a hopeless romantic | r.s

Chapter Six

"I'm kidding," Amy assured, snickering. "It's good to see you guys, too. Even if I was only gone for less than a day."

The realization was a slightly shocking one. It had been less than a day since she'd found Romeo with Laura. Having only known the unchanging atmosphere of her own house her whole life, she had a difficult time processing the fact that something that had happened so recently, felt like it had taken place years and years before.

How had the world fallen out from beneath her feet in such a short time?

"Hey, Yellow."

Amy's pulse hiccuped as she drifted her gaze over all the other newsies, just until it stopped on Romeo and his new girl. "Romeo."

Romeo turned towards Laura briefly, as if asking her for permission to be more than an inch away from her, Laura reluctantly gesturing Amy's way. Amy watched as he shuffled his way over to her, reminding her of a scolded puppy. Well, not that she had seen that many in her life.

"I wanted ta apologize," Romeo said once he was less than two feet away. "It wasn't fair what I did. I didn't mean ta lead ya on."

The words hurt her more than she cared to admit. So, he'd never actually been interested in her after all. She should've known.

"Thank you for apologizing," Amy responded, a knot in her throat. "It's alright. I'll be fine. I'm glad you've found Laura, truly. You... you really love her?"

Romeo turned his head to gaze at Laura, who smiled and nodded at him. "More den anythin'."

More than anything.

She was a fool for thinking she could do this.

"I'm happy for you," Amy choked out.

"Thanks." Romeo shifted his gaze around the room for a moment, looking hesitant. "Wese still good, right?"

"Of course we are," she replied, and she could've sworn she heard the sound of her own heart cracking like glass. "I'll always be here."

"Dat's great!" Romeo exclaimed, even as Laura sent him a cold glare. "Oh, 'n by tha way, I nev-ah thought yer gloves were stupid. I... I don't know why I said dat."

"It doesn't really matter," Amy said quietly. "Everyone makes mistakes."

"Yeah, I guess so."

She felt as though she was losing him, but that was absurd. They say you can't lose something you never had, she thought. I guess that you were never mine.

Oh, how she wished that wasn't true.

The room she was in gleamed with wealth and riches.

Such a flawless environment for such a flawed girl. Pale white walls. Curtains draped over her bed. A wide window, revealing the city of lower Manhattan stretching out into the distance.

It all showed something that wasn't there. Beauty, satisfaction, happiness. Perfection. It was all so deceitful, and she was sick of it. There was a certain brokenness inside that house that no one ever saw. A broken family. A broken home. Cracked and broken, like shards of glass. And so, so very isolated.

Amy shivered at the eerie silence of the place. Things had never been so quiet. Even William had finally gotten the good sense to leave her alone. As for Laura... well, Amy figured the girl was out with Romeo. Not that she had any way to tell. When she was home, they had both resorted to avoiding each other like the plague.

It felt as though she was living with phantoms. The worst part was, she wasn't sure who the phantoms were, and who weren't. Perhaps she was the phantom, cursed to wander around this cursed house for the rest of her desolated, pitiful life.