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I was sitting on the couch in Brooke's secret room, holding a pillow to my stomach, tears still rolling down my cheeks.
The door opened.
"Eliza!" exclaimed Brooke. She had clearly been crying too.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, quickly brushing away her tears so I wouldn't notice, "what's wrong?"
"I heard you & David talking," I said, turning my head away from her and trying to fight back tears. If I looked at Brooke, who had also been crying, I would cry to, and I wanted to try to be strong for her.
"Oh, Eliza," Brooke said. Another tear rolled down her cheek. She sat next to me on the couch and put her arm across my shoulders. I leaned on her shoulder, and we cried.
After she got ahold of herself, Brooke talked to me.
"The economy is so bad right now," she told me, "things get more expensive and people don't go out to eat as much." I nodded, still crying.
"I don't want it to go," I sniffled.
"Me neither," Brooke cried.
We cried together for awhile longer.
"David and I are gonna wait another week & a half, and if nothing happens by then, we're gonna have to close," she told me.
"No!" I shouted. I got up off the couch and ran to the women's room. I went into a stall and sobbed, alone.
Brooke came in.
"Eliza..." she said, in a gentle, soft tone.
"I need to be alone!" I told her angrily.
I had never said anything like that to Brooke, or spoken to her in that tone of voice before. I think it surprised us both. Brooke went into the stall next to me and cried too.
Soon, we heard someone come in so we quieted our sobs.
"Eliza?" the voice asked (it was Carly) "Brooke?"
"What do you want?" I asked.
"What's wrong?" Carly asked, "did something happen?"
I heard the door of Brooke's stall click open.
"Carly, I need to talk to you," Brooke said.
"Goodness Brooke, what's wrong?" Carly asked, "what happened?"
"Let's go into the Lounge," Brooke told her, "Eliza, you can come too, if you want."
I opened my stall door and followed Carly. Brooke put her arm around my shoulders again. We went into the Lounge and sat down. Brooke sat next to me on a couch and Carly sat alone in a chair.
"I'm not gonna go into great detail so I'm just gonna come out and say it," Brooke said, a hint of a cry in her voice.
"Oh God," Carly said, sounding really worried.
"We might have to close the restaurant," Brooke said, starting to cry again.
"Oh... no..." Carly breathed. She walked to Brooke and hugged her. She tried her best to comfort Brooke's heavy sobs, but it didn't do any good.
At that moment, David walked in. He looked confused. I ran up to him, hugged him, and cried.
He didn't have to ask why we were all crying, because he was crying for the very same reason.
The door opened.
"Eliza!" exclaimed Brooke. She had clearly been crying too.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, quickly brushing away her tears so I wouldn't notice, "what's wrong?"
"I heard you & David talking," I said, turning my head away from her and trying to fight back tears. If I looked at Brooke, who had also been crying, I would cry to, and I wanted to try to be strong for her.
"Oh, Eliza," Brooke said. Another tear rolled down her cheek. She sat next to me on the couch and put her arm across my shoulders. I leaned on her shoulder, and we cried.
After she got ahold of herself, Brooke talked to me.
"The economy is so bad right now," she told me, "things get more expensive and people don't go out to eat as much." I nodded, still crying.
"I don't want it to go," I sniffled.
"Me neither," Brooke cried.
We cried together for awhile longer.
"David and I are gonna wait another week & a half, and if nothing happens by then, we're gonna have to close," she told me.
"No!" I shouted. I got up off the couch and ran to the women's room. I went into a stall and sobbed, alone.
Brooke came in.
"Eliza..." she said, in a gentle, soft tone.
"I need to be alone!" I told her angrily.
I had never said anything like that to Brooke, or spoken to her in that tone of voice before. I think it surprised us both. Brooke went into the stall next to me and cried too.
Soon, we heard someone come in so we quieted our sobs.
"Eliza?" the voice asked (it was Carly) "Brooke?"
"What do you want?" I asked.
"What's wrong?" Carly asked, "did something happen?"
I heard the door of Brooke's stall click open.
"Carly, I need to talk to you," Brooke said.
"Goodness Brooke, what's wrong?" Carly asked, "what happened?"
"Let's go into the Lounge," Brooke told her, "Eliza, you can come too, if you want."
I opened my stall door and followed Carly. Brooke put her arm around my shoulders again. We went into the Lounge and sat down. Brooke sat next to me on a couch and Carly sat alone in a chair.
"I'm not gonna go into great detail so I'm just gonna come out and say it," Brooke said, a hint of a cry in her voice.
"Oh God," Carly said, sounding really worried.
"We might have to close the restaurant," Brooke said, starting to cry again.
"Oh... no..." Carly breathed. She walked to Brooke and hugged her. She tried her best to comfort Brooke's heavy sobs, but it didn't do any good.
At that moment, David walked in. He looked confused. I ran up to him, hugged him, and cried.
He didn't have to ask why we were all crying, because he was crying for the very same reason.
