Pink Tulips

You'll See - 29

It was the day after Lilly had gotten grounded, and she was laying on the back deck in the warm sun, home alone, barely thinking or feeling. As badly as Lilly wanted to text Rose and suggest that they go out for a walk or a date, she couldn't. Her moms trusted her not to take her phone from their bedroom or to leave the house, and she was going to maintain that trust.

Lilly was just gazing at the clouds with an empty mind and heart, and though she felt little, that wasn't because she was numb emotionally, she just was deafeningly bored. Lilly never found herself to be someone who felt bored, but today was one of those days where all she wanted to do was relax with a movie or her phone or video games...all electronic activities. So since she couldn't do those things, and had no passion or motivation to do anything remotely creative or productive, she was just bored.

"Ugh." Lilly groaned to herself.

"Bluh, blah, argh." She mumbled, childishly making facial expressions at that sky.

So Lilly was really bored. Like extra bored.

"Maybe I should eat something." Lilly thought to herself. That sounded nice, and she did feel sort of hungry, so she got up off of the wooden deck, and walked in through the backdoor and into the kitchen. Lilly opened the fridge and stared at it. Her eyes and mind blank, until a moment later she shook herself back to focus.

"Gosh, today is weird." She thought as she looked for something to eat.

"Ooh pizza." Lilly grabbed the plate with pizza covered in saran wrap, took off the plastic, and put it into the microwave.

60 seconds.

48 seconds.

33 seconds.

21 seconds.

16 seconds.

9 seconds.

2 seconds.

"Beep!" Lilly stopped the timer just as it hit 1 second. It was just something she always did.

"Mhmm..." She took her pizza and sat down at the dining table to eat.

A few minutes later she was finished, and just as she was placing her plate in the dishwasher, she heard a frantic collection of quick paced knocks at the front door.

"Coming!" Lilly hollared as she walked to the door. She opened it, just to see Rose. Her Rosie. The Rosie her parents hadn't disallowed to come over for that week. If Lilly hadn't invited her, then she was allowed.

"Hah!" Lilly taunted her moms in her mind, before guiltily running that thought out of her head. She shouldn't let Rose stay long, it was still against her punishment in essence.

"Rose, what's up?" Lilly noticed that Rose looked a bit down, in mood not direction, and had a worried expression.

"Well I just...something's happened. Could I please come in?"

"Sure thing." Lilly instantly let Rose in, and the pair, for the second time, sat at the bay window to talk about Rose's feelings.

History had a cruel way of repeating itself.

"Why didn't you answer my texts?" Rose asked, hurt.

"My parents grounded me for the week. No going out without them, no phone. I'm sorry I didn't let you know but I didn't want to push my luck with getting such a light punishment by asking to use my phone again." Lilly held Rose's hand.

"Oh, well I'm sorry for suggesting you sleepover. I didn't think about how you'd get into trouble."

"It's fine, really. It was my choice to stay. Anyways, what's wrong?"

Rose brushed her hair behind her ear and was silent for a few moments, before looking to Lilly and telling her what had happened.

Lilly was shocked. She was desperately sad and upset on Rose's behalf, but also enraged with how her grandmother, her own family, had treated her. She was so cold.

"I can't believe that happened to you sweetie. I'm so sorry." But even though Lilly was angry, she knew Rose was going through so much that she couldn't let her own feelings out.

"Thanks...I just don't know what to do. I love her so much and just wanted her to support us but...but..." Rose was flandering for words, and just began to cry into Lilly's shoulder.

"Rosie...it'll be okay, you'll see." Lilly embraced Rose with all of the love and gentleness she could muster, wishing she were a sponge and she could take away her pain.