Beauty of Blue Hills

By Yara Gharios

Fame comes at a price.

No one knows this as well as Annabelle, daughter of the famous Hollywood power couple, Richard and Marianne Righetti. Anna's parents are on the verge of separating. For her own good, they send her to a remote small town where no one knows who she is.

With colorful sisters as roommates, the most gorgeous guy in school trying to win her heart and a head cheerleader dead set on ruining her, Blue Hills proves to be Anna's biggest challenge yet.

(A modern sleeping beauty tale)

• Language: English
• Publisher: Yara Gharios
• Release date: Aug 3, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310623400

Yara Gharios

Lebanese writer Yara Gharios started making up stories well before she knew how to read or write. In her pre-laptop days, she would carry her writing notebooks everywhere because she was too attached to them.As an undergrad, she majored in Translation and English Literature, and then she got her MA in Writing for Performance and Publication from the University of Leeds. Her debut publication was released traditionally, but she has been self-publishing since Masked SheWolf became a hit on Wattpad.Someday, she wants to travel the world. She loves languages almost as much as she loves stories. Since 2021, she has been on a journey to unite her two passions, to grow as an author and reach a wider audience.

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BEAUTY OF BLUE HILLS

Beauty of Blue Hills

By Yara Gharios

Copyright 2014 Yara Gharios

Smashwords Edition

This book will soon be available in print at most online retailers

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Table of contents

Preface

Chapter 1: Apprehension

Chapter 2: New

Chapter 3: Colorful

Chapter 4: Barrier

Chapter 5: Normal

Chapter 6: Violin

Chapter 7: Hesitation

Chapter 8: Searching

Chapter 9: Frozen

Chapter 10: Party

Chapter 11: Valentine

Chapter 12: Honesty

Chapter 13: Trying

Chapter 14: Success

Chapter 15: Nominated

Chapter 16: Changes

Chapter 17: Progress

Chapter 18: Birthday

Chapter 19: Family

Chapter 20: Reality

Chapter 21: Confusion

Chapter 22: Waiting

Chapter 23: Light

Chapter 24: Mending

Chapter 25: Crowned

Acknowledgements

About Yara Gharios

Other titles by Yara Gharios

PREFACE

My dear,

When I can’t seem to remember it, I hope you know the truth; that I loved you till the end. Even lying on my deathbed, I never once stopped thinking about you. When my world was ending, my love for you was never forgotten. You are a part of me, and always will be.

Thank you for saving her. For saving me.

APPREHENSION

The flashes were blinding. Anna couldn’t see a thing because of them. She couldn’t hear, either, what with all the people around them shouting, Richard! Smile!, Marianne, you look gorgeous!, Annabelle! Look here!

Anna stood silently between her parents, a dazzling smile plastered upon her face. She had to keep turning her head at the various photographers taking pictures of them. It made her look like a bobble-head doll; everything about the movement hurt her neck.

Each time a camera snapped a picture, Anna’s eyes wouldn’t have time to readjust to the light before another flash covered her sight. She was pretty much blind, but she never flinched even once, having grown up surrounded by them and gotten used to it. She knew her eyes would readjust quickly when they were away from the flashes.

Richard!

Marianne!

Annabelle!

On and on the screams repeated their names. It usually took no more than a few minutes for the Righettis to reach the end of the red carpet, stopping a few times for more pictures and only once for a quick interview. Normally, Anna would be loving every second of those precious passing minutes and enjoying herself as they walked on.

But not tonight.

Tonight was the first night her parents ignored the interviews requests. It was the first time Anna’s smiles were fake, her silence heavy. Because tonight was the first time she witnessed her parents arguing so loudly.

It happened in the limo on their way to the premiere of her father’s new movie. Actually, it had started much earlier than that, when they were home getting ready. Her mother happened to mention that Anna’s dress was too short, to which her father replied that the dress was almost knee-high.

"Well, it’s the almost I’m not comfortable with, Marianne had countered. This is a movie premiere. What’s wrong with a long dress?"

Like you said, Marianne, it’s just a premiere, Richard had continued. Not a formal party where everyone is forced to look like stuck up idiots.

Anna hadn’t understood the implication in his tone, but her mother had, and she had gone pale.

Formal parties aren’t like that, she’d protested while Anna’s alarm started to rise at her mother’s tone.

Richard had snorted. Whatever you say, honey.

Marianne had simply tightened her lips together, effectively ending the conversation. At least she did until they reached the car, and then the argument picked up again, and even intensified. It started over Richard’s comment, but after many twists and turns of the subject, Anna wasn’t even sure anymore if it started over her dress. She could say nothing as she watched them with horror exchanging negative over negative arguments.

