Ophelia's Tales

Prologue: Felix

~2032~

Parties have never been my thing. I always end up just standing against a wall, looking at my phone, hoping my friends will get bored soon so we can go to a fast food and have some real fun. When my phone gets too boring, I stare at all the people pretending to have a good time. I see the girl moving her hips to her own beat like rhythm is totally foreign to her, the guy in front of her looking at her like he likes what he sees, the couple sitting on the couch who kiss in between watching two videos on the girl's phone, and I see my friends talking to two guys who go to school with us but will forget about our existence on Monday morning when we see them in math class. I have always been good at noticing things, it's a thing my mother taught me. "The most interesting aspects of life happen right under our noses, you just have to be smart enough to catch them," she used to say when I would ask her why she always closes her eyes in places she hasn't been before. "The smells, the way you feel, the temperature, how a room tastes, you don't feel those things if you don't pay attention to them." So, I make sure to get a feel of every room I walk into, and I am never bored; the second I run out of things to do, I close my eyes to try and see how the room smells or tastes, how I feel in it, or how I could describe it so someone whose never been here would feel it too. This basement smells like smoke – all kinds – and everything is sticky, even the air. Too many people in a small place. That's how I feel, like I don't belong. Maybe, if I leave, the others will feel better, they'll have to share the air with one less person. I could go outside, clear my lungs of all the toxic smoke I inhaled.

"Hey, why aren't you with the others? Ophelia, right? I'm Felix." He's cute. I know him, he's in my advanced English class. Soccer player since elementary school, he would probably remind my mom of my father. Only thing I know is that he breaks the cloud of smoke that was enveloping me with his bright smile. We've never talked before, probably because we don't hang with the same people, but right now, I don't care if he snobs me Monday morning. I don't even care if he decides to leave five minutes into our conversation.

"Why aren't you with the others? Isn't this like your best friend's house or something?" He chuckles. "Yeah, I guess I should mingle or whatever, but I'm kind of choking with all this smoke, you wanna go talk outside?"

"Should I? You're not going to take me into a weird backyard shed?"

"No, but there is a really nice swing back there." He winks. It amazes me for the only reason that I am completely unable to. I asked my dad to teach me many times, but my eyes simply want to copy what the other does. No way one will stay open if the other closes.

"One question before." He nods, encouraging me to continue. "Do you like hockey?" His brows scrunches, wondering why a fifteen-year-old asks a boy that.

"Not particularly, why?"

"Good answer. You lead the way?" 

Welcome back to The Tales' universe!! I am really excited to dive back into those characters that I have missed so much. I didn't realize, but when I started writing down ideas I had for Ophelia's story, I noticed that I missed Ben and Eleanor a lot, so I am happy I allowed myself this little pleasure, because I hope this is what this book will be: a little bonus for all of you who read this series that is about to become a trilogy! Crazy right? 

I hope you enjoyed this short prologue, but bear with me for updates that will probably more spaced in time than they were for the first two books, university's killing me ahahah. 

Love you all! Don't forget to vote and comment, it shows me you're enjoying this book as much as I love writing it, 

Alexandra xx