Chapter 2 Petals of a Rose

Rose's Story

Rose was awake at the first ring of her alarm, a sensation so unlike her usual mornings. She was the type to linger in bed way past her alarm. For weeks, she'd been having vivid dreams, leaving her restless and on edge. The dream was always the same: she stood in a shadowy, empty room, the air thick with a tense energy. Suddenly, a fierce wind ripped through, tearing the roof away as if it were made of paper, and in an exhilarating rush, the wind lifted her skyward. It was a surreal experience that she couldn't quite grasp, but it had gripped her imagination all week long, and today, she had to confide in her mother, Sarah. Hiding secrets was not her style, especially not from the one person she trusted the most. After losing her grandparents in a car accident when she was ten years old, she moved in with her mother, Sarah, who suffered from depression, making her unable to care for her daughter for most of her childhood. Although their connection was rocky at first, they figured it out and were now best friends.

As she tossed and turned in her bed, thoughts swirled through her mind-not just about the dream, but also about her place in the world. Why was it that she felt so out of sync with her peers? The whispers and giggles echoed in her head, reminding her of the moments she spent nibbling on her lunch in the bathroom when she heard Nikita and Olivia gossiping about how she was unlike anyone in her family and speculating about how no one knew who her father was. Sure, she resembled her mother with her striking long blonde hair, but those icy blue eyes were a puzzle-an enigma that set her apart from everyone else. No one in her family shared her startling eye color, which deepened her curiosity about the father she'd never known. All she had managed to extract from her mother after relentless questioning was a fragmented story: he had gone to war and never returned.

As she got out of bed to get ready for school, she felt a slight tinge of panic. Falling out with her best friend Liam, on top of everything else going on in her life, was pushing her over the edge. What was he thinking, asking her to be his girlfriend? She loved him deeply as a friend, but taking their relationship any further just felt silly. She could never picture them together. It hurt to see him in so much pain, but she couldn't bring herself to lie to him.

With a sigh, she walked into the bathroom to brush her teeth. Once she was done getting ready, she strolled to the kitchen to make breakfast-toast and some eggs-which she ate hurriedly before sprinting to catch the bus, nearly missing it by mere seconds.

As she got on the bus, she saw Liam look away, sitting at the back with a stoic expression on his face, which somehow made him more handsome. He was tall, with beautiful light brown eyes and a nice smile that could make any girl get butterflies. She wasn't going to try to sit next to him today; every time she did, he changed his seat. Sitting by the door, her mind drifted to the event that had led to this mess. She had just finished a class and was hurrying to the next when she received a text from Liam asking to meet in the school garden.

When she arrived at the garden, she saw him holding a bouquet of roses. It had become a running joke between them for him to give her a rose on her birthday. Her mother once shared the story behind her name: when she was born, her lips were as red as a rose. Liam embraced this story, which led to their tradition of him bringing her a rose each year on her birthday.

As she approached him, she noticed he was smiling nervously, which was unusual for him; he was usually confident and charismatic. She wondered why he was holding a bouquet of roses, especially since her 18th birthday was still three months away. As she approached him, she asked, "What's going on here?" He knelt and presented her with the bouquet. A hint of panic began to rise within her, and that's when she noticed a group of juniors nearby, holding a cardboard sign that boldly read, "WILL YOU BE MY GIRLFRIEND?" Her mouth went dry as she stared at the cardboard in shock before turning to look at Liam, who was still on his knees, smiling at her. She couldn't believe what was going on. From the look on his face to the junior staring at her expectantly, she wanted the ground to open up and swallow her. Dazed and unsure, she could see his mouth moving but couldn't quite grasp what he was saying. In a state of panic, she sprinted out of the garden, running to the bathroom on the third floor, not stopping once to catch her breath. Locking the door behind her, she rushed to the sink to throw up. How could he do something like this? After cleaning herself up, she splashed cold water on her face and stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her cheeks were flushed with embarrassment as she burst into tears.

The loud horn of the bus jolted her back to reality. She sighed and got off the bus, knowing that everyone at school was angry with her for turning him down-especially his jock friends. This prodded her to eat lunch in the bathroom. He had been her childhood friend, and they had been best friends since they were in diapers. She understood boy/girl friendships could be tricky, she just never thought this would happen to them. They weren't supposed to be part of the statistics; they were cooler than that. She groaned as she walked to her class. The classes passed in a blur as she packed up her books to go home.

Suddenly, Liam walked in, causing her heart to drop. He hadn't made eye contact with her in almost two weeks, and it felt like he was approaching her. She tried not to get her hopes up, unsure of what to expect. Pausing, she managed a polite smile, and he returned it before dragging her out of the classroom, away from the glares and whispers of their classmates.

He led her to the empty science lab. As he stood with his back to her, she spoke first. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. You know I would never do anything intentionally to hurt you." He turned to face her and said, "It's fine. I just need more time to get over it. But for now, let's just say hi when we run into each other in the halls; it's getting pretty awkward."

With that, he grabbed the door to leave. But turning around swiftly, she took his hand and pulled him into a tight hug, murmuring, "I miss you terribly." He hugged her back before gently pulling away. "I'll tell my friends not to bother you anymore. It's honestly very childish of them," he said with a smile. "So you can stop eating in the bathroom stalls."

After he walked away, she realized it had taken him almost two weeks to talk to her. Fear crept in as she thought the friendship might never be the same. She missed their playful banter and how he always managed to make her feel better. She knew he also missed her grilled cheese sandwiches, and she decided she would wake up early to make him one tomorrow. She might as well put her sleepless night to good use-might even bake him a cake. Who knows? She giggled to herself as the thought of the vivid dream crept to the back of her mind. She needs to speak to her mother urgently.