Chapter Three

Over the next few days, I went everywhere I possibly could on campus, I didn't want to get lost especially on my first of class come Monday.

After orientation, I would go around and find out where different things and places where. After my in campus tour, I begun to go out of school.

It was weird, the difference between my home and school, it was like two different worlds. There were so many people around, and even more different things to see and do. It was refreshing and addictive. Had I not been out looking for a part time job, I would have spent much more time exploring. But I needed to get looking. By the end of the week, I'd secured a spot for myself in a bookshop not too far from school. I was elated, I guess Lizzy's dream was coming true, just in a different form and place.

The owner, Mr. Henry Potter (funny as that sounds) was a jolly old man who had the bookshop overflowing and had no help around the place because people thought the bookshop creeped them out. For some reason it looked just fine to me, I loved the smell of the old books and I think it was perfect for a bookshop, no need to look all pristine and spacious like a library on campus, I liked it cramped with books and looking like something straight out of the Hobbit. I loved it.

Opposite the bookshop was a cute coffee shop among other shops. My mom had an aversion to coffee, so she didn't allow me to drink it, and the one time I tried it, I hated it. All black and bitter, I never wanted anything to do with it again, I never understood what my brother and father liked about it. But they liked it, so I left them to it.

As I walked into campus, two girls walked right past me, and I swivelled round to look, one of them was no doubt my roommate.

Today her hair was held back in a ponytail, and like before, she had a few strands framing her face. She wore a grey crop top and a short pink and black plaited skirt paired with boots, just different ones. She was indeed tall and beautiful, I was definitely a tad bit shorter than she was.

I stared after her retreating form, she was laughing with her friend, I suppose as they walked out of the gate.

We hadn't talked since my first day. She leaves early, or sometimes she sleeps in and leaves late, and then comes back late, sometimes eleven and sometimes twelve. I didn't even know her name, and I doubted she knew mine...I guess it was best that way, she after all still scared me. I wouldn't want that on a regular basis.

I turned around and came face to chest with a...I lifted my head, a blond curly haired boy with bright brown eyes and a smile. He looked down at me. He looked familiar, but for the life of me, I couldn't remember him from anywhere.

His smile turned into a frown when he realized I was just looking at him with no reaction whatsoever, then as if a light bulb went on in his head, his eyes were filled with realization, and finally mischief as he quirked a brow at me and smirked.

"You don't know who I am, do you?" And before I could reply, he beat me to it. "How would you, you always had your pretty nose in a book, and never made he time to look at the people around you, right Rosie?"

My nose crinkled in distaste at the name. Even though my name was Rosette, my family preferred the childish version of it, and unfortunately everyone picked up the name. I didn't like it, but they called me that anyway, and I just let them be. I knew that once I left, I would be Rosette and that's that, so having someone call me that here of all places, I didn't like it, not one bit.

"My name is Rosette, and I would appreciate it if you would call me that." I stated firmly. He scoffed at that, shaking his head lightly.

"You always were an arrogant little thing, always looking down on anything that wasn't within the covers of your book. Good thing you're a pretty little thing, or no one would even look your way." I frowned, I wasn't arrogant, and I didn't look down on people, I just loved reading.

" I'm not..."

" You can come find me whenever you remember who I am, if you ever even remember who I am." And without he stuttered away past me.

Considering his use of my name and his recognition, it was obvious he knew me, recognized me, but I just didn't know who he was, and that upset me, along with the questions swirling around in my brain.

Was I really arrogant?

Did I really look down on people?

