A Winter StormTamara raced into the emergency room that was completely packed. With the weather being this bad and the conditions of the roads, it was no surprise that the hospital was filling with patients by the second.Anthony followed behind Tamara as she ran over to the reception desk.Anthony was at their apartment when the power went out so he had stayed there. All night, Tamara was panicking while Anthony also remained silently concerned. She had been texting and calling Rosie all night but had never gotten a response since Rosie didn't have any cell reception so she didn't receive a single message.A few hours later, Tamara had gotten a phone call from first responders. She was Rosie's emergency contact.Her and Anthony raced to the hospital, taking longer than usual because of the terrible road conditions."Ma'am, I need you to wait in the waiting room. She hasn't woken up yet. They're running some tests so it may take some time."Tamara gaped at the nurse with wide eyes. "
The Peacefulness of NumbnessRosie couldn't stop thinking about Anthony. She didn't know if it was her concussion or her mind unravelling from thinking about Anthony nonstop that was causing her head to hurt.She spent the next two weeks mostly in bed. She was sore and achy all the time, her head constantly hurting. She couldn't even read a book or sketch without her head starting to hurt after half an hour.Anthony had stopped by briefly to check in on her a few times. Even Aatalo and Ryder stopped by to see how she was doing.She knew it was impossible to avoid Anthony, nor would it be fair to him. This time he was the one who seemed to be distant.Anthony was struggling with his own increasing feelings towards Rosie. He wasn't naive, he knew he was falling for her hard. He felt lost on what to do because every time he thought they were making progress, she would start to pull away. At this point he was afraid of just losing her as friend. He thought the more he tried, the more it w
Nothing to SayFor the next few weeks, Rosie hardly heard from or saw Anthony.She walked into her apartment after work one night, Anthony sitting on the couch watching the tv with his and Tamara's textbooks and course work sprawled across the coffee table in front of him.Rosie halted in her tracks. Her heart started racing, her mind going blank, while her body felt frozen. This was the first time she was seeing Anthony in a few days. They hadn't talked properly since the day she had gotten home from the hospital. That was Anthony's made it pretty obvious that he had feelings for her.Anthony looked up when he saw her walk in. He cleared his throat, sitting up straighter. "Tamara just went around the block to pick up some pizza."Rosie nodded her head slowly, walking to the living room.An uncomfortable silence lingered in the air above them.Rosie didn't quite understand why things felt so tense. It was as if Anthony had flipped a switch and turned himself back into a stranger - and
Unforeseen ComfortRosie inhaled deeply, holding the crumbled page above the water, ready to throw it in the lake and get back to her usual lonesome routine."So much for saving the turtles."Rosie snapped around to see the last person she was expecting to run into right now.She blinked. For a moment she thought she was hallucinating."Blaze?"Blaze's usual smug grin rested on his face as he walked towards her, his hands shoved into his jacket's pockets. "You could just throw the paper in a garbage bin instead of polluting the lake, you know?"Rosie slowly retreated her hand back, staring at him in bewilderment. She didn't know if she was more confused by his concern for pollution or the fact that he was here to begin with. "What... are you doing here?"Blaze stopped beside her, turning to stare out at the lake as he leaned against the wooden banister. "Catching lake polluters, obviously."Rosie took a step back, continuing to gape at him in confusion. Blaze was at complete ease, bli
A Needed PushThe next few days were hard for Rosie. Although it was unspoken, Rosie just knew that whatever bond she had been growing with Anthony, it was over.She noticed Tamara had been going over to her friend's houses a lot more, almost like it was an excuse for Anthony not having to come to their apartment. She had hardly seen him and the very few times he was at their apartment with Tamara, he avoided her gaze and didn't speak to her, with nothing more than a head nod to acknowledge her.Of course, Rosie didn't have the backbone to say anything to him even if she really wanted to. When all she wanted to do was muster the bravery to say anything to him, she stopped herself, telling herself this was happening for a reason and it was better off.She couldn't get him out of her mind. She couldn't help but feel hurt and disappointed that like she had assumed, he stopped bothering with her.It hurt that it was coming from him. It hurt more than it would if it were anyone else.She s
CritiquedRosie dragged her feet into Tamara's car, already filled with dread. She had been dreading this day all week.Tamara could easily tell how unhappy Rosie was to go to Aatalo's. She didn't know it was because of Anthony, she assumed it was just Rosie being her usual self and not loving such social events. Because she could sense Rosie's mood, she hid her own happiness about Rosie coming.For the first time, Rosie wasn't thinking about all the people she'd have to interact with and be awkward around as they drove to Aatalo's. The only thing on her mind was Anthony and if he would speak to her tonight. She already knew he wouldn't so she didn't bother getting her hopes up.Aatalo's loft represented his personality perfectly. It was open concept and industrial; an unplastered brick wall, a steel staircase, concrete floor, a black ceiling. It was modern and raw with the structure exposed. The loft was furnished with sleek dark grey and black furniture, classy and clean. The few po
House-WarmingRosie sat in Aatalo's art studio for a long time after he and Michael had left. She was too breathless and amazed by what had just happened to get up right away. She needed a long moment to process everything.Eventually she did head back into the party.When she walked back into the main area of the loft, she glanced around the room to spot her cousin. There was a massive smile on her face that she was unable to control. She needed to share the news with Tamara, it was the only thing she could think to do.Her eyes finally landed on Tamara but they didn't stay there long.Tamara was standing with her friends - Madison, Josephine, Ryder, and Anthony.Rosie's smile fell off her face faster than light. The heaviness in her chest that was just joy had quickly turned into pain.She didn't know it would be this painful to see him. She knew it would suck, she just didn't imagine it would hurt this badly.Although nothing had technically gone down between them, it still felt li
Last Day3 WEEKS LATER"Last day." Simon frowned.Rosie couldn't help but smile. "Keep travelling, my friend."Simon scoffed but grinned. "You're the only who's really travelling. I'm just stuck travelling while-""While never moving your feet," Rosie finished for him.Simon laughed lightly, pulling Rosie in for a hug. "I'm proud of you, Rose."Michael fell in love with all of Rosie's artwork. He hadn't been this impressed with anyone's work in a long time. Rosie's confidence had boosted more than she thought was possible because of this. She felt proud of herself in a way she never had before. Michael had set Rosie up for possibly one of the biggest opportunities she would ever get in her life. There was an art study abroad program in Paris - the place known for art. While she would spend the next two years getting her degree at the Paris College of Art, she would also be interning with some of the most prestigious artists and art galleries in Paris.It was a huge opportunity that wo