Unspoken Feelings Ch. 3

Chapter Three: Stepping Up as a Big Brother

In what felt like no time at all, the Northmans had been residents of Bon Temps for a whole two weeks. Though their popularity was hindered by their association with Sookie, no word ever got back to the silent girl’s ears that they talked about her behind her back. Actually, the exact opposite seemed to happen. Instead, Sookie began hearing things about the Northmans being Sookie’s bodyguards. For the first time in a long time, Sookie felt safe walking from class to class. She hadn’t been body checked into a locker in those two weeks, no one had even slapped her books out of her hands, and that was usually something that occurred multiple times in a single day.

Sookie approached her locker to find two sophomore girls leaning against it having a conversation. The silent girl stood patiently waiting for them to move, even being sure to make a little movement from time to time to be noticed. It was apparent from the beginning that the two girls knew exactly what they were doing, so Sookie shoved herself between them and began putting her combination into her lock.

“Not that you would know what it’s like,” Maudette Pickens, a girl who sometimes tried to hang out with Jason, snarled, “but we were trying to have a conversation here!”

Sookie ignored the girl’s comment and opened her locker to exchange her books for the next class. As she began to lean in, the door swung sharply at her face and struck painfully between her cheekbone and her eye. Sookie jerked back as the eye nearest the strike point immediately watered, and her locker was slammed shut the rest of the way.

“Aw, are you going to cry, Stackhouse?” Maudette’s friend was now taunting. “What does it sound like when a mute girl cries?”

“What the fuck are you doing to my sister?” Sookie looked in surprise at her brother.

“Jason? We were just-” Maudette faltered, confused and concerned by Jason Stackhouse’s sudden interest in his sister’s welfare.

“Fucking off to class?” Jason finished for her.

Both girls fled quickly from the scene of the crime and Jason sighed as he took in the bruise already blooming near Sookie’s right eye.

“You want me to go with you to the nurse?” Jason asked as he gently brushed away the tear tracks from beneath Sookie’s eye.

Shaking her head Sookie mouthed shyly, “No, thanks.”

“I’m sorry I wasn’t able to stop it,” Jason mumbled.

Sookie gave him a small smile and reached forward to offer his hand a squeeze. When he didn’t recoil from her touch, Sookie felt her heart clench with love and gratefulness.

“Thank you,” she grinned this time. Having Jason accept her touch, her gratitude, was worth a thousand black eyes.

Jason kept an eye out for his sister while she reopened her locker and got her books for her next course. Just as he was about to head to his own class, Eric caught him in the hallway. As the taller teen approached him, looking a bit ruffled, all Jason could think about was that they would be late for class.

“Stackhouse,” Eric greeted the brother of his friend, “I was wondering if you could do me a favor.”

“What’s that?” Jason asked impatiently. He still had to get to the other side of the school for his next course. He usually wouldn’t care, but it was his worst subject and continually threatened to get him booted from the football team.

“I was hoping you could tell me if, Sookie… Might be interested in… Going to Homecoming with me?” Eric asked nervously. Jason stared unblinkingly for several seconds. “What?” Eric demanded, flustered by his rare uncertainty.

“Like… Homecoming as a friend?” Jason asked.

“Yeah. Sure,” Eric fumbled further.

Unsure why Eric was being so cagey, Jason merely shrugged, “Whatever. Go ahead and ask her.”

Eric grinned from ear to ear and ran off to his next class to formulate a plan for asking Sookie to Homecoming, and left Jason to stare dumbfounded after him.

Somehow, Jason was was certain Eric wanted to go to the dance with Sookie as more than just a friend. The quarter back had little time to consider this notion, though, because he finally made it to his own class and settled in for another mind-numbing lecture. He wasn’t sure why, but Mrs. Fleure annoyed the hell out of him. He’d rather have had Mr. Kleever, who was stricter, but a lot more honest about the type of person he was.

Thankfully class ended without a pile of homework, and Jason was grateful to have the weekend free from one more assignment. As he made his way to lunch, he saw Eric’s sister talking animatedly to her brother. Eric looked disappointed.

“-Homecoming together! Won’t it be scandalous?” Pam cackled.

Jason flinched on Eric’s behalf. Apparently Pam had already convinced Sookie to go stag to Homecoming with her. In a way, Jason felt sorry for Eric and Sookie. He wanted Sookie to finally have her first date…

{†}

Pam floated about her bedroom excitedly, running up dresses for herself and Sookie to wear to Homecoming together. She knew it was poor sportsmanship to corner Sookie into a date that she didn’t even know was a date, but in Love, you couldn’t always play by the rules!

“Hey.”

Pam paused in her work to look at her door and find Eric standing there.

“Hey, yourself,” she grinned at him, and Eric felt even worse about what he had come to her room to discuss.

Eric paused a moment as if he were choosing his words very carefully, “So, what kind of dresses did you design for Sookie and yourself?”

Glowing proudly, Pam brandished her sketches at Eric.

“I take it the blue one is Sookie’s, and the pink one is yours?” Eric guessed, a smile tugging his lips though it could not meet his eyes. He knew Sookie would look beautiful in one of Pam’s creations, he just wished she’d be beautiful next to him instead of his sister.

“You got it!” Pam nodded as she went to start pinning the fabric to her dress mannequin.

There was another long pause before her brother finally stated the knowledge that had been plaguing him for weeks, “She’s not gay, Pam.”

“How do you know?” Pam sing-songed, continuing her work as if her brother were not trying to shatter her hopes and dreams.

“Because,” Eric paused. How could he tell her that he knew from the way Sookie blushed when their hands accidentally touched? How could he explain that the way her breathing quickened when she taught him to cast a line was all the proof he needed?

“Because she must be head over heels in love with you?” Pam challenged as she pinned and measured. Yes, Eric thought angrily, but not out of conceitedness. “Just because you’re attracted to her doesn’t make her straight.”

“And just because you are attracted to her doesn’t make her gay!” Eric crossed his arms over his chest in frustration. Sookie had to be straight, otherwise, what was he supposed to do about the fact that the five minutes he stole alone with her on the car ride to her house were the best five minutes of his entire day, every day. Of course, he enjoyed the time he shared with her among classmates and siblings, but in those five minutes, he was the center of her attention. She smiled at him and listened to him. In two weeks he’d spent just over an hour alone with her, and it just wasn’t enough! Five minutes a day, it could never be enough!

“What is going on in here?” Godric came to Pam’s room having heard their shouting from down the hall. The two younger siblings clamped their mouths shut. So far, Eric was the only one in the family that Pam had come out to. Their parents had never known their daughter was a lesbian before their passing, and now Pam was hesitant to let Godric in on the knowledge.

Rather than bring up the whole frustrating situation, Eric stormed out of the room and left Pam to stand awkwardly in front of their older brother.

“Well?” Godric asked, raising his eyebrows expectantly at his sister.

“There’s no sense beating around the bush, I guess,” she grumbled. “I’m a lesbian.”

“Alright,” Godric nodded in acceptance, “is Eric giving you a hard time for that?”

Pam hesitated. She hadn’t expected Godric to explode over her sexual orientation, but she also hadn’t expected such a smooth transition either. Her oldest brother didn’t even hesitate in transferring his baby sister from the straight column to the gay column in his head. “Not exactly,” she sighed. “He’s not picking on me about it or anything, but we’re both… interested in the same girl.”

“Sookie,” Godric guessed immediately.

“Don’t tell me you’re in love with her too!” Pam snapped in annoyance.

Godric laughed, “No, I’m not, but I definitely can see where the attraction hits you two.”

“Can you?” Pam asked, bewildered by the notion her brother could already tell what she was attracted to.

“You see a girl who doesn’t judge and knows what it’s like not to fit in,” Godric replied easily. “Eric sees a girl that could possibly want him for more than his looks. You’re both infatuated with the idea of Sookie for two different reasons, but neither reason is love. That’s fine. Two weeks is early for love, it should be attraction right now, and Sookie– the real Sookie– is not easily known from what I can tell.”

“I convinced Sookie that she and I should go to Homecoming together since I was so new and didn’t really know anyone yet,” Pam confessed. “The truth is, I didn’t want her to go with anyone else.”

“You didn’t want her to go with Eric,” Godric filled in.

“Yeah,” Pam bowed her head contritely.

“Is that because you know that Sookie will never be more than your friend?” Godric asked as he came into the room.

“I just wanted to dance with her. I wanted to know what that felt like before Eric took her,” Pam whispered, her voice growing weaker as the emotion built a wall around her throat.

Her brother came and sat on her bed as Pam stood motionless by her tailoring dummy. “Pamela, just because she won’t fall in love with you doesn’t mean you should ignore the love she can give you. The love of a friend can be strong, and I think you both need it.”

“It’s not fair,” Pam sniffled.

“No, it’s not, but neither is judging someone on something they can’t control,” Godric told her gently. “You wouldn’t want Sookie to stop being your friend just because you’re gay, and you shouldn’t stop being her friend just because she’s straight.”

“Can you tell if Sookie’s straight or not?” Pam asked quietly.

Godric sighed. It was evident that she reacted more out of a desire to his brother than his sister, but there was always the possibility that Sookie was too sheltered to know how to respond to attraction toward a woman. It was a very murky area, and they definitely did not understand Sookie well enough to try and guess at her orientation.

“I don’t know,” he finally replied. “I get the feeling that if given a choice, Sookie would choose Eric, but that could very well be because it would be the socially acceptable choice for this area.”

“So you think I shouldn’t even put up a fight?” Pam demanded with a piercing glare at her brother.

“I’m saying that in this time, and in this place, you are choosing an uphill battle,” Godric explained. “I’m also saying, don’t ruin your friendship fighting for something that might not even be there… And don’t hurt the relationship you have with your brother for the same reasons.”

Pam deflated before Godric’s very eyes. How was she supposed to fix any of this? Even if Eric asked Sookie to Homecoming, she would refuse because she’d already promised to go with Pam. Worse yet, Pam didn’t have any male friends who she could convince to ask her!

{†}

“Hey, Sook, how’s the homework coming?” Jason asked nervously as he looked up from his own books. Sookie raised her hand and shook it in a so-so gesture. Jason smiled. “I- uh, was wondering about Homecoming?”

Sookie looked up at her brother curiously and tilted her head to urge him to continue.

“Eric kinda asked me if it was alright to ask you to the dance.” At Sookie’s comically widening eyes, Jason chuckled. “I guess he was going to ask you at lunch, but Pam already convinced you to go stag with her?” Sookie nodded. “So, I thought maybe I could ask Pam if she’d like to go with me, and Eric can go with you? The four of us could drive there together… Y’know, it doesn’t have to be a romantic date. Just some brothers taking each other’s sisters to a dance…”

Sookie reached for her notebook and quickly scribbled, “Was that all the reason Eric asked if he could go with me?!”

Jason shook his head quickly, “No way. I think he is seriously into you. He was all nervous and shy about asking me, and he doesn’t look like a guy who’s got any problems getting a girl.”

“Really!?” Sookie demanded.

