A Wilted Rose- Chapter One

Just a little pre-note, I'm sorry I haven't written much in the past few weeks but I've been writing this. Please comment and vote up! Enjoy!

PROLOUGUE:

I should probably start with what my life used to be like. It was good, it was ordinary, and it was fun. I had amazing best friends.

There is Jessabelle (Jessa for short or just Jess), who is really, really popular even if I wasn’t. She’s kind to everyone and very religious. She likes to sing and play her guitar, and is really good at it. She’s very pretty and loved little kids. She has chocolaty brown hair and coconut eyes that always twinkle when she laughs. Trust me; you never want to see her drinking a Sprite, because that means she’ll go crazy hyper chipmunk on you! She’s a very spunky, outgoing girl.

Then there was Joan. She’s just as pretty as Jessa, but she’s shyer and more sensitive. She’s also very self-conscious, and she doesn’t think she’s pretty when she really is. The weird thing, though, is that she can be really confident about things she’s crappy at, like lying, but really shy about things she’s great at, like drawing or archery or sword fighting. One time, we were talking, and she said to me, “I wish they’d stop doing so many musical for drama club, because I’m an amazing actress (she’s a terrible actress), but a horrible singer (she’s a fantastic singer)!” I just started laughing, and she asked me what was up. She has sandy blonde hair and brown eyes that look kind of like melted fudge with caramel swirls. She has a really exotic face shape that stands out, but it’s a good kind of standing out. Her face is long with defined cheeks and a short chin. Her forehead is highly domed, and when she smiles her face blushes really pink, but in a nice kind of way. I have other friends, yeah, like Syl and Robbie. But they're just not as close as Joan or Jess.

Those were my best friends of all time, and I guess they still are, it’s just a little different now. Well, it’s honestly a lot different now.

You see, I used to have shoulder-length curly blonde hair and blue-green-gray eyes that depended on the light. I used to be 5 5” and 125 pounds. I used to be like that.

But not anymore.

CHAPTER 1

I was walking home from school on an average day. I had my book bag slung over one shoulder as I headed down the busy city street. My hair was up in a ponytail since it had been completely untamed this morning, no matter how hard I raked it with that stupid brush. I had been in a rush, so I hadn’t put on any makeup this morning, either. Jessa had told me I looked awesome anyway, but I knew she was just telling me that to make me feel better. I don’t wear, like, tons of makeup to school every day like the others girls do, but I wear enough to cover up my giant breakouts.

“Hey, wait up Rosie!” Jessa laughed as she caught up with me. “You almost took off without me! What kind of BFF are you?”

“Sorry, Jess,” I sighed. “I’m just really psyched up for summer!”

Jessa paused, concerned. “Are you alright? You don’t seem yourself today. Maybe I should come home with you—”

“No, no, it’s fine, really!” I cut her off. “I’m brighter than ever, see?” I gave her a huge cheesy smile.

“Alright, Rose, you’ve evaded me again,” she raised an eyebrow, “but don’t think you can keep it up much longer!” Jess gave a reassuring thumbs up and entered RONSON’S MARKET, her parent’s family-owned business. There was always tons of fresh fruit and produce there, and I was always welcome. I spent more time over there than I did at my place.

The truth was, Jessabelle has never really seen where I live. It wasn’t because I was homeless or anything…it was just…

Well, it’s a long story, but to put it bluntly, I live alone. I’m a 13-year-old girl, and it’s been that was since I was ten. I had parents, good parents, and they’re still alive. They just kind of left. When I turned ten, they told me it was time to start becoming an adult, so they sent me to live by myself in an apartment. They pay for the rent, utilities, and school, but I pay for clothes, accessories, food, and anything else I might need, like if I was sick and had to go buy some medicine. Of course, if it was serious enough that I went to the hospital, they’d pay for the medical bills.

I don’t think it’s legal, and it probably isn’t, but I don’t care. I enjoy living on my own more than I would with those two jerks. Besides, I’m a minor, and if the police ever found out then they’d blame my parents for leaving me, I hoped. I didn’t care much anymore.

The thing was, I had known Jessa for the three years that I’ve lived in this city, and she’d never been to my house. She didn’t know that I lived alone. It’s started to become kind of like a game to her, but if she ever found out I’d be devastated. She would understand, I guess, I’d just be embarrassed. Besides, who knew how she’d react. I really wish I could tell her, but I was too scared. She’d think I was too young to be living on my own. She’s right. It was scary at first to learn how to live on my own, but I had learned quickly.

I realized I had walked right up to it without noticing. I sighed. It was one of the nicest hotels in the city, and I felt bad that I wasn’t paying for my rent, and that my no-good parents were. But I guess when you’re poor that’s how you have to live. I walked inside to the sophisticated lobby with warm-colored marble floors and fancy chandeliers. They had velvety red couches and chairs, and golden arm stools. It was a very nice hotel.

“Hello, Mistress Rosa, how are you doing today?” The bellhop, Marshall, asked.

“Good,” I replied half-heartedly, thinking about what Jess said.

“Alright Rose, you’ve evaded me again, but don’t think you can keep it up much longer!”

I sure hoped she didn’t find out. That’d be pretty tough to explain. I walked up to the elevator and pressed floor 15. That’s the floor I was on, the highest floor. It’s how I had gotten over my fear of heights. The elevator doors opened, and some fancy woman with a poodle in a leopard print body suit walked out. I know that sounds like I’m stereotyping her, but trust me, she was the typical folk you’d see around here. I’m what people like her call, “riffraff.”

