Hey everyone, Paradigm of Writing here with once again a new one-shot! Like I said, I've got a total of thirty ideas crammed into my head that I just cannot get out of my brain, so I decided to write all of them. I know it's quite a lot for one day, considering I have so much to do next week in terms of stuff. But this is another little idea I've got with Roy and Rosalina. Enjoy my newest idea King of Secrets!
Roy clutched the box tighter to his chest, hoping to never drop it. "Thanks again." he called back inside, not bothering to wait for a reply.
The sun was about to set, streams of orange and gold colliding together in a manner only nature could pull off. As he made his way down to the local bus stop on the corner, all Roy could think about was his box. "It's hard to know that the most important things to you in the world are all put in one box. It's completely riveting." He got to the bus stop, surprised to see someone sitting where he'd normally sit.
A lady sat in his usual spot, someone rather too beautiful in Roy's eyes to even be taking public transportation. The lady had flaxen colored hair loosely let down her back, the wind picking up loose strands and sending them on an adventure. She had a book nestled between the crook of her legs, and if Roy leaned in just a little bit farther in, he'd be able to realize that the lady was reading J.K Rowling's Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. He raised a single eyebrow. He hardly expected that to be the book of her choice. What was probably the most stunning aspect of the lady in general was her outfit, an elegant diamond and cerulean dress that stopped just at her ankles. She looked up from her book, alerted by the change in the atmosphere. The two locked eyes, and they both smiled before going back to whatever they were doing before. The lady paused a few seconds later, placing her thumb between the pages of her book.
"You know, it is kind of ridiculous that you aren't sitting down." she commented.
Roy blinked, unsure of if he was being talked to. "Oh, don't mind me. I'm fine standing."
"Well, there is plenty of room," the lady added. "I promise you, I'm not intimidating."
Roy scoffed to himself, making sure the lady didn't hear him. He sat, avoiding his best efforts to stare at the woman. Roy stared straight out to the horizon, so focused that he almost he got a headache.
The lady set her book down by her side, scooting over a little bit to Roy, the latter mimicking her movement by moving even farther from her. "I apologize for my ineloquence, but I simply must inquire of you about what's in that box."
"It's- it's nothing."
That however didn't appease the woman's growing curiosity. "However, I must note that you do not hold it like it's just nothing. Clearly, you have something very valuable," she said. Roy looked at her, unsure of why she was so questioning. The lady understood his gaze with a sincere understanding and she separated herself from Roy. "I, again apologize. It is none of my business. I guess I'm just intrigued."
Roy looked at his hands, guilty for making the woman feel so self-conscious. "Umm... it's a bunch of picture frames, some staplers... a few paperclips... there's a pen inside... as well as some post-it notes."
The lady laughed heartily. "I was going to assume a human head was inside, like most people normally carry around with them."
Roy smiled, although his thoughts were totally the opposite. "This woman is a lunatic! She thinks most people carry human heads with them? What in the-" Then aloud, he said, "Uh, no... it's not a human head."
The lady extended her hand. "I'm Rosalina, by the way."
"Hello." Roy said.
Rosalina frowned. "Hello?"
"Oh, that's my fault," Roy snickered to himself, shaking her hand with a warm attitude. "I'm Roy."
"Roy, that's a rather nice name," Rosalina complimented. "And I'm terribly sorry."
"Terribly sorry for what?"
"For losing your job."
"I didn't lose my job," Roy corrected. "I figure the box alludes to that? Oh, no, that's not why."
Rosalina nodded, reopening her book. "Well, then the accolades go to you then. Congratulations."
"Why?"
"What else could it be? I'm congratulating you for not losing your job."
"Ah, right."
"Can you give an answer on what that box is really for?" Rosalina asked.
Roy sighed. "This is my mother's stuff. Err... this was my mother's stuff, I mean. She... she died."
Rosalina's eyes widened, and Roy got a full view of her radiating, pulsing icy gaze. She placed a hand to her mouth. "Oh... I'm terribly sorry to hear that."
"She worked over at the insurance firm up the road. My mother was hard working, stayed at the same place for quite a long time," Roy said. "When I was in high school, I'd get up for school like usual. Everyday it'd be my alarm going off at 6:15 A.M, and I wouldn't have anyone to say good morning to. She'd always be gone. But instead of me getting a vocal greeting, she'd write me one. You see, there'd be these little notes posted all over the house with messages. They never really had a big purpose other than to keep me entertained. It was a nice little... nice little acknowledgement that I still had a mother and someone who cared for me."
"That's rather sweet."
"I honestly don't know why I'm even telling you this, to be honest."
Rosalina shrugged, tucking her hair behind her ear. "Your mother sounds rather amazing."
"She is," Roy smiled. He frowned, realizing his mistake. "She was..." he corrected.
"What do you remember about her the most?"
"The fact that her and I were much different than each other."
Rosalina frowned. "How so?"
