A DARKER CITY

chapter four, a fairytale, if you'd call it that

The dark-haired girl was all ears now, looking for details and little bits of information she could weasel out of her sister.

"he's really cute, like, really cute. And he's blond, with green eyes, and his smile- and his laugh, oh my god, he has the perfect laugh. It's so cute. He's so cute."

"let me stop you there, before you go off on a tangent. How'd you meet him?"

"he's that newsboy I was telling you about, the one who sold me the paper that one day. Then we went out for coffee, I don't know how it just kind of happened, I think I invited him, I dunno, it's a blur. And then I helped him sell papers today, and now I have a date, my first date- unless the other time counted as the first date. Oh my god, what if we're dating? What if we're official and I didn't know!?"

"ramona, you're being stupid. This is a date, that probably wasn't. you aren't official." Athena explained, in her calm and calculated voice. The one that said her sister was gone any in her place was a machine that ran on logic and reason.

"ok, ok." Ramona took a pause. "so... this date? What do I wear?"

"something nice, a dress definitely. And something with color. Not those browns and blacks you always wear. Spice it up."

"oh, ok. Should I bring a purse? I don't know where he's taking me."

"yeah, bring it, but not with a lot of money, and not a big purse. More of a handbag."

"Athena, how many dates have you been on?"

It was Athena's turn to get embarrassed now. "well, never, but I know a thing or two from hearing around. And Morgan has always droned on about dating so I know second hand."

"ath, who's david?" ramona asked.

"what?! Him!?"

"yeah, you seemed really embarrassed to talk to him at the park."

"he's just some boy from my school, he dropped out a while back. He used to be one of the smartest students in school."

"were you friends?"

"no, absolutely not," it was obvious that Athena was transported back into her memories of sharing a class with david. "we fought non-stop. We hated each other. I went to school every day hoping to finally prove I was better than him. I thought about him all the time, I wanted to wipe the smug look right off of his face."

"do you miss him?" this was dangerous territory. Athena didn't open up to people, and if she did, it was to Morgan.

"sometimes. School is so dry without him. I always wanted to be the head of the class, but without any serious competition, it's hardly even satisfying at all. I don't even have to try."

Ramona had to think of what to say next. It was like walking on cut-glass, carefully placing one foot in front of the other and hoping not to crack the glass. "he seemed to be happy to talk to you, at the park."

"was he?"

"yes, he literally walked right up to you, in front of his brother and everything. I don't know much, but I know he was reaching out."

"was he?" Athena questioned.

"I think so."

Athena smiled, which was a rare look for her, and Ramona headed back towards her room. Her bedroom was at the very end of the hall, separated from her sister's rooms by what was once their parents room. Now it was just empty.

Her room was of a considerable size, because it was once the nursery she'd shared with her sisters before they were old enough to have their own rooms. Now it was just hers, which made her wish she'd had a younger sibling. But that wasn't meant to be.