Their tones had risen just as fast, and they reached a point where they were acting like the photographers; screaming over each other’s sentences. Anna had finally had enough when she heard the first insult, directed at her mother.

Dad! she had shouted in shock, causing them both to shut up and stare at her in surprise.

That had been the moment she realized she had tears in her eyes, because her mother had said, Now, look what you’ve done, Richard! You’ve made your own daughter cry!

Marianne had gone over to comfort her, and remind her not to cry for she would ruin her make-up. Richard was the one who actually calmed her down, though, and not because he made her feel better. He just reminded her that it was important for her to keep a straight face for the next few hours until they were home again. After that, he’d declared they would have a family meeting.

Anna fought hard to keep up the façade during their walk down the red carpet. She tried her best not to let her fake smiles show their dishonesty, and held her parents close to enforce the illusion of a strong family. They didn’t say a word to each other, or at all, for that matter. The only words that were uttered were the ‘thank you’s they said when they were led inside, and the casual words exchanged with some of the other invited celebrities.

While growing up, Anna had attended many events with her parents; whether it was a movie premiere, a concert, a visit to a set or even an award ceremony. She had seen quite a few of her father’s movies, and she liked most of them. But none interested her less than this one.

She just wanted to be home again, in her bedroom, snuggled in the comfort of her bed and the seclusion the sheets and pillows offered. Even the stuffed animals she hadn’t looked at in years were suddenly looking invitingly huggable.

As her eyes remained on the screen she wasn’t seeing, her mind a million miles away, Anna tried to remember exactly when her parents started having problems. She couldn’t pinpoint an exact time, because for as long as she was mature enough to understand these things, the signs were always there; signs of a very slowly degenerating marriage.

So instead, she tried to think of the last good day they had together before the first sign showed itself, and soon found her answer.

It was a Sunday. She remembered, because it was the only day that both her parents didn’t work, at the time. She spent the rest of the days with one of them, or, on the days they both were busy, at her grandparents’ house. Sunday was family day, and her parents never once missed spending it as such.

Anna was 12 years old on the day she was thinking of. Her parents had been in an especially good mood the night before and insisted on taking her anywhere she wanted, anywhere in the world. Even at 12, she was skeptic.

Anywhere? she had asked to make sure she wasn’t being played.

They had both nodded and smiled. Still not believing it, Anna had thought of the last place they would agree to, certain the answer would be no.

Then I want to go to Disneyland. In Paris, she had challenged.

Her mother had given her father an I-told-you-so look, smiling, then said, Paris it is, then!

They took her father’s jet, leaving immediately, at 9 pm Saturday night, sleeping on the plane ride, to make it in time before closing, what with the time difference and the hours it took to get to Paris from L.A., plus including the one hour stop they did in Washington. When they made it there, it was late in the evening in Paris time, but fortunately, the amusement park was still open for little over thirty minutes. They had only managed to play on two rides.

It was the shock and spontaneity of the trip that made Anna think it was the best day she ever spent with her family. And when they’d made it home late that night, tired from the long day, she had fallen asleep and dreamed of the greatest half hour of her life.

The next day, her mother stayed home from work, her father had the day off, Anna missed school, and all of them slept in. It took Anna almost a week to go back to her regular sleeping schedule. It was the last time they had so much fun together.

The next Sunday was the first one they ever spent apart. That week, Marianne had fallen ill and had to stay at the hospital. The Sundays after that became less spontaneous and more routinely, until they were so dull, Anna finally asked if they could each make their separate plans.

What had changed after that day? How could the two liveliest people she knew, the people who spent over 26 hours flying back and forth from one country to another, just so their daughter could spend half an hour in Disneyland, have turned into such strangers with each other? It didn’t make any sense.

When Anna was 10, she had a friend named Owen whose parents were getting a divorce. She remembered thinking to herself that they must have not truly loved each other in the first place, because if they did, they would be together forever, like she was certain her parents would. God, she was so naïve.

During the entire movie, Anna was reminiscing on her favorite moments with her parents, hoping it would give her enough strength to hold it together until she was safely back home. She remembered the first time they went to see the Hollywood sign, which they had reserved until she was old enough to be excited about it.

The days she and her mother toured for her concerts and how Marianne always brought her up onstage with her to sing along, while Richard was off filming somewhere in the world, where they would eventually meet up and spend a day together, the Sundays they never missed.

