"Okay." I say, nodding slowly, acknowledging her demand. I grab my backpack and follow her to the basement door. She opens it for me. I look at her tear-filled face, and kiss her tinted cheeks before walking out the door. As I pondered away from her home I realized that I shouldn't have left her. I should've tried to comfort her more and figure out why she did this to herself. My brain won't stop making images of her cutting herself and falling into tears, making me want to fall to tears as well. I mumble "fuck" to myself and shake my head.
As I walk to the bus stop, I become even more worried about Rosie. Why did she have blades? What's wrong in her life? She's always been happy and cheery around me and everyone else. I just don't get it. I don't get it at all.
I get home and sit down to eat dinner with my parents. Spaghetti and green beans.
"Did you have good classes today?" My mom asks.
"Yeah. But Mom can I be excused please." I say. I don't give her a chance to reply, and just stand up and leave for my room upstairs. I do my homework after i rummage for a pencil, and finish almost four hours later. It takes me so long because I always get sidetracked easily, and I can't stop thinking of Rosie. I'm so worried. I hadn't seen her cry in a year and that was just because she broke her arm. This was different. It was more serious, life threatening. I just need to find out what's making her do this to herself. I care too much about her to just leave her alone and let her cry by herself.
*buzzing noise*
I look over on my bed to see my phone lit up. It was Rosie.
can I come over Harry
yeah of course you can,I texted.
good because I'm already on my way.
I put all the dirty clothes that were on my floor into a hamper, and put on a sweatshirt. I hear a knock on the door, so I scream that i got it so my mom doesn't answer. I run down the stairs and open the door.
There Rosie was, eyes bloodshot and bags under her big blue eyes. Her wavy brown hair was tucked behind her ears. "C-come in." I stutter, and shut the door behind her.
I walk up the stairs, quiet, with Rosie behind me. She clasps her small hand into mine as I lead her to the privacy of my bedroom. We sit down next to eachother against the headboard. Everything was quiet besides the noise of the air conditioning of my vents.
She squirms closer to my side. "What's wrong Rosie. It's okay to tell me, I'll understand. I promise." I say softly.
She moves and sits diagonal to me. She lifts up her sweatshirt and exposes dark bruises and blotches all over her torso. She starts to cry as she puts the sweatshirt slowly back down. I was speechless. I lean forward to comfort her and hold her. "There's some more." She mumbles with her head on my shoulder.
I maneuver her onto my thighs as I sit back on my headboard. She lays her head in the small space between my neck and shoulder. "When I was little," She says, squirming her bottom in my lap.
I wrap my arms around her and connect them at her stomach, but I be careful because I don't want to hurt her. "My dad would molest and abuse me constantly," She pauses. "He wouldn't give me a break." She mumbles.
"Whenever I did anything wrong he'd beat me and lock me in our bathroom until I agreed to touch him." She explains. "I was really hoping to go to a college that wasn't just seven blocks away from my parents home. Or stay at a dorm. But no that never happened. So the abuse never stopped."
"Rosie I had no idea." I mumble in disbelief and sadness. She stops talking for a while, and we just sit there together... Thinking about everything. Processing everything. I come to the conclusion that if she, or I, don't do something to stop this that it will just keep happening. "Rosie you have to tell the cops or someone." I tell her.
She sits up, bringing her head out of the small space and looks at me. Her beautiful blue eyes, shimmering with tears and filled with fear as soon as I said that. "No!" She yells, frustrated.
"Why?" I say.
"Harry you just don't understand! You don't and never will." She says, looking into my eyes, concerned.I lightly nod, and pull her back down onto my chest.
"Do you feel safe?" I ask softly. There was a pause.
"No." She mumbles lightly.
"Stay here tonight. With me." I say, grinning and hoping she doesn't reject. I just want her to know that I'm here for her and I will do anything to keep my best friend safe. She's the only thing that makes me smile and laugh and is hate to get that removed from my life. Rosie is like a sister towards my little sister, and it makes me love her even more that she treats her like that.
She's quiet for a moment. "Harry," She says, and I notice that it wasn't the most agreeing tone I've ever heard. "Harry that would be a little weird wouldn't--"
"Not at all." I smile and move her off my lap to beside me. I stood up and walked around the bed to where she was sitting.
"Do you need anything Rosie?" I say with my hand on her thigh.
"No I'm fine." She flashes a fake smile and then looks down at her fumbling fingers. I nod and walk to my bathroom to get ready for bed. Brush my teeth, put on a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie. I walk out of the bathroom and check on Rosie who was sprawled out across my bed. I smile, and go downstairs to the kitchen. I look around, my parents had gone to their bedroom, so I silently walk into the kitchen and make some tea.
I go around the corner to the stairs with both teas occupying my hands, and see Rosie walking down them.
Rosie's POV
I see Harry with two mugs in his hands at the bottom of the stairs as he stares at me.
"I was um, uh," I stutter, getting pink. "I-I was going to the couch."
He walks up the stairs and stops at the one under me, and for once I was the same height or maybe a centimeter taller than Harry. He has always been really tall and muscular, unlike me.
"Why?" He asks, shrugging his shoulders. "Rosie it's fine. We are just friends and nothing more, go back into my room and get comfortable." He smiles, moving his shoulder directing me to the bedroom.
"It's fine." He assures me as soon as he sees the emotion in my face. I awkwardly turn around and walk back into Harry's dimly lit room. He sets down a tea on the bedside table and puts his large hand on my back and around my side to direct me into the covers of his large bed. I slide my feet under the covers and rest my back against the head board behind me, grabbing my tea from the side and lightly sipping ever now and then.
Harry slides into his bed on the other side, and turns on his television. "Harry?"
"Yes?" He says, turning to face me with his glistening green eyes. I get lost for a moment, a situation that is hard to explain what even happened, until I snapped out of it.
"Please don't tell anyone." I mumble. "Please."
"Okay." Harry says, sincerely accepting the fact that what has happened in my life cannot be public. I trust Harry and only Harry.
"Go to sleep Rosie. We don't have classes tomorrow so sleep in." Harry says. I pull the covers and rest my head on one of Harry's pillows. "If you get scared," He mumbles. "Its okay to wake me up. I just want you to feel safe."
"Thank you." I whisper moments later.
Harry's POV
As Rosie fell asleep, I couldn't close my eyes. I kept thinking about what her father had done to her and the damage he has done. I felt like I couldn't and shouldn't close my eyes because I had to protect her, like her father never did.
I wanted her to be safe and feel safe, only because she deserves it.
sorry this was a really long first chapter, and a bit boring &maybe cliche, but I guarantee that things start happening in the next couple chapters!
x
Carly
