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The Complex Art of Rosie 53
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
The Complex Art of Rosie Prologue
Introduction"She's a little different than people, maybe even a little slow but she is a good person and has done nothing wrong here, officer."Rosie fiddled with her fingers, not tearing her gaze away from her hands. She didn't have the courage to look up and meet anyone's eyes."Maybe you shouldn't call her slow," Anthony murmured softly, speaking to his best friend in a quiet voice although he knew Rosie could still hear them talking about her. Rosie was used to hearing people talk about her, making assumptions and judgments, having opinions formed on her before even being spoken to directly.Tamara sighed. She bit the inside of her cheek as she looked at her cousin, Rosie. "I'm sorry. It's just that I know she's a little... odd. I can assure you she means no harm nor has she done anything wrong." Tamara tried to convince the officer to drop any charges against her cousin, who had been caught 'breaking into' a library. But that wasn't the full story.The officer narrowed his eyes,
The Complex Art of Rosie 1
The Art of Making ConversationRosie 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. "Anth
The Complex Art of Rosie 2
How to Explain Myself?Rosie stood outside the bar, clutching her wallet close to her chest. Her body felt the need to start shaking uncontrollably.She knew going out was a bad idea, especially knowing she would have to meet new people. Her cousin was the only person who knew how to deal with the way she is. Anthony was an exception because he knew well enough how Rosie was, although she never spent much time with him. He had just been around long enough to see for himself how complicated Rosie may be, which made him more lenient and patient with her.Rosie wasn't necessarily comfortable around him, she wasn't comfortable around anyone really. She was just comfortable enough, knowing that he didn't get weirded out by her anymore; knowing that he didn't have high expectations from her because he knew what to expect, based on how much of her he had seen along with what Tamara explained to him.Rosie struggled to open any app on her phone, her hands trembling as she clutched onto her ph
The Complex Art of Rosie 3
What You Think of YourselfRosie 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 sle
The Complex Art of Rosie 4
Easy to Tease"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 sil
The Complex Art of Rosie 5
How They View You"Where are you going?" Rosie walked out of her room to see Tamara sliding on her coat and some boots."To a frat party. Want to come?"Rosie laughed at the question. She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the wall.Tamara made a face at her as she stood up straight after zipping up her boots. "It could be fun, Rosie. Everyone will be too drunk to care whether or not you respond to them."Rosie's face fell, her arms falling to her sides as her posture straightened. Tamara's words felt like a blow to the face."Shit," Tamara's eyes went wide, horror flashing across her face when she realized how harsh her words sounded. "I'm so sorry, Rose. You know I did not mean it like that."Rosie sucked in her lips, feeling her chest grow heavy. She walked past her cousin and headed into the kitchen, her shoulders suddenly feeling heavy. She knew Tamara didn't mean her words with a bad intent but they still struck a nerve. Tamara didn't need to admit it for Rosie t
The Complex Art of Rosie 6
Cordial CompanyJust as Rosie had expected, the next morning was tedious. Tamara spent all morning sitting with her head ducked in the toilet bowl, vomiting her insides out. Rosie held her hair back and offered her water, just waiting for her to get all of the liquor out of her system. Tamara remained annoyed while being bratty. Her hangover was causing her to be much more of a pain in the neck than Rosie was willing to tolerate."I'm sorry," Tamara grumbled out, lifting her head off the toilet seat. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "I was a bitch yesterday."Rosie sighed deeply. She didn't want to get into this conversation again. "It's fine, Tamara."Tamara shook her head which only led to her groaning loudly from the throbbing in her skull. "No, it's not fine. I need to be more mindful."Rosie dropped Tamara's hair that she was holding back and moved to the sink to wash her hands. "I'm going to go make you a disgusting smoothie that will make you feel better."Tamara
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The Complex Art of Rosie 53
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
The Complex Art of Rosie 52
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
The Complex Art of Rosie 51
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
The Complex Art of Rosie 50
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
The Complex Art of Rosie 49
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
The Complex Art of Rosie 48
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
The Complex Art of Rosie 47
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
The Complex Art of Rosie 46
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.
The Complex Art of Rosie 45
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
