Fairytale • Robby Keene

eight

It was early morning and the sky was still dim.

Odette sat up in bed, straightening her back to see the faint light shining through the blinds on her window. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes with both hands and let out a heavy sigh.

After getting out of bed, she changed into a white button-up shirt, rolled up the sleeves, put on some jean shorts, and slipped into flip flops. She tied her hair up, with a few loose strands framing her face.

Odette then walked downstairs to the kitchen to get some breakfast. When she entered the room, she found Oliver busy cooking breakfast. She took a seat at the breakfast bar and placed her hand deliberately over her cheek.

Everything turned out as it shouldn't have.

Miguel was furious about what had happened at the Canyon party. Neither Sam nor Odette answered his calls or messages; they wanted nothing to do with him at the moment.

Oliver approached his sister and handed her a plate of eggs and bacon. Odette snapped back to reality as the plate was set in front of her.

Oliver's eyes widened when he noticed a bruise on his sister's cheek. "O, is that a bruise?"

"Um... I tripped in my bedroom." Odette lied.

"You tripped?" Oliver repeated, walking around the breakfast bar and examined the bruise covering his sister's cheek. He sighed and sat down beside her. "What are your plans for today?"

Odette shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe go to the All Valley?"

"That's today? You should go." He insisted.

"Why?" She wondered.

Oliver sighed. "Because, believe it or not, O, you're different than you were last year. You're more out going now."

"Well before, interacting with other people felt like exercise. I felt better about myself every time I did it; it made me stronger and healthier. It also exhausted me, and if I did too much, I felt sore and cramped. But if I go too long without, I felt sluggish and stifled."

"But now?"

Odette found herself thinking about Robby, the source of her inexplicable emotions this year. Every time she saw him, she couldn't explain her feelings, but they were mostly happy when she thought about him.

"This year feels different. Being with my friends and new acquaintances makes me feel at ease, accepted, and like I can truly be myself."

Oliver smirked. "You should go to the All Valley. Show your support for your friends, deep down you know you want to."

Odette gave her brother a faint smile before swiftly leaving the house, closing the door behind her. She hurried down the steps and made her way to the LaRusso's residence.

••••

Odette walked into the LaRusso's house, hoping that Sam would accompany her to the tournament. She furrowed her brow as she entered the living room and saw Sam and Daniel seated at opposite ends of the couch, engrossed in their phones.