𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗢𝗡𝗘
┌───✰*̥˚──────✰*̥˚─┐
𝕴𝖓 𝖜𝖍𝖎𝖈𝖍 𝖘𝖍𝖊 𝖒𝖊𝖊𝖙𝖘 𝕷𝖆𝖚𝖗𝖎𝖊
└────✰*̥˚──────✰*̥˚┘

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐞𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥𝐬,headed out the door and off towards the dance. The night was brisk and the sun was setting - it's colours painting the endless sky.

Different shades of purple, orange, and yellow plastered everywhere on the horizon. It's sight burning in back of the second eldest mind.

Isabella March had an eye for detail, admiring things simply as how they were - embracing their uniqueness. A girl with such a love for the little things that surrounded her. Isabella truely loved focussing on the small details in life, whether it was sewing a dress with the smallest,most defined details,(that Amy would obssess over while Jo rolled her eyes while scoffing ) or reading a book the would describe the main charecter's feelings in such a way Bella believed she truely understood what the charecter felt.

✫ ✫ ✫

"You'll have fun Jo," Meg persisted bringing Bella out of her swim of thoughts "as will you Bella." She added pulling the girls along at a quicker pace, the house coming into view.  It was a beautifully house. It was lit up from bottom to top, the liveliness from within seeping out. And it was accompanied by a simple porch that swung around almost the whole structure.

"Oh we'll have a blast, right Isa?" Jo answered, her voice laced with sarcasm. Sighing Meg shook her head. These types of events meant a lot to the eldest girl. Nights where she could feel like she fit in and dance the night away with a worry less mind. Frowning Bella leaned into the girl.

"I can't make any promises, but we'll try to enjoy ourselves." she spoke quietly, which erupted a snort from Jo.

"Speak for yourself." She muttered, earning an nudge from the older girl. "Ow." Reaching the steps of the house each March girl shook off their coats hanging them up. As they all walked through the lingering bodies in the hall, Meg began recounting what seemed like an infinite amount of reminders for each of her sisters(especially Jo). Reminders of how to act and what to do and not do.

"Don't stare, don't put your hand behind your back, don't say Christopher Columbus, don't say Capital, don't shake hands, don't whistle. "What else?" Meg thought to herself.

Just as Bella was about to make a remark about how it shouldn't matter how they spoke, a lady greeted Meg. "Oh Meg March! You look so pretty!" she complimented as she dragged her away into one of the big ball rooms, leaving Jo and Bella, awkwardly standing there, not knowing what to do.

"She'll be dancing all night, every boy here would be lucky to even get near here" Jo stated as the pair followed their eldest sibling towards the dancing room. The idea of 'love' and Meg together never sat right with Jo. Something her and Bella had in common was that they both thought no one would ever be good enough for Ms. Meg March (along with the fact both girls found joy reading).

"Yeah."Bella muttered,turning towards Jo and said."Well then, every man for themself!" She giggled, wandering off the party as she left her sister, alone.

She made it through to the doorway of the main room. It was crowded with people, all wearing dresses of different patterns. Isabella noticed that plaid seemed to be a favourite amongst a majority of the girls. The boys kept to a classic black and white attire, almost all of them paired with a lady on the floor. It was then that she spotted Meg already accompanied by a man in the centre of the room dancing to an upbeat Melody that reminded her of Beth. She made a note to remember the feel of the song, so that she may recount it for the second youngest March girl.

✫ ✫ ✫

Leaning against the doorway opposite to Jo wondering what to do, the March girl watched the room progressively lose space as more people filled it. The endless buzz of pointless chatter felt like an irritating blur under the music that played continuously.

After a couple more songs played Jo tried to gain Megs attention towards the door - becoming tired of the evenings loop. Another song started up ending her attempt at anything to do with gaining the eldest March's attention.

The air started to feel thick surrounded by all these people. Meeting Jo's gaze she mouthed she would be right back, which only got her a flustered frown in return.

Bella had not intention to be rude but she had no idea why Jo came to the party. Last year, when Jo had refused to come to the same party with Meg, Bella was dragged into the same fancy house, getting ditched by Meg, once again and she ranted to Jo all about it,when they got back home. Though Jo only laughed and said she would never go to a party,leading Amy to ask if next time she could go though Bella said there's no point.

She had been very bored and in the end had found herself a nice hiding spot, drawing sketches, and reading books in the secret room behind a curtain. So now being in another party,she got herself some very delightful food and went to her secret room before anyone would force her to dance with them. 

She sighed throwing her cardigan on the couch as she preferred to sit on the floor, warming herself in front of the fireplace. Deep in her thoughts, she did not realize when a boy walked in till he cleared his throat, which caused Bella to slightly flinch. 

"Excuse me, I did not know this place was already occupied." the boy said, causing Bella to jump up from the ground. "Oh, sorry, I'll be out in a second." She ran to the couch, grabbing her body warmer as she secretly begged the boy to tell her to stay. 