Is that what everyone thought of me all this while?

~~~

I collapsed unto my bed in a heap of confusion and conflicting emotions. It was Saturday and I wanted to call home, but I didn't want to sound like there was something wrong and have them worried over nothing.

I huffed and rolled over, fluffing out my pillow and burying my head in it. I was so frustrated. More so because I always had my family looking out for me and in close range, but now that it was just me myself and I, it didn't feel right, I didn't feel right.

I didn't feel like reading, but reached over to grab a book anyway when the door burst open and my hand stilled mid air. I just saw my roommate going out and she never come back till it's really late, so I wasn't sure who would be in the room. I looked up and found my roommate back, surprisingly. She wasn't with the girl from earlier, but she was there.

"Don't look at me like that, I'm just here to pick something up and I'll leave after that." She sat on her bed after and started rummaging through her drawer.

"I don't know your name" I said, she rolled her eyes at that.

"Sienna" she bit back, still looking for whatever it is that she was looking for. I was surprised, again. I thought she was going to hold off on giving it to me or say something rude or something, anything but offer her name to me like that.

"It's a beautiful name." I said truthfully. She looked up at me. I saw the way the words were sitting on top of her tongue, words that weren't nice, but at the last minute, she seemed to have changed her mind.

"Sure, whatever."

"I'm Rosette"

"Okay" She went back to her drawer and very soon her eyes lit up with excitement. She held up a single gold key with a red string tied to it and squealed like a child.

"This is gonna be fun!"

She jumped up and went running out. I shook my head and turned to the wall, hoping to sleep for a few minutes before I called home. Unfortunately I couldn't sleep. I was restless and unable to get my feelings in check. I was still trying to remember who the guy from earlier was, and that was playing tag of war with my brain, a war my brain was losing.

"Who is he?" I though aloud.

After a few more minutes of tossing and turning, I did the most logical thing and called my brother. He answered on the fourth ring.

"Hey Felix" there was a moments pause.

"What's wrong, Rosie? I know something's wrong." I sighed,maybe I shouldn't have called.

"Maybe I'm just calling to say hi, check up on you and everyone else. Nothing has to be wrong, Felix."

" Maybe, but something is wrong, so what's wrong?" There's no getting out of this one.

" I just miss you guys." He seemed to think over it.

" We miss you too, now what's bothering you, what's wrong? You've been calling throughout the week, so I know it's not just about missing anyone." I sighed.

" I met a guy from home today, he recognized me, by I couldn't recognize him, still can't. I'm trying, but nothing."

" I see, so that's one of the things bothering you, what's the second one?" I face palmed. Does nothing go past him unnoticed?

"He also said some things about me that...well they weren't so nice, but he seemed so honest about it,like it was a popular conception, and if it is true, I just...I feel bad, I guess. If that's what everyone has been thinking about me all this while."

He pondered over it for a moment. Then continued in a serious voice.

"Rosette, you are who you are and who you want to be. Don't let anyone aside from you tell you who you are and make you doubt yourself. Be strong in your perception about yourself, Rosette. Always."

I swallowed, tears clogging my throat. Was it possible to love him anymore than I already did?

"I love you, Felix."

"I love you too, Rosie. Now is that idiot by any chance a curly haired blond?" My mouth dropped open, how on earth did he know?

"How...?"

"Seems like he's the one. It's Jason Clove, he was an absolute jerk when he was still here, was your senior,and he liked you. Had a crush on you and...

" Asked me to go to prom with him!" I gasped, finishing his sentence. I remembered now, surprised I even forgot in the first place.

"Precisely. Now focus on school and don't pay attention to him. He is a sore loser, and I doubt he ever got over you rejecting his proposal to go to prom with him. Stay away from him, keep to yourself and focus on your school books, not just your story books, okay?"

I most definitely didn't like the story book part, so I ended up mumbling an okay.

"Rosie!" That warning growl woke me right up.

"Fine, okay fine. I will." He hummed in response.

"Good" now get some rest, and make sure you're eating right.

The way he said "eating right" and I fell silent immediately, I knew without a doubt that that he was about to give me another lecture, and he knew it too. But of course I didn't give him that chance. Just squeaked a rushed " Sure, good bye." Hung up and threw the phone away like it was on fire.

I grinned once the phone was away and I was sure he wasn't gonna call back. I lay in bed relieved and happy that I called him, and even happier that he was my brother. I stretched out and got comfortable.

I could definitely use the rest.