The Subway Short Story Essay

[and you can want who you want boys and boys and girls and girls] Sansa hated the busy streets of New York City. After a long day, there was nothing she appreciated more than a hot cup of tea (preferably the strawberry oolong that Joff bought for her twentieth name day) and absolute silence. Her sister’s frequent visits made sure to ruin that, and the incessant honks and beeps from the streets below their building didn’t help. And the worst part about the Big Apple? The Subway system. Sansa swore that she saw mice on the train home from work daily.

Not to mention how crowded the cars were, and how the lady sitting next to her two weeks ago most certainly had the bubonic plague. Ironically, it was on the subway that Sansa first saw her. Wavy brown hair, all-knowing smirk, eyes that shone brighter than Times Square on New Years Eve Blank Space [boys girls only want love if it’s torture don’t say i didn’t, say i didn’t warn you] After Sansa meets Margaery, she can breathe again. She feels safe, and it feels like how everything used to be, with Joffery, before it all went wrong.

She feels like she’s living in a world where her parents are alive and well, because there’s no way she could feel so happy, so colorful in the world without them. And then it comes crashing down, like it always does. Margaery starts getting messages from a blocked number. Innocent enough at first, but then the threats and the slurs start pouring in and Sansa realizes that she was dumb, so very dumb to have thought that this would have worked. Of course he would find out eventually. How could she have been so naive?

She pushes Margaery away, locks her heart shut, and stays in her room for as long as she can before work starts calling. She can’t even bear to catch a glimpse of her phone. Missed calls, ignored texts. But it is Sansa’s curse, not Margaery’s, and she refuses to let the other girl get hurt. And she knows that this is the only way. Style [it’s been a while since i have even heard from you i should just tell you to leave cause i know exactly where it leads] Two weeks later, Margaery knocks on Sansa’s door. She knows that she shouldn’t answer, that it will only lead to more pain and heartbreak, but she does anyway.

As much as she hates to admit it, she misses Margaery’s fair arms holding Sansa close, and now, more than anything, she needs someone there to catch her. It’s midnight. Sansa has work tomorrow. She really shouldn’t be letting Margaery kiss her and woo her as the sun gets closer and closer to rising. But there’s something so familiar in the way the Margaery gazes at her, and Sansa memorizes the curve of her lips. There’s no way this can end well. She has responsibilities – work, what’s left of her broken family, watching Big Brother until her eyes close on themselves.

And then Margaery entered her life, and all of those responsibilities crumbled away. For once, Sansa Stark was free. Out of the Woods [the rest of the world was black and white but we were in screaming color] October was the best month of her life. It wasn’t like this with Joffery. No, this, what she had right in front of her, was love. Staying up late, snuggling up next to each other in bed, whispering silly promises into each other’s ears. Making a mess in the kitchen and getting flour all over each other. Walks in Central Park and feeding Margaery her favorite lemon cakes.

The anonymous threats stopped, and the monsters had turned out to be just trees. Sure, they weren’t completely safe yet. Arya didn’t even know about them, which was a miracle, indeed. Sansa’s sister was incredibly perceptive. She was the one who figured out Joff’s secret, she was the one who called the police when Sansa assumed the smoke was nothing. Knowing Arya, Margaery would be subjected to an extremely threatening shovel talk – more than once. But what she had with Margaery, right now, it was heaven. All You Had To Do Was Stay [‘ve been picking up the pieces of the mess you made]

It’s November 1st, and Sansa has not left her bed once. She wishes that she could just forget, take all of her memories of November 1st, and burn them to be lost forever. She doesn’t let Margaery hold her that day, and Margaery can understand, considering the very few bits and pieces Sansa has let slip about Joffery. And Sansa is lost, so lost, because’s she’s been doing so well since November 1st. She met Margaery, and finally found happiness. She had been promoted at work. But she was still picking up the pieces that Joffery had created when he smashed up her life.

Tomorrow is a new day. Shake It Off i’ll make the moves up as i go] It’s November 2nd, and when Sansa comes back from work, there are candles everywhere. In true Margaery style, there’s a platter of lemon cakes, two wine glasses, and a bouquet of roses waiting on the table. By the time they finish their little desserts, it’s already getting dark. Margaery takes Sansa to the top of the Empire State Building, lacing their fingers together like she’s never letting go. The city surrounds them, all flashing lights and clear sky. Sansa leans her head on Margaery’s shoulder, breathing in the fresh air. For once, it’s okay. She can do this. One step at a time.

