☾☀︎︎☽❤︎ 𝚗𝚒𝚌𝚔𝚗𝚊𝚖𝚎𝚜 ꧂☕︎︎✍︎︎❦
Marilyn March is the middle sister of the March family. Everyone likes her, but often forgotten as most middle children are. When she meets Laurie, she automatically loves him. But no one really gets a happy endin...
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The sisters walk through Aunt March's house. It's covered in dusty old furniture, only someone like Aunt March would enjoy. Mary brushes her hand against the couch she had sat on with Aunt March, doing all her etiquette lessons. The house stand silent and still. You could only hear the wind passing through the house. It looked so much more empty than it had when Amy was here. "I thought she hated me." Jo admits. Amy walks behind Meg with a bored expression, "She could still hate you and leave you the house." "Hm." Jo turns to Meg, "What about you and John?" "We can't manage a grand house like this. It's too big." Meg looks around. "Mary?" Jo asks. "I can't, Jo." Mary sighs, "The Europe house is more than enough for Laurie and me." Jo nods and looks around. She lets out a yelp and runs around the corner of the room. Meg and Mary smile at each other and follow her. Amy follows close behind. "I should sell it, but I would love to do something with it that would really make Aunt March turn in her grave." Jo states. Meg leans on a column in the house, "I wouldn't mind that." Mary lets out a small smile, "Just a bit of turning." Jo observes the home more while talking, "A nice turning. Just a rotation, nothing terrible." "What will you do?" Meg questions. Jo thinks for a second and then clues the others in on her idea, "I would like to open a school. We never had a proper school and now, there are women's colleges opening. There should be a school. For Daisy." "And what will Demi do?" Amy asks. Jo answers back fast, "I'll open a school for boys and girls both." Amy rests her hand on her hip, "What about writing?" "What about it?" Jo says as she rushes out. "Oh come on, Jo." Mary huffs, slightly. They rush after her, following her out of the house. Mary grabs Amy's arm, walking beside Meg. Meg tries to get Jo to talk, "What are you working on?" "I started something, but I don't think it's very good." Jo doubts herself. Amy shakes her head, "Everyone likes what you write." "Even when we were kids." Mary adds. Jo looks at us and then back at the grass outside of Aunt March's house, "No, they don't." Meg reassured her, "I do." "Well, it's just about our little life." Jo elaborates. "So?" Jo crosses her arms, "Well, who would be interested in a story of domestic struggles and joys? It doesn't have any real importance, does it?" "Maybe it doesn't seem important, because no one writes about it." Amy replies. Jo disagrees, "No, writing doesn't confer importance. It reflects it." "I don't think so," Amy tells Jo, "Writing them will make them more important." "When did you become so wise?" Jo asks, jokingly. "Hm-mm. I always have been. You just were too busy looking at my faults." Amy does a slight laugh. "Which were never there, of course." Meg rolls her eyes. "My nose simply will not look refined." Mary mocks Amy from years earlier. The sisters laugh together. Taking one last look at the house, Mary walks away with them. She had been happy with the decision of the house. A school for the children. A better future for tomorrow. Considering Aunt March hated children, it was a bit of revenge with well intentions. Mary smiles at her sisters. What a good idea it had been. ————————— Marmee had called for Jo to come downstairs. Mary and Laurie had been in the main parlor with Laurie's grandfather. They walked out when they heard that Jo had a guest. Amy sitting with Marmee, gives Mary a look that makes her turn to the guest. "Jo, I- I hope it is all right. I got your address from Ms.Kirke." Jo's guest starts. Mary, looking between Jo and the guest, smiles, "Who's this?" The male guest keeps on talking, "I'm sorry to intrude. I was close by, and I thought i'd... well i'll be going. " Amy is the first to protest, "No! No, please stay. We have more than enough room." "Oh yes, you must." Mary adds. Laurie looks at her, questioning her actions, "Can someone tell me who this is?" Mary grabs his arm, looking at the scene in front of her, "Shhhh." "I don't want to be a burden." He tells her. By this time, everyone in the house had come into the room. Hannah, John B, and Meg standing behind Jo. Marmee, Father, and Amy besides the visitor and Laurie, Mary, Mr. Laurence, and John Vanderbilt on the other side of the room. "Oh you're not a burden at all." Meg says, glancing around the room. Jo agrees, not breaking eye contact with the man, "Yes, of course. Please." Mary snickers and whispers in Laurie's ear, "Introduce yourself and ask his name." Laurie nods and looks over at the man, "I'm Laurie. Who- Who are you?" The man replies, "I'm Friedrich Bhaer." Mary's eyes widen, remembering this man from the letters Jo had sent. She gives a look to Laurie, who is just confused. Jo elaborates, "We were at the same boarding house together in New York." Hannah speaks up, "Oh Jo. He's very handsome." They all laugh. The tension easing up a bit. "She had sent me letters about him. He gave her a lot of books apparently." Mary whispers in Laurie's ear. "Oh, so this man isn't just a