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CHERISHING FREEDOM
once you arrived home, you didn't hesitate to tell mr. laurence about the party. you told him of how much you had enjoyed dancing and conversing with the marchs. you told him of how marmee had invited you both over to their house to spend time with them.
laurie had gone up straight to his room. he was being unsentimental once again. brooding, serious, angsty. and you hated it. you liked to think you were the only person who could make him show emotion. until you met jo. you remembered that you intended on asking laurie how exactly he had met her, so bidding goodnight to mr. laurence, you made your way upstairs and into your bedroom.
prior to your moving in eleven years ago, the bedroom was yet another guest room in the house. beige and bland and unoccupied. but now it was filled with countless books and art supplies and dresses and shoes and jewelry.
after changing into your nightgown, you paid a visit to laurie, who slept right down the hall from you.
"teddy?" you asked, as your knuckles rasped softly on the door.
"come in." his voice was thick with sleep. opening the door, you saw the boy sprawled out on his bed laying on his back.
"i didn't disturb you, did i?"
"you're fine," he sighed. "is there something you need?" his voice laced with concern.
"sort of. i was just wondering what you thought of the marchs. and i wanted to ask where you had been at the party, i'm so sorry that i left you."
"it alright, mon choupette. they're a lovely family. they're so very interesting." he gazed out of his window. indeed, they were intriguing. it was like you were watching a play in their household. "i was in the room where you left me, then jo came in. we talked for a little, i asked her to dance, and so we went outside and danced." he shrugged.
"why outside?" you turned back to face him. you never noticed before, but his green-brown eyes were stunning in the moonlight. his eyes were too green to be hazel but too brown to be really green at all. they reminded you of a forest, the colors resembling the trees. and the sharp but pleasing features of his face went unnoticed by you for several years. only now, at seventeen years old and on the cusp of becoming a young woman, you had noticed that laurie was gorgeous. you couldn't find anything off about him at all. and his wild bed-head was now one of your favorite of his hairstyles.
"jo scorched her dress and meg begged her not to dance so no one would see, so i proposed that we dance outside so no one could see." he smiled at the thought. the way his eyes crinkled made you want to smile too. there was the look again. it was far away this time, like a spacing out. his eyes clouded with mirth and sparkled with fondness.
"you like her, don't you?" it dawned on you.
"of course. she's fun and entertaining," he said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"no, you like her." you emphasized. his eyes widened and the strawberry blush traveled up his neck once more.
"n-no," he stuttered. but he was already caught.
"relax, teddy." you laughed. "there's no need to be embarrassed. she's very nice and very beautiful. in fact, as your best friend, I offer my incredible match making services to you, just this once, mind you, to help you get her to fall in love with you,"
"you-you will?" laurie was stunned. you had never done something like this for him before. back when he was thirteen and he had a crush on sally gardiner, you refused to even start a conversation between them.
"sure," you shrugged. "i'll teach you how to impress and woo jo," you teased.
"it's not funny, mon choupette. if you keep teasing me, i'll set you up with one of grandpa's rich friends sons!" he chuckled.
"you wouldn't dare," you said, mouth agape.
"oh, i think i would." he challenged.
"would not."
"would too."
"you couldn't."
"i can send mr. vaughn a telegram right now." that shut you up.
"oh alright. you win this time, teddy." you sighed in defeat.
"score!" laurie cheered. he kept cheering until a large white pillow smacked his face. you looked at him with a smug smirk and shrugged.
"what?" you said innocently.
"that's how it's gonna be?" he asked. suddenly, he pounced on you. he hit you with the pillow numerous times and you struck up a pillow fight that heavily included fits of continuous stomach-cramping laughter.
marge had marched up to laurie's bedroom to see what all the ruckus was about, but upon entering she saw you and laurie laughing harmlessly. she smiled at the two of you. a perfect pair.
clearing her throat, she interrupted the two hysterical teens, "mr. laurence won't be happy with all this racket! ms. beauregard, return to your room at once! it is improper for a lady to be in a gentleman's quarters this late," you blushed a scarlet red at that and quickly jumped out of the bed.
"sorry," you muttered as you hurried out of the room. once you and marge were gone, laurie laid back on the bed with a hint of a smile on his face.
as you flopped onto your bed, you decided you didn't want to sleep just yet. grabbing jane eyre off of your nightstand, you started reading.
you always loved your liberty. free of wearing stuffy dress and conversing with undesirable men. it was delightful being in control of yourself. you often basked in the glory of your independence, and you had no will to give it up. you wanted it to be like that forever, you and laurie and the world at your fingertips. free to do what you wanted, to express yourself, to be yourself.
'i am no bird; and no net ensnares me. i am a free human being with an independent will.' - charlotte brontë, jane eyre