"Stay, miss, I'll leave." Bella turned her heel around, admiring the boy's curly hair before she rushed over next to the boy. 

"I wouldn't mind some company!" She smiled, the boy returning her one. "Miss March? Isn't it?" "Isabella March, you can call me Bella though, Mr. Laurence."

"Bella it is, I'm only Laurie." Laurie's smiled at the sandy blonde girl and sat on the couch while he watched the girl plop onto the floor in front of the small fire. The boy admired the girl as she went back to focusing on the orange flame in front of her. 

"May I join you?" Bella hummed a yes, not taking her eyes off the chimney. "What would you be doing here, missing the ball out there?"

"Not a fan of crowds, but I still like parties, the music, and the food, and well, this secret place is my new place to have some time to myself, but look at how that turned out." Bella turned to the boy, who had felt bad for interrupting her alone time, but he felt better when he saw her smile.

"Why are you here?" "I don't know many people, and felt strange at first, you know?" Bella nodded at the boy, both feeling quite awkward, but enjoying the other one in front of them.

"If you would like some alone time, I could find another secret place!" the boy suggested again, but this time Bella was quicker to answer.

"It's quite alright, I do like your company and-" she stopped mid-sentence, looking at a very similar posture, walking backward into a room, before stumbling into Laurie.

"Dear me! I didn't know anyone," she took a pause, looking confused at her older sister, who stood up in an instinct, "was here!" "Don't mind us, stay, if you like..." Laurie looked at Bella, making sure it was okay with her while she had a grin planted on her face. 

"That's my younger sister, Josephine-" "Jo!" the older sister cut in, being ignored by . 
"March, Josie, this is Theodore Laurence."
"Just call me Laurie" he smiled, watching as Jo's eyes widened. "You live in the white house! Oh, Isa loves your house very very much!" she nudged her older sister, who just groaned. 

The silence had filled the room, and Jo had briefly walked over to the couch, lazily letting herself sink in it. Bella had returned to watching the fire, but she would send a few glares at Laurie's way, who was busy watching Jo. They had all felt the awkwardness in the room, but without minding it, Laurie had stood up, and sat at the other end of the couch, facing Jo as the two girls stared at him.

"Don't you dance?" Jo asked Laurie, both of them not realize the disappointed look on Bella's face. "I don't know how you do things here yet - you see, I've spent most of my life in Europe!"

Both the girls looked at him, amazed.

"That's amazing..." Bella whispered to herself, while Jo practically shouted. "That's the capital! Oh, I shouldn't use words like that." Bella stared at her sister, slightly proud of her for actually listening to Meg. "Says who?" Laurie asks "Meg, our older sister!" Bella stood up, Jo and Laurie following her as they peeked through the curtain's, looking around for Meg.

"That's her, see?" Bella pointed at her sister, who looked gorgeous as she danced in the dress sewed by Bella."The girl in the violet dress?" "Very pretty," Laurie added as they all went back into the room, now all standing as Jo started to talk again. Surprising Bella as normally she would bost about how Bella made the dress Meg was wearing.

"She reminds us to be good so our Father will be proud of me- us when he returns..." "Where is he?" "Volunteered for the Union Army," Bella nodded while she spoke, sitting in front of a window, already feeling apart from the other two teenagers in the room. 

"I wanted to go fight with him. I can't get over my disappointment in being a girl..." As she spoke, Bella knew for a fact that Laurie was not disappointed in her being a girl. "Jo, would you like to dance? With me?" Bella sighed quietly, still listening to them.

"I can't because..." Jo looked back at Bella, who felt eyes on her and faced towards her way."Because what?" Bella smiled and shrugged. "You won't tell? And Isa, please don't get mad!"

"Never!" "Why would I get mad..." She mumbled, confused. Jo stood up, and flickering her dress, "I scorched my dress, see?" she turned around to face Bella looking fine, still smiling at her.

"I'll fix it later, now go dance."Bella said trying not to sound dissapointed. "Well you don't get it, Meg told me to keep still, so no one would see it. You can laugh if you want to. It's funny, I know."

Laurie didn't laugh, but his smile widened.  "Never mind that; I'll tell you how we can manage!" "Now, let's go, shall we!" They both got up, not even looking at Bella as they ran out of their secret room. But Bella was looking at them,wishing it was her with the charming Theodore Laurence,who she really wanted to call Teddy.

[ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ's ɴᴏᴛᴇ]

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗮𝗱 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 1915 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀

𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗱:25th 𝖥𝖾𝖻𝗎𝖺𝗋𝗒 2022
𝗘𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱:𝗉𝖺𝗋𝗍𝗅𝗒 𝖾𝖽𝗂𝗍𝖾𝖽
𝗥𝗲𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻: No

---★---

𝘾𝙊𝙈𝙈𝙀𝙉𝙏-𝙑𝙊𝙏𝙀-𝙁𝙊𝙇𝙇𝙊𝙒

-ᵉˡⁱᶻᵃᵇᵉᵗʰ (sʟғɢʟᴏᴡ)