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The Complex Art of Rosie 22
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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Confessions and ConclusionsA few days later, Rosie rolled the last of her suitcases out into the living room. All her belongings from her room were fully packed up and ready to go.As excited as Rosie was for this new chapter, she was also terribly sad. She had grown attached to more things than she could have imagined over the past few months - Aatalo, Blaze, even Ryder. Most of all, Anthony."Tonight's the big night," Tamara walked up to Rosie, standing behind her and squeezing her shoulders. "God, you have no idea how proud of you I am."Rosie turned to face her cousin, smiling sheepishly. "I love you, Tam."Tamara's eyes glistened with tears. "I love you."Just before Tamara had the chance to pull Rosie into a hug, the front door swung open. Both the girls turned to see a frantic looking Anthony rush into the apartment.Bewildered, Tamara sucked in a sharp breath as she slipped past both Rosie and Anthony. She sent Rosie a sympathetic look before quickly and quietly slipping out
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The Unhappy EndingTamara returned home with a huge smile on her face, expecting to walk in to Rosie and Anthony fondling each other on the living room couch. Instead, she walked in to see Rosie clutching her chest, on her knees, broken on the ground as she cried. Tamara couldn't get the sound of Rosie's excruciating sobs out of her head. It haunted her.She sat there on the ground for the next hour, just holding Rosie and allowing her to cry. Rosie spent the hour after that wrapped up in Tamara's bed, quietly sniffling and silently crying. Tamara had never seen anything like this before, never seeing Rosie cry in general.Her heart completely broke for her cousin.By the third hour, Rosie had taken a long shower. Tamara was sitting on the couch when Rosie walked out of the bathroom with her bags in hand, ready to head out."Where the hell are you going?""To the airport," Rosie responded in a robotic voice. She didn't even sound like a human. She had gone fully cold and detached from
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Rosie was in the kitchen eating cereal the next morning, like she would every day. She held the book she was reading in her left hand while she used her right hand to pop spoons filled with cereal into her mouth.The front door of the apartment opening sounded and Rosie knew it was Anthony. He was around a lot, since he was best friends with Tamara. Rosie expected him to show up whenever he wanted, like he always did. She didn't think much of it. She usually did her own thing, staying in her room, not talking to Anthony much.Anthony walked into the kitchen, smiling when he saw Rosie. "Morning, early bird."Rosie looked over her shoulder to see Anthony walking further into the kitchen. He usually greeted her but there was never much more than that. She offered a smile before turning back to her book."Is Tam awake yet?"Rosie shook her head in response, her eyes staying glued on her book.Anthony sighed, not being surprised that his best friend was still sleeping. He hopped up onto th
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Tamara 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. "What tests? Whe
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Tamara 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. "What tests? Whe
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Later in the week, the weather had started to get worse and worse. It was snowing heavily all the time, the wind being so cool it felt like it was pricking at your skin. Rosie had started taking her car to work, it being too difficult to walk in the inches and inches of snow that was piling up.Lately, the library had been more vacant than usual. With the weather this terrible, classes were starting to get cancelled. With it being hard enough to manage the cold and the swirling snow, the library hardly got half a dozen visitors in a day.Rosie slipped off her sweater, grateful for the bubbling heat inside the library building. She leaned back, sitting behind the clerk desk as she read a book to pass time.It was nearing the end of her shift at night when the lights started to flicker. She glanced up, waiting for the flickering to stop.After a few minutes, they did stop.She sighed in relief and turned her gaze back to the book she was reading. But it wasn't before the flickering star
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Tamara 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. "What tests? Whe
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Watch it, mute. You are just mute, right. Not blind too?" Blaze Winters shoved Rosie's shoulder with his own, causing her to stumble and nearly drop all of her books. She was walking through the campus to get to one of her lectures when she had crossed paths with another one of the rude people who loved to make fun of her for being the quiet, non-talkative person she is.Rosie bit down on her lip, hard, to stop herself from croaking out any sob-like noise. She was used to be treating this way but it didn't make it easy.Blaze looked at his friend, Andrew, both of them laughing when Rosie hadn't said anything. She tried to move past them and keep walking."Come on," Blaze sighed deeply, dramatizing the sigh. "Give me something, Rosebud. One little comeback or comment. A little spar."Rosie clutched her books to her chest, keeping her gaze on the ground as she stood frozen in spot. She knew walking away would only make them continue to holler at her. If she stood here silently and let t
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Rosie was sitting at the kitchen island, eating her cereal with one hand and holding a book to read in her other hand.Tamara leaned against the counter across from Rosie, smiling sneakily at her. Rosie placed the book down to look at her cousin. She quirked an eyebrow in a questioning manner, growing suspicious at the look on Tamara's face."So..." Tamara drawled slowly, a nervous smile tugging on her lips. "You want to come out tonight?"Rosie shook her head firmly, swallowing her cereal before speaking. "No."Tamara sighed, her smile falling. "Please come out with me tonight. It'll just be me, Anthony, and one other friend."Rosie's face remained completely straight and blank. "They are your friends. Why do I have to come?"Tamara shrugged, standing straight. She tugged on her fingers nervously, knowing very well that it would be hard to convince Rosie to tag along. "My friends like you, you know that."Rosie narrowed her eyes, scoffing quietly. "Anthony tolerates me when necessary
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ForeverOne Year Later Rosie and Anthony walked down the bustling busy street, hand in hand. The grey clouds filled the sky, the light sound of thundering notifying them that it would rain soon. Anthony smiled down at her. "Maybe I should have stopped at the Louvre or at least the Eiffel Tower last time I was here. Instead, I ran away like a lost puppy." Rosie cocked her head to the side, humming. "a lost puppy would be wandering, not running away. More like a... crab." Anthony laughed. "A crab?" Rosie shrugged, leaning into his side. "A crab would run away if you scared it, right? Or do crabs attack. I don't know." Anthony kissed the top of her head. The two of them stopped when they reached an art gallery. "Here we are." Rosie sighed dreamily as she stared up at the building. "My art is already in there. Tomorrow night, it will be up on the walls for everyone to see." Anthony took both her hands, turning to face her. "Would you ever move back here?" Rosie's eyebrows raised.
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Schemed Evening"This is such a ridiculously terrible idea. He's not even going to show up." Rosie paced back and fourth in Aatalo's loft, shaking her head frantically.Aatalo walked to stand in front of her, placing his hands on her shoulders to stop her. "Rosie, my dear, look at me. Take a deep breath."Rosie listened, staring at him intently as she inhaled deeply.Aatalo nodded slowly. "You have to exhale too."Rosie exhaled. "Right.""Tonight is your first exhibition back home. You're going to win over the cities heart the same way you won over Paris."Rosie wrinkled her nose, shaking her head. "I created a whole new set of paintings in a week. They're not even good."Aatalo sighed, smiling faintly. "They are perfect."Rosie heaved out a heavy breath, walking backwards until she plopped down onto the couch. Panic and concern was flashing through her eyes like a lightning storm. "I don't even care about the exhibit itself. Are you sure Anthony will show up? He hates me, why would h
