( 𝐘𝐎𝐔 )
Penelope Brooks was not a stranger to being in love, men chasing after her heart like it was a game of tag in a small playground- she loved love. So when her path crosses with the love-detesting Jo March, she is determined to prove her wr...
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CHRISTMASMORNING hadalways been extremely sacred in the Brooks household. Presents were exchanged, smiles were too and the two daughters always were spoilt.
"Tell me about that dance you went to just one more time," Martha practically begged Penelope, hanging onto her older sister by the arm.
"I've already told you about it three times Martha!" Penelope grumbled, "That is two times too many,"
"Oh Penelope, don't be such a Negative Nelly-" Ethel Brooks, made her way around the kitchen, placing a kiss on the top of both Martha and then Penelope's head- "Tell your sister about the dance just once more,"
"Yeah Penelope, just once more," She pulled at her sister's arm, "Tell me all about how dreamy that Laurie man was!"
"He was extremely dreamy," Penelope pulled her arm into her own chest, taking Martha in close, "Like a man who would whisk you away in a carriage and take you up into his mansion just like this one-"
"But much bigger and grander!" Martha cut in.
"Sure, much grander than this one," Penelope giggled, "But Laurie wasn't the only one in attendance,"
"Jo!" Martha perked up, "Tell me all about Jo March, wasn't she extremely rude to you?"
"Extremely," Penelope gave her a knowing look, "But it's all apart of her charm,"
"How can someone so rude be charming?" Martha hopped off of her chair, making her way into the living room, more than ready to open up her abundance of presents.
"I am not quite sure," Penelope closed her eyes with a sigh, thinking of Jo's perfect bone structure, "But however she does it, she does it well"
"Your mother was rude to me the first time we met," Tobias Brooks came into the living room, already dressed for the day, "Only made me want her more," He raised his voice with a smirk, making sure his wife heard him.
"Oh go away!" She called back, "I am the greatest thing you are ever going to get in this life, Tobias!"
"She's not wrong," Tobias softly pinched Martha's cheeks.
"Can we open presents already?" Martha whined, pushing her father's hand off of her cheek.
"We wait for the clock to strike eight, you know this Martha" Tobias reminded her. Martha Brooks, from the day she had entered the world, had always been impatient. No matter how much Ethel and Tobias attempted to help her in the field, she always was left wanting what she wanted, when she wanted it.
"Waiting for the strike is boring!" Martha whined. Penelope rolled her eyes, but perking up when she heard the door-bell sound through the house. Ethel shouted that she would get the door, leaving Tobias to lecture Martha about waiting for the 'good things' in life. The family all settled into listen when they heard Ethel gasp.
"Who is it?" Martha asked quietly.
"Penelope," Ethel called out with a smile, "It's for you,"
Penelope got up from her place on the floor next to Martha and made her way over to the front door, shocked to see Thomas Johnson. Her heart rate speeding up when she saw the grin on his face.
"Thomas," Penelope took a step outside, shutting the door behind her, "What're you doing here?"
"I've come to give you your present," Thomas smiled, leaning to place a soft kiss on Penelope's cheek, "Merry Christmas, my love"
"Oh, you're too kind Thomas," Penelope swallowed the lump in her throat, replacing it with somewhat of a smile. Thomas Johnson had been Penelope's newest love affair. The boy was tall and handsome, just like the boy before and the boy before him. Penelope and Thomas were not official per say, but she was extremely scared to admit out loud that she was bored with the Johnson's youngest son.
"You don't have to open it now," Thomas smiled, "But I think that you'll like it- it's your favourite colour," Olive green, he did know her extremely well.
"Oh Thomas," Penelope held the large gift with both of her dainty hands, "This- it is just too much, I simply don't need this," She tried to tell him, but Thomas would not take no.
"Please, my love" He begged, "I had it made with you in mind, I would really appreciate it if you would have it," Penelope's heart told her to decline, but it was olive green! The colour made her eyes pop!
"I would be honoured," Penelope smiled, looking at the bright red ribbon wrapped around the box- tied in a bow.
"Oh thank you Penny," Penelope winced a little at the way the name fell from his mouth, nothing like when Jo said it.
"It is quite alright," She gave him a small curtsy with a tight lipped smile, "Have the merriest of Christmases Thomas" Penelope nodded.
"And the same to you!" Thomas cheered, Penelope was already making her way back inside. "Say hello to your father for me!"
"Will do," She smiled once more before shutting the door. Leaning up against it after she bid him farewell.
"What's that?" Penelope was startled as Martha snatched her gift from her hands, racing into the living room.
"Martha, you slimy little thing- give me my present back," But it was too late, Penelope's gift had already been opened and rummaged through. A heavy gasp escaped Martha's mouth when she laid eyes on a large olive green gown. Small and shiny embellishments surround the skirting of the dress. It was simply magnificent.
Maybe she could wear it the next time she saw Jo? Not that Jo March would ever care about a fancy gown, Penelope already could tell that she was not one to care about the materialistic sides of life.
"How come Penelope gets a new dress and I don't," Martha held it up to her small figure. It had definitely been tailored to Penelope's measurements, it seemed as if it were to fit her perfectly.
"Because Martha," Penelope grabbed her dressed back from her sister, who shot her a glare, "Thomas gave it to me as a gift, it is not my fault that you don't have any men chasing after your heart," Penelope held the dress out, admiring the minuscule detailing of it.
"Now Penelope, play nice- Martha's only young," Ethel made her way into the living room with four mugs filled to the brim with hot cocoa, a recipe she had perfected over the years.
"Oh that doesn't mean anything mother, I had my first love at the-"
"-At the age of eight... so we've heard," Martha shot her older sister an unimpressed look.
"I don't understand why you don't like Thomas? He is an extremely well rounded man," Tobias tried to argue, whilst his daughters argued over the top of him.
"Why do you have to be such a-" The clock struck, another hour up.
"Eight o'clock! That means presents," Martha rushed to her feet, almost knocking her mug and Penelope over in the process.
Christmas Mornings were always sacred in the Brooks household.
