*Saphira's POV*
True love, a happily ever after... In my book they most definitely. No, they absolutely don't exist. Like prince charming will appear on his white horse and sweep me off my feet. Obviously he'll kiss me a true loves kiss. And we'll seal the deal right away, with marriage in a castle. How ridiculous!
But what happens after the fairy tale's last page said 'The end.'? Is prince charming really that charming? Or does he indeed have flaws, like every other male on the planet?
Who even believes those stupid fairy tales these days? Well, I don't!
There was no happily ever after for my mom and dad... Not even with all the other men she had dated. So how can there be any truth to the stories?
Fairy tales are just for silly little girls, right?! I mean, I have never even gotten my first kiss. Let alone a true loves...
"Saphira?" "Saphira?"
"Saphira, why are you staring at that book? You do realize that we've got to hurry now, don't you?!" Oh, shoot. I actually was staring. I was staring at the only book that wasn't yet in a moving box. A fairy tale book. The one I made my mother read me before bedtime. Over and over again, during my childhood.
"Err.. I'm almost finished mom. It's just that, do you really think moving is necessary? I mean, I've never been good with new crowds or even crowds at all. I'm okay with living here. This time I even made a friend. And...."
Mom took my face in her hands and it made me feel like a child all over again. "You know that if I thought we would be better off here, we would stay right? Besides, the sun always shines in Malibu. I'm positive you'll love it there." Didn't she just always seem to think, I would love it wherever she condemned me to live with her.
"But mom..." I mumbled. "Now there Saphira. "I will promise you. I will never ever move you around again. I know you didn't want to look at the pictures of our new... Home." Oh, how she knew me well. It was the one thing I had longed for in all these years.
A home. A place where we would stay and to actually have a room that felt like it belonged to me. It was the one thing she could never give me. And the one thing I've always, always wanted.
I looked up at her with one eyebrow raised. Of courses she saw the skepticism that was probably written all over my face. "I promise." Mom said probably trying to convince me.
Mom held out a picture and I gasped. "I know, it's pretty isn't it?! There is a great high school nearby. And... You can walk on foot to get to the beach," she said radiant.
I ran her words and the picture I saw through my head. How bad could it be? "Pinky promise," mom said as she held out her pinky finger.
It was a long drive too Malibu. Of course an airplane would be a lot faster, but mom didn't have enough money resources for that, I assumed. Normally I could see another move coming, but not this time. Mom never really thought about things for too long, she just acted on impulse. Still even for her, this was very sudden. I wonder how she pulled it off. I was thinking about the pictures she showed me. "Our new home." She called it. A little sarcastic smile twitched on the edge of my lips. Right I thought...
"Saphira?" mom said biting her lip. Like she always does when she is nervous, or not comfortable to talk about something. I think I got that from her, because I did that too. "Yes Mom," I answered carefully before I took a zip of my coke. "Will you promise me, you'll make some serious effort in adjusting this time?" I almost choked in my drink. I hope she wasn't serious! "I tried something like that, last time mom. Remember?" I said scoffing.
Mom made a mocking face at me but didn't answer. We just stared at each other for a while and then she broke off the silence.
"You know, I meant that you should actually start socializing this time. With Amanda, the two of you were just non-socializing together," mom said trying to humor me."I did leave the house… sometimes," I said defensively. "To do what?"
"Stay inside Amanda's home together?!" I frowned. "Saph Live your life instead of just watching from the sideline. You might even enjoy it." Would I?
I glanced outside the car window and it was already dark when I woke up. We'd been driving for almost twelve hours and I must have fallen asleep, because I dreamed the strangest dream.
In my dream I was standing all alone in a ballroom. No, I wasn't alone. It just felt that way, I guess. Because around me, people were dancing and I was just watching them. I was dressed in one of those big old-fashioned gowns too, but I didn't feel comfortable in it.
When the big room was filled with a new song, someone walked right up to me. A guy who was wearing a light blue blouse, stretched out his hand while seeking for mine. He saw that I hesitated, and in response he just took my hand and pulled me up close.
I protested, saying I really couldn't dance, But then he pulled me in even closer. Finally I gave in, and laid my head to rest against his chest. Somehow it felt safe.
The way he smelled was overwhelming. And while my head swam by his cologne, he effortlessly swayed me around the big room. From the corner of my eye, I saw that people were gawking and even whispering about the two of us. In the back of my head I knew we weren't allowed to be this close.
But somehow, I couldn't be bothered by that Idea for too long. For I felt so secure in his arms. He rested his chin on my hair and kissed the crown of my head. It was heavenly.
When I woke up, I could still feel the warmth of his chest and his scent lingered in my nose. I tried to come up with a proper description. But I had none. I couldn't even remember his face.
We pulled over at a crowded little lunch room along the road.
I knew it was irrational. Still, I longed for the feeling of this strangers warmth. In my new found game of treasure hunt I was searching for the same cologne, that seemed to mesmerize me. It was a silly thing for me to do but I took a whiff on every male in the restaurant, who walked in my path.
Why did his smell seem so vitally important?