# Garden Of Rosa Chapter 1

Garden of Rosa
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Chapter 1
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The fog is thick this morning as I make the trek to Volcano High, silently cursing Trish. It’s Saturday today, and instead of getting some quality shitposting in, I’ve got another date with the Gardening Club. Seems Trish didn’t like how close I was getting to her little band, and decided to rat me out to Spears for more torrenting. I even used a VPN this time! Damn that little purple pain-in-the-ass, ruining my perfectly good weekend just for a little revenge… Sighing, I pull my jacket closer around me. A part of me knows that I’m not mad at missing my shitposting time, even if it is prime Euro hours right now: Today, Fang and I had made plans to hang out a bit. She said she was going to expose me to some good music, something about a record store she liked. Reed was gonna come along too, so at least Fang had some company today, but her text back this morning seemed pretty bummed. Maybe I can make it up to her…Ugh, why do I feel this way?
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After what feels like an eternity, I finally make it to the back of the school, the resplendent gardens laid out before me. Strangely, there’s no sign of Rosa or Stella anywhere, the assembled gardening tools laid out as before, a small group of students standing directionless in front of them. Silently I join the back of the line, hoping to avoid attention as I whip out my phone, hoping to send a quick text to Fang. Before I can finish, Rosa comes storming out of the school, hurrying over. It’s not like her to be late to these Campus Beautification projects, and something seems to have upset her. Rosa tries to hide it as she walks to the front of the group, but I catch her wiping her eyes on her palm, clear evidence of tears apparent on her face.
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“Ah, so sorry everyone! I was… dealing with some things.” Rosa takes a deep breath to steady herself, clapping her hands together as much to get our attention as to calm her own nerves. What could be the matter? Rosa starts to hand out gardening equipment, to the assembled crowd, not looking anyone in the eye. “Today should go quickly, just some maintenance and…”
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A student interrupts Rosa, raising their hand. “Umm, Rosa? I think someone, uh, wrecked your flowers over there…” The yellow Ankylosaur pointed over to a section of the garden, the damage even visible from this distance. Wincing, I inspect the damage, having been to distracted with my thoughts to notice beforehand. Seems some jokers went around and smashed all of Rosa’s red camellias, leaving the evidence scattered all over. I glance quickly over to Rosa, expecting to see her growing as red as the flowers with indignant rage. Instead she just stands there, her shoulders sagged, her face a picture of misery.
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“Oh…” Rosa sniffed, trying to keep her tears at bay. The assembled students shift their feet awkwardly, glancing at one another. Could one of them be the culprit? Glancing back to Rosa, I can tell she’s close to breaking down, too distraught to direct the students.
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“Hey, uh, why don’t I help you, Rosa?”
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Good, someone is stepping up to do the right thing.
Wait.
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That someone is me, the words someone leaving my mouth before I know what I’m doing. For some reason, an image of Principal Spears flashes in my mind as I think about what I just said. The other students turn to stare at me, their surprise evident on their faces. Rosa glances towards me, wiping another tear away as she shoots me a sad smile.
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“Gracias, An-on. Okay, everyone else, those weeds and vine’s won’t clean themselves! Go, rápidio!” Rosa seems to regain a little composure as she shoos the rest of the students to their chores, leaving me standing there alone. Taking another steading breath, Rosa hands me a trowel before collecting her own bag of tools, the both of us setting off over to clean up the damaged flowers.
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“You didn’t need to do that, An-on. Ah, lo siento, something in my eyes today…” Scrubbing an arm across her eyes, Rosa laughs slightly, trying to hide her embarrassment. Watching her out of the corner of my eye, I mumble something noncommittal in response, trying not to notice how puffy Rosa’s eyes are. From the looks of them, she’s had something in her eyes all morning. A part of my knows I shouldn’t pry, but something else, a much larger part of me, is dying to make sure she’s okay.
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Damn you Spears!
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“Rosa, are you okay today? You, uh, seem kinda… I mean, your eyes are…” My words trail off under Rosa’s intense stare as we walk across the pavement of the garden. It didn’t even dawn on my that this may not be something Rosa wanted to share with me, a total stranger she’s only met like one time before, but before I can stammer out an apology, Rosa’s eyes soften, a genuine smile spreading across her face.
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“Aww, niño, you are so sweet to ask. It’s just… somethings at home aren’t so good, comprende?” By now we’ve made it to the damaged flowers, petals and stems scattered all over the pavement. Rosa heaves a massive sigh as she surveys the damage. Talking seems to be helping Rosa cope with the destruction of her prized camellias, and I nod for her to continue as we kneel down to begin removing the refuse. “Mi familia, they are always worrying about me so much, they always think they can hide when they are hurting …” Rosa trails off, her crimson eyes gazing absently as she collected the remains of the flowers, her hands reverently holding each one before placing it in a pile. I can barely focus on clearing my own section, instead watching Rosa as the words spill out. I can see fresh tears in her eyes.
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“Mi Madre, she is the worst! She thinks I don’t notice how thin she is, how her hands shake when she’s in the kitchen.” A sudden sob cuts off the rest of Rosa’s story, and already hot tears are flowing down her face. “I just… I just want her to be okay, An-on.”
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Oh geez.
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I’m ill equipped to handle this level of real talk, my conversation skills much more attuned to flinging insults on a Finnish butter-churning encyclopedia. A faint memory of my original plan, made when I moved here, flashes across my mind as I move a little closer to Rosa. I put a hand on her shoulder gingerly, and Rosa takes my hand gladly in hers, giving it a squeeze.
