Hi everyone, sorry for the really wack updating schedule. RL stuff, you know how it is. Physical abuse is featured in the following chapter so either turn away, or proceed with caution. Besides that, please enjoy the rollercoaster.
There we have it? Rosella most certainly did not have it – she barely knew anything surrounding the logistics of her newest (first) love adventure, because Lexie pushed her out the door to conduct meetings, the moment she entered into the bakery.
She was about to voice her concerns when Everett beat her to it. "I probably missed a lot because I…" He drifted off, most likely realizing it wasn't the best idea to remind Lexie of his tardiness. "I have no idea how this is going to work. Esteemed Selection planner, please enlighten me on when the dates are held, eliminations, the schedule, et cetera."
"Me too," Rosella followed. "Is it going to follow the usual Royal Selection system?"
Lexie looked like she was about to respond 'yes,' but her gaze fell on one of the boys in the back, and she stalled before answering, "Not really. A bit, but mostly not."
Someone coughed and Rosella understood her best friend's word choice when her eyes sought out the cause of the slight interruption. Miles, Selection police, always watching.
"Every Friday, we're going to be meeting here in the bakery around 5 PM"—Lexie extended her arms to gesture at the cozy space—"as a group, to watch the nightly Reports and play some games."
"And dessert?" Austin popped up from the front of the group. Lexie gave him a mock condescending look from her seat at the booth.
She pointed to Rosella, who was sitting across from her. "Don't ask me. Ask the bakery owner's daughter."
Austin turned his shiny eyes to the bakery owner's daughter, and Rosella inclined her head in agreement, to the whoops and cheers from all the Selected.
"Maybe you can bake something to bring us, Austin," she proposed after some thought. "As you're so excited about having food."
The Selectee hiccupped and nodded feebly.
Lexie clapped her hands once again, bringing order back to the bakery. "These group dates won't be open to the eliminated—which we will get to later—so you should probably make getting eliminated your last priority."
Rosella cut in, "For the dessert."
"For the dessert," echoed Lexie. "The schedule I've organized only goes up until everyone has had their first one-on-one dates and around two out of all te—nine of you are eliminated. After that, we'll have to see."
Lexie paused and mentally willing for her to continue about the dates themselves, Rosella verbally pushed forward. "And…the dates, Lexie? How are we going to go about those?"
"Ah, my favorite part," Lexie grinned. "The next two weeks will be filled with dates. Today is Friday, and bright and early every Monday, I'll be posting a bulletin on the corkboard just outside. It'll be a schedule of who, what, and when, so your job is just to show up and impress her."
"Easy," Oliver crowed from his position on the far left side of the pack. This claim was undeniable, and the other boys muttered under their breath while Oliver flashed his literal-million-dollar-grin at Rosella.
The recipient of his attention sent back a wobbly smile, to which his eyebrows creased.
I don't know how else to respond. Lexie, do something so I don't have to maintain awkward eye contact.
Lexie patted Rosella's hand soothingly, so Rosella stopped kicking her friend's leg under the table and sat up properly. "Clear up your schedules, boys. Any other questions?"
Jethro raised his hand, very polite. Lexie nodded at him and he asked, "How many guys make up the Elite? Are we even going to have Elite?"
"Yes we are, and there will be four Selected deemed Elite and have the chance to meet Rosella's family, and vice versa."
All caught up, Jethro retreated while Rosella's eyes bulged and she shook her head violently.
"No, no, no, I don't want the twins or my dad to find out I'm in a sort of dating pool," she hissed at Lexie. "No family meetings. They can…meet Benji or something."
Lexie laughed, "Come on! It'll be fun!"
Shaking her head, Rosella pressed on. "Please, Lexie, it would be the epitome of awkward. Don't subject me to more torture; I already have to date total strangers," she added.
"Alright, if you insist," Lexie sighed. "We'll see what we do instead, when we get to the Elite. You have to take more risks, Ro."
"Thanks but also no thanks." Rosella let out the long breath of air she didn't realize she was holding, getting shivers as she pictured Miles and her father shaking hands in silence, the only thing they have in common, their stoic expressions. Or perhaps Randel meeting Oliver, who would tour her home probably repulsed at the small size of her two-story house in comparison to any of the six custom-made mansions across the country he most likely owns.
Unbeknownst to her, the entire cohort was listening intently to their conversation (which was fair, because they were the only ones talking in the little space). Rosella realized this when she looked up to find them staring and flushed bright red. Lexie repeated her earlier question, but no one had anything more to ask.
The dancer rose up from the booth in one smooth motion while Rosella pressed both hands on the table and clambered out, looking like an ape next to a swan.
"I guess we're done then," Lexie announced. She turned to Rosella, who shrugged.
"Hayden and Henry, please stay behind for a few moments so I can discuss the location and time of your dates tomorrow."
The boys she singled out nodded, and Lexie shooed everyone away. All of a sudden, the bakery was swarming with movement, a stark contrast to the earlier moments of stillness. The participants were picking up bags, organizing their belongings. Roman struggled the most with his electrical piano. Jethro and Henry, having relatively no items to pack away, rushed over to lend him a hand. The bell above the door clanged nonstop as they shuffled equipment to and from the bakery, loading things into a white van outside that Rosella hadn't noticed when she first came in, or when she was conducting first meetings.
One by one, the Selected exited with calls of 'see you later' and 'thank you, goodbye'. Miles left with a hand raised in farewell while Caspian snapped a photo of the succulents on the bar table.
Jim came over, no baggage, and gave Rosella a brief hug. Eyebrows raising at first, she smiled softly before squeezing him back tight. "Come over sometime, yeah? Tell me how you are, how it's going with mystery boy?"
"Of course," he promised.
He departed swiftly and Hayden and Henry stepped forward to