“Yes really,” Jason laughed. “I think you should give it a shot, but don’t let him do anything funny with you!” he ended the conversation sternly.

Sookie beamed at her brother as she crawled across the floor between them in the living room to give him a big hug. When she pulled away, her lips moved to say, “Thank you!”

That night, Jason felt a little restless. He’d be going over to Rosenfont Hall to ask Pam if she’d be interested in going to Homecoming with him. Usually asking a pretty girl out was no big deal for the Bon Temps High School quarterback, but this time a lot more than scoring was at stake. Though, Jason had no interest in trying to land the Northman sister.

Pam was definitely beautiful, but she was not only his sister’s best friend; she was cold. That was the only way Jason could describe Pam. She put on an aura that exuded ‘Keep Away’ even while she was sociable. Maybe it was that the Northman family was worldly, and people from a small town found it intimidating. Perhaps it was that the Northmans were wealthy and refined while the rest of them were just a bunch of backwater hicks. Whatever the reason, Pam was probably not a sure bet to ask out.

All morning, Jason looked at the clock, wondering when it would be a suitable time to walk up the road and talk to Pam. At 9AM, he finally gave into his nerves and put on his shoes.

“Don’t worry, I got all the ammunition I need to free you up for Eric,” Jason patted Sookie’s shoulder as he walked to the front door. “See you in a bit.”

Jason could feel his sister’s eyes watching him all the way up the road until he disappeared around the bend. Once he was officially alone, his worry came back tenfold.

The gate to Rosenfont Hall was open, a sign that the gate was more ornamental than functional at this time. With a few quick strides Jason was up the driveway and leaping the three steps to Rosenfont’s front door to ring the bell. It was Eric who answered.

“Good morning, Stackhouse,” Eric was surprised to see him. “Is everything all right?”

Jason shook his head, “Not really. I was hoping I could see Pam?”

Eric’s brow creased at the request, but he opened the door further, “I’ll go get her if you want to wait in the sitting room?” He gestured to the room off to the right of the foyer. Jason nodded and went to wait in the desert rose-colored room.

Everything in the sitting room was some shade of pink. Gran would have called it mature pink because it lacked the bright candy tones customarily geared toward little girls. The wallpaper was a dull rose color with soft, slate stencils of flowers patterned into vines. The design was subtle but softened the dark walnut paneling that framed the wallpaper.

The furniture was also done in dark walnut and upholstered with more dusty rose patterns. Jason quickly concluded that a woman definitely designed and furnished this room.

“You wanted to see me, Stackhouse?” Jason turned to see Pam entering the sitting room. She was wearing another one of her barely legal short skirts, and a loose white blouse. Even on a Saturday, she wore classy black pumps around the house. Her hair was drawn back into a tight ponytail, and several pencils were sticking out of the point where her hair tie held them securely. Apparently, she had been working on something.

“Listen, your brother asked me yesterday if he could take Sookie to Homecoming,” Jason began. “I guess you asked Sook to go stag with you before Eric could ask my sister.” Pam’s face reddened, but Jason somehow felt that it had nothing to do with embarrassment. She seemed upset. “I was wondering if I could take you to Homecoming so Eric could take Sookie?”

Pam turned to lean casually against the door frame, but Jason was sure it was because Pam wanted to hide her face from him. “Is that what Sookie wants? To go with Eric?” She sounded hurt.

Suddenly Jason realized what all of this was about. Wow, a real, live lesbian!

“You really wanted to go with her too, didn’t you?” Jason asked compassionately.

“And if I did?” Pam snapped defensively.

“Then I’d say, why don’t the four of us go together?” Jason offered. “Eric can have the slow dances. You can have the fast ones.”

Pam looked sharply at her friend’s brother, “What?”

“I hate to rain on your parade, but Sookie is straight as an arrow,” Jason shrugged. “She wouldn’t wanna break your heart over it though.” Pam huffed at the man’s bluntness. “So, do we have a deal?”

“I could have made her happy,” Pam whispered.

“You can still make her happy as her friend,” Jason pointed out.

Pausing for a thoughtful moment, Pam grunted, “You’re not as stupid as I thought.”

“Nah, I’m just an asshole. Nothing stupid ’bout me,” Jason laughed.

“You’re much less of an asshole this week than you were two weeks ago… And all the smarter for it.”

“Gee, thanks,” Jason snorted. “I’ll swing by to let you doll up Sook at five next Saturday. Make sure ya look sexy too. You’ll be escorted by the school’s starting quarterback. You’ll definitely end up in the yearbook!”

“Stackhouse, you’ll hardly be able to keep it in your pants when you see your date on Saturday. But if you don’t keep it in your pants, I’ll cut it off. Got it?” Pam threatened with such a beguiling smile that it was all the more terrifying.

“Loud and clear,” Jason replied without flinching or hesitating.

Pam saw him to the door, and after it was closed, she turned to find her brother watching from the hallway that led to the kitchen.

“Are you happy now? You won,” Pam flung her hand out in a defeated gesture.

Eric walked over to his sister and wrapped her up in his arms, “It was never about winning, Pam. I would feel terrible if I thought you believed the only reason I was interested in Sookie was to take her away from you,” he told her softly.

“I know you’d never do that to me,” Pam murmured into Eric’s chest.

{†}

“All right class,” Dr. Jones calmed down his rowdy anatomy/physiology class. “I know you’re excited about Homecoming tomorrow, but this is your last weekend before research project submissions are due! If anyone needs last minute advice before submitting the framework and experiment, now is your only chance to ask me!”

Sookie raised her hand, sending the class into an abrupt silence.

“Yes, Sookie?” Dr. Jones smiled politely, happy to see Sookie raise her hand rather than brandish her notebook.

“Pam and I,” Sookie mouthed as she took Pam’s hand and shook it.

“You two are partnering up for the research project?” Dr. Jones asked in delight. “That’s great. Now I won’t have to fail you!” Sookie rolled her eyes, and her teacher chuckled to himself. In just under three weeks, one of his favorite students was transforming before his very eyes. She even put up the pretense of speaking! He happily noted at seeing her lips move into more than a frown or apologetic smile.

Sookie handed her teacher the paperwork for the project and gave Pam an encouraging thumbs-up.

“I’m not worried about a thing if you’re the one helping me,” Pam smiled happily at her friend. Sookie felt her heart thrum. No one had ever counted on her before. If anything, most people just expected her to do the work and be grateful to be included…

When class let out, Pam and Sookie walked straight to Eric’s car, having already grabbed all their books before last period. As they stood to wait for their chauffeur, Pam turned to Sookie and suggested that they double check the fitting on Sookie’s dress for tomorrow’s dance. Sookie blushed at the idea of putting on a gown made especially for her but nodded in agreement.

Once afternoon tea had been enjoyed, Pam whisked Sookie up to her room and helped her change into the smooth satin fabric of her blue dress.

“Wow, I’m even better than I thought!” Pam praised herself as she checked the hemline and the seams of the bodice. “This fits you like a glove. I’m getting really good at my measurements!”

Once the dress was fitted and Pam had supplied a lovely pair of white, strappy shoes, Sookie looked at herself in the three different angles of the full-length mirrors and frowned.

“What is it?” Pam asked worriedly. “Do you not like it? I’m sorry, I should have asked for more of your input in what you wanted-”

Sookie held up her hand to stop Pam’s apologies.

“I’ve never danced,” Sookie confessed with a half-hearted pantomime that helped portray what her voiceless words were saying.

“What? Like slow dance?” Pam asked. Sookie nodded. “Oh, that’s easy!” she waved off the girl’s insecurities and skipped over to her CD player. She found a mixed tape of her 80’s power ballads and put it into her CD player’s tape deck.

“It’s not hard at all,” Pam assured as she came to her closet and took out a pair of stilettos that would have almost made her Eric’s height. The way she sauntered in them made Sookie blush. The quiet girl had never seen a woman’s hips move like that! There was no way she’d ever manage. “Don’t worry, you won’t have to wear heels like these! I’m just trying to get to Eric’s height. Besides, think of it like this, you’d have to really try and step on my toes in these,” Pam teased.

Sookie smiled as Pam came closer and took her hands. “So,” she began, “your left hand will go here,” she placed it on her own right shoulder, “and I take your right in my left. My right hand goes here,” she placed it on Sookie’s waist, “and now you’ll just feel me pulling you along. Step to the beat of the music and just follow where you’re led.”

With little effort, Pam was dancing Sookie through her room. She tried a little spin, and Sookie followed it quickly. The girls smiled at one another, but it was only Pam who felt her heart begin to race. Pam was the only one who felt her blood in her cheeks, and the realization made her slow their dance to a halt and take off her shoes.

“See?” Pam recovered smoothly as pain pierced through her heart. “You’ll be fine tomorrow night.”

Sookie took Pam’s hand back in her own, and her friend looked straight into Sookie’s eyes, “Thank you, Pam.”

With a sigh, Pam managed a nod, “See if you can’t get your brother to bring you here earlier than five tomorrow. I want extra time to get you ready for the dance.”

“Okay,” Sookie did the universal “OK” sign.

Pam found herself pondering what Sookie’s voice would actually sound like as she walked her downstairs to the door. “ERIC!” Pam yelled as they came down the stairs. “TAKE SOOKIE HOME!”

“FINE!” Eric shouted back, but he arrived in the foyer so quickly, that Sookie wondered if he hadn’t been waiting with his keys in hand for some time already. “Let’s go, Sookie,” Eric smiled down at her with so much happiness, it took Sookie’s breath away.

Was Jason right? Does he actually like me? She wondered as she followed Eric out the door. They walked together to the car which was already in the driveway rather than sitting in the old stable that had been converted to a garage.

“Are you excited about tomorrow?” Eric asked as he opened Sookie’s door for her. Sookie nodded as she slid into her seat. “Me too. It’s been so long since I danced, it should be interesting.”

“Not a good dancer,” Sookie pointed to herself.

“Don’t worry, I can lead anyone,” Eric laughed as he closed the door and headed to the driver’s side.

Sookie tugged his sleeve when he sat down, and Eric looked at her. “You like dancing?” The way she tilted her head cued him into the question. That was another thing he found wonderful about her. Her expressions left nothing to be doubted. Even if she said nothing, Eric had become familiar with the way her mouth tilted when she was angry, or that quizzical line that formed between her eyebrows when she was puzzling something out. He knew that she smiled when she was sad, but that her eyes grew distant. In such a short amount of time, Sookie had burrowed her way into his musings. It had nothing to do with memorization, and everything to do with captivation.

“When I’m dancing with a beautiful girl I love to dance,” Eric teased with a wink, making Sookie’s face burn red and turn away in embarrassment. He took her moment of shyness as an opportunity to recover from his revelations. “Mom taught all of us how to dance,” he offered. “That’s probably why Pam always ends up leading. We learned from an aggressive instructor,” he laughed.

Sookie smiled as they drove the short distance down the road. She didn’t know why the Northmans were so insistent that they give her a ride. It was only six minutes, and even in the dark, she knew these roads exceptionally well.

