Gen 1 – Prologue: Lilly Lou

I suppose the beginning is where all stories must start, and to be honest mines is full of shame filled regret, when you’re young, naive and stupid like I was, you make harsh decisions.

In the beginning My family was like any other in sweet valley, I had a married Mum and Dad and a set of twin sisters, Blossom and Bluebelle, Unlike most sisters we never fought apart from the odd time or two when Blossom being the genius that she was, thought she could tell me how to do my homework

normal sisterly behaviour until the weekend that changed all our lives happened; it seems so hazy looking back now on the memory of them; mum and dad were so happy together

they never had a honeymoon when they were married, they didn’t have much money and with twins on the way there wasn’t much to spare. Blossom and Blue arranged for them to have a weekend in Chamberry, Paris, a belated honeymoon if you will. We all gathered in the garden to see them off, I was still in the huff with mum, as she wouldn’t let me go to a party, when she said she loved me and went to hug me I flinched away, I heard a little of what Bloss said to mum before they left, “She’ll get over it, you know what 17 year old girls are like, you’ve had 3 of them” and they laughed. I stomped away into the house as my sisters said their goodbyes.

I was staying at my friend Ambers for the weekend, I didn’t fancy Bloss and Blue bossing me about for the next 3 days so I packed a weekend bag and went over to her house. A few hours later I got a phone call from Blossom demanding I get home right this instance , I began to argue but I could tell from her tone that she meant it, I got Ambers mum to drive me home and told Ambs that I’d be over tomorrow night instead. I walked up the driveway and walked into the house.

when i walked into the livingroom i could hear Bluebelles muffled sobs from upstairs. “What was sooo important, i do have a life you know, i had plans for to…” but that’s all i got out before Blossom spoke the words that shattered my world forever “Mum and Dad are dead…the police just left before i called you.

I just stood there shock shaking me to my core, I just managed to get “bu..how?” out before Blossom stood up and walked over to me, placing her hands on my shoulders as if to keep me from falling, she looked into my eyes, and I could see the pain written all over her face,
“They were in the taxi on the way to the airport, when a drunk driver who had been having problems at home and had one to many nectars before walking out and getting in his car, the car hit the taxi head on, there were no survivors” I couldn’t believe it, my mum and dad, both gone forever. “Lils, are you okay” I just nodded. Blossom guided me to sit down on one of the chairs, I just sat there for a while, Blossom looked at me and said “Lils I’m going to go upstairs and get changed, just in case people come over.”

I sat there for a while thinking things through, mostly I thought of how happy we were, how happy they were, they were so excited when bluebelle told them about their trip, Dad walked over and embraced Mum and said to her that they should have done this years ago

That’s when the anger started to swell, it was their fault, if Bloss and Blue hadn’t arranged this stupid trip then I’d still have my mum and dad. Inside my head this seemed like a good idea at the time, I’d confront Bloss when she came downstairs.

I sat there waiting for the familiar sound of the stairs creaking as she walked down them, I had planned what I was going to say; but when I saw her standing there…

Rage boiled inside me, all the years of teenage angst welled up till i exploded,

“shhh, it’s okay honey”

Blossom was rushing over to me. Just as she was about to hug me I broke. ”

“Don’t dare touch me, Bloss, I mean it, don’t! Don’t you see what you and blue have done” I was screaming at her so loudly that what I was saying was barely understandable, although I’m perfectly sure she heard this. In my crystal cold voice I told her, If you and blue hadn’t sent them on that dumb holiday none of this would be happening, the only two to blame is you and blue. I’m leaving as soon as i can, I can’t stand to be in the same room as you, never mind share a house with the two of you. Blossom just looked at me, she was hurting, and looking back on it, what I said must have made her feel even worse; at the time though, that’s how I felt, everything to me was black and white, mum and dad were dead, and they sent them away so, in my head, it was their fault, there were no grey areas.

Bloss, Blue and I shared a room, I couldn’t bare to look at them let alone sleep in the same room, so I tried to get some sleep on the sofa, not that I slept much, I pretty much tossed and turned the whole night, but eventually I nodded off.

