Chapter 1

The mic echoed again as everyone was now alert and attentive to the professor who was speaking. Professor John stared into the crowd with his large glasses. 

"Good, now that I have all your attention, I can go on with whatever I have to say," he said with a smile on his face. Rose smiled too. She was so excited as she looked at her friend, Emily. Emily smiled too while she gently squeezed Rose's hands. Everyone was in a celebrating mood as the students of Chester College were gathered in that hall today,about to graduate. It had been Rose's lifelong dream. 

"I can't believe it. We made it.!!!" Rose leaned into her friend and gave her a mini scream. 

"I know right, all our hard work and tirelessly reading finally paid off" Emily said to Rose. Rose nodded, she couldn't believe it herself. She remembered the first time she walked into the college. It must have been when she was about eighteen or so. Back then, it looked impossible at first but she also remembered her father holding her hand and telling her she could do it as long as she set her mind to do it. She sighed. It was a pity he died before she could graduate.

"Hey. Rose. Everyone is with their family here, where is yours? Where is your mother and your little brother? Aren't they coming anymore?" Emily said with a raised eyebrow. Her question brought Rose back to reality. 

She was right, wasn't mother and Michael supposed to be here by now? How long will it take for them to make it down here? 

Rose took a deep breath and exhaled as she looked at her friend's face. 

"I'll go make sure they haven't lost their way here, Why don't you save my spot, I'll be right back, okay?!" Rose said nicely.

Her friend, Emily nodded as she gestured her to leave and with that, Rose Lugard stood up from her seat and turned to leave. 

She tried not to cause too much distraction as she walked through students and their parents on her way out. Some gasped, some rolled their eyes, some were polite while the rest acted out as to why she was disturbing them. Regardless, Rose thanked them and each time she felt someone was about to be annoyed, she quickly apologized immediately. She was not about to get into any fight on the day of her graduation. Today was going to be her best day and nothing would stop that from happening.

Once Rose was outside, she stood at the gate for a while waiting for her mother and brother but she couldn't find them.

"Arrggghhh. What is taking them so long?" She asks out loud. She was about to pull her phone out when someone called out her name. "Rose?!!!!! Is that you?!! You look so beautiful in your graduation gown!" The voice said. Rose Lugard immediately turned to see who could have known her in that place. 

She expected to see someone she knew but she didn't. It was just a guy that belonged to one of her classes. She couldn't even remember his name but she had to be polite.

"Hello there, how's the graduation day going for you?" She said to the stranger. He smiled widely as she could even see his teeth. She watched as he reached close to her and adjusted her graduation hat. She wanted to step back but managed to act indifferent. She waited for him to finish and then gave him a smile.

"Thank you so much for that. I was really hoping my hat would fit! You're a lifesaver" she said with a smile again. The stranger smiled back as he bowed. "I am always at your service. I don't know if you remember my name but I am Max. I use to be in the same class as you but I'm sure you never noticed me" he shifted his gaze to the people near them and then back to her.

He was right, she had barely noticed him but that wasn't the place to argue and so she simply nodded.

"I'd love to catch up sometime, if you let me–that is." Rose nodded as she watched him take out his phone to get her number. He got her digits and thanked her. 

"Are you waiting for someone?" He asked as he was turning to leave. Rose nodded. She explained that she was waiting for her family. "Mine is over there. If that's the case, I'd leave you to it while I go take a picture with mine. See you when I see you, Rose. Happy graduation!!!" He said to her as he waved to her. Rose nodded again as she watched him leave.

The stranger had a wonderful physique that she noticed. He looked handsome and tall but as she was about to assess other features, her phone rang. 

"Mother, where are you?... I've been at the gate for close to thirty minutes now. Where are you and Michael?" She asked angrily. Rose paid attention to what her mother was saying over the phone as she heard her mother say she was almost there.

"Hurry up, mother. You guys and I need to take pictures. The photographers are almost leaving. Hurry!!" She resounded again. Her mother said she would join her in a few minutes and with that, Rose Lugard hung up the phone. She leaned forward as she looked outside the gate. 

Other people's families were taking pictures and she wanted that for herself. Something to remember this moment with. She watched as other families posed, she assumed those poses as well. She even mentally picked a photographer who would snap them when her family got there. Everything would be perfect. Yes!! 

Rose waited for a couple of minutes and still couldn't find her Mother and so she picked her phone up again to call her mother but as she did so, she saw someone waving from across the street. The person called out her name.

Rose had makeup on and refused to wear her glasses so she couldn't see, but after squinting and carefully listening to the voice, she made it out to be her mother.

"There is no need to call!! We are here already. We'll be there soon, just hold on" the woman across the street said.

Rose suddenly started getting excited. Her family was here. She jumped up in excitement as she saw her little brother too. Michael hadn't seen her yet and when he did, he jumped. 

The street outside her school was busy as cars, buses, trucks, bikes, lorries and all manners of vehicles passed through that route on a daily basis. The government had begged everyone to adhere to the pedestrian crossing and timing as many People usually died on that street but that wasn't a problem for Rose Lugard. Her mother was a careful woman and her mother was holding her brother —--or so she thought.

Rose lifted her gaze from the floor as she soon saw with her eyes how her brother pushed off his mother's hand and ran into the road. She watched as her mother screamed and called him back but the four year old boy ignored his mother's calls and excitedly ran to his sister. He ran into the street while the lights were red and the cars were still passing. Rose Lugard tried to stop him but before she could let out a scream, she saw a truck hit her brother and watched as her brother's body flew from where he stood to the other side of the road.

Everything happened so fast as Rose pulled off her heels and ran into the road to where he laid. She didn't even see the car that was coming before her. Her mother tried to call her attention but when she looked back, it was too late.

"Oh no" She gasped as she closed her eyes waiting for the expected.