“Have you ever slow danced with a man?” Eric asked. He had heard the sharp drum of Pam’s heels coming from her room and could guess from the tempo that there had been an impromptu dance lesson before coming downstairs. Sookie shook her head as they bounced down the road. “The best dance partners are closer to the same height, so don’t be surprised if it feels awkward dancing with me,” he warned. “Just remember, it’s not a ballroom dancing competition. The point is to have fun, not score points.”

Sookie nodded in understanding as they pulled up to her house. She got out and waved to Eric, and he returned the gesture as he watched her skip into her home. Once she was safely inside, he pulled back out of the driveway and returned home. Already he felt his anticipation for the school dance begin to grow.

On to Chapter Four!

Unspoken Feelings Ch. 2

Chapter Two: First Steps Toward Forgiveness

“You made a friend!” Adele crowed excitedly all through the night. “And you are going to be riding with her to school in the morning? That’s fantastic, Sookie! Jason, maybe they can give you a ride too?”

Jason paused before smiling, “Actually, I got a raise at work, so I’ll be able to start driving Bill and me to school again.”

“Why don’t you drop your sister off at Rosenfont in the morning then? Save her that walk-”

Sookie shook her head violently at the suggestion and scrambled for her notebook. “I like to walk,” she insisted by underlining the words three times.

“Alright, alright,” Adele sighed. How she wished Sookie and Jason could get along.

{†}

Sookie turned several times in front of her mirror the next morning. Pam had looked so beautiful yesterday, and Sookie didn’t want to embarrass her when they got out of the car at school. It must be hard being the new kid, and she didn’t want to handicap Pam on her first day of making friends. Maybe if she didn’t get in the way, Pam would still talk to her every so often after she met everyone else and made real friends.

“You look lovely, Dear,” Adele smiled as she peeked into Sookie’s room. “Are you going to wear those shoes?” She pointed at Sookie’s white Keds. “It gives you a very youthful look.”

Youthful, Sookie faltered. She’d be seeing Eric today too. What if he saw the way she was dressed and thought she looked childish? What does it matter? He just sees me as the girl who is helping his sister, Sookie reminded herself and didn’t bother trying to search for a different pair of shoes.

Picking up her book bag, Sookie kissed her gran goodbye and began her six-minute walk up the road. Halfway there, the impulse to run the rest of the way got to be too much, and she clung to her shoulder straps as she sprinted up the road.

“Morning, Sookie!” Pam called as Sookie caught her breath walking up the drive. “Jeez, did you run here? You’re all red!” she teased. “I’ll be ready in a couple of minutes!” With that, Pam darted back up the stairs. Sookie thought for a moment and realized that Pam’s window overlooked the driveway. She had seen Sookie coming and ran downstairs to greet her. Wow. Sookie wasn’t sure what sort of emotion that realization brought. All she knew was that she liked it.

“Morning, Sookie,” Eric waved as he came from the kitchen to the front entryway. “Pam will only be another two hours.” Sookie’s eyes widened, but Eric laughed, “I’m exaggerating. She takes a lot of pride in her looks. I’d call her vain, but I know her too well.” No, it was far more than mere vanity that glued his sister in front of the mirror.

There was a pause in his dialogue as Eric looked Sookie up and down. Sookie squirmed at the attention, turning her toes in subconsciously out of shame for her plain white Keds.

“You look cute today,” Eric smiled. Sookie wasn’t sure how to take that statement, but she chose to accept it as a compliment. Another first, she thought in bewilderment. A boy called me cute!

An upstairs door slammed shut, and Eric sighed. “Pam, on the other hand, will probably show up in stilettos and a mini skirt. I’ll be bashing the guys away from her with a baseball bat all day.”

That moment, Pam appeared at the top of the stairs, and Sookie’s jaw slung open. In a tight, black skirt just long enough that she wouldn’t get thrown out of school, Pam struck the heel of her shoe into each step as if it had offended her on a personal level. Sookie had never seen a woman walk with such conviction. Every stride, every wave of her hips seemed to be a shout of confidence.

“How do I look?” Pam spun for the pair of them once she reached the main floor. Sookie stared in continued disbelief.

“You look like I’ll have my hands full keeping the boys off you,” Eric grumbled.

“What do you think, Sookie?” Pam asked gently, her eyes bright and beautiful. All Sookie could offer was a nod in agreement with Eric. Did Pam just blush? Sookie wondered.

Everyone grabbed their bags and headed to the car once Pam was satisfied with the reactions she had earned. Pam chose to sit in back with Sookie, telling Eric he was now, officially, their chauffeur. Eric had told her he wanted a special hat if that were the case.

As Eric pulled to the edge of the driveway, Sookie saw Jason’s Ranger zip past them, kicking up rocks as an, “AAHHH-OOOOO,” howled from the driver’s side window.

“Rednecks,” Eric grumbled as he worried over his new car’s paint job. He hadn’t heard any stones ping against his car’s finish, but he was determined to check it when they got to school.

Pam looked over Sookie’s shoulder as she scribbled in her notebook and snorted, “Apparently that red neck is Sookie’s brother, Jason.”

Eric grimaced before uttering an apology. Sookie gave him a thumbs up in the rearview mirror, and he smiled. “Why didn’t he drive you yesterday?”

Sookie hesitated to reply. Finally, she offered, “He only used it to get to and from work up until yesterday to save on gas.”

“So, he took the bus so that he wouldn’t have to drive his little sister around?” Eric guessed accurately.

“Rude,” Pam grumbled. Sookie gently smiled at her new acquaintance as if she were assuring Pam that she didn’t mind her own brother’s avoidance of her.

It was a short drive to school, but Pam and Eric’s joking nature made Sookie wish that school was further away. She wanted to listen to them poking fun at each other a while longer. The quiet girl wanted to catch Eric’s eye in the rearview mirror a few more times. If these memories would have to tide her over until graduation, she wanted a few more of them. In just fifteen short minutes, Eric and Pam would start meeting the other students, and this brief but beautiful experience would have to end.

“Would you like to have afternoon tea with us again, Sookie?” Pam offered. “We could do our homework together afterward.” Sookie nodded enthusiastically but was already preparing herself for a cancellation. “If you want… We could do this every day after school.”

Eric glanced in the mirror at his sister and noted the soft pink on her cheeks. Sookie grinned and nodded again, but the brother felt a pang in his heart. He wished Pam could read his mind. He would have warned her that her crush was straight. Eric would have tried to explain that Sookie had no idea that Pam was flirting with her.

The rest of the car ride, Pam pressed close to Sookie to read her responses. When they arrived at school, Sookie hopped out first, and then Pam climbed out behind her.

“I hope we have a lot of classes together. Will you show us to the office so we can get all our papers?” Pam gushed, not seeming to notice that the students climbing off the bus were looking at them all in surprise. Though many of them had been made aware that new students would be starting that day, no one had expected them to show up in an expensive car with Crazy Sookie of all people!

Sookie led her new friends to the front office and patiently waited for them to finish up with the vice principal and receive their schedules. Eric was grateful when Sookie pointed out where several of his classes were on their walk to homeroom. She and Pam waved goodbye to Eric before heading to Mrs. Fleure’s room.

Pam and Sookie’s homeroom teacher paused when she saw the pair walk into her class. The new girl greeted the teacher and specifically asked if she could sit next to Sookie.

Katherine Fleure gawked openly at the new student’s request. A realization struck her, and Katherine couldn’t help but chuckle. It made complete sense that the new girl would try and warm up to the social outcast. That way, it would be easier to convince Sookie to help her with homework, or perhaps do it for her. This realization eased some of Katherine’s concern. After all, what sort of teacher would she be if she had misjudged Sookie Stackhouse?

When the bell rang to begin homeroom announcements, Katherine called Pam up to introduce herself.

“I’m Pam Northman,” Pam stated in a rather professionally cold way as if she were used to these sorts of presentations and didn’t think much of them. “I’ve just moved here from New York City with my older brothers.” Pam looked at the teacher for some prompting. Every teacher always wanted to know something different, and Pam didn’t have the interest to guess or overshare.

“What are some things you enjoy doing?” Katherine asked nicely.

“I enjoy sewing replicas of designer dresses since my allowance prevents me from purchasing the real thing. I like getting my hair and nails done. I hate small talk,” Pam finished.

“She’s sitting next to the right person, then,” a kid in the third row snorted.

“I also like the new friend I made yesterday,” Pam gestured to Sookie, making the normally unnoticed girl blush. “After moving around a lot and ending up in a large city the past two years, it was refreshing to make a friend who listens and doesn’t just politely smile until it’s her turn to talk.”

“You’d get better responses from a wall!” Mark Thompson shouted, making the fellow students laugh openly.

“Sookie says plenty!” Pam snapped icily, making the class go silent. The silence only lasted a minute because several students started to giggle at Pam’s unconfirmed declaration.

Without bothering to say another word, Pam gracefully swept through the aisle back to her desk. The smile she gave Sookie as she sat down surprised her. Sookie had expected Pam to deflate or feel embarrassed or uncertain. Instead, a cocky smirk tugged at the corner of her mouth as if she had just alienated herself from the rest of the class on purpose.

When homeroom ended, Sookie rose to show Pam to her next class. As they walked out the door, Sookie held out her notebook with a prewritten question, “Why did you do that?”

Pam smiled at her friend, “Because anyone who can’t see how awesome you are will never be a friend of mine.”

Sookie’s eyes widened at Pam’s statement, but before she could scribble some weak form of thanks, Pam disappeared into her math class.

“Sookie!” Eric waved from down the hall, and Sookie was not surprised to see a flock of the prettiest teens in all of Bon Temps following him. Even Dawn Green, a girl who frequently chased after Jason, was staggering behind Eric like a lovesick calf. Sookie returned his wave politely as she headed to her class. It wouldn’t be good for Eric’s newly forming reputation to be seen acting more than courteous toward her. She felt bad enough that Pam had just sabotaged herself. She would hate if Eric did so inadvertently.

At lunchtime, Sookie was excited to have someone sit with her finally. Pam told her about her first four classes, and they went over the second half of the new student’s schedule. They were both happy to see they had Short Stories together as well as their Anatomy/Physiology class, but most of Sookie’s classes were for Juniors, so she rarely crossed paths with Pam.

Sookie showed Pam the drawings she had done throughout the first half of school, and Pam fawned over them. It was exciting to have someone other than Gran with whom to share her art. Mrs. Talbit, the art teacher, always complimented Sookie’s work, but Sookie had a sinking suspicion that the teacher hated all of it. Sookie understood though. There was a giant gap between passion and talent, but drawing was only a hobby for Sookie. There was little passion or talent with which to begin in her case.

For the first time in eight years, Sookie got to know someone. She listened to Pam talk about the different places she and her brothers had grown up. She got to answer questions about the things she liked, and Pam didn’t get impatient with having to wait for Sookie to write out the answers. Pam didn’t seem annoyed at having to read Sookie’s responses.

