1Inspired by Miranda Lambert's Mama's Broken Heart.
'Miranda!' She calls my name, delight and fake concern mixed in, and I long to reach the door to my house and leave them all behind, just so I can fall apart in peace, away from judging eyes. But I take a deep breath and strengthen my spine, because it's just a breakup and I can not let them see me like that.
Christine Bright, the little bitch, looking perfect as always, lets her dainty little hand rest on the crook of my elbow as I turn to face her, steering me towards the tea parlour.
I smile back, fake and perfect and just the right amount of surprised, glad I made sure my make-up was spotless before I braved the market. She would pounce on smudged mascara like a hell-hound, I know, but the soft red of my lips will draw the attention to my mouth, and smiles I can control better than my eyes.
'Christine! What a surprise. I thought you were at Johnny's?'
She slips, just a flash of expression taking over her perfect Stepford smile, and I can tell Mr. Bright lost his temper again and got kicked out of the family house. That fine scotch he likes so much and his lack of control are not a good combination, and the whole town knows it.
Of course, that's old news, and Samuel leaving me is quite more…recent. Juicy.
'We were, but when I heard what happened… Why, I just knew I had to rush back home. Have to stand by your friends in their times of need.' A little sage nod of her head, and the waitress, a sweet little thing called Melissa, Lina's granddaughter, rushes to take our orders before we get talking again. That girl is too shy by half for this kind of job, but it's not like she has that many other places to choose from. Poor thing is blushing and looking at the floor, intimidated by Christine's sharp smile and my quiet composure. 'Ah, Melissa dear, will you bring me a cup of tea? Black, one sugar, no cream. And another one for Miranda.'
Most people just ask for tea and then fix it to their tastes, but Christine isn't most people. And I don't think any of the ladies in this forsaken little town would dare tell her no.
Christine's eyes take me in, a quick flutter that's easy to miss if you don't know what you're looking for. She quivers in excitement, discreetly of course, when she realizes there's no ring on my finger anymore.
'So…is it true?' She asks, voice low and inviting confidence, faintly leaning towards me. As if I hadn't seen her use that very same trick on countless other…friends. 'Did Samuel…?'
Melissa, bless her soul, arrives with our tea before I have a chance to answer. Hand cradling the plate, I rise the cup to my lips, ignoring everything around me to take a sip and let the delicious smell permeate my nostrils. The enjoyment shows in my face, because right now it's the only thing that will give Christine pause. Wouldn't do to have her think that I'm hiding behind my drink.
Red lips part in a smile that I know is perfect, slightly downturned but not bitter, because I have practiced enough to make it so.
'Leave me? Why, yes. You missed the biggest scandal of the year, darling. Samuel is with that pretty brunette from across the river now.'
So, I don't really know where this came from. There's some more written, but I don't know if I should keep writing this story, mostly because the characters keep changing on me. Do you think I should stick with it?
Just another thing, I keep picturing Miranda in a 'Stepford wives' kind of attire, does anybody else get that vibe too?