In the short time that I slept, all I dreamt of was mum and dad, I was only 17, this wasn’t fair, I shouldn’t have to feel the pain of loosing them at my age. the memories flashed from one to another through my head as I slept, first of mum,

Then memories of dad flashed through my head, I’d always been closer to my mum, but I could wrap dad around my little finger as I was his baby girl.

Then I an imaged flashed through my mind, even whilst I was dreaming, the memory was tainted with the burn of guilt, the night before mum left I’d asked her if I could go to my friends party, she said yes until I mentioned that it was a male friends party, we argued until she said that the answer was no, and it was final.

As I walked away I’d muttered under my breath … “I hate you” at the time I was sure that she hadn’t heard me as she never said anything before she left, now as I lay on the sofa, I couldn’t get it out of my head that maybe, just maybe she died thinking that I hated her, and with that I jolted awake, soaked in sweat. In that instance a single tear rolled down my cheek, In my stupid, selfish arrogance I threw away the last goodbye with my mother all because of a stupid boy.

It took me a few minutes to come to myself, I was just about to get up to go to the bathroom when I noticed Blue sitting on the chair, “I think you’ve got some apologizing to do” she said, I was slightly shocked at the arrogance in her voice, like she expected me to want to apologize, “At the end of the day, when all is said and done Blue, you and Bloss were the ones who suggested, paid for, and pretty much forced them to go on the stupid trip so no I’m not sorry, but what I am sorry for is I can’t leave here for another 2 months, as soon as I turn 18, I’m leaving” “Bu..t You.. You can’t” was all Blue got out before I turned around and said, “I’m leaving this house, I’m leaving Sweet Valley, and I’m leaving your lives”

The funeral was 4 days later, and if I’m being honest I was glad it was all over. The next few months dragged in, sometimes I’d go down to the shore and fish, but It wasn’t the same without dad, we used to always fish together, But I decided I wasn’t going to live in the past any more, I couldn’t let myself remember, it hurt too much.

So I filled my time by being anywhere but home, mostly I spent my days in the park, either reading a book, or just hanging out, I even stopped eating at home, I’d wake up, pack a picnic and head off to the park at first light

Eventually, even my friends gave up on me, most of the time when they would ring I just hit ignore and would go on about my daily business. I still had one friend though, Coco never gave up on me, in the beginning when he would call I’d ignore him too, but all that lead to was him appearing on my doorstep, so I’d gladly take his calls and would chat for what seemed to be hours. We would chat about a manner of things, primarily about me forgiving my sisters and deciding to stay, I would always end up changing the subject to a more pleasing one, like him coming to visit me when I was settled.

Finally the day I’d been waiting on came around, my 18th birthday, Bluebelle had given up on me speaking to her ever again and was constantly in her room writing, and she didn’t know what day it was never mind what date, she was even in talks with an agent about getting published; the only reason I even knew was because I overheard her talking to Bloss about it. Blossom was never home these days, she was in the process of moving out to her boyfriend wills house, so there would be no birthday celebration for me, with Blue writing, and Bloss over at wills, I was all alone in an empty house. I was on my computer booking a flight when the doorbell rang, after about 8 rings you’d think they’d get the picture, I muttered to myself as I went to answer the door, as soon as I opened it I began to regret doing so, it was Coco, standing with a birthday cake and a smile, I invited him inside and went to take the cake from him ” Now where would we be without stupid birthday obligations, and I should think blowing out candles on your cake is up there with the best of them” I sighed, “I’m not going to get you to budge on this one am I?” He just winked and headed to the kitchen as I followed, “hey there Missy, just you go get yourself comfy at the table and I’ll be out in a sec” With a humph I relented.

He blew on his trumpet as I wished for some much deserved happiness away from here, and with that I became a fully fledged young adult.

I went upstairs to changed and then Coco and I had some cake, he didn’t know it yet but this would be the last time we would spend together, but deep down I think he knew that because of my past, I didn’t like goodbyes.

I went to bed just after Coco left, I’d deliberatley booked my flight for 5:30am so that Bloss and Blue would still be in bed. I set the alarm of my phone so it would vibrate and not wake up the entire house, I got into bed and fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow, that night memories of my parents didn’t cloud my dreams, instead the prospects of creating new ones did.