"My mother was just so nice to everyone, no matter who you were, or what you did... she liked you and treated you like anyone else in the world. Unlike me, she would always find that one redeemable quality in that person which made you like her more. In my regard, I can't stand half the people I know. I don't think I'll ever care for people like she does."
"That's not true," Rosalina reprimanded. "You can."
"No," Roy disagreed. "I don't think I can."
"I wouldn't put it like that at all. To me, it sounds as if you are just waiting for an opportunity."
Roy took a moment to consider her words. "Maybe you're right. You could be."
Rosalina opened her mouth to respond when a random figure burst out onto the scene. A third figure sat down between the two, causing their conversation to hit a standstill. Roy recoiled slightly, repulsed from the sticky and disgusting odor the new arrival reeked of. Rosalina raised another quizzical eyebrow, eying the stranger. All she could pick up was that the 'intruder' was named Mac, and from her deductions of his appearance, the man was on his daily running routine.
Rosalina sat forward, so she could get a better view of Roy. "Hey, Roy, can I have your help for a second?"
Mac gave an odd look. "Who?"
"My friend Roy, the guy you're sitting next to." Rosalina added.
Roy leaned forward. "Yes?"
"Can I borrow a post-it?" Rosalina asked sweetly.
"Uh... yeah... sure. Go ahead." Roy said, confused as to why she'd need one.
Rosalina grabbed the box, mindful of the third person who had so rudely sat between them. Grabbing a pen from the box, she wrote a message on the post-it, before giving the box back to Roy. Thinking there was only one way to get anything done on the bench without inviting people into the conversation, she stuck the sticky note on Mac's shoulder.
Mac looked down. The post-it read Nice muscles. He cracked a smile. "Thanks."
"Roy, I'd like your opinion." Rosalina said.
"On what?" Roy asked.
Rosalina nodded at Mac. "I said that Mac here as nice muscles. What do you think?"
Roy coughed. "I beg your pardon!"
Mac showed him the note. "The lady asked, politely mind you."
Roy rolled his eyes. "Yeah... sure, they look nice."
Rosalina smacked him upside the head, reaching far behind the bench. "Watch the sarcasm."
"Ouch! What are you, my mother?" Roy complained.
"No. But, since I wrote a compliment, you need to as well."
"Reason being?"
"I want to know what you really think of me." Mac jumped in.
"No one even asked you..."
"Just do it. Please?" Rosalina begged, whining somewhat.
Roy scoffed. "Fine. Give me a second." He grabbed the pen, and wrote down on the note pad. He ripped the note off and handed it to Mac. Mac blushed deeply, thinking Roy was serious.
"Nice body." he read aloud.
"Not in the way you think." Roy said quickly, seeing what Mac was getting at.
Mac frowned, and crumpled up the note. "You know what? You two are extremely weird."
"In my defense, I don't even know her that well." Roy explained.
"Same."
Mac rolled his eyes. "I think I'll let you two address all the problems you may have with each other. Merry traveling, you two lovebirds." The man started jogging again, blending in to the horizon.
"Whoa! Wait man! She and I aren't dating!"
Rosalina smiled. "I realized that I'm very hungry. I'm going to get a bite to eat downtown. Want to come?"
Roy eyed her with a strange curiosity. "Why would you want to eat with me?"
"Because I like you, silly. Why else?"
Roy sighed. "If you pay."
"Deal." Rosalina agreed.
Roy stood up, and the two began walking towards the direction of wherever they wanted to go. "Why did you even start talking to me?"
Rosalina shrugged for the second time in ten minutes. "I can't give you a real rhyme or reason for it. I just did. You seemed like someone who held many secrets, and it's my personal fun in life to unlock those secrets."
"That sounds rather twisted." Roy commented.
"Perhaps. Doesn't matter to me. Why did you reply to my statement?" Rosalina asked, directing the question back towards Roy in a roundabout manner.
He was taken aback. "I don't know. For the same reason, I guess. You seemed to have secrets of your own. Maybe I just wanted to learn more as well."
"Then that makes me the queen of secrets. You know what you'd be?"
"What?"
"The king."
"Why?"
"Everyone has secrets," Rosalina said. "The good people on this Earth are the ones that can openly admit them."
With that, the two trudged on in silence, leaving their thoughts to regroup. In the midst of their walk, the two of them didn't realize that they both left their items back at the bench. It seemed that the two of them left their secrets behind them, and were ready to openly commit.
I hope you all enjoyed this little idea! Granted, it is rather strange, but I like strange. There are some hidden messages in this story that relate to Rosalina's last statement. What do you think the symbolism is with that idea? Or the inclusion of Mac? That's why I wrote this one-shot this specific way. You guys aren't really led to somewhere with a definitive answer, you must make your own up. Thanks for reading you guys! Please review and let me know what you thought! Love you all! Bye!
~ Paradigm
