Brooke's mother was a perpetually tired woman except when she gathered the energy to yell for her child to awaken. In pictures from early life, she had a happy smile that stretched all the way to her ears. Now the divorced middle-aged woman had very little reason to smile, and when she did, it never quite reached her eyes. Veronica Adams had never needed to work, never needed to know how to make decisions or a meal, until her husband up and left with the Hispanic maid on afternoon several years ago. She quietly packed up their suburban household along with their auburn-haired daughter and left without a note. Later she told Brooke that her father had unexpectedly gone on an extended business trip to Russia for several years. If Brooke ever knew her father was still around, she'd go crazy trying to find him, thought Veronica wearily as she yelled for her daughter yet again. Brooke was the only reason she even tried to stay afloat in this dreadful world. Her smiles meant more to her than any amount of money in a millionaires bank account. But right now, as Brooke stumbled out of her small room, all she could think was Why bother me when you know I want to sleep late? "Time to explore the city, sweetie. I'm starting my new job today. You know where the key is? Good. Be in bed by 10. Be home by 9, please. I'm trusting you not to go around making connections with strangers. Just rummage around, you have a few hours to do so. Love you." And she kissed Brooke on the head and darted out the door to start her first day at the pencil making factory.
Brooke watched her mother warily as she made her way out the door and down the hall. This was the woman who provided her with everything. Everything but the father she craved and the stability she needed. Most other kids have their moms all busy in their social lives, they want their parents to keep out of their personal lives. I want my parents in my life, thought Brooke as she ate her bowl of Cheerios with enough added table sugar to give a grown man diabetes. She placed the bowl in the sink and swatted at the lethargic flies circling her head before pulling on a pair of jean cutoffs and and a soft loose shirt that was probably meant to be a cover-up because of how thin it was. When she glanced in the mirror before leaving, she backtracked into her room and added a bikini underneath the clothing. Brooke had an internal sense that today would need a bathing suit, be it for tanning or swimming or exploring. It also allowed for her to look more like a regular pre-teen on the way to the pool and NOT a skanky pre-teen attempting to show off a barely developed body. Not trying to give these people the wrong idea the first time I go out alone. After all, I'm only 14. She had the sudden wish for a pet. After her Dad and Silvia left, she always felt lonely in the house without a friend. But she knew her mother hated all living creatures, so something like a dog or cat was out of the question, even if it would keep Brooke company.
As soon as her foot hit the pavement, the stench of this dusty city washed over Brooke's nose, and she wrinkled it in confusion and disgust. It wasn't exactly.. gross but it sure wasn't pleasant either. She stood outside of castle apartments, wondering where everything interesting lay. In the back of her mind, she knew there must be people her age somewhere in this dilapidated city and made a solemn vow to herself to find at least one friend, preferably before school starts. Brooke's teacher reports always read like this: "Brooke works well with others but fails to reach out on her own," "Brooke is a bright girl who seems to know how to apply herself but never does because she is content with her work," "Brooke is a quiet, thoughtful child who sometimes doodles but always gets her work done." And the most common complaint from every teacher Brooke ever had? "Brooke spends too much time in class looking out the windows, daydreaming."
Yes, Brooke was a nature girl, through and through. As if by magic, her feet lead her all the way down the street to the dusty lane that lead to the woods and the park with a creepy black archway over the entrance. The trees were cool and dark with shadows that welcomed her with friendly arms. As she entered, she heard the soft waves of gentle lapping water on the lake. Brooke thought It's good to be back where I belong, and smiled. Making friends can wait.
