Spotted in PublicIt had been a few days since the art show. Since then, Rosie hadn't seen Anthony.She was noticing how often he was popping into her mind. She would be occupied doing something and out of nowhere, the thought of him would come into her mind. She tried to ignore it and not read further into it.Rosie fell back into her usual comfortable routine - keeping up with her school work, spending her evenings at work at the library, and spending any other free time busy with her artwork or just reading.In the middle of the week, the library had an electricity problem and all the power had gone out. While the maintenance was being worked on, the library was closed. Since Rosie would usually study at the library, she instead headed to the student centre on campus.She didn't like going to the student centre because it was always packed with many people and she preferred to be somewhere else, where she was more alone and comfortable. Since her next class was starting shortly, th
Distance and ResistanceRosie had only been walking for a few minutes, going back to her apartment. She was a mess, her head all over the place and her body still trembling. She still hadn't fully caught her breath properly.Anthony raced out of the student centre, pushing past people as he glanced around the parking lot to see where she could have gone. He caught sight of her walking away. He was quick to run up to her, placing a hand on her shoulder to stop her."Sorry," he pulled his hand away when she turned to face him. He took only a second to catch his breath.Rosie blinked. She just looked at him blankly, waiting for him to speak. She knew she wasn't going to be able to avoid him. She wanted to melt into the pavement from how embarrassed and pathetic she was feeling but she bit her tongue and tried hard to ignore her unease.Anthony sighed, a frown on his face. His eyes were warm and flooded with sadness and concern. "Rosie, are you okay?"Rosie blinked a few times, pushing aw
Lost InspirationAnthony had only recently become relevant in Rosie's life. The more she saw him, the more she enjoyed his company and missed him when she went a while without seeing him.Rosie kept telling herself that sooner or later he would see how difficult she is, how difficult it is to be her friend. It wouldn't be the first time that someone gave up on her because she was "different".She was afraid of getting more attached to him just to have him also eventually give up on her. The only thing she could think to do was distance herself and stop their connection from building further before he ultimately would decide to leave her life himself. Ruin things herself before they had a chance to potentially get ruined some other way. She thought it was the most rational thing to do to save herself from getting hurt and save Anthony from getting disappointed by her.Rosie spent her weekend staying busy in her room with her painting. She only left her room later in the evening to get
Run-InsThe breeze pricked Rosie's cheeks as she walked through the campus with books in hand. Her head was ducked so she could stay under the radar and avoid running into anyone who may spark a conversation. Her attempt was useless. She looked up when she heard her name being called from behind her."Rosie! Hey."She shut her eyes as she recognized the voice. She wanted to pretend she hadn't heard so she could continue walking but it was too late. She was already spotted.She turned around, forcing a smile on her face as she slowly approached Anthony. He stood with two other guys. One of them was Aatalo who she met at the art gallery. The second boy she recognized from seeing him in the student centre the other day.Rosie looked between the guys, her stomach starting to twist with anxiety. "Hi," she mumbled in a quiet voice that was almost just a whisper.Anthony beamed a smile, glad to see her. He hardly ever spotted her on campus since she didn't hang around much, only going from c
A Full HouseRosie had wanted to say something to Anthony about Blaze. She knew Blaze may have deserved it but she didn't like resorting to violence. Not to mention, it wasn't Anthony's battle to fight nor was it what Rosie wanted. She had dealt with people making fun of her and taunting her her whole life. She could deal with it. She didn't want to care enough about what other people said about her to react in such a way that Anthony did.But she didn't have the heart to say anything to him. She knew his intentions were well and she was grateful that no matter what the circumstances, Blaze was done tormenting her.She also didn't want the excuse to talk to Anthony. Although she felt bad for being a jerk to him and cutting him off like this, it was still the only thing she thought was a smart move for both their sakes."Hey Rosie, you don't mind if I invite some friends over, do you?" Rosie paused pouring herself some coffee, not turning to look at her cousin. "We usually hang out at
You are SerenityWhen Anthony had returned from Rosie's room, Madison, one of three girls was quick to welcome him back. "There you are. What was so interesting in there?"The second girl alongside Tamara was named Josephine."When you said she was talented, I didn't know you meant that talented. She could give me a run for my money," Aatalo laughed lightly."She is," Tamara agreed. "I'm surprised she let you guys in. She's very protective of her art, doesn't like to show anyone."Anthony glanced up. Somehow hearing that made his heart feel full."Your cousin's kind of... weird." Madison rolled her eyes but kept her gaze trained on her nails that she picked up.Tamara narrowed her eyes at her friend. "Excuse me?"Madison shrugged nonchalantly. "What? She's kind of geeky." She glanced towards Anthony who also had his eyes narrowed at her. It was no secret to anyone that Madison had been crushing on Anthony for a long time. She didn't need to know Rosie to bash on her, purely out of jea
Portable Magic"What is this?" Rosie stared down at her phone screen, looking at an e-invite her cousin had texted her."Friends-giving dinner party," Tamara grinned. She leaned against the doorframe of Rosie's room with her arms crossed over her chest.Rosie narrowed her eyes. "Why am I invited?"Tamara rolled her eyes, "Why wouldn't you be? You're not only my cousin but news flash, I consider you my friend, Rosie."Rosie gave her cousin a flat look. "I appreciate the invite but you know I don't fit in with your friends. I'm sure everyone would be more comfortable without me there."Dismissing the invite, Rosie tossed her phone onto her bed and started grabbing her things so she could head out for work soon.Tamara heaved out a heavy sigh, walking further into Rosie's room. She took a seat on the end of Rosie's bed as she watched her collect her things. "I've decided to host thanksgiving dinner at our apartment this year. You've met my friends. We're keeping it small and I know for a
Over DinnerTamara was racing around the kitchen as she tried to get everything ready for her thanksgiving dinner party. She had been rushing and panicking all morning, worried about what she was forgetting and what still needed to be done.Rosie on the other hand, was completely calm as she pulled the pie out of the oven. She was appreciating her calmness that she knew would soon be gone once people started to arrive. Just the thought of all the guests she was going to be with tonight was giving her anxiety.The apartment door swung open as Anthony walked in with his hands full. He was carrying bottles of wine, closing the door with his foot."Happy Thanksgiving friends," he glanced at Rosie, tossing her a smile as she placed the bottles down on the table. "I'm early. What can I do to help?""Check the turkey, please!" Tamara walked around the kitchen table, counting all the plates and cutlery to make sure she had set enough seats.Rosie stepped away from the oven as Anthony walked o