dollface | melanie martinez

𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧

as angel had said, the next morning was grandmother lizzy's funeral.

she was woken bright and early by one of the maids, marceline, who threw back the curtains, humming gently.
"get changed into your finest dress, miss clara," she instructed. "oh- your finest black dress. your mother wants you to look presentable today."

"i doubt you have many black dresses," crybaby muttered after the door had closed.

"it's not really my colour," clara agreed, hopping out of bed and pulling back her heavy wardrobe doors. "i have a few, though."

she settled on one, and crybaby helped her change.

"crybaby, you'll come with me, right?"

"of course! whenever you go, i go."

there was a knock on the door, signalling it was time for them to leave.

"i believe that's our cue," said crybaby in a posh accent, standing up and offering her hand to clara pompously. usually this would earn a laugh, but instead clara threw herself back onto the floor with a sigh.

"i don't wanna go to the stupid funeral," she admitted. "i want answers. i wanna know who killed robin, and why- i wanna know why papa was kissing miss lucy, and i wanna know what happened to robin now he's gone. and i wanna know where his file's gone," she added as an afterthought.

crybaby sighed too, and sat down next to clara. "i can give you an answer to the one about miss lucy if you really want, but i can't guarantee you'll like it."

clara sat up eagerly. "please."

"well... you know all of your papa's... special lady friends?" crybaby said carefully. "he did special adult things with all of them, and i think miss lucy is now another one of those special friends."

"what- oh," clara breathed. "but... he's only allowed to do those things with mama, right?"

crybaby nodded patiently.

"does mama know? is that why she's so sad all the time?"

crybaby nodded again.

"oh. i... just assumed it was because she has me for a daughter."

crybaby blinked. "clara- what would make you think that?"

clara shrugged. "papa told me once i was meant to be a boy- i don't think he's very happy that i'm his daughter either," she added with a frown.
"but anyway, girls are meant to like pretty things and table manners. and i like adventures and doing fun things," clara admitted. "i'm not very proper at all."

"i'm sorry, clara," said crybaby softly. "but, i love you very much and i'll protect you from whatever, and the same goes for angel."

"you're all i need," clara nodded. "thank you, crybaby."

"anytime, baby. now, should we head to this funeral?"
crybaby stood up, offering her hand to clara, who this time accepted graciously.

"yes, let's go."