Fairytale • Robby Keene

one

In the outskirts of Los Angeles, inside a large brown house, Odette Johnson stood in front of her bedroom mirror, pondering her outfit choice for Samantha LaRusso's pool party.

The excitement and nervousness of attending one of the summer's most anticipated events filled her. It was a gathering of the school's elite- the athletes, the cheerleaders, the influencers. A perfect blend of cliques and personalities awaited, and Odette was uncertain of her place in it all.

She wasn't part of the 'cool' crowd, but she wasn't exactly an outsider either. She had her own group of friends, but now she was about to mingle with people who were always in the spotlight, the ones with perfect Instagram photos, the ones who ruled the social scene effortlessly.

She was the kind of person who could easily spend an entire weekend curled up with a stack of books, immersing herself in fantastical worlds or delving into classic literature. Her room was a haven of paper and ink, with shelves overflowing with comic books, fantasy novels and movies that covered a wide range of genres from cult classics to hidden treasures. Her passion for these things wasn't just a passing interest- it was an integral part of her identity.

In school, she was often seen as an outsider. The popular kids couldn't understand her love for comic books, and they didn't appreciate the depth of a well-crafted character arc or the symbolism in a classic black and white film. Her classmates would sometimes gossip about her, labeling her as 'weird' or 'a nerd' as if it were an insult.

However, Odette didn't let it bother her. She had realized long ago that conforming to fit in wasn't worth sacrificing her true self.

But one of the most challenging experiences she faced, and still struggles with every day, is the loss of her parents.

She never had the chance to remember them; she only hear stories from her older brother, Oliver, who was the one to sit her down when she was old enough to understand. The day he told her the truth about what happened to their parents feels like it happened just yesterday, even though it has been years.

She was just five years old when her world was shattered, and she could barely comprehend the permanence of loss.

The accident occurred in the middle of January, eight years ago, when her parents went out for a drive on what seemed like an ordinary day that turned tragic. The collision, a head-on crash with another car, tragically took the lives of both her mother and father, leaving Olivier, who was just a teenager himself, to try to pick up the pieces.

As she grew older, he gradually shared the story with her, revealing more details over time that added to the sorrow she struggled to comprehend. Initially, his account was disjointed, as if he was still grappling with the traumatic events of that day. He spoke softly, his gaze often averted whenever the topic arose. It was evident that it pained him, yet he consistently ensured she felt cherished and shielded from the harsher realities of their tragedy, even as she gradually grasped its profound impact.