Shaking off the pain and the heartbreak of the past. Right now, it’s just her, Margaery, and the night sky. She could stay like this forever. I Wish You Would [we’re a crooked love in a straight line down] They’ve been together for four months now. Four months seem like nothing, but it’s been the best four months of Sansa’s life. She used to laugh at the people who claimed that they were in love months into the relationship, but now she knew the feeling in their hearts. The pounding in her chest, baking cookies, watching trashy reality shows and falling asleep curled up next to each other. Love. The year is turning into holiday season.

Christmas at the Tyrells, Margaery promises her, is an event that Sansa could absolutely not miss. She knows that Margaery wants to tell her family about their relationship. She knows that there’s no way that the Tyrells could ever be like the Lannisters. But there’s still fear, hands shaking when Margaery calls her family to announce the news. Sansa wishes, more than anything, that she could have introduced Margaery to her parents. She knew that Caitlyn and Ned would have loved her, and that her brothers would have treated her like family. But it’s too late for that now. Bad Blood [bandaids don’t fix bulletholes you say sorry just for show]

It feels like someone’s crushing her lungs and ripping out her heart. Nothing can explain the missed calls from Joffery that Margaery gets while she’s taking a shower. Sansa’s not one for snooping, but she can’t help herself. Back and forth calls between the blonde boy and her girlfriend sit in Margaery’s call log, and it all clicks. Margaery’s been more protective than usual over her phone, and she hasn’t been staying the night recently. This can’t be happening. Tears fall. It’s been a long time since Sansa’s cried. Margaery’s leaving the bathroom now, white robe wrapped around her shoulders. She looks like a goddess, tousled hair and all.

Maybe this isn’t what it looks like. Margaery could never do this to her. But then she remembers the bruises that Joffery left on her flesh, black and blue. It was hell with him. Margaery reaches her now, wrapping her arms around Sansa, her breath tickling her ear. Babe, what’s wrong, she asks, frowning like she doesn’t already know. Nothing, Sansa smiles, planting a gentle kiss on Margaery’s lips. It can wait. She’s beaming now, putting on a show for her girlfriend. When Margaery reaches for her, she feels nothing. Wildest Dreams [red lips and rosy cheeks say you’ll see me again] In her spare time, she tries to piece things together.

She can’t live like this anymore, cuddling up to the girl she thought she knew. One night, Margaery’s laying next to her, and whispers that she loves her. Sansa feels the words coming out of her mouth, powerless to stop them, knowing that she means none of them. It’s December 31st, and Sansa makes herself promise that she won’t let this go on any longer. It’s January 1st, and Sansa confronts Margaery, feeling her world far apart. It’s January 2nd, and Sansa’s sitting in her apartment alone. Margaery only appears in her dreams. How You Get the Girl [broke your heart i’ll put it back together]

Margaery had told her that she never cheated with Joffery. It was never a thing that she would do, she had insisted. She loved Sansa. And Sansa knew it. But hearing that they had even been in contact in the first place.. it was too much for her. So she decided that it was best if their relationship took a break. It killed her to not have Margaery around all the time. Before it all blew up, they were around each other 24/7. Did Sansa miss her? It was like someone cut a hole in her. Then one night, a knock at the door. Margaery was standing there, yellow and red roses in hand. It was a cold night, and she must have been freezing out there.

She tells Sansa how she must have lost her mind, leaving her here. They make up over chocolate and kisses and Orange is the New Black. I want you for worse or for better, Margaery whispers to her, and Sansa realizes that she would have waited forever and ever for her to come back. This Love [this love is alive back from the dead] Margaery was so close to losing her. There’s no way she could ever do that again. She had been taking their relationship for granted, and when it had been snatched away, she realized how much she loved and appreciated the small moments with Sansa. Their love for one another had almost been forgotten in their fury.

But now that they were together again, Margaery never wanted to lose Sansa again. She meant so much to her. Six months ago, if someone told her that she would be head-overheels in love with a girl she met on the subway, she would have laughed and shook her head. It had snuck up on her so fast. She couldn’t imagine her life without Sansa. I Know Places [just grab my hand and don’t ever drop it] They had met on the subway. Margaery was the one who made the first move by asking a rather surprised Sansa for her phone number. She wasn’t sure about being in a relationship so soon after Joffrey, but, two years later, here they were.