Rose's POV
I wake up in the morning and look around my room. Thinking about my decisions for the future I start my morning routine. If only I could just, stay here and well, return to normal. I can't believe that life right now is what it is. But it makes it easier with Ulrich around. I smile and feel my heart start to race a bit and my stomach start to flip. Do I have feelings for him? I haven't felt like this for years. But, I bet he won't feel the same for me. He seems to like Yumi a lot. I finish my morning routine and walk into the cafeteria for breakfast. I grab my breakfast and get stopped by Sissy.
"What do you think you're doing?" she asks me snidely.
"Getting my breakfast and talking to the dullest person on campus," I reply coldly.
She glares at me and pokes a finger in my chest saying, "Stay away from Ulrich. He's mine."
I laugh at her and say, "I bet he'd rather live alone all his life than be yours. You're self-centered and fake."
"Take that back!" She yells.
"What, take back the truth? I don't think so Elizabeth. I'll let you think about what I've said," I push past her and take my usual seat looking at Ulrich who was smiling at me. "What?"
"Thank you," he says to me.
"You're welcome. Sorry if I lied about that," I say starting on my breakfast.
"Nah, you didn't. I'd rather be alone than deal with her in my life," he says eating his breakfast.
I smile and eat my breakfast in peace. As we finish our breakfast we start talking about different things and the topic of a showcase comes up.
"I'm not sure what I should do," Odd says sadly.
"Well, I don't think I'm going to do anything for it," Aelita says simply.
"I'm not sure either," I state quietly.
"You should, come on. You could sing, or do one of your gymnastics routines," Ulrich says enthusiastically. He blushes a bit and I know there's a blush upon my face as well.
"Maybe Jim will have insight on this show case rumor. I wonder what's going to happen," Jeremy states as we clean up our mess and head to the class room.
"Maybe," Angel chimes in.
We all sit in class and go through our day as normal. As we walk into the gym in our gym clothes Jim starts explaining our lesson. He tells us what we're going to be doing and as we get ready to do track and field, he starts in on the showcase. "Now class there is a showcase coming up and I want you all to try for it. There will be people here from the city, the school board, parents, and other people who want to see this production. I want us to look good for these people and show them what we can do. Granted this will be an arts showcase but we'll have some other things as well. I know I want two people to do something because they can do it very well. Now, let's work on our track and field and then we will deal with this showcase later," He says as he walks outside to the track.
"Wonder who the two people are," Odd says as we walk out to the track.
"Dunno," Ulrich says walking with me behind Odd.
"I guess we won't know," Jeremy says as we walk. We reach the track and Jim has us run three laps to 'warm us up'. Ulrich and I run beside one another and I notice Sissy eyeing me. I roll my eyes and continue running around the track. Sissy gets next to me and does something, causing me to trip. I fall onto the track and roll a bit, my momentum causing me to continue moving after my fall. I try to get up but wince from the scrapes and the tumble I took. I look around and see Ulrich pulling me up and Jeremy, Aelita, Odd, and Angel standing around me. "Are you all right?" Jeremy asks.
"Yeah, sure. Fine," I say looking at him.
"Sissy! What was that for?" Ulrich asks angrily.
"I didn't do anything! She's just a klutz," Sissy states smiling a bit.
"You are such-"
"Ulrich, don't bother with her. She's not worth your time," I say cutting him off. He looks at me and sighs. "Fine."
"Thank you," I reply to him. I start walking, limping slightly from the ankle Sissy caused me to sprain.
"Sterling, you all right?" Jim asks running to me.
"Fine," I say simply.
"Sissy caused her to sprain her ankle," Jeremy states.
"Sissy! What did you do?"
"I didn't do anything Jim. Honest!" She says cutsily.
"I saw her trip Rose," Aelita states.
"I did not! They just want to get me in trouble!" Sissy whines.
"Jim, she does gymnastics. Don't you think she's able to run without falling?" Ulrich supplies quickly.
"You can?" Jim asks me.
"Of course I can," I reply simply. I just hope I don't land on my face with the sprained ankle. I look at Jim and start doing back walk-overs, handsprings, cartwheels, and aerial summersaults down the straight side of the track to "Ooh's" and "Aah's". As I finish my last handspring I stick the landing and start to walk back, only to fall on my already sprained ankle. Angel rushes to me and helps me up on my feet.
"Bad Rose, you shouldn't have done that!" she scolds.
"Well, I did. And there's nothing you can do about it! I'm older than you so shush," I say through gritted teeth.
"Ulrich, think you can help me?" Angel asks smiling. I look at Angel confused and then I feel someone pick me up, bridal style. I look at Ulrich who smiles at me and says, "Jim, I'm taking her to the infirmary."
Jim nods and Ulrich starts walking me to the nurse. I look at him and say, "You know, I can walk right? I did gymnastics on that ankle."
"And if you walk on it after doing that, you might not be able to do it again," Ulrich points out. I frown at him, knowing that what he says is very true. He smiles and chuckles at me as he asks, "You don't like being cared for, do you?"
"No, I don't. I feel like I was always the one to care for others. I don't know why," I reply quietly.
"Maybe you had a younger sibling?"
"Maybe," I state. He walks me into the nurse and looks around. The nurse walks out and looks at me. "What happened?" She asks.
"She was tripped," Ulrich says to the nurse. "Jim told me to bring her here."
"I might have sprained my ankle and I did gymnastics on it," I expand.
"Why on Earth would you do that?" she asks stunned, starting to move around to get things for my ankle. Ulrich sets me on a bed and sits on it next to me as the nurse bustles around. She walks to me with an ace bandage and ice for my ankle. "Why did you do gymnastics on a possible sprained ankle?" she asks, putting the ice bag on my ankle. I wince slightly and reply, "To make a point that I can run without falling on my face. I do gymnastics and thus, should be able to run on my own without falling."
"It's true, and my fault. I said she was a gymnast," Ulrich says quietly.
"I'm the one who performed on a sprained ankle. Just because you said it doesn't mean I have to follow it," I reply.
"I guess," he states. The nurse looks over my ankle and moves it causing me to wince and take a sharp breath in. Ulrich quickly grabs my hand and holds it, causing a light blush to flush my face.
"It's nothing major dear. Just try to stay off it for a day. Wear an ace bandage, and don't do gymnastics for a week," the nurse diagnoses.
"All right," Ulrich and I say in unison. We look at each other and smile.
"You should have someone help you," the nurse says, wrapping my ankle up in an ace bandage.
"I-I'll take care of her," Ulrich says smiling.
"Thank you," she says to him. She looks at me and asks, "Can I have your name my dear?"
"Rosabelle Sterling ma'am," I state smiling.
"Ms. Sterling, I want you to rest that ankle all right?"
"Yes ma'am. Thank you for your time," I say starting to get off the bed as she finishes my ankle. Ulrich picks me up again as a squeak in surprise. He smiles and chuckles slightly at me.
"Thank you Mr. Stern, but that isn't what I meant by keeping her off that ankle," the nurse says chuckling.
"Well, I'm fine with carrying her if she's fine with me carrying her," he says looking at me. I nod and reply, "I'm fine with it."
"Be careful with her Mr. Stern. I wouldn't want to see her in here again soon with a concussion," the nurse says smiling.
"I'll be careful with her. She won't be hurt because of me," he replies as we walk out of the nurse's office. I look at him and smile thinking, What on Earth could he be thinking? Why carry me so much? He's sweet, but I bet he doesn't feel the way I do. Will I ever know his thoughts? I rest in his arms and ponder the multiple questions whirling through my head.