept moving her hand up her neck, to her cheek. Cissy turned around and looked at her, cautious and unsure. Bella took her hand away, and held the gaze for a moment before jumping up and running away, back to the hill. Cissy followed, laughter bubbling up already. Soon they were flying again.