Snow Princess

Chapter 28: Rudely interrupted

"Have a seat." Adisa said as I came through the studies. "We have a lot to discuss and it doesn't seem like these men will say anything to you."

I looked at everyone around the room who were sitting all in guilt and shame. My eyebrows furrowed together and I felt as if my whole stomach was about to puke out what I just ate. It was that serious. 

I went to sit in the chair next to where I saw Roman sitting and Adisa smiled. "I love young love." She said with a sing song voice. "You both look so good together. But I'm sure you have heard that a thousand times already. 

I smiled, shaking my head. "As much as I think we look good together, others haven't really said things as kind as you have Ms. Adisa." 

"Well, they should." She said reassuringly. "Now, there are things you have to know that I think you already feel like you know. Do you know what I am talking about dear?"

I shook my head, very confused to all the riddles that I was being thrown and all the weirdness that had taken place ever since I got here. 

"Well for starters this school isn't..." She was cut off by Mrs. Salazar who walked into the studies abruptly. 

"Are you sure you want to that Adisa?" She said with the nastiest face.

"We have to tell the child in some way? Even if it's just this."

"That would expose everything!"

"I love how you both are talking like I'm not right here..."I said matter-of-factly. 

They both looked at me and their eyes burned into my skull. My eyes only grew wider. "What is this school?"

"This school is ancient." Mrs. Salazar said. "It's filled with a lot of different things that are not meant for you to go snooping into. I've noticed you keep getting into things that you shouldn't be and I can see where the other faculty stand in trying to explain things to you. I don't agree with this whole arrangements. Quite frankly I wish they would just leave me all the responsibility in taking care of you and for us to go back to Virginia." 

I looked to Adisa who looked flustered. "I'm sorry child, do you mind if me and Mrs. Salazar and Mrs. Clabourg have a small meeting?"

"Not at all ma'am." Is all I could let out. I was really disappointed. I felt as if there was nothing but secrets that were entangled here and my heart was itching to know what. 

Roman took my hand and we left with voices of disagreement happening in the room behind me. There was tension in the air and I could feel my heart aching for answers to what really was going on. 

"Hey beautiful, why don't we take a walk. I have something to show you." Roman said smiling down at me. 'His smile could cure everything', I thought. I smiled back to him and nodded softly. 

"That sounds like it's much needed."

"For both of us." He agreed.  We started to walk down a path of brown farther away from the house. I could see piles of snow which were brushed off to the side, so that people would be able to pass. "When things aren't good. I like to take a walk down this way. Everyone knows about this path but not many like to walk too far from the house."

"Why is that?" I asked Roman.

"Do you remember when they said you couldn't come out in the hours of one and four in the morning?"

"I do." I said as I brushed my fingers up Roman's arm which made him shiver a little bit. I almost let out a giggle. 

"Well, there was another kid that came out here alone between those hours. He had a rough night that night. He was one of my friends actually. Almost like a brother to me. He would wrestle Gabe all the time and smash food into my face, flirt with all the girls, and made all the guys jealous. He was a phenomenal person but he had a slight anger problem. Actually, do you remember how Fallon had a boyfriend here?" I looked up at him and nodded. "Well he was Fallon's boyfriend before the other one. Well they dated for a short time and Fallon hasn't been the same since this happened." 

"What happened Roman?" I said a little desperately. I could tell he was kind of dragging on the story. It was like he wanted to tell me the story but had a hard time telling it. I didn't want to pry but he was telling me something about this place that I didn't know before and I wanted to know some truth. 

"Well, that one night that he was out in this path. Something happened which we all don't really understand till this day." He sighed, a little defeated. " He disappeared. Everyone tried to look for him. A search party, a warning across the whole land but no one saw, heard, or knew where he had gone. I was crushed. So, everyday I would come out here looking. I saw a rose bloom one day and something inside of me thought to do this. I came back everyday and planted a rose. Of course, no one knew of this. I actually have had plenty of strikes for being out late like I did. But I also couldn't share it with anyone. It was in hopes that one day my friend would come back and he would see how much I missed him and for how long." 

Roman stopped walking. I hadn't paid too much mind to where we were heading just listening while looking down at the path. I then realized we were where we needed to be and I lifted my head up in complete shock. There was a whole field of roses that looked like it stretched out fields long. My mouth hung open in wonderment. This was so beautiful and so sad at the same time. I was in complete loss of words. 

"It's been a year and a half now but I spread out all the roses a part so that when they flowed they had enough space."

"How do they survive in this cold?"

"I take care of them and they are the ones that can survive here. It's really magical to be honest with you. They call it the weeping rose because of the way the flower hangs. Kind of like when they start dying, like in beauty in the beast. Have you watched that movie?"

"I love that movie!" I exclaimed. "But that is amazing. That name fits them well. wow." I bit my lip. "Thank you Roman, for showing me this." I felt honored because he said he hasn't shown anyone this. He was a beautiful soul.

"Of course, I felt the need to for some reason." He then let go of my hand and bent down to pluck a rose down from the ground and stood back by me and gently raised the flower in front of me. "For you. Because you've made me miss him a little less."