"Like In Fairytales"

45.

Rose:

"You do?" Skylar asked.

"I liked him. But the thing is, he never reciprocated it. I don't think he liked me the way I did. As of now, I like Theodore. He likes me. So that's that," I replied.

Skylar looked at me.

The very weekend, I got up early and got dressed in a blue shirt with black pants. I tied my hair in a bun as I came downstairs. Mom looked at me as I sat down on the couch and opened my laptop.

"Rosalie," Mom said as she walked over and sat down.

"You remember what day it is today, right?" she asked.

"The writing competitions results come out in an hour, Casey is coming over," I replied.

"You haven't been to your father's house in a long time. According to the agreement, you have to visit him in two months. He expects you over by sundown or he'll lodge a complain," Mom said.

"Just when I think my life is OK without him, Mr Bloomingham steps in. I'll send Skylar over," I said.

"That's not how things work. He also needed to discuss something with you. He called me in the morning," Mom said.

"What does he have to discuss about? The fact that he has a severe mental problem from being dropped as a child? I can't stand him or his voice!" I replied.

"He has the right to approach the court for this. I can't lose you or Skylar. Please, bear with him," Mom said as she put her hand around my shoulder.

"I don't want to go! I am not going! That's the end of this discussion!" I said.

"Rosalie! You are a Bloomingham. You have to go over. He has a small party of sorts organised. I don't want to hear anything at all! You only regret the fact that you were born to love him, I regret the fact that I fell for him! THIS IS THE END OF THIS DISCUSSION!" Mom said.

I looked over at the stairs to see Skylar as she looked at the both of us. She turned back and walked over back to her room and slammed the door.

"That's the problem with all of the Bloominghams. If you can't deal with it, you break it. Rosalie, you are stubborn just like him. Skylar is just as coward as him. And I, I am trying to change myself just like I was trying to before. This is the reality. You are him!" Mom said. I shut down the screen and picked up my bag. I stuffed my laptop and grabbed the house keys. I took my bike and turned off my cellphone. I pedaled faster and faster. My vision blurred because of the tears but I didnt wipe them down, the wind did. After a while, I got tired and got off the bike to small forest like area. It wasn't actually a forest. It was a very old project by a local organisation to grow trees on barren and waste land. It wasn't dangerous. The trees were planted randomly to give off the way of a forest. I sat down on one of the rocks and closed my eyes. I tried to focus on the sound of the birds. All I could think of was my father. I remember the day when my father decided to divorce my mother.

It was a bright morning. I could hear the birds and grasshoppers. It was beautiful like a fairytale. But the horror didn't start until I was summoned into the study with my family by father. Skylar walked in with me as I looked at father sitting in his chair. My mom sat in one nearby and tears were forming in her eyes. A lawyer sat against them. I came to know that I was disowned. That's when I came to knew that all good things come to an end. A fullstop. There is nothing after that.

I turned my cellphone on as Casey called me. The forest had a cell tower nearby and I could catch a signal.

"Where are you?" he asked.

"Casey," I said as my voice broke and I wiped my face with the back of my sleeve.

"Rose... Are you alright? Where are you?" he asked.

"I am in the usual place. The forest," I said.

"I'm coming over," he said.

In half-an-hour, he reached.

He ran towards me as I scooted to make place for him on the rocks.

"You pedaled over to here?" he asked.

"I am so fucked up!" I cried as he put his hand onto mine.

"Why am I like this? Why can't I be normal? So many people have divorced parents but they make it work. I am a shitty person!" I said.

"Shhh... Calm down first," he said as he removed a handkerchief.

I wiped my eyes until they were red still muttering the same phrase.

"I am so fucked up!" I said.

He looked at me before pulling me towards him. I cried in the pit of his shoulder as he ran his finger against my back. He pulled closer.

"You are not fucked up Rose. It's your father's fault. It's not your fault. You are not to blame. You are not fucked up," he said as I looked at him.

"Why do you comfort me? Why do you even stick with me?" I asked him.

"I don't comfort you. I tell you the truth. And the world is a cruel place. It's just having you in my world makes it easier to live in. You are fierce. I like being with you," he said.

"People hate me. They always have," I said.

"Well... Fuck them. Maybe it's because they don't like challenges," he said.

"I am not a challenge, I am a toxic mess," I replied.

"Not quite right. You are not normal, that's right. You are creative, brilliant, awesome. All of the traits. With all good things, there are bad things. It doesn't matter where ever you are, whatever you are feeling, just know the fact that I am there, if not with you physically, but with you. I am not gonna let you be wasted. You are not a wonder. Your mind wanders far beyond the wanders," he said.

"Oh Case... What'd I do without you?" I asked him.

"You'd still be a wanderer. You'll still be something who'll come in tee deadliest of nightmares and the lightest of dreams. You'll still be the perfect Rosalie," he said. I smiled.

"And also the one who cleared round one of the competition with points higher than me," he added.

He stretched my lips into a smile with his fingers.

"And they say Mona Lisa's smile is mysterious," he said laughing. I laughed.

Thanks, Casey.