Anna let herself experience again the excitement she felt when visiting one of her father’s sets for the first time, and how he drove her in the golf cart and showed her everything beautiful about his job.

She even dwelled on the little trips the three of them made to the museums, The White House, the amusement parks, etc, during which they were always followed and frequently stopped for pictures or autographs by fans of either her parents. A few even asked for Anna’s, which delighted her to no end. The most fun part about those days would be the game her parents would make when the media would catch up to them.

For some time, Anna even thought about the years her parents were together before she was born, when they were just another young Hollywood couple trying to make it big time in the city of stars, then the story they used to tell her of how they fell truly in love after the first real time they spent apart. A whole year had passed during which they did nothing but write to each other, by the end of which they had decided they never wanted to be separated for so long again, thus getting engaged and arranging their time schedules. Marianne was pregnant with Anna before their wedding, but they found out months after their decision to get married. The news only added to their joy when they found out, they had always told her.

Instead of making her smile, the memories only served to add to Anna’s sadness and confusion about the whole ordeal. Again, she wondered what had changed all of that. Could their careers have been the cause of it, as with so many other famous couples?

A tear leaked out of Anna’s eye.

Feeling a little self conscious, she glanced around to see if anybody noticed when she saw that some of the women in attendance were openly crying.

When she paid attention to the screen, she realized it was because of a sad scene where her father’s character had broken down in tears after finding out the woman he loved had died in a place crash on her way to tell him she wanted to be with him. So Anna used that to her advantage and allowed herself to cry in peace, knowing no one would think much of it.

The movie ended a half hour later, with the sad but optimistic ending everyone expected. It was probably a very good movie, but Anna wasn’t very much interested in whether or not it won an Emmy or a Grammy. At the very moment, she wanted nothing more than to go home.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t so easy. The exit was swamped with more screaming photographers, and they were demanding more than just pictures. Mostly, it seemed, the questions were directed at Anna, not her father as they should have been, and for a very good reason. It was obvious that she had been crying, and they wanted to know if it was because of how much she thought her father’s performance was touching.

Out of the corner of her eye, Anna noticed her parents glance at her with worried expressions, and she knew they understood. For their benefit, she composed her face and smiled tearfully, though sweetly, at the swarm of people, saying only, It was a really good movie. My dad did an amazing job.

The tremor in her voice at the end of the sentence was all it took for her parents to understand she needed out and rush them away from the crowd and towards the limo, arising as little attention as they could.

The ride home was silent, during which Anna didn’t cry again, though the way her parents watched her suggested they were expecting her to and would even be fine with it. Thankfully, they didn’t fight like before. No one said a single word.

When they got home, Anna decided she was too exhausted to have the family talk now and went straight to bed. They didn’t try to stop her, but as she laid silently in her bedroom, still in her dress, she could hear the hushed tones of her arguing parents, and she could also tell it was about her. They were blaming each other for making Anna cry, and the irony of that brought back the tears to her eyes, and she quietly cried herself to sleep.

The next morning, Anna woke up in the same position she fell asleep, curled up in a ball with her pillows and stuffed animals surrounding her, creating the illusion of safety a baby feels inside his mother’s womb. She opened her eyes slowly, and the first thing she registered was that the part of the sheets that was under her head was no longer wet from her tears. It brought back the events of the previous night, but Anna surprisingly took them in more calmly.

She had been in shock for most of last night, and weary from the long day in general. But now she was awake and alert and could think more clearly. First things first, the talk with her parents had to be done, then, and only then, could she allow herself to feel any grief.

Knowing her own history of overreacting and overanalyzing things, there was a very good chance that things weren’t as bad as she thought. Divorce was the first thing that jumped to mind, but she had to admit even in their most anger-stricken moods, her parents wouldn’t immediately skip to an irrational decision so fast. If anything, they would walk away from each other until they had time to think, and then decide whether or not divorce was a good idea.

Anna couldn’t keep the anger out of her though, anger that her parents would be acting the way they were and not even notice how ridiculous they sounded; arguing about arguing. It was childish; not the parents she knew.

Anna had been in that position for almost twenty minutes, staring at the same spot of the clear sky showing from her window, when the first knock sounded at her bedroom door. She didn’t answer or make any move to go open it. It was quiet again for a few minutes, until a second knock came again and the door opened.

With her back to it, Anna couldn’t tell whether it was her dad or her mom, and she waited for whoever it was to let her know.

You’re awake, sweetheart? her mother’s voice, so much gentler than the previous night, almost as much as before, asked. Anna just kept staring at the window, though she was no longer focused on it as much.

