Hunting the Fairy Tale

Chapter 73 - Conversations are Hard

Ronja

Hunter is really comfortable boy to be with. He makes funny jokes and asks lots of questions. Normally, I don't like people asking questions, I don't like intrusion, and I don't understand small talk, but he asks in way that makes me want to answer.

We talk about school, Briar Cove, and how much I hate it. He makes promise to show me nice places and tells me that I have friends now and I don't have to be alone unless I want to be. He says I'll soon love Briar Cove. I think he is crazy, and I tell him so, which makes him laugh.

"Challenge accepted," he grins.

I like Hunter.

I'm little jealous of Willow for having such good boyfriend. He is not as wild as I thought he was. He is very gentle. He drives well too; I am not nervous at all and feel sorry when we arrive at school, and he parks car next to big dragon minivan.

There are so many boys standing here!

I like boys, but Papa doesn't want me to talk to them. He would be very angry right now because I am going to talk to all these boys!

My older sister, Ebba, had boyfriend in last year of high school two years ago. She got pregnant and ran away with him. They are now living with their baby boy in Sälen, both working at ski resort. Papa is still very angry, but I know Ebba is happy. She didn't want to go to university and study to take over his business. Papa doesn't want the same thing to happen to me.

I might just make it happen to punish him for marrying gold digger and dragging me away from everybody I love. I don't know why he brought me with him. He doesn't love me. I think he just wanted to spite Mama and show her he'll take what he wants.

Mama divorced him years ago; she said his German blood does not mix well with his Swedish blood; which makes him very disagreeable man. I have no idea what she was talking about. People can be nice or disagreeable with any kind of blood in their veins. I think she just wanted to insult him.

Papa used all his financial power to dominate Mama and made Ebba and I live with him. I still saw Mama often, but now I only see her on camera. She misses me as much as I miss her. I don't want to be in this town, this country.

And now he is married to shallow woman with big bröst.

I want to run away from home with nice boy like Hunter or... the one with the glasses, smiling at me next to crazy-looking van. Jake, I think his sister called him. He looks like clever boy with his big book, and he has nice smile. Very handsome.

"What the hell, Drake? You traded Willow in now?" Black boy with perfect teeth asks, and I can feel my cheeks turn pink with embarrassment. I don't like too much attention, not even from nice boys. It will be hard talking to them all without having them look at me. I will get used to it, but I've been alone for months.

"Missy is feeling sick today," Hunter says. "This is Ronja; she's almost our neighbour. Ronja, these are the animals I call my friends."

I smile, amused that Hunter seems to have trouble saying what is wrong with Willow; he is very old-fashioned, I think.

Everybody is saying hello, but I cannot catch all their names; I just greet them back, speaking to them as much as I can. I would prefer to speak to one only or two at a time to get used to speaking to boys, but Papa will hate it if he knows that I'm talking to about eight boys now, so I will just do it.

I look at the book Jake is holding; he was reading it when we parked. Reality Is Not What It Seems: The Journey to Quantum Gravity by Carlo Rovelli. I know this book. It is one of my favourites.