Loveliest

Chapter 1

Okay!  So this is a collaboration between Stand_in_the_Rain and Phoenixfeather21!  This specific chapter is written by Stand_in_the_Rain and edited by Phoenixfeather21.  If you like this chapter, please visit Stand_in_the_Rain's profile - she has good work up!  

Once upon a time there lived a girl with a skin as white as snow, lips as red as blood, and hair as black as ebony.  Her name was Snow White.

“And then daddy told me that I couldn’t go to Switzerland for the weekend because, and I quote, ‘You just went two weeks ago.’ He is so unfair sometimes!”

“Oh my God, you poor thing.”

“So unfair!”

“Rose, don’t you think that’s just awful?” Rose snapped out of her daze and looked around at the assembly of girls in their matching designer clothes and expectant expressions.

“Hmm? Oh yes, it’s tragic,” she said sincerely.  Satisfied, the girls returned to their discussion of their weekend plans.  Rose played with the end of her sleeve as she watched them.  They resembled a flock of brightly colored birds with their expensive shoes and dazzling clothes.  Their nail polish had even been freshly painted to match their handbags.

Rose fingered her simple ponytail self-consciously as she examined their immaculately coifed hair, each girls’ hair pulled up into elaborate hair styles.  She always felt out of place at these events.  Despite the fact that her family had earned its place in high society, she had always felt uneasy when attending these soirees. But she attended each and every one of them diligently because it pleased her father.

“So Rose, what are you doing this weekend?”  They all looked eagerly at her.  The truth was, despite her discomfort at their attention, they craved hers.  But not, she sighed, because they liked her, rather they wanted the attention of Rose Blanc, daughter of the rich and famous Marc Blanc.

She smiled charmingly, “Oh you know, this and that.”

“I’m going to New York to see a Broadway show,” one girl gushed; she was a pretty blonde.  Then the girl faltered, a scared look marring her features.  “Do you like Broadway?” She asked nervously, afraid that her interests would be deemed not good enough for these girls.

Rose felt a pang of pity for the girl.  There was nothing special about any of them really; they were just born into wealthy families. 

“Oh, I love to see the shows.  My favorite has always been Les Miserables.”  Rose smiled at the girl who sighed in relief.

“Oh! I loved that one too.”  Suddenly, everyone was bringing to mind everything they knew about the musical, all desperate to be considered acceptable.  Rose glanced at the old grandfather clock on the wall of the sitting room.  She breathed a sigh of relief.  It was two-thirty, an acceptable time to make her escape.  She stood up and the girls looked up expectantly.

“I have to go, my father is expecting me.”  They sighed, but after a quick goodbye Rose was out the front door.

The chauffer, Jerry, pulled up in front of what could only be described as a mansion.  Rose climbed in the back, grateful to get away from the party. 

“Jerry, can you stop by Cold Stone’s on the way home please? I feel like an ice cream.”

“Sure. How was your afternoon?” He asked, looking at her in the mirror. She grinned at the sweet middle aged man.  Jerry had been her chauffer for a while now, and she had grown fond of him and his gentle smiles. 

“Alright - not too bad I suppose.”  She glanced back at the impressive mansion she had just left.  “I doubt they’re missing me though.”  It was true, she couldn’t help but feel that her only ‘friends’ wouldn’t even notice if she disappeared off the face of the earth.