"It's a stupid story."
"You're a stupid person."
"It just doesn't happen in real life. It's unrealistic."
"You're unrealistic."
"You're an asshole."
"And you're gonna admit I'm right."
---------------------
In which a girl with (some) beauty gets in...
It takes a while for everything to go back to normal. I do still want to go back, but maybe not right now. Carter was so glad I was safe, he stopped flirting with me. I should disappear more often, maybe he'll forget he's Narcissus 2.0 and grow some humility.
"Have you changed your mind?" Nova asks one morning when I'm sitting on the couch in silence -- again.
"No, I'm just . . . biding my time. I still need to find a way to get my hands on Carter's car keys."
Nova nods. "Right, well, I'm making some waffles, want one?"
I start to say no, then change my mind. "Yes, please."
She leaves towards the kitchen. Snowball whines softly on my lap.
"I know you miss the snow, baby girl, but we're stuck here. My parents will barely let me out of the house to play in the snow at the edge of the forest."
Snowball looks up at me at the mention of snow, then licks her nose. She stares at me, hoping maybe we'll go out.
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"I know how you feel, baby girl," I tell her softly.
I glance at the phone on the couch next to me. When I first put it on the charger after I got back, it was the first time it's been charged in, apparently, six months. My poor phone. After the incident with the Wolves, I figured I should make it easy to call Adam if I ever wandered too far out, so I found a phone in the castle and called mine with it.
My phone still had battery power then, so it obviously worked.
I stare at the series of numbers on the screen and hesitate only a moment before hitting the call button. Snowball tilts her head at me. I bite my bottom lip anxiously. What if he doesn't answer?
Worse, what if he does and ends the call immediately?
What am I saying, he always talks to me. Well, the first time he slammed the phone down because he thought it was the AI. It was Alfred who called back and explained it to me before forcing Adam to talk to me.
"Good afternoon, may I inquire who is calling and whom you wish to speak to?"
The voice is formal, British . . . and robotic.
"Alfie! It's me, Donna."
He gasps loudly. "ADAM!! ADAM, IT'S DONNA!"
I can faintly hear Adam in the background. "Give me that, you stupid blue butler."
Alfred is screaming and I can hear his voice softening, calling out for Logan. He does this everytime I call.
