Blank Canvas

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Rose sat at the edge of her bed, cell phone in hand, studying the piece of metal as if it were part of an elaborate scheme. She couldn't process what had just occurred, whether it be a dream or reality. Her day had been a complete nightmare and she felt as if her mind was playing a trick on her to add onto the scandalous day that she prayed would end.

*12 hours earlier*

"Can I get a number 3, easy over and extra bacon!"

Rose's face was anything but happy as she placed her 10th order this morning. She hated her part-time job but needed the extra money desperately. Her hair smelled of coffee, clothes stained with grease and a child's ketchup smeared handprint was placed in the centre of her white apron to top it all off. She couldn't believe the day she was having so far and how inconsiderate some people were.

The mother of the child didn't even apologise after her kid thought it would be funny to dump a bottle of ketchup onto their table and finger paint their white leather seats. When Rose saw the mess and tried to speak up she was awarded with a 3 year old using her apron as a napkin after his tiny art project in their booth.

Also her asshole boss who in his late 50's decided today was the day he would announce that Rose would have to start working full-time do to a shortage of staff, and Rose couldn't protest because she was already in deep shit for missing a shift for the art show on the busiest night of the summer. He knew that Rose could only work part-time due to her priorities as an artist but he waved at her profession as if it were some mockery job.

Her day went by slowly and she couldn't have been in a fouler mood when her shift ended. She didn't want to come back to that hell hole tomorrow to deal with her bosses witty remarks and serve moronic customers.
Rose just wanted to live a stress free life, where things were easy but surely enough Rose didn't have that luck. She wasn't blessed with a wealthy status and fancy things. The most expensive thing in her life was her art set that took her years of saving to get.

But she knew that she had to appreciate what she had for she could have worse, but her worse wasn't keeping a smile on her face and paying the bills.

As she headed home she noticed a darkening in the sky. Her car had broken down this morning which lead her to walk 15 blocks to work in a blazing heat but now the air had chilled and she could feel the presence of rain dawning on her. New York weather was something Rose never understood. It could be boiling hot one moment than pouring down rain the next.

On cue drips of rain fell onto Roses face and the down pour began as she reached the 14th block on her journey home.

'just great.' Rose thought and pulled the hood on her crop sweater over her hair. Everyone else on the busy street had begun to open their umbrellas and Rose felt as if she were the only one who hadn't gotten the memo that rain was expected today.

She was fuming by the time she reached the door to her apartment, her clothes soaked and she cursed the rainbow that shown brightly in the sky, taunting her as if it should make her feel any better about the unexpected rain.

As she climbed all 6 flights of stairs to her apartment she saw a sign on her door telling her that maintenance would be done on her floor between the hours of 5-8pm. Rose gripped the paper and ripped it from the door before unlocking it and throwing her keys onto their usual spot on her side table.

"I need a nap." she huffed, stripping her shirt from her body and tossing it into the laundry bin in her bedroom area.

She lived in an old bachelor's pad that was very open and nonconservative but she liked it. Her bedroom was placed in the middle of the spacious apartment and the bathroom was the only area that was closed off from the rest.