friend?" He asks her. Mary shrugs, "If he is, then they must have a very close relationship." ————————— Everyone is talking. Father and Friedrich especially talk philosophy and religion and politics. Mary observes that her Father obviously very much likes him. Jo is glowing with happiness. "Do you think your father likes him more than me?" Laurie whispers in her ear. Mary rolls her eyes, "Dore, don't be so vain. Father enjoys both of you guy's company from the looks of it." They look over at Father and Friedrich deeply in conversation. Amy catches eyes with Mary, giving her a look. They both look from Friedrich to Jo and from Jo to Friedrich. Amy can see that there is love between them and questions if Mary can. Mary nods her head back, smirking. Father asks Friedrich, "And you intend to stay in New York?" Friedrich shakes his head, "No, I've been offered a professorship in California - and as I have nothing keeping me here, I thought I might go West. It is new there, and they are less particular about immigrants." Jo has an unconscious sharp intake of breath. No one notices but Amy and Mary again. The sister come to the conclusion that Jo doesn't actually want him to go. Father continues, oblivious,"Perhaps I should go West..." "You aren't an immigrant, so perhaps you should stay home." Marmee rolls her eyes. Everyone bursts out laughing. Father laughs at himself good- naturedly. Laurie grabs Mary's hand. She looks at him, "Yes?" He smiles and leans back, "Nothing." "You're staring." Mary hums. "I'm observing." He replies. They don't notice Jo staring at them with sad eyes. Jo looks away and back at Friedrich a second later. Only Amy sees this look of longing and for once, she doesn't share it with Mary. Her protection for her sisters holds her back. ————————— Mary and her family sit around after dinner with their guest, Friedrich. They sit in the parlor, where Beth's piano is. They all notice Friedrich eyeing the piano. "This is a beautiful instrument. Which one of you plays?" They all fall quiet. Mary grabs Laurie's hand in grief. He squeezes her hand, knowing that he couldn't do much else. John puts his arm around Meg, showing her comfort as well. Both Marmee and Father had looked down with their hands interlocked. Jo breaks the silence, "It was my sisters, Beth." "We all play a little." Amy adds. Meg nods, "But none so well as her..." "She is brilliant." Mary corrects herself, "Was." "It is very hard to lose a sister. I'm sorry." Friedrich gives condolences in a soft whisper. Deciding not to dwell, Father asks, "Do you play?" "I do, yes." He smiles gently. Marmee looks at the others, "It would make us so happy if you played now, she wouldn't want the piano to sit silent." "I don't wish to offend." Friedrich starts. "Not in the least." Father responds immediately. He sits down and plays Bach - it is beautiful and elegant. Jo watches him, moved and deeply happy. John and Amy sway to the music standing. Marmee and Father look at eachother, smiles on their faces but tears in their eyes. As the time of the visit ends, Friedrich and Jo end up saying their goodbye at the doorway. "Jo, if you ever come to California, I would love to see you." Friedrich tells her. Jo nods with a smile, "I don't know that I will, but thank you." Friedrich, hurt, but accepting the pain of leaving, nods right back, "Well, yes... goodbye." "Goodbye." It has started to rain, and he puts up his umbrella and trudges into the evening. The door closes. Jo turns back around to find everyone staring at her. "What?! Why are you all looking at me like that?" Jo questions. "What a wonderful man. I hope he comes again, he would be a terrific friend for me." Father smiles, oblivious to what everyone else is staring at. "Oh Father, he wasn't here for you!" Amy screams out, desperate. "No?" A smile of wisdom plays on his lips. "Jo! You love him!" Mary beams. Her face scrunches, "I do not!" "You do too! I may be half as smart as you are but I can see it so plainly, you love him." Amy cries out. "I have never seen you happier. What else is love?" Mary turns to her family, "Doesn't she love him Mr. Laurence?" "That's a good instinct, you love him." Mr. Laurence states, simply. "Go get him." Amy jumps up and down. Mary turns to her fiancé, "Laurie, prepare the horses." "We can catch him before he gets to the train." They both look at Jo with pleading eyes. "I'm coming too." Meg agrees. Jo backs up, "I'm not going!" "You are. They're right." Meg responds. "I never thought I'd prepare a carriage to help Jo March go after a man, but I like it." Laurie grins. "He's moving to California!" She argues. Amy rolls her eyes, "That's fiction. He was practically begging for a reason to stay." "But it's raining outside." She reasons. "Jo! Come on!" Mary muses, "You're going to let that stop you? You're Jo freaking March." "Jo, come on. Put on a better dress. Follow me." Amy manages. Amy has started ascending the stairs. Jo starts going up too, being pulled by Amy. Amy has started her controlling of the situation, but nobody minds because it's needed. Mary follows after Meg and then suddenly turns around. "LAURIE. STOP STANDING THERE AND GO GET THE HORSES READY." Mary calls. Laurie jumps to action with a nod, "Yes, my love." ———————— more than a year in the making and I'm almost done.