I pressed the fifteenth floor button just in time to see Jessa running towards me.

“JESSABELLE?!” I exclaimed, shocked. Before the elevator door could close, she raced in.

“Hey Rosalyn, what’s shakin’?” she smiled. I knew she was completely serious because she used my full name.

“Jessa, what are you doing here?” I asked, even though I knew the answer.

“Isn’t it obvious? I’m her to find out where you live! And gee, I never thought it’d be this nice,” she looked around at the elevator. It was a 360 mirror, besides the golden framing.

“Jess…” my voice trailed off. I knew I couldn’t stop her, and I couldn’t find the words to say.

“Look Rosie,” Jessa looked me in the eyes, my sparkly blue-green-gray in to her tropical coconut, “I know you didn’t want me to know where you live, but just because you’re rich doesn’t mean I’m going to treat you any different. You’re always going to be my best friend. Besides, I’m worried about you. You spend a lot more time at my house then it seems you do here. I thought your parents were alcoholics or druggies, and they abused you. I guess they’re busy with work and stuff and ignore you instead, though, huh?” she smiled warmly at me.

I didn’t know what to say. She was my best friend in the world and she deserved to know the truth.

“It’s more complicated than that,” I told her. “I’ll explain it all upstairs.”

When the little elevator door opened, we got out. I had butterflies in my stomach, because I knew I was going to have to tell her that my parents abandoned me.

We walked down the hall and I got out my keys and opened the door. My apartment wasn’t particularly nice just because it was in a nice hotel. Other people get the majority of the floor, while I get what’s left over. There was a couch against the wall, with a TV across from it. The main wall was actually a window with a wicked view of the city. There was kitchen with and island in the main room. Then there was a bathroom and a closet. I didn’t have a lot of variety in clothing, so I improvised. I had three t-shirts, four tank tops, two pairs of jeans, two pairs of sweatpants, three pairs of shoes, and five scarfs (they have a two for one sale). I know it may seem like a lot to some and a little to others, but it was what I had and I wore it.

“Oh…” Jessa blushed. She was obviously expecting something fancier. “I mean, it’s so cute! I love it! Do your parents sleep in here?” She opened the door to the closet and blushed when she saw the little amount of clothes I had. Her closet was like a museum because she always went to those cheap thrift stores and spent her weekly chore money. “I guess they sleep here then!” she opened the door to the bathroom and blushed again. The only makeup I had was foundation and blush, both from her for Christmas. She closed the door. Now the only sign that someone was living there was my book bag slung against the couch, some empty coke cans on the coffee table between the couch and TV, and a calendar partially crossed out over the kitchen sink.

“Rose… where do your parents live?” she asked, knowing that it would be a tough question for me to answer.

“I…” I felt sadness welling up inside of me, and I knew if I said it, they would overflow. I said it anyway. “I don’t know.”

And with that, I burst into tears.

~~~

It had been about 30 minutes, and my sobs were reduced to sniffles. Jessa and I were on the couch, hugging each other.

“Rose, I am so sorry,” she sniffled, because she had started crying soon after me, “I had no idea… I never would have come if I’d known.”

“It’s okay,” I sounded all stuffy, “I understand why you did it. You were worried about me. Thank you for that.”

“How long have you lived on your own?”

“Three years.”

“And they’ve never seen you since?”

“Well, they pay for the rent.”

“That’s not what I mean, Rosalyn! This is serious!” She let me go and looked me into the eyes. Her mascara was running, and if I had any on, mine would be too. “Rosalyn, the reason I wanted to follow you home is because I’m moving to Seattle tomorrow!”

I paused, shocked. I didn’t know how to react. Losing one of my best friends?

“That’s great,” I put on a smile. “You’ll meet tons of new friends!”

“R-Rosie…” she looked into my eyes for a moment, and then started crying again.

“Jessabelle, don’t cry!” I urged. “Please, this is a time where best friends shoulder stick together! Come on, you can always visit, right?” She looked up at me again and wiped the mascara off her face.

“Rosalyn, you’re right,” she said softly. “My mom’s going to be expecting me soon… we still have to pack. Meet me at eight, because the plane leaves at nine.” She gathered her stuff. “Thank you so much, Rosalyn, and you have a lovely home.” She closed the door.

I sat there, speechless. I had a lot to process.

~~~

After that was done, I fixed myself dinner, which was just pasta. I didn’t have many pots or pans, but pasta was one of my favorite foods so I always kept a pasta pot and a strainer. I got out a dish and ate.

When I was done, I put it all up and picked out my clothes for tomorrow. I was wearing a pink tank top and gray sweat pants with my boots. I did all my laundry in the basement laundry room, since there wasn’t a laundry chute in my room like there was the other ones.

By that time, it was dark outside. I went over to the window and looked out at the city’s movements. There were cars on the street and lights decorating the buildings, along with posters and ads and interesting little tidbits. There were also people dotting the streets. It was cool to watch them pass by, all of them with their own stories, families, and lives. But none of them were quite like mine.

I went to bed that night thinking about who I could be. a movie star, a fashion model, an air force pilot, a spy, a superhero. I could be anything!