That funny feeling was building in Sookie’s chest again. It was stronger than when Pam had greeted her that morning. This time, she could discern the emotion that made her heart swell and her throat ache. It was affection.

Before Sookie knew it, lunch had ended without her usual trip to the library, and she was walking to English class with Pam.

“Does this school only have one lunch period?” Pam asked curiously. Sookie nodded which made Pam frown. “Huh, I wonder where Eric was?”

{†}

Eric’s first day at school was panning out as expected. Girls were practically throwing their underwear at him, and he had to admit it was nothing new. Ever since he had shot up to 6’3″ and his proportions evened out, Eric had no issues getting dates. His brother had warned him about leaving a trail of broken hearts across the world, but it was so hard to choose! It was like going to a candy store and being told he could only have one type of candy. Besides, with the constant uprooting his father’s career caused, Eric hadn’t seen the point of making any commitments to a single girl. They would be separated eventually and would move on with their lives. He figured if there were a girl worth pining for, he would know her when he met her.

“You must be one of the people fixing up Rosenfont, right?” A guy from his Economics class smiled politely. He had a darker blond hair than his own but was a full head shorter than Eric. He didn’t seem intimidated by Eric’s looks or height which was refreshing. “I’m Jason. I live up the street from you.”

Eric’s mood transformed upon learning he was talking to Sookie’s brother, losing his previous relief at meeting a man that wasn’t threatened by him. Managing to keep a pleasant smile on his mouth, Eric accused, “Ah, the one who sped down the road this morning and shot rocks up at my new car. I remember.”

Jason flinched before giving an embarrassed laugh, “Sorry about that. I was excited to be driving to school again.”

“Now that you have an alternate excuse not to drive your sister?” Eric asked in a no-nonsense drawl. Jason’s body tightened slightly, but no outward movement was visible. This relaxed manner of scolding was far too reminiscent of his gran’s method, but Jason was not rattled by it coming from a stranger.

Eric was surprised when Jason smirked rather than recoiled at the accusation. “You’ll understand after a while spending time with her. You’ve known her less than a day. I’ve known Sook her whole life.”

“Sisters are a pain in the ass,” Eric replied lazily, unaffected by Jason’s warning. “There’s no getting past that, but I haven’t seen a single boy here with a messed up face, or even with his tail tucked between his legs from a brother’s fury.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Jason demanded.

“It means,” Eric sighed, “that even though my sister drives me up the wall, I’d never let someone smash her face into the ground. I might ignore Pam from time to time. I might refuse to drive her around like a chauffeur. Hell, I might shove her into a wall every so often when she gets particularly annoying, but that’s my god damned right as her big brother. No one else’s.” With that, Eric turned toward his next class and left Jason standing in the hallway with students pushing to get past his frozen figure.

Jason’s face reddened the more he thought about Eric’s accusations, and finally, he began to head to his class. He didn’t like the idea an outsider was telling him how to treat his sister. He didn’t appreciate that said stranger was also accusing him of being a terrible brother. After all, if the new kid had any idea that Sookie was the reason they were orphans, then he might not be so quick to judge.

Still all through his morning classes, Jason couldn’t help but think about the less obvious points of Eric’s scolding. Eric picked on his sister. Jason flat out refused to acknowledge Sookie existed. Eric might give his sister a shove from time to time. Jason allowed others to push at Sookie. Jason wondered if he could find some peace if he just let out his frustration from time to time instead of trying to find satisfaction in others doing it. It was possible all his hatred toward Sookie was the result of never letting his feelings out. After all, why couldn’t she be annoying and lovable? Why did he find it impossible to accept that she lost her parents too? Why was he determined to believe it was her fault?

The remainder of the morning felt like mud around him. It was slow and unpleasant to sit around wading through the murk. When the lunch bell sounded, Jason went to find Bill as he usually did before heading to the cafeteria. Only, he wasn’t alone.

“I’ve been looking for you all morning,” Eric was grinning down at Bill.

“What for?” Bill asked, annoyed to be stopped by the new kid even if he was so much bigger than him.

“I heard you’re the one who messed with Sookie Stackhouse yesterday. Scratched and bruised her face.”

“She told you that?” Bill snorted.

“No,” Eric shook his head, “my sister mentioned it, and it wasn’t difficult finding out who gets off the bus with the Stackhouses.”

“Everyone messes with Sookie,” Bill replied dismissively. “Her brother doesn’t even care that we do.” Jason felt a jolt of guilt hearing the truth so plainly spoken.

“Then you can be the one to tell everyone that if her brother’s not going to do anything about it, I will. Let them know anything they do to her; I’ll do to them twice as bad,” Eric informed.

“Yeah right-”

Eric grabbed the side of Bill’s head and smashed his face into a nearby locker. “Yeah. Right,” Eric told him as the younger teen looked up in stunned disbelief. “I’ll take it easy on you today because you had no prior warning. That was your warning.”

“Eric Northman!” Mrs. Davies, the physics teacher, howled. “Are you fighting!? On your first day!?”

“Yes, M’am,” Eric nodded. Mrs. Davies blinked back in surprise.

“Well then… Go to the principal’s office!” She pointed down the hall, still astounded by her new student’s unrepentant response.

“Yes, M’am,” Eric readily agreed. He spent his lunch period writing lines and a formal letter of apology to Bill Compton. The message read like this:

~Dear Bill Compton,

My sincerest apologies for taking it upon myself to settle a personal matter on school property. Please, forgive my abrupt actions here at school, and be assured that it will never happen here again. I would have rather disputed over the treatment of others privately. I guarantee that I will never try to debate with you so publicly ever again.

Sincerely,

Eric Northman~

{†}

Sookie squeezed into the back of Eric’s car with Pam and smiled as their driver waited to exit his parking space.

“Where were you during lunch? We didn’t see you,” Pam commented as she pulled her seatbelt across his chest.

“Principal’s office,” Eric casually replied as he weaved his way through the parking lot.

“On the first day?” Pam demanded sharply. “Godric’s going to kill you.”

Eric snorted, “Yeah, sure. I didn’t get suspended or anything. It wasn’t even really a fight. I just smashed that Compton kid’s head against a locker.”

“Ooooh,” Pam leaned forward excitedly, “did he cry?”

“I’m concerned about how badly you want to hear that he cried,” Eric laughed as they started for home.

Pam let loose a cackle that had Sookie thinking she wasn’t quite sure what sort of friend she had made. When Pam finished laughing at Bill’s expense, she flopped back into her seat and looked at Sookie. “So,” she smiled, “want to show us some of your haunts when we finish afternoon tea?” Sookie gave her friend a tentative nod.

Afternoon tea was just as lively today. Godric told them about some of the renovation work he had completed that day. Apparently, he wouldn’t be starting his next semester of college until January because he had wanted time to get everyone settled into their new home before getting distracted with school. Sookie had used her notebook to ask what he was studying. When he told her he was studying psychology, he did not miss the way Sookie’s body tightened.

“I’m only in my sophomore year of college, Sookie,” Godric laughed as they began cleaning up the tea set. “I’m nowhere near being able to analyze anyone.”

“Even veterans of the field can’t figure me out,” Sookie scrawled out and held up for her new friends to see. They all chuckled, and it made Sookie smile. No one else tried making light of her circumstances. Mostly they treated her like a ghost rather than acknowledge it.

“Have you always been unable to talk?” Pam asked curiously.

Sookie shook her head and wrote, “I lost my voice when I was eight. I was in a car accident and then a coma for two weeks following it. When I woke up, I couldn’t speak.”

“Was there damage to your throat?” Eric asked curiously.

Sookie shook her head again, “They think the brain swelling might have something to do with it. Once the swelling went down, I should have been able to talk again, but I couldn’t. Now the psychiatrists think I might have some mental block? They said I should be able to start talking eventually, but don’t know when. One said it would happen when I was ready for it to happen.”

“What does it feel like when you try to speak?” Pam inquired.

Sookie paused to think a moment. Finally, she decided to give her best shot at describing the feeling. “On a few occasions, I’ve gotten some sound out, but it’s always involuntary. I wasn’t trying to talk. When it happens, though, my throat tightens like it’s seized up. When I truly try to force out a word, it feels uncomfortable, like what I guess an asthma attack would feel like, and sometimes my face starts to go numb. If I just move my mouth like I’m talking, I don’t get that seized up feeling, but if I try and put sound with it, everything goes crazy.”

Her new friends read her explanation at different speeds. Godric took the longest, seeming to interpret her description more deeply than his siblings.

“Is there any reason you haven’t bothered to learn how to sign?” Pam asks. “Eric knows sign language.”

“No one around here uses sign language. It’s easier just to write. Besides, I don’t usually have so much to say,” Sookie confessed, beginning to feel uncomfortable, but also grateful at the same time. They weren’t trying to fix her voice. They weren’t telling her to fight something she couldn’t comprehend.

Sookie remembered how one of her doctors had told Gran not to give into her writing rather than speaking; to not even read a single one of her messages. They had said that maybe if she wanted something badly enough, she’d be able to muscle through the block between her brain and her mouth.

After only two days, Gran had sobbingly read every little note Sookie had made. She said that even though she missed hearing her granddaughter’s voice, she couldn’t bear to ignore her.

Sookie didn’t tell her new friends about that, and the questions about her muteness ebbed into a natural silence as they finished cleaning up from afternoon tea. Finally, all three of them looked excitedly to Sookie, wondering what hidden spot she would show them.

Together, the four of them piled into Godric’s jeep, and Sookie would tap Godric’s right or left shoulder if he needed to make a turn. It was a simple way to give directions, and soon they were bouncing along back country roads that weren’t roads, but places where the grass had been worn down into two dirt lines. It only took about eight minutes to arrive at a small lake whose glossy surface was gently caressed by drooping willow branches. Sookie looked shyly at her new friends and pantomimed casting a line. All three understood that she liked to come here to fish.

“It’s very picturesque,” Eric commented as they wandered closer to the water. “Wow, that water is a lot clearer than I thought it would be. You can almost see down to the bottom!”

Sookie nodded with a grin, pointing at the fish coasting beneath the water’s surface.

“Do you fish often, Sookie?” Godric asked. Sookie nodded brightly. “Maybe the three of us could come here this weekend?” Sookie held up three fingers curiously. “You, me and Eric. Pam would want nothing to do with fishing.”

“I could come and just read a magazine or do my nails,” Pam pouted, not wanting to be excluded from hanging out with her new friend.

Sookie scrambled to open her notebook, “If we catch anything, we can bring it home to my Gran. She makes amazing fried catfish!”

“That sounds wonderful, but what if we don’t catch anything?” Godric laughed.

“She’d still be happy to cook for all of us. Is Sunday okay? We could go after I get home from church,” Sookie offered.

“I’m in,” Eric agreed.

“Me too,” said Godric.

“Me three,” Pam raised her hand.

Sookie smiled as they wandered around the old fishing hole, already wishing for the weekend.