I woke up a few times during the night, the excitement of not living in an intense atmosphere, although it’d only been a few months of this venom soaked existence, I was glad to see it end; looking back at it now I can see that the only person
poisoning our broken family, was me.

I don’t know how long I lay in bed awake, but as soon as it was 3am I got out of bed and started to get dressed; trying to do it silently was the only problem as my belly hungrily growled. I quickly made my bed, though I don’t know why, it wasn’t like I was hanging around here or anything, but I started so I might as well finish

I started going through the check list that I’d typed up last night, thankfully I only had to make sure I had my passport, my wallet, I’d printed the boarding pass that the airline emailed me, and my small suitcase filled with a few outfits, that would have do until all my stuff that I’d packed up was delivered, that reminded me that I would have to leave a note for Bloss, the van would be here at 4pm tonight to collect my stuff. I just happened to be leaving on the odd night that Bloss was sleeping here; she was in the process of moving out herself. I looked at my room for the last time and I was shocked to feel a little sad inside. I’d been so set on leaving as soon as I turned 18 that when it finally came around I wasn’t so sure that it was the right thing to do. I put my doubts to the back of my mind and quietly crept downstairs. As I was making my decent down the stairs I noticed that the light was on, Bloss or Blue must have left it on after I had went to bed, then I seen Bloss standing at the sofa, she must have been sitting up all night; waiting on me.

I walked over to stand in front of her, “Bloss, don’t try to stop me, I’m leaving no matter wh..” She threw her hands up in front of herself, to stop me in my tracks, Lills I haven’t sat up all night to argue with you, I just wanted to say goodbye to you, I’ve sat here all night envisioning different scenario’s all of which ended up with us going back to normal, not mum and dad, just you, Blue and I. How did it end up like this, we used to be so close?

I could see in her eyes that what she was saying was heart felt, I looked up at her, emotion shaking my voice as I said, Bloss that doesn’t change anything, what happened, I can’t come back from that. I don’t want to stand here and blame the two of you any more. I need to move on with my life; I just can’t do it here, not with all the memories. In that moment I knew that my face echoed the pain in hers.

She was still looking down at her feet as she spoke “That’s why I waited up, about a month ago I got a phone call from mum and dads attorney Mr Jones, do you remember him?

Vaguely I replied. “Well He told me that When grandpa Joe died he had a lot of money put away and dad inherited it, but when dad died, Mr. Jones couldn’t find it, any of it.” “Blossom why are you telling me this? I do have a plane to catch,” “oh yeah, sorry, let me skip to the important part, to cut a long story short, dad opened a bank account in my name, and instead of Bean, he used mums maiden name. “Bloom?” I said still a little shocked but I listened on, I didn’t want to admit it but she had me intrigued. She paused and and nodded that dad used the name Brooks and got on with telling me the rest of the information, “well, Mr Jones transferred it into an account in my proper name that I … well you can use, I added your name to the account” I stood there shocked as she offered the card to me, it sat there in the palm of her hand “The account has a balance of $300,000 simoleons in it”

No Blossom I can’t, I won’t, what about your share, both you and Blue deserve it just as much as I do.

” We already discussed it, what with me moving out now, so Blue doesn’t need a big place, so she’s house hunting, and what this place is worth, lets just say it’ll almost be equal shares” I stared at my sister, with disbelieving eyes. “so your giving me this money, no strings attached?” I waited for a reply and then as if she was reluctant to say the words, she said “No strings attached, I promise.” She looked down at her feet, then looked deep into my eyes, Can’t I persuade you to stay? already knowing my answer before I spoke. Can I ask you one favour Lilly? With pleading eyes she asked me, please keep in touch, even an email to let us know your alright, I inhaled deeply before answering, exhaling what seemed to be all the anger I held within, the anger that motivated me to make this decision I answered yes. Blossoms eyes seemed to brighten at the prospect. This is goodbye then she asked me, I guess so I replied, and with that I walked towards the door, just as I was about to leave I looked over my shoulder
I’ll never forget the look of my sister’s face as I walked away. I could see it in her face, that she knew It was more than likely that this would be the last time we would see each other.