Cinderella's Ghost

Chapter 6: Life Story

Chapter 6

I'd almost lost count of the number of times we'd kept silent since everything started – and it only started yesterday. Trapped in his thoughts again, he'd been quiet while I did my chores. It was only during dinner that he came over to me, a serious look on his face. He looked somewhat calm too, as though whatever he was going to tell me, it had lifted a huge burden off his shoulders.

I was chomping down one spoonful of chicken curry rice when he said awkwardly, "I'm ready to brainstorm some more."

Grinning, I said, "Finally! This calls for a celebration, don't you think?"

"Like what? Food?" asked Jarell, a look of exasperation on his face.

"Please, I'm not that horrible. When I mean a celebration, I mean something good, something such as..." I paused for effect, "knowing-what-the-rose-is-all-about." Finishing that, I scooped another spoonful of rice into my mouth.

"Wait, what?"

"You heard me right the first time," I sang proudly.

"How did you find out?" He looked at me with wonder, a grin spread across his face.

"I actually thought about it last night, but since I wasn't so sure, and you were in a mood, I decided not to say anything yet, just leave it until morning. Then when I saw the rose this morning, I can say that it followed my deductions quite accurately."

He frowned. "Quite?"

"I'm still not very sure whether a petal equates to a day or two."

His eyes suddenly darkened as realisation struck. "Let's just say that the rose does indicate the time. I don't care what each petal means but... we've got something really important here: I have a deadline."

I paused, feeling my enthusiasm evaporate. "Oh." I hadn't thought of that; I'd been so excited to finally get closer to solving the mystery of the rose that it hadn't even occurred to me.

Jarell dragged a hand down his face. "I have a deadline, and I've wasted more than a day. Doing nothing. I have a frigging deadline."

"Well, if we look at it positively, I'd say it's better than a week. I wouldn't have known what to do with you if you haven't snapped yourself out of it by now."

"Hmm." He nodded in agreement.

"Does that mean we'll have to get chummier with each other?" I asked hesitantly, full of anticipation and uncertainty, but a little surprised to know that I was fine getting closer with him. I never had someone around me in a long time, and since he had appeared, I could feel the loneliness ebbing away, little by little, even though not all times were good. Without him here, I would be eating dinner by myself, talking to no one, pathetically training my memory, recalling what the teachers had gone through in school.

He pulled a face, looking irritated by my honest question. "I guess so."

"Does that mean I'm allowed to start asking questions? I've been dying—" He was becoming a little restless and looking quite uncomfortable, seeming to know what I was curious about. "Sorry," I said, quick to pick up on that as I swallowed more of my dinner. "That was inconsiderate of me."

"No." I looked up at him in surprise. "No," he repeated, bringing a hand behind his neck, then dropping it and facing me full on. "There's no need to apologise. I should be the one to apologise, to have you deal with last night, and I should also thank you for bringing me to see my mother and myself at the hospital today."