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So much for keeping under the radar.
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“I’m sorry Rosa, I’m so sorry…” Before I know it, Rosa has her face buried in my chest, her body shaking with sobs as she holds onto my shoulders with her gloved hands. This close, I can smell her, a pleasant scent of sweat and earth, undercut with a sweet floral smell that must be her shampoo. I move my hands to her back awkwardly, trying to comfort her while also trying not to rake my dirty gloves through her long hair. I can’t help but think notice Rosa really does have some beautiful hair…
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Uh-oh. Alarms again.
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“Umm, Rosa, if you ever want to, ya’know, talk and stuff, I can give you my number and we can text, or something...”
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WhatthefuckamIdoingnow.
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Hiccupping, Rosa pulls away from my chest, and I can already feel a wet spot where her face was pressed. Her horned snoot is wet with snot; her mascara is leaving rivulets of black down her orange face. Her big crimson eyes are bloodshot and puffy from crying, shimmering with tears as she glances up at me. A curious expression lights up her face as she sniffs once more, a mix of sadness, gratitude and…happiness? Rosa flashes me another sad smile, the alarms in my head cranking up in volume.
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“Oh An-on, you chico tonto… If you wanted my number, you just had to ask.” Rosa punctuates this with a small laugh, again scrubbing an arm across her eyes. “Oh, look at me, soy un desastre! Let me get a tissue…” Rosa turns to fumble around in her bag on her hands and knees, and I try my hardest not to notice just how nice Rosa’s backside looks. I’m supposed to be consoling her, not checking her out! Withdrawing a small packet of tissues, Rosa turns back, uses one to wipe her eyes as she catches her breath. “I’m such a mess today, and – Oh! ¡Dios mío! An-on, your shirt!” Worry crosses Rosa’s face as she points a gloved finger at my chest. Glancing down, I expected a few wet stains from Rosa’s sobs, nothing that major; instead, her mascara has stained the front of my shirt, goopy black smears covering my chest. “Let me clean it for you, An-on!”
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Instinctively, I lean back, away from Rosa’s outthrust tissue. “No, Rosa, that’s okay, really! I’m fine, it’s nothin – whoa!” In my haste to back away from Rosa, I had forgotten just how damn clumsy I was, falling over backwards. Expecting to run into my chest, Rosa also pitched herself over, and the both of us fell into a heap, Rosa and I staring face-to-face as she landed chest-first on top of me.
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WARNING!!
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WE ARE NOW AT DEFCON 1!!
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SPAGHETTI OVERLOAD!!
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Sprawled there, it’s all I can do to look Rosa in the eye as she stares back at me, her bright crimson orbs locked into mine. Desperately, I try not to think about how well Rosa’s chest cushioned her fall, about how the hair spilling over her face is framing her face perfectly, about how close her lips are to mine…. The seconds seem to drag on into infinity as I lie there, Rosa on top of me, feeling her staccato heartbeat matching mine. I can feel my body start to relax slightly, feel my mouth moving almost subconsciously towards Rosa’s, watching through half-closed eyes as Rosa does the same.
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Uh-oh.
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Rosa is my friend!
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A friend!
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What about Fang?
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What ABOUT Fang?
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“Hey, uh, are you two okay?”
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My eyes snap open in an instant, the question immediately breaking the spell. The same ankylosaur from before is standing above us, their eyebrows raised quizzically, a pear of shears held disinterested in one hand. Rosa pushes herself up, A grunt escaping my lips as she drives her weight into my stomach. She hauls me up with ease, her powerful arms nearly pulling my own out of their sockets. I can see her face turning bright red, the heat coming off of mine letting me know I match her shade for shade. At once we both blather something out, each of us talking over the other.
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“Ah!, Si, si, we were just…”
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“I just fell, and…”
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“An-on needed some help getting up and…”
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“Rosa just made sure I was okay, uh…”
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Our excuses die out as we stand there sheepishly, trying not to catch the other’s eye. The ankylosaur just nods, a sly smile splitting their face as they turn back to their trimming. Awkward seconds tick by as I stand there trying to avoid Rosa’s gaze, surreptitiously glancing her way out of the corner of my eye. She looks a mess; an errant twig is caught in her hair, and her face is still streaked with mascara. But even as I glance at her she does the same to me, the beginnings of a smile curling the corners of her mouth as she does so. Coughing, Rosa turns once again to her bag, her sudden bending over driving my eyes straight up into the sky, my face reddening further. When she turns back, I can see she has her phone with her, a little red flower dangling from the strap.
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“Um, c-can I get your number, An-on?” she stammers as she holds her phone out to me, the smile she now sports making her face light up. Taking her phone with a shaky hand, I stammer out something as I punch my name and number into her phone, the default language being set to Spanish making it take slightly longer.
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“Uh, sure, Rosa. Just text me whenever if you wanna talk… I mean, if you DO want to, that is, but you don’t have to, uh…” My words trail off as I hand Rosa her phone back, flashing her what I hope is a nervous smile. Her smile deepens as she takes her phone back, our hands touching briefly as she does so. Something about Rosa makes me unable to look away, her deep crimson eyes pulling me further into her. I can sense her kindness in that glance, can feel her love for others in that smile. I want nothing more than to make sure nothing hurts her again.
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“It’s a deal, An-on.”
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…
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Why did that sound like a date?