{†}

She’s sixteen! She’s sixteen! She’s- Oh, God, look anywhere but her legs! Eric frantically thought as Sookie jogged ahead of him with her fishing pole slung over one shoulder and a tackle box and five-gallon bucket bouncing in her other hand. He and Godric trailed behind with a cooler full of ice, and Eric was appreciative to see her body in motion.

Sookie Stackhouse had legs like a runner. Thick, toned, tan and tempting. In her Daisy Dukes and the flannel shirt that was tied off just above her bellybutton, she looked like she could give Catherine Bach a run for her money. She’s sixteen! Eric reminded himself again as she bent down to fill her bucket with some of the lake’s water. He and Godric set down the large cooler of ice that Sookie had insisted they needed. Eric immediately stole an ice cube and pressed it against the back of his neck. How am I supposed to stay composed looking at that? He wondered as Sookie’s backside tensed with the effort of drawing the full bucket of water back out of the lake.

Mercifully, they were soon all sitting around the edge of the lake, and casting their lines into the water. Pam had brought a folding chair and a recently assigned book they were expected to read for Short Stories. The new student had been disappointed to find it was a story she had already read but decided it was worth a second go.

Sookie noted the giant splash and short distance from the shore that both Godric and Eric had cast. She looked at both men on either side of her and gave her wrist a little flick. Both men flicked their wrists, much sharper than was necessary, and their bobbers skipped over the top of the lake. She smiled to herself as she realized they had little or no experience fishing.

Turning to Godric, Sookie cinched her pole into an old rod anchor a previous fisherman had left intact. She took the oldest brother’s fishing pole and quickly reeled it in. Taking his hand in hers, she put the reel back in his hands and helped him recast his line. She demonstrated the proper way to flick the string for slack and then moved on to Eric.

The height difference between herself and Eric made the demonstration far more difficult, and even with Eric crouching down, Sookie still had to press her body flush against his own to fix his cast. As the lesson kept their bodies squeezed together, Eric felt Sookie’s breath quicken. He felt her body grow hotter than before. Contemplating their position, Eric was surprised by a sharp tug on the pole that brought him back to reality. He started to crank the reel and began spinning it in. Just as he was about to give a yank, Sookie’s hand was there, guiding his speed and strength. In no time, a thick, slippery bluegill broke the surface of the water.

“You caught the first fish!” Eric exclaimed happily.

Sookie smiled brightly and shook her head. “No, you did,” she mouthed at him.

Eric’s face reddened, before he uttered, “I’ve never actually caught a fish before.”

“I know,” Sookie smirked. Taking his catch into her hand, she showed him how to release the hook from the fish’s mouth. Eric and Godric both observed her technique. With practiced grace, Sookie held down the bluegill’s dorsal fin, pushed the hook back into its throat and with a gentle tilt, the hook released.

“You made that look so easy,” Eric commented in awe as she chucked the bluegill into the bucket.

Sookie looked up at Eric with one of her sweet smiles before handing the pole back to him and taking up her own. Quickly, she reeled hers in, changed out her hook to a much larger and intimidating one and speared the bluegill onto her line. Eric watched in admiration and a little disgust as she showed no mercy to the small fish.

In no time, Sookie was reeling in catfish and chucking them into the cooler. Both Godric and Eric could only stand and marvel at her. Their fishing lines managed to pull in nothing other than bluegill, and Sookie took from their catches to bait their actual goal. When Godric finally caught a catfish of his own, he was disappointed when Sookie sympathetically expressed that it was too small to keep.

After a few hours, Pam looked up from her book to stare longingly at Sookie. She was having so much fun with Eric, and it seemed like the only time anyone talked was when they tugged in a fish. For the first time since they met each other, Pam felt like a tag-along. Still, she had no interest in fishing. She’d eat what they caught without any outward complaint, but she’d be damned if she had to put her hands around the disgusting thing while it was still alive!

By the time the afternoon sun began to sink, the group had walked away with five good-sized catfish. The cooler was hoisted proudly into the jeep, and the Northmans along with Sookie climbed in as well. They headed straight to the Stackhouse farm, prepared to meet the matron of Sookie’s family.

“Hello!” Adele greeted the Northmans warmly on the porch. “Oh, bless you all, look at all those catfish!” she said as she flipped the lid of the cooler open. “Sookie, be a dear. I had Jason set up the table in the backyard. Why don’t you go ahead and clean these.”

Sookie nodded as she led Eric and Godric around the house to show them how to clean and filet the catches.

“Why don’t you come in here with me, Dear,” Adele crooned at Pam. “I think it was sweet of you to go fishing even though it’s not your cup of tea. How about you help me in the kitchen instead of watching Sookie gut a bunch of fish!”

Pam felt faint, “No wonder Sookie agreed to dissect my frog for me. She must be knuckle deep in guts all the time!”

Adele chuckled, “Sookie’s not faint of heart. She’s just…”

“Burdened,” Jason finished for his grandmother as he came into the kitchen.

“Burdened?” Pam frowned as Adele looked at her grandson in surprise. For the past eight years, Adele had heard nothing but blame spouting from Jason’s lips at Sookie.

“Sook was in the same car crash that killed our parents,” Jason told her as he headed toward the back door. “She thinks it was her fault. I helped her keep believing it,” he announced without breaking stride.

Adele watched Jason exit the house and practically ran to the kitchen window to watch as her grandson took the knife from Sookie and began precisely explaining what she was doing to prepare the fish. Sookie was looking at her brother with the same astonishment.

“Are you alright, Mrs. Stackhouse?” Pam asked as Adele touched her lips to absorb a sob.

“Excuse me,” Adele cleared her throat. “I’m sorry, I’ve been… praying for the day, he would finally forgive her!” An unbidden tear leaked from the older woman’s eye and she quickly brushed it away. “It’s not that I blame him for being upset, but I don’t know if Sookie can heal without his forgiveness.”

Pam paused a moment, “I’m happy for you… and Sookie. I don’t know where I’d be if my brothers hated me.”

Adele sighed, “Brothers can be difficult. They can make life easier, or they can make life hell.”

Pam looked at Adele curiously, but when the older woman didn’t explain any further, Pam didn’t press on the topic. Instead, the two women got started heating oil and blending seasonings with their breading. The egg wash had a light dusting of salt and pepper, but most of the spices mixed into the flour.

“Here ya go, Gran,” Jason called as he came in with a tray of prepared fish. He set it on the counter while grabbing a bar of soap. Bringing the soap bar outside, he, Eric, Godric and Sookie all washed their hands under the outdoor spigot.

Soon the house smelled of frying catfish, and once all the pieces were cooked and cooling on some paper plates, Gran cranked the stove flame to raise the oil temperature further and threw in some freshly cut potatoes.

When Sunday dinner was ready, and they placed each dish on the small dining table, Gran put out the salt and pepper before joining the teens. Gran, Sookie, and Jason all took hands, and the Northman siblings quickly joined in as Adele began to say grace.

“Lord, thank you for the blessings of this table’s bounty. Thank you for bringing those who have joined us today to share in your gifts. May our hearts and stomachs always remain full. Amen.”

“Amen,” Jason and the Northmans chorused. At last, it was time for conversations and delicious food.

“When Sookie asked me about having you over for Sunday dinner, I realized something,” Adele addressed Godric.

“What’s that, M’am?” Godric asked.

“Do you three have anywhere to go for Thanksgiving?” Adele asked.

Godric shrugged, “I figured we’d just have a small dinner with just the three of us.”

“Well, if you’d like, you are all welcome to come here for Thanksgiving dinner,” Adele offered. “It’s a real pleasure having everyone gathered around the table. My daughter and granddaughter will be here as well.”

“Aunt Linda and her daughter Hadley,” Jason whispered to Pam who sat next to him. “Hadley’s a junkie-”

“Jason Stackhouse!” Adele interrupted him sternly.

“Hey, I’m just preparing them,” Jason said unrepentantly. “Last Christmas she shot up in your bathroom and passed out on your bed. I don’t think that’s something you should avoid telling your guests.”

“Even still, it is not appropriate dinner conversation,” Adele chastised, a bit more subdued this time.

There was a small silence after the exchange, but Eric broke the elevating tension, “Sookie can really fish! I think our father took us once when Godric and I were kids.”

“I’ve only gone twice with our father, but I remember Grandpa took me a couple of times when we visited for the holidays,” Godric thoughtfully said as he tried to remember back to when Grandpa Beauchéne was still alive. “He passed away when Eric was three, so they never went together. Our father came with me once with Grandpa. I think Eric was about seven when the three of us went together.”

“It doesn’t sound like you ever spent much time with your father’s side of the family,” Adele commented carefully.

“Our father’s mother abandoned him when he was a small child,” Pam explained. “We have an aunt, but she ran away from her foster family, and they never saw each other again. As soon as our father turned eighteen, he joined the United States Air Force and never looked back. When they stationed him at Barksdale, he met our mom while she was at University. They knew each other two months before his transfer overseas. Mom dropped out of college, they got married, and she went with him all over the world.”

“Sounds like a love story,” Gran sighed.

“They loved each other very much,” Godric agreed, but there was a definite bitterness behind his eyes.

Sookie saw that bitter sadness and wished that she could somehow ease it. For all of them.

On to Chapter Three!

Unspoken Feelings Ch. 1

Chapter One: Crazy Sookie Makes a Friend

September 1996

Sookie Stackhouse had long ago become the Ghost of Bon Temps. Eight years, as a matter of fact, was the duration she had so far haunted the small town twenty minutes south of Shreveport, Louisiana. Though she was entirely visible to all the residents, young, old and in-between, she may as well have been little more than a wandering spirit for all the impact she made around those who encountered her.

“Welcome back everyone!” Mrs. Fleure sweetly greeted her sophomore homeroom. Her eyes bounced to each chair, looking for a flicker of cheer. Several students looked down at their desks to hide that they were not happy about the first day of school, but one pair stared steadily at her. Sookie Stackhouse and her unsettling smile. “Did everyone have a nice summer vacation?” You would think after having the girl in her class the previous year, Katherine Fleure would have become used to the attentively trained eyes of her student, but nothing on earth could acclimate anyone to the Stackhouse girl’s unwavering, unnaturally strained smile.

She was perfectly aware that Sookie Stackhouse always did her work on time and acquired exceptional grades, but never bothered calling on her in class. Even the summer class she’d hosted which had included the strange girl hadn’t eased the strain she felt around her. Sookie would give you her undivided attention, but she would not speak. She had not spoken in eight years.

Not since…

Of course, the accident had been in the local headlines, but it wasn’t until Sookie entered middle school that the teachers were reminded what that car crash had caused other than the deaths of Mr. and Mrs. Stackhouse. Both parents had lost their lives, but Sookie had survived. After two weeks in a coma, Sookie had awakened, but did not speak. Principal Clark had used the word ‘traumatized’ several times when he warned all of them, and Katherine felt compelled to agree.

“Well,” the teacher finally continued, “if no one wants to tell us about their summer vacation, I guess we should continue with homeroom announcements. Tomorrow we will have a new student joining the sophomore class. Her name is Pamela Northman, and I want you all to greet her warmly tomorrow!”