Can we talk? This time, it was her father, and it surprised her enough to turn her head and look at them.

It was his face that did it, that made her anger dissipate enough for her to answer them, Yeah, of course.

She sat up straight in her bed, and the both of them came over and sat with her. Anna couldn’t help but notice how they didn’t sit together, instead each taking a different side of the bed. Closing her eyes, she reminded herself that maybe they did that because they both wanted to be next to her, not because they wanted to be away from each other.

Before everything else, how are you feeling? her father asked her.

Anna searched his face and could tell he wanted a truthful answer. Angry, she simply told them.

He nodded. That’s understandable. I would be, in your position.

Staring at them, she waited for the inevitable while they hesitated over who got to talk first. Her mother eventually took the reins.

Oh, Annabelle, she sighed, lifting a hand to stroke her cheek.

Her mother wasn’t known for such gestures, and Anna took some comfort in the simple act, before having the sinking feeling that it was a bad sign. Her mother wasn’t a softie; though she was a gentle soul, she didn’t usually display such acts of affection unless she was particularly emotional -possibly on her time of the month- or unless something was terribly wrong.

We are so sorry for the things we said to each other last night, she went on in a tone of regret, and Anna felt herself begin to relax. It was never our intention to make you cry.

Well, it was one thing she was sharing the blame now, instead of throwing it all on Richard. It was a good sign. Anna began to soften.

I know you didn’t, she assured them.

The thing is, Marianne hesitated, glancing back at Richard who was staring intently at his daughter. Well, maybe we should have talked about this earlier. I mean, it’s not like you never noticed things were changing. And you’re not a little girl, anymore. You’re going to be eighteen in four months, and you’ll graduate a few weeks after that. You’re almost an adult; you’re mature enough to handle a conversation this hard.

Plink! All the hopes for the best possible outcome vanished, and Anna knew there was trouble coming. Maybe more than she thought. Her fear began to rise again, and her throat started feeling swollen.

What are you saying? Anna asked hoarsely. Are-are you guys getting a. . . a divorce?

When they exchanged confused frowns, Anna almost relaxed again, but she didn’t allow herself, waiting for the worst; the big blow.

No, I don’t believe we are, her father told her, and she believed him, but she knew there was more. But we might need some time off . . . away from each other. For a while. We’ve been living with this tension for years; we need some time apart, to blow off steam, and not do something that would require us to work.

Confused herself, it was Anna’s turn to frown. What are you saying? she asked again.

He’s saying, we’re not going to live together for the time being, her mother explained. But it’s only going to be temporary; until we can figure out how we want to proceed.

Anna looked at her in disbelief and horror. ‘We’ . . . as in, you and dad? One of you is leaving?

Marianne shook her head, looking sad to say it. No, ‘we’ as in all three of us.

Anna gripped the closest stuffed animal she could find; a big panda her dad had won her on a previous trip to the amusement park. It was all she could do not to break down like her father had in his movie.

I’m going to go to Dana’s, and your dad will stay with Cash, Marianne was still saying.

Dana was Anna’s aunt, Marianne’s older sister who was also her manager, and Charlie, or as he liked to be called, Cash, was Richard’s best friend since high school, and also his manager. Anna saw them regularly at least twice a week, and while they were cool and all, they weren’t really on big friendly terms with Anna. Most of her relationship with each of them was strictly business. Sometimes, Anna even forgot Dana was her aunt because of how little they had in common.

What about me? Anna finally asked the dreaded question. Are you just going to send me to live with Nanny and Pappy for the rest of my life? Her anger was resurfacing, and it showed obviously in her tone.

No, not with your grandparents. But it’s not for the rest of your life, Richard countered, leaning forward to put a hand on Anna’s arm. We already told you; it’s only temporary until we can work things out.

Her eyes started watering, then. What if you don’t work things out? she challenged, her voice breaking into a sob while the tears started flowing again. What if you spend months and years away and then find you’re better off living like this? What would happen then?

While her first question did give them pause, the others made them set their faces in determined expressions.

I promise Anna, you are the most important thing to us, now and forever, her father told her, straightforward. Whatever happens between me and your mother, we have your best interests always a priority at heart, and the one thing I know for sure is that we will do whatever it takes, we will work together, to make sure you’re happy.

Not even a little bit relieved, Anna sniffed, not bothering to wipe the tears off her face. So what’s going to happen to me, now?

Sighing, relieved that the hardest part was now over, Richard took one of Anna’s hands, the one that wasn’t clutching her panda, and held it in both of his. Marianne didn’t try to remove the other one and instead just placed hers on top of it.

