Pick Your Poison | Tom Riddle |

Chapter Thirty: Life of Lies

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"No one can lie, no one can hide anything, when he looks directly into someone's eyes."
--Paulo Coelho

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June 22, 1944

Eleanor laid in bed at the turn of her third week since being home, feeling more feverish than ever from her lack of sleep and constant cabin fever. It wasn't so much the sweating and heat pulsing down on her head.

This time it was different.

In the passing days, Eleanor still struggled to bring up her appetite and sleep better. But it was another morning she thought she could promise herself to do better and by the looks of it, she was already doubting herself before she got out of bed.

As Eleanor lay awake with her curtains closed to hide the rising sun and her eyes on her stars. She had her blankets covering half of her body because of how nauseous she was feeling and it started to consume her entire immune system.

Eventually, she threw the blankets off of herself and rushed to the bathroom so guzzle down the potions she found in her fathers medicine cabinet.

It was refreshing to her stomach that felt a bit more settled now but her throat itched painfully and her insides still felt out of place now. At least she had motivation to eat something though and not look so horrid doing so.

Eleanor dressed in khaki trousers with a navy, short sleeved button up and her white tennis shoes. It was early in the week and she knew her parents and brother would still be here before they went to work.

The girl carried herself down the grand staircase in her home, sunlight passing through the windows and reflecting off her chandelier then bouncing off to cast shimmering specks of light on the wall. But when she came around the bend, her eyes fell on two figures standing at the big red door and big smiles on their faces.
Marcella and Julius stood in her home, a sight that felt like a dream to her because of how long its been. But without question, Eleanor was filled with the most joy she's felt in a while and leaped down the rest of the steps to pull her friends into a hug.

"Oh, I've missed you so much! How are you two?" Eleanor exclaimed, leaning back from her friends, her heart racing with the sudden excitement she hadn't felt in weeks. They looked her up and down and Eleanor didn't have to read their minds before she could tell that they noticed her appearance.
"I know I must look wretched but I promise you, I'm okay." she lied.

Marcella had a quirky frown on her lips and shook her head.

"Well we can talk about that later." Julius nodded. "Your father said to bring you in the dining room for breakfast and then the three of us are taking a special trip."

Eleanor raised her eyebrow as she was lead towards the dining room.

"The lighthouse?" Eleanor asked, her mind sparking with more excitement.

The smell of the sea, the sound of the waves, the feel of the sand and her view from their lighthouse consumed her mind and made her feel completely at peace for a brief second. When her friends nodded at her, she finally had something to look forward to. Somehow, when her mother was spending a day elsewhere for business, her father was more susceptible to being convinced by her friends to let her go out.

After their short breakfast in which her father and brother --that Marcella fancied-- entertained, she grabbed her sunglasses and was ready to go. Every nerve was bouncing, eager to get out and go to their special beach. When Eleanor stepped out on her front steps, her eyes fell on Julius's vibrant red convertable and with a squel of excitement, she ran and hopped into the back seat just like old times. Nostalgia washed over her making her feel sad but glad all at once.