“Yeah, Stackhouse, don’t go mouthing off!” Mark Thompson shouted across the room, making several students snicker. Katherine looked worriedly at her student, but Sookie didn’t even bat an eye and her mouth never broke from its deranged grin. She did glance down at her notebook, but that was all.

The infamous notebook, Katherine sighed internally. Whenever Sookie chose to participate in class, which only involved writing answers to questions, she would scrawl the response on her notebook page and hold it up. Katherine detested this method, but had to admit it was better than not being able to call on her at all. In the last school year, Katherine had adapted to Sookie’s needs, but had secretly resented that special accommodations were made. After all, children lost parents all the time and didn’t succumb to such extreme responses. What did Sookie expect to do for a job if she refused to speak? No matter what anyone else said, Katherine was certain Sookie just didn’t want to speak.

Sookie sat quietly throughout homeroom, wondering how long it would take the new girl to start making fun of her along with the rest of Bon Temps. If there was one thing everyone in town could unite on, it was that Crazy Sookie was worth getting a laugh over. Her own brother often got gales of laughter from his friends at her expense, but that was fine. It was one more way to pay for what she’d done. It was one more way to seek forgiveness. It was the only way she thought she could be absolved for the murder of her own parents.

During the fall of third grade, Sookie had been eight years old, and she had been playing somewhere. She couldn’t remember where, the accident had stolen most of her memories from that day. She had screamed and yelled at her parents to the point of tears. She didn’t know why she’d made such a fuss, but the crying had gone on and on. She had thrown such a tantrum about something that surely it was what had caused her daddy to crane his neck around to yell at her. That had to be why they had gone off the road. It had to be why her parents were dead.

The next thing she remembered was waking in the hospital with Gran at her bed side, praying long and hard. Sookie had tried to ask what happened, but parts of her felt disconnected. Her body felt slow to respond, and that familiar path from her brain to her mouth had vanished. In a way, it wasn’t that she couldn’t speak, it was that she couldn’t remember how she’d ever done it in the first place.

Of course, she hadn’t awoken from her coma with the intention of not speaking. At first, doctors believed the silence came from the disorientation and the brain swelling from her head trauma. However, once the swelling had gone down, Sookie still could not remember how to make the words come out. She could comprehend the things around her, but could not turn her own thoughts into words. After two more weeks in the hospital, visits from specialists and dozens of tests, it was finally determined that there wasn’t a physical cause for her muteness.

After the verdict was in, a new set of specialists were filed through Sookie’s room. It was only a few days before they all agreed that Sookie would speak again when she was good and ready. That news had only brought Sookie more anxiety because she felt as though, this too, were all her fault.

“It serves her right!” Jason had yelled and cried into their Gran’s shoulder. Her own brother thought the loss of her voice was what she deserved for killing their parents, and Sookie couldn’t have agreed more with him by that point. An inability to hold her tongue is what had caused the crash. God had probably seen her not honoring her parents and decided that she didn’t deserve them anymore. For good measure, he took her voice too so she couldn’t hurt anyone else with it.

“Sookie,” Tara Thornton craned to look back at her, “I need a pen.”

Sookie looked at the girl twisted around to face her and Tara resisted the urge to recoil. There was always some gap between talking to Sookie and receiving a response. The blonde always seemed to come out of a fog whenever someone spoke to her.

Reaching into her bag, Sookie produced a pen and handed it to Tara. Without a response, Tara took it just before the bell rang to signal the end of homeroom and the start of first period. Tara was the only person who spoke to her other than teachers. Sure, it was only in the form of asking for a writing utensil, notes or paper, but at least it was never in the form of insults. They had been very close before the accident, but shortly after Sookie returned to school things had changed. Mostly Tara only looked at her or said a word to her when she needed something. Still, Sookie kept giving things to her classmate because it took some of the loneliness out of her silent life to have someone say her name every so often.

Sookie rose to head for her history class, already thinking about a new picture she could sketch throughout the day. She quickly got to her desk, took out her pen and began to doodle. By the end of fourth period, she had three pages of different flowers drawn in blue, black and red ink. They were good in the sense that she had drawn them so often that they had been perfected to the best of Sookie’s ability, but that was all.

“These are pretty,” Sookie turned her head slowly at the boy who came to her table with a lunch tray. It was Bill Compton, one of her brother’s closest childhood friends. Since the Compton house was only a valley away from the Stackhouse farm, Jason and Bill had palled around most of their childhood despite Bill being a year younger. The two of them and Hoyt Fortenberry were still best friends to this day.

Sookie looked at Bill with hesitation. The only one of Jason’s friends who wasn’t mean to her was Hoyt. Bill had a knack for acting like he had finally outgrown harassing her only to do something cruel. Bill’s tormenting had escalated from a gob of gum ground into her scalp to tearing her favorite book in half down the spine. The most recent, however, had been less about doing physical damages, and more about trying to hurt her emotionally. She had no proof, but she was certain Bill had been the one to put notes with the words, “Mute Bitch,” in her locker in sixth grade.

Sookie felt bad for Bill. Even with a valley of graves between their houses, she could still hear his father beating him on quiet nights. Everyone knew that Robert Compton was a drunk, and they knew that’s why his wife Julia had left him. Sookie was certain that the only ones who knew about the beatings were Jason, Hoyt and herself, although she hoped Bill didn’t know that she knew.

Bill stared at Sookie and she stared right back as if waiting to hear what he wanted. Finally the Junior turned around and walked to his table of friends. Jason and Hoyt as well as most of the football team welcomed Bill as always. Sookie looked at her brother briefly, but there was an obvious air of dismissal that the sister quickly acknowledged by looking back at her food. So, she continued to sit alone, eating her meal in silence.

As her food slowly disappeared, Sookie couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to have someone sitting across from her at the table. Would people point and whisper less? What would her company say to fill the silence as they ate together? Would their inevitable points of silence be companionable or awkward?

When her lunch was gone, Sookie wandered to the library like she usually did and spent the remainder of her free time hunting down a new book to read. The library was her safe haven. No one could hurt her here. It was the one place she felt she didn’t need to sustain the punishment that was her accepted act of contrition for the deaths of her parents. Everyone was silent here, and she could be normal for a few short minutes.

All too soon lunchtime was over, and Sookie found herself wandering to her next class with a new book to read. She perused it all through her english class, and drew more flowers in her math class. The only subject she paid any mind to in the second half of school was her anatomy/physiology class. Dr. Jones would chop her head off if she played around in his class. She liked that about him. He didn’t treat her any different from other students. He asked her questions in class and beamed with pride when she wrote out the answer. All the other teachers seemed happy enough to leave her be as long as she turned her homework in on time. Dr. Jones forced her to participate all throughout her ninth grade biology class last year. Unfortunately, the teacher for Sookie’s summer Chemistry class hadn’t been as insistent about her participation.

“Stackhouse, stick around a minute. Don’t worry, you won’t miss your bus,” Dr. Jones stopped Sookie as she packed up her belongings. She sat patiently while the other students filed out, “As you know, part of this class’s requirement is giving a researched demonstration.” Sookie looked at her hands nervously. She had always had to take an incomplete on class projects like these, but her otherwise perfect grades remained mostly unharmed. “Now, you could partner up with someone who can give the explanation of the demonstration and I will give you a passing grade as long as I am told you helped.”

Sookie deflated further. No one in her science class would help her. It didn’t matter how smart she was. Having to spend several afternoons and a possible weekend with her was unimaginable to her classmates.

“The new transfer student will be in your class,” Dr. Jones pointed out optimistically. “Would you like me to suggest it to her?”

Sookie bowed her head and shook it.

“Sookie, this demonstration is thirty percent of your grade for this semester. That will mean you can only get as high as a C for the semester in this class,” Dr. Jones warned.

Taking her notepad out, Sookie wrote, “Could I just write out my speech like I usually do for partial credit?”

“If I make an exception for you, then everyone will start forgoing the project for partial credit, Sookie,” Dr. Jones sighed. “I’m not trying to bully you, but what are you going to do if you don’t start learning to work with others?”

“I just want to draw,” Sookie replied.

Dr. Jones smiled, “I know you enjoy that very much, Sookie, but do you love it because it’s your calling? Or do you love it because it lets you continue to hide?” When Sookie didn’t reply, Dr. Jones stood back up. “Think about it. We won’t even begin handing in papers for it until Homecoming. If you change your mind about pairing with the new student, let me know and I will talk to her for you.”

Sookie nodded as she gathered her things back up and headed for the door. The hallways were already thinning down as more and more students raced to get a good seat on the buses. There were only a couple dozen by the time Sookie got to her locker, and she quickly shoved all her materials inside.

It was a mad dash to make it to the bus, but Sookie managed to take a seat near the middle of the war zone that was Bus 16. The middle of the bus was always the worst. There were always things being thrown around and screaming back and forth. The middle just always seemed to catch all the debris.

Finally it was their stop; an eight minute walk to the house with Jason, Bill Compton, and herself. Sookie carefully trailed several feet behind, knowing better than to have her back to Bill or even her brother. Despite the fact Jason knew that Sookie wouldn’t say shit if she had a mouthful he had never laid a hand on her. He also never stopped or prevented an assault on his sister. That was why Sookie remained cautious of those around her until she was safely at home.

“Whoa,” Bill stopped suddenly to look up at the old Beauchéne Plantation, “the people working on Rosenfont Hall have really done a great job!”

Jason snorted, “You always had a hard on for that place.”

“Rosenfont is the jewel of Bon Temps! It’s the only thing people come to this shit hole to see!” Bill protested. “It’s the epitome of Southern Colonial-”

“Yeah, yeah, you wanna be an architect. I get it,” Jason grumbled with a roll of his eyes. He kept walking home, but Bill remained paused in front of Rosenfont Hall.

Sookie stood frozen as well, but it was not in admiration of the ongoing restoration. If she kept walking then Bill would be able to sneak up on her. She needed a good head start to even hope to outrun him. The girl’s heart thrummed achingly against her ribs. Her house was a six minute walk from Rosenfont, four if she ran full throttle, but Bill was faster by far. If he got the urge to take after her, four minutes was three minutes too long.

Just as Sookie was resolving to make a break for it, Bill snapped his eyes on her. “Isn’t it beautiful?” he asked and Sookie swallowed and nodded in agreement. Without any warning other than his gaze, Sookie already knew that this conversation would not end well for her. “You haven’t even looked at it. Look,” he pointed, but her eyes remained trained on him. Bill snatched her arm and pulled her toward him. “Look. At. It.”

Shivering nervously, Sookie needed all her will power to look away from Bill. As her head finally started to turn, she felt Bill’s hand leave her wrist and touch the back of her neck. As she predicted, the encounter was turning sour. Bill pushed her to the ground and pressed her face into the gravel road.

Without her consent, a sharp cry burst from Sookie’s mouth, and Bill grinned. “See? You can make noises just fine. So, why don’t you tell me to stop? Come on! Tell me to stop, you stupid mute!” She felt his hand press harder, and the gravel imbedded deeper into her cheek and temple. Despite the whine that continued to pour from her mouth, Bill continued to mock her. “Tell me to stop and I will.”