We talked this morning, Richard admitted. It was the first real talk we had in years. You were brought up into this life, Anna. You don’t know anything outside of it, and that’s our fault alone.

Anna was going to protest that there was nothing wrong with her childhood, but her father held out a hand to let him finish, so she remained quiet.

You may not realize it, Anna, but you don’t really know how normal people live, he went on. You don’t really understand how different life is for people who aren’t born into the world you are. So we want you to truly experience that, for once, and we want you to find who you are on your own.

Confused, Anna frowned. I know who I am.

He smiled at her while Marianne squeezed her hand. Yes. You’re our daughter. You’re my little snowflake.

Anna couldn’t help a small smile at the use of her old nickname. It had been a while since he called her that. Her dad used to call her that because, as he used to say, she was unique, one in a million. She used to believe that it was because of how white her skin tone was -which she used to hate but with the nickname learned to love.

But the point is that you don’t know what you want to do with your life when you finish school, he went on seriously. You don’t even go to high school; you’ve been home-schooled since the eighth grade. And when was the last time you spent any real time with friends?

Recalling Owen, whom she hadn’t hung out with since his parents’ divorce, she understood that her father was right, and hung her head down. She needed more human interaction. But it still didn’t answer her question, and it was no reason to not be with her parents anymore.

So, she hesitated, a wave of intense sadness rolling over her, knowing she didn’t have much of a say in the matter of living isolated from them, where are you sending me?

We found a small town called Blue Hills, her mother was the one to answer. It’s nowhere on the map, and we only found it because we searched for tiny secluded high schools online, and came across its local and only school.

You will have the privacy you want and need over there, while you go finish graduating, her father finished.

Anna’s eyes widened. Whoa! Are you saying I have to go to high school? In a town where I don’t know anybody?

Don’t worry about that; you won’t have to go until we find you a good student’s apartment to live in, preferably with roommates your age who you will be attending school with, he tried reassuring her –and tried is the key word; Anna’s panic was only getting more intense.

High school? An apartment? Roommates? How was she supposed to learn to live with all of that without her parents there?

No, please, you can’t do this to me, she pleaded with them frantically.

Sweetie, it’s for the best, her mother promised.

Anna couldn’t believe what she was hearing. No! It’s not for the best! It’s one thing to rip me away from you, but another to leave me stranded!

Her father held her face in his hands soothingly. You won’t be, he insisted. You really think we would send you off like that? We’re not trying to get rid of you! We’ll open up your own trust fund, which we will keep supplementing each month, we’ll come visit whenever you want, and we won’t send you anywhere before we go there ourselves and see the town.

Annabelle, a little independence will do you some good, her mother approved.

Anna couldn’t believe this. They were practically teaming up against her! They . . .

They were teaming up against her. They were agreeing on something, for the first time in years. They were truly on the same page.

It hit Anna how much this plan could benefit them, more than they were saying it would do her good. Maybe this was somehow the key to fixing their relationship and bringing them back to the way they used to be; a real family. The wonder was evident on her face as she processed the new piece of valuable information.

With that realization, Anna knew there was only one thing left for her to say. I’ll do it.

NEW

What about this one? Marianne suggested for the hundredth time.

For her mother’s sake, Anna looked at the screen. The picture showed yet another dorm room in Blue Hills with one roommate, who had no doubt put the ad up. The cost was a very mediocre 1200 dollars per month, a price Anna found too little for rent and a sign that the place was a waste.

No, she said again.

They’d been at it for almost an hour. There weren’t any apartments available in Blue Hills, according to the internet, so Marianne had switched to suitable dorm rooms. This was the sixth she showed Anna.

What’s wrong with it? she protested.

Anna gave her mother a meaningful look. Mom, come on; 1200 for a room? That’s like going to a cheap motel.

From the seat on the left, Richard gave a deep chuckle. Marianne was looking pretty amused herself and was trying to contain laughter. While it satisfied Anna that she almost got them laughing together, it bothered her why they would be.

What? she demanded.

Richard turned to smile at her. Honey, motels cost in the hundreds, not the thousands.

Anna hadn’t known this. Oh. Then a hotel, I guess.

Richard lifted a finger. That would be even more than the 1200, depending on where you’re thinking of staying, he let her know.

An idea occurred to her then. Hey! Why don’t I stay at a hotel?

Two reasons, Marianne answered quickly, as if they had thought about this a million times before. For starters, there doesn’t seem to be any in Blue Hills.

That could be