A fractured fairytale

15

The rest of the week followed the same pattern. I picked Rose up outside her building and watched her wade through the snow to get to me. Apparently, the snow wasn't cleared in her neighbourhood like it was mine so I drove incredibly slowly and carefully along her road. She stayed quiet most of the time, watching the snow fall or humming away to whatever was playing on the radio.

Whenever we did talk, it was my favourite part of the journey. I'd dare to ask her personal questions and was thrilled when she'd give me detailed answers instead of just a yes or no. I started trying to keep my questions as open as possible just to hear her voice as she answered. Her voice was so soft and gentle and every now and then, excitement would bleed through when she talked about the things she loved.

The other day, she talked for most of the journey about her love of reading and, when I pulled into the car park at school having not managed to get a word in, she lowered her eyes and apologised. I didn't know who had made her feel like she was a hindrance when she was sharing information about herself but I intended to reverse the damage they had caused.

Now, on the way to school, we had started playing the question game, where we each get to ask the other a personal question and we give full, detailed answers to learn everything we need to about each other. She was reluctant at first but I told her it could be her payment for me driving her to school – since she continuously offered me money that I knew she didn't have. Eventually, she agreed.

"If you were going to die tomorrow, how would you spend today?" she asked me. I switched lanes before allowing my gaze to flicker to her, only to find her eyes glued to me, an eager smile on her face.

I thought about it for a moment and she sat patiently. "I'd probably eat a cooked breakfast because that's my favourite breakfast but I rarely have it because coach would kill me. Then I'd probably meet the team for a few football games in the park and then I'd spend the rest of the day with my family, making sure my parents were okay and that my brothers and sisters would have everything they needed."

When I glanced back at her, she had a small smile on her face. I expected her to say something about my response but she didn't. "You're turn."

I tapped my fingers against the steering wheel in time to the beat of whatever song was on the radio while I contemplated what to ask her. "Same question," I said in the end, too curious about what she would consider most important to her. For me, it would always be my family and I desperately wanted to know if that was the same for Rose since she didn't talk about her family much.

I'd learned that it was a small family, just her and her parents. She didn't have any siblings – which I was incredibly jealous of -, didn't have any grandparents or aunts or uncles or cousins that she spoke to. It was just the three of them. She hadn't seemed upset about that but I detected a bit of loneliness when she talked about how she spent most of her free time alone.

"Umm...," she trailed off and looked out of the window. The sun was finally out today and the snow was beginning to melt, causing it to glitter on the roads. "I'd go to the beach," she finally said, a longing smile on her face.

I couldn't help but chuckle. "The beach? That's how you would spend your last day on earth? Trying to get the sand out of your shoes?"

She lifted a shoulder. "I've never been to the coast before. I'd love to see the ocean and just lie on the beach in the sun."

My eyebrows shot up. "Never?"

She shook her head. "I've never stepped foot outside of this town. We don't have a car." She muttered that last part, ashamed, and it pissed me off. I didn't want her to think I would judge her for not having the money my own family had. I knew I was incredibly privileged and that other people didn't have close to what I had, but I could have just as easily been born into their circumstances and could never hold it against someone.