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” A cool, bored voice demanded. Bill Compton looked up from the sobbing blonde to see a gorgeous girl staring him down from the gate of Rosenfont Hall.

“Oh… I, uh, was,” Bill stammered at her beauty and blushed.

“Getting the fuck away from my property?” the girl finished for him coldly. Her blue eyes flashed like sunlight gleaming off a sheet of ice.

Bill quickly picked his bag back up and sped away before the mysterious foul mouthed girl could say another word.

“Are you all right?” the girl asked once Bill had ran down the road. She came to stand in front of Sookie, and crouched to start putting things back in the other girl’s bag. “Oh, this is lovely,” she exclaimed as one of Sookie’s earlier drawings floated from between the pages of a textbook. “Did you draw this?” she asked, holding up the picture.

Sookie nodded as she finally began to help putting away her books. When the girl tried to hand her the picture back, Sookie shook her head and pushed it against her savior’s chest. Thank you for helping me, she thought as she silently offered the drawing. The thought startled Sookie. When was the last time she had thought of an actual line of dialogue she wanted to share with another person? This was one of the rare instances in her daily exchanges that had nothing to do with school or responding to a yes or no question.

“Thank you,” the girl smiled. Suddenly Sookie realized who the girl must be. Pamela Northman! “Your face is scratched up,” Pam remarked as she reached forward to brush away some gravel that clung to Sookie’s skin. “Come inside. I’ll clean it up.” Sookie shook her head suddenly and pointed down the road. Pam raised her eyebrows, “I, uh, don’t know how to ask this without sounding offensive, but are you really a mute?” Sookie nodded. “Oh, well, that…,” Pam paused. Could mutes still make noises when they were in pain? “I can call your house for you,” she offered instead. “Please, your face is bleeding.”

Sookie allowed Pam to help her up, and followed the girl past the gate of Rosenfont.

“What’s your phone number?” Pam asked.

Sookie took out her notebook and wrote down the number. Before she handed it over, she wrote, “Please, don’t tell her about Bill.”

The last thing Sookie wanted was Gran mentioning Bill’s actions to Mr. Compton like when Bill had kneaded gum into Sookie’s hair. It had been a afternoon of peanut oil and smelling like Thanksgiving turkey for three days that had kept Adele Stackhouse from shearing off her granddaughter’s hair at the scalp. However, smelling like she’d just come out of a deep fryer was nothing compared to the whooping Mr. Compton had given his son. Bill had come to school black and blue with his arm in a cast. He’d said he’d fallen down the stairs, but he had glared at Sookie the whole time on the bus. She’d been in first grade at the time, and she still remembered that contemptuous look. She still remembered that her tattling on him had caused that broken wrist and all those bruises. Even before she lost her voice, she vowed to never tattle again.

Pam nodded grimly at Sookie’s request before dialing. As the phone rang, Pam suddenly realized she had no idea whom she would be speaking for, nor to whom she would be speaking. Sookie seemed to realize this too because she wrote, “I’m Sookie Stackhouse,” on the paper next to her plea not to tell Gran about the bullying.

“Hello?” a rough, old voice came over the phone.

“Hi, is this the Stackhouse residence?” Pam asked politely.

“Yes, it is,” came an equally polite reply. “How can I help you?”

“This is Pam Northman from Rosenfont Hall. Sookie tripped in front of my house, and I invited her in for tea and a band-aid,” Pam lied effortlessly. “I just wanted to let you know not to worry.”

“Why thank you!” Adele crowed happily, wondering if Sookie might make a new friend, and hoping to God that she did. “If she plans to stay past dark, just let me know when to come pick her up.”

“I will,” Pam assured. “Have a nice day.”

“You too, young lady,” Adele gushed at the display of manners.

“Thank you,” Pam smiled genuinely as she hung up the phone.

Sookie stared at Pam in surprise. Not five minutes ago Pam had let two F-Bombs drop as casually as a ‘please’ or ‘thank you!’

“So, what grade are you in, Sookie Stackhouse?” Pam asked casually. Sookie held up all ten fingers. “A sophomore? Me, too. I hope we have a class or two together.”

Sookie took up her notebook again and jotted down, “Homeroom and anatomy/physiology are the only ones I know for sure.”

“Ugh, anatomy,” Pam groaned. “That’s the one where we dissect things, isn’t it?” She looked at her perfectly manicured nails. “I don’t suppose you have a shitty subject I could compensate you for not having to put my hands inside a dead body?”

Sookie paused as she remembered the research demonstration. Playing with her pen she hesitated further to ask. Pam was just joking, right? She didn’t actually want to help Sookie at all, she just wanted to get out of doing any work. Then again, Sookie was planning on doing the research herself anyway. If Pam wanted to be her spokesperson, she would happily give her credit.

“There’s a mandatory research demonstration-”

“Fuck my life,” Pam lamented as she read the first line.

“If I do all the work, will you read the index cards to the class?”

“Wait, you’re going to do all the work on the project and dissect my frog, but all I have to do is read some index cards you’re going to write for me anyway?” Pam asked. Sookie nodded earnestly. “Well, I’ll need to find some more things than being your representative to pay you back, but I accept your offer.”

Sookie’s eyes widened; not because Pam accepted to take Sookie’s guaranteed A+ in anatomy/physiology, but because she offered to pay her back. No one ever looked at Sookie’s offers as more than compensation for having to spend time with her.

“For now, how about I start by cleaning that face of yours,” Pam laughed as she took Sookie’s hand and lead her to the kitchen. She took out a First Aid kit and quickly cleaned up Sookie’s scratches. Next a soft, square bandage was taped into place and Pam began putting away the supplies. “You should be able to take that off before bed. Just be gentle when washing your face tonight.” Sookie’s smile easily said, ‘thank you’.

The pair stood awkwardly silent for a minute before Pam cleared her throat uncomfortably and began moving about the kitchen to make some tea. “Do you have a preference in tea?” Pam asked and was delighted when Sookie shook her head ‘no’. “Is jasmine tea okay?” Sookie shrugged. She didn’t know anything about tea. All she knew was that Gran drank Earl Grey.

“I can be a bit dominating in conversations,” Pam mentioned as she began filling the kettle, “but I’ve never talked to someone who couldn’t talk back.”

Sookie remained self-consciously standing in the middle of the kitchen while Pam zipped around her making little sandwiches and opening packages of what looked like hard cookies. “Our mother loved tea time. When we were living in England, she fell in love with the idea, and it sort of carried on even after we left. My brothers and I still have afternoon tea every day.”

A pang struck harshly at Sookie’s heart. Pam had brothers. It sounded like they liked her. She wondered what it was like to have a brother that wanted to spend time with her.

“Oh, is that silly?” Pam asked in embarrassment. Sookie shook her head. “You looked upset at the idea of tea time.”

How could Sookie even begin to explain the depths of her envy? It would take so many pages of her notebook to express her despair that she couldn’t have such a relationship with her own brother. Afternoon tea? She’d be lucky to received an afternoon talk.

“Oh no!” A voice called from the foyer as the sound of the door closing snapped through the air. “Pam’s already put on the kettle!”

“Looks like we’re having jasmine tea again,” another voice chuckled. “Although the cucumber sandwiches taste better with it than that chai crap you make us drink.”

“You just have a resistance to being happy,” the first man teased.

“And you have an unhealthy obsession with cinnamon,” the second man answered.

“Guys, we have a guest for tea time,” Pam called as she brought the tray of crunchy cookies and fresh sandwiches out to a rather quaint, round table. Whoa, they do take tea time serious! Sookie thought as she saw the soft, floral printed table cloth dressing the rich mahogany table. Gran would melt over this set-up.

“Oh, hello there,” a man about her height with short brown hair waved merrily before accepting the tray his sister was handing him. “I’m Godric Northman. Pleasure to meet you.”

Sookie’s face blushed softly at his smile. It brought another ache. These people didn’t know just how crazy she was yet. This generous and kind greeting would not continue for long. Oh well, it will make for a nice memory, she reasoned with an air of contentment.

“I’m Eric Northman,” Sookie had to look way, way up as another striking blond stood before her. The former pink stain of her cheeks transformed into a radiating glow as she looked up at the giant. He was tall, lean, and had an artful array of golden strands of hair. “What happened here?” he touched Sookie’s jawline just below where her bandage stopped. His touch made her heart pound briefly against her ribs. What the heck was that, ‘ba-dump’!?

“Some asshole smashed her face into the ground right in front of our gate,” Pam huffed, and Sookie’s face tore away from Eric’s touch to gape at Pam. I thought it was our secret! “Oh, I’ll keep the secret from your mother, but no way is he not getting a beating from my brother at some point!”

Sookie grabbed her notebook and wrote, “Grandmother. My parents are dead.”

Pam grimaced apologetically, “I’m sorry. Ours are gone too. They died at the end of last school year.” Sookie’s hand went to her mouth, and Pam could read the condolences in her eyes. “It’s all right. Well, as all right as it can be. We’re getting right along, and Godric agreed to stay with us until Eric and I finish high school and start college. It won’t be so terrible.”

Eric watched the two girls a moment and stared back and forth between them and the notebook before asking, “Does she not speak?”

“No, she doesn’t,” Pam sighed. “So let’s help out by giving her ‘yes’ or ‘no’ questions until we get to know her better.”

“Would you mind telling us her name then, Pam?” Godric sighed.

“It’s Sookie Stackhouse,” Pam smiled.

“A pleasure then, Sookie,” Godric pulled a chair from the table. “Have a seat, won’t you?”

Nervously, Sookie accepted her chair and sat rigidly as a teapot and four delicate teacup and saucers came to the table. Sookie watched as the siblings bustled around her in preparation for their afternoon tea.

Finally all were seated, and Sookie was surprised to be quickly addressed.

“So,” the handsome, blond brother looked at her curiously, “Stackhouse? That’s one of the two houses up the street, isn’t it?” Sookie nodded that he was correct. “I’ve been up here for the last few weeks getting things cleaned up and moved in, and heard a bit about the local families.” Sookie gave him as pleasant of a smile as she could manage. When he returned it, she was surprised. People usually gave her a weird look when she smiled.

Thankfully, Sookie was taken out of the limelight as Godric announced, “Eric picked out his car.” Godric’s snicker made Eric roll his eyes.

“Is it a Corvette?” Pam teased.

Eric’s eyes went glossy the way Jason’s glazed at the car dealership when he saw the fully loaded Chevy Tahoe. Of course Jason had ended up with a small Ford Ranger instead, but he had been grateful to have earned enough to buy even that.

“It’s an Acura Integra GS-R,” Godric laughed, knowing that his brother had despised driving his Jeep for the past month after having driven all the way down from New York.

Sookie’s teacup rattled. She knew little about cars, but she did know that the new Acura was easily over $20,000. That’s more than most of Bon Temps makes in a year… On top of that, the Northmans had not only bought Rosenfont Hall, but were restoring it.

Godric smiled at Sookie’s shaking teacup, “Yes, Sookie, we are quite wealthy.” Shyly, Sookie set her teacup back down so as not to distract the others with its clinking. The china alone probably could buy Jason’s Ranger. “Rosenfont, however, has belonged to our mother’s family for generations. She was a Beauchéne before she married our father.” Sookie’s jaw drooped a bit. The Beauchénes were famous, but it was thought the last of them had died five years ago when Lady Margarette Beauchéne passed away. She had been like Bon Temps Royalty. Gran had even come to Rosenfont on several occasions with care packages the last couple years Margarette had been alive. No one had really known what became of Alice Beauchéne, and Margarette had been rather tight lipped about her daughter’s whereabouts.

“Grandmother certainly let the place go quite a bit those last few years,” Eric sighed. “It took me all summer to strip and refinish the woodwork. Then I had to patch all the plaster after the electrician updated the wiring. I must have driven to and from Shreveport thirty times this summer. Too bad Bon Temps doesn’t have a hardware store worth a damn. I might have actually gotten a chance to meet some locals that way.”

He did the refinishing himself!? Sookie felt faint. The Northmans were not only cultured, wealthy and astute, but comfortable with physical labor as well!?

“Our father was a Lieutenant in the United States Air Force,” Eric smiled at Sookie’s shocked expression. “When he married our mother, they agreed that they didn’t want their children growing up with money. Don’t get me wrong, they spoiled us rotten at Christmas and birthdays. Especially Pam-”

“Hey!” The sister protested sharply.

“But they still made us earn everything the rest of the year,” Eric finished as though Pam hadn’t interrupted. “Please, enjoy your tea,” he gestured, “while my sister tells me about some boy I will be beating the crap out of some time this week.” Sookie’s face paled. “Just kidding!” Eric grinned devilishly, and it made Sookie uncertain if he were kidding or not.

“Eric will be finishing his Senior year at your school,” Godric explained. “Are you a sophomore like Pam?” Sookie nodded, even though she was only missing a single credit to be considered a Junior. “I am glad she will start school tomorrow knowing someone already. We have been unpacking this whole time because Eric came down early to start the restorations. He only just finished the patching and painting last week and then helped the movers bring all of our stuff in. It’s been a mad scramble ever since.” There was a very natural pause as he took a sip of his tea, and Sookie quickly took a gulp of her own to maintain the pacing. “Do you do well in school?” Sookie nodded slowly as if not wanting to brag. “Pam only does well in Home Ec. and literature classes.”

“Be fair!” Pam whined. When her brothers looked at her with raised eyebrows, she mumbled, “I do well in orchestra too.”

“Too bad Bon Temps doesn’t have an orchestra,” Eric sighed. “Pam plays the viola.”

“I was surprised she wanted to play something that touches her face since she’s so obsessed with her make-up being perfect,” Godric smiled over his teacup at Pam. The younger sister huffed at her brother’s comment, but still took ladylike sips from her own cup.

Dazzled by the refined family, Sookie tentatively took up her own cup once more and tried to mimic their elegance. She knew she must look like a chicken caught in a fox’s jaws, but she still tried to look normal.

“Stackhouse,” the girl’s eyes flashed on the middle brother, and that scorching blush returned at his blue eyes, “that’s the farmhouse on the northern fork in the road, right?” Sookie nodded. “We’ve never met them. Growing up, we really only visited Grandmother at Rosenfont for Christmas, Thanksgiving or Easter when we could. Our father’s responsibilities at the airbase didn’t offer many opportunities to visit for long. Even though our roots are in Bon Temps on our mother’s side, this town is still a stranger to us.”

“Maybe you could give us a tour?” Godric suggested warmly.

Sookie thought for a moment about what sort of tour she could give them. There were only a handful of places that were off the beaten path that she knew about, but they were all fishing holes and hunting hides.

There’s always, Sookie stopped that thought immediately before it could finish. She would never be able to go back to the old willow tree that she had spent her summer days in the boughs with a book or a tape player. She remembered laying at the crest of the hill just outside the shadows of the tree, and letting the sunlight hold her. She missed that tree, but the hill it lived on overlooked the crash sight that Sookie had murdered her parents at. Sookie could never go back there again.

“Sookie?” the girl started at Godric’s concerned voice, and her face adopted a shy, apologetic look. “You went somewhere just now,” he teased.

“Does that mean you’ll show us some places?” Pam asked.

Slowly, Sookie nodded in agreement. There were a few fishing spots that had beautiful scenery. Even if no one here was in to fishing, they could still appreciate the beauty of the area. That was what Bon Temps truly had to offer–beauty.

The sprinkling of homes kept vibrant and beautiful by Southern Pride, and the dark but undeniable history that peppered them with scandal. Rosenfont Hall was special for the area because it was erected shortly after the civil war. It was the only plantation in Bon Temps that had never owned slaves, and because of that had a rather shaky ground among the community. Some spited the Beauchéne family for being the first plantation to pay its workers fair wages despite the color of their skin. Others in the community celebrated the new family for the same exact reason. There had been many fires and threats, but Rosenfont Hall prevailed. It was one of three plantations still relatively intact, and the only one that was still owned by the original family.

As afternoon tea concluded, Sookie moved to help clear the settings, and received immediate dismissal by Eric.

“Thank you, but you are Pam’s guest. Godric and I will clear,” he politely declined.

Faltering for a moment, Sookie was taken by surprise when Pam grabbed her wrist and hauled her toward the sweeping staircase. “Come on! I want to show you my room!” Pam crowed, excited to finally show off her crowning achievement since moving to the South.

Sookie was still dazed by her sudden ascension to the second floor, but that sensation transformed into one of awe when Pam flung open her bedroom door. Pausing in the doorway, Sookie took a moment to appreciate the splendor before she stepped inside.

Pam’s room was a soft pink reserved for newborn baby girls, but with the dark walnut accents and gold filigree; the room was one of regality. Her viola case leaned artfully against her vanity, and Sookie felt drawn to the instrument.

“Would you like me to play for you?” Pam offered sweetly upon seeing Sookie’s focused gaze. “Since the high school doesn’t have an orchestra, I’ll need someone to play in front of!”

Sookie nodded slowly as Pam picked up the case to lay on her bed and extract her viola. She sat at her vanity, watching herself in the mirror as if it were just as important to look gorgeous playing her instrument as it was to look gorgeous the other remaining hours of the day.

There was a tension in the air just before the bow caressed the strings. It was lower than Sookie anticipated, but she quickly remembered that the viola and the violin weren’t supposed to sound identical. There was a richness to the viola that the violin could not match. If the violin was meant to pierce your heart with emotion, then the viola was created to massage and calm you into accepting and experiencing that emotion.

“Beau,” Sookie’s voice emitted before her throat closed like an iron gate around the syllable and choked out the rest of the word. This was only the third or fourth time Sookie could recall that she managed to utter a syllable that wasn’t brought on by injury. As always, the involuntary sound made her heart race and throat close. Pam stopped playing abruptly to stare at the girl. She could have sworn she’d heard a sound come from the silent girl’s lips.

Just a sob, Sookie reasoned anxiously. Sobbing and injury were the only times a noise could be brought from her mouth, and the music had been building a castle of emotion across her chest. The stone fortress had merely torn an audible cry much like Compton’s assault had. Only, this time, the sound that came from her was almost… welcome.

Pam and Sookie stared at each other a long moment before Pam smiled and began putting away her viola. “Would you like to stay for dinner?” she asked.

Sookie hesitated. She really should be heading home. Pam could already tell that Sookie didn’t plan on staying even before she shook her head. “I’ll have Eric take you home. He’s crap at cooking, so it’ll save me and Godric from putting out fires.” An amused smile split Sookie’s lips and Pam was taken aback. Sookie’s mouth had remained in a pleasant upward tilt, but it had just seemed frozen there for most of the afternoon. A grin-and-bear-it smile. Now a genuine smile of joy and amusement tugged at her lips, and it made the silent girl all the more beautiful.

“ERIC!” Pam shouted suddenly, making Sookie jump. “TAKE SOOKIE HOME!”

“FINE!” Eric yelled back, causing Sookie’s head to spin. What had happened to that upperclass refinement at tea time?

“I’ll walk you out,” Pam offered as she ushered Sookie out of her bedroom and to the staircase. Not being swept down the stairs like she had been coming up them, Sookie took the time to appreciate the ornate detail of the spindles. Rosenfont really was a castle.

“Got your bag,” Eric held up Sookie’s book bag by the front door. She hugged it to her chest as she followed Eric out the door.

“See you in school tomorrow, Sookie!” Pam called with a wave.

Pam was presented with another of Sookie’s beautiful smiles just as Eric opened the passenger door of his new car. “You’re my first passenger!” he announced to her. Sookie’s grin turned nervous. “In this car,” he explained with a chuckle. “I’ve driven people around before. Hell, I’ve driven in New York City. I think I can handle some empty country roads!”

Sookie relaxed as Eric made his way to the driver’s side, and she quickly buckled her seatbelt.

“I hope we’re not too talkative for you. Is it just as frustrating for you when people assume they know how you feel?” Eric asked as he opened the door to lean in and push the seat back. His brother was so much shorter, it was comical.

Sookie looked at Eric curiously and drew a question mark in the air.

Eric gave her a rueful smile, “Whenever I’m quiet, everyone assumes I’m in a foul mood. Does that happen to you?” Sookie shook her head. “It must be nice to have time to yourself in your own head without others thinking the worst.” Sookie smiled, but it wasn’t the one of joy she had worn moments ago. “It must be lonely, too.” She lifted her shoulders casually as Eric finally climbed into his seat. “Would you like to ride with us in the mornings? You can walk up to the house instead of the bus stop and I’ll drive you to school.”

Jason would hate that. Sookie knew her brother would be jealous. He only drove his truck to work and not school now because he said he was saving on gas. Sookie knew it was because Gran would make him drive Sookie to school now that they were in the same building. But if I have my own ride, he can start driving his truck again. Maybe that will make him happy? Maybe he would even start driving Bill to school again and Bill would let down on some of the bullying!

Sookie nodded cautiously.

“Great! I’ll see you in the morning then!” Eric beamed as he pulled out of the driveway and down the road. In a moment they were turning onto the northern fork and reached her driveway. “This is some nice land. Very Little House on the Prairie,” Eric teased lightly as they bounced up the gravel driveway. “You need your driveway re-leveled.”

Sookie nodded in agreement, but it wasn’t in the funds at the moment. The old wooden boards of the house needed a new coat of paint before the wood started weakening.

When they pulled up to the farmhouse, Sookie was surprised when Eric hopped out from his seat and jogged to her door. “My mother was from here,” he reminded Sookie. “I know about Southern Gentlemen and manners.”

Sookie accepted his hand that he offered and a new flame grew under her cheeks as their fingers touched. His hand was so warm. It spread heat all the way up her elbow and into her chest. Her skin tingled and her scalp prickled with the spike in her blood pressure. This man was bad for her heart!

On to Chapter Two!