s h e

chapter one

This is a world of painted smiles and auto-tune laughter, of tepid coffee lies with copious amounts of sugary words to mask the bitter aftertaste.

In the very center of this world, full of fakes and frauds, sits Winifred 'Winnie' Seaford, the single most real person you know. She is honey hair and seawater eyes and a blinding white smile. She is a flower crown and an oversized sweater and and a pair of strangely patterned knee socks. She is a lively children's  TV show playing on a dreary, rainy, and bleak April morning. She is sweet and innocent and beautifully broken.

But you're just short purple hair and espresso eyes and a half frown. You're just a washed out band t-shirt and ratty flannel and a pair of ripped up jeans. You're just a frighteningly terrible horror movie playing on Halloween night. You are rude and brash and crude and broken into a million ugly shards. You're just Melanie Robbins, plain old Melanie.

This story takes place in a world made with love and complications. This story spins a tale of shattered heroes and battered enemies. This story is about how a princess and a peasant fell in love.

But before you can begin this story, you have to start at the very beginning...

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It starts at the breakfast table in the Robbins' family apartment, with bowls of cold cereal in front of you and your father buried in the Sports section of the paper. The new comes out of the blue.

"So we're moving to Illinois."

"Excuse me?" You choke on a spoonful of Lucky Charms, coughing on a marshmallow until your brother, Mickey, thumps you on the back just a bit harder than necessary. You're used to the roughhousing by now- Mickey's never really been 'gentle'.

"Illinois. You deaf, sis?" Mickey grunts, speaking louder with each word. You throw a glare his way, putting on your best puppy dog face for your parents. You've got a date on Saturday, you've got three friends and a tacit agreement with the student body to ignore each other, and you have passing grades. You've made your place here, and you don't want to have to start from square one.

"But-"

"Melanie..."

"But this isn't fair!"

"Melanie Anais Robbins, we have come to a decision and that is that." Mom's no nonsense voice holds an air of authority, and you slump over in defeat. Mickey spoons more cornflakes into his mouth. Dad turns the page in the paper. Life goes on.

Goodbye, New York.

Hello Illinois.

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"I'm moving."

Toby and Jameson don't react at first. Zoe demands you keep in touch, sobbing wildly and trying to convince you to stay like you have a say in the matter. It's nice to know she cares, though. Though her drama queen persona makes her reaction to the news naturally more theatric, so it's almost equal to Toby and Jameson's response.

After the scene ends and Zoe runs home, Toby takes off his favorite leather cuff and puts it on your wrist, walking away. Typical Toby. He doesn't deal well with emotions.

Jameson kisses you one last time, tells you that you can't be afraid of being yourself, and leaves. Bye bye, boyfriend.

You realize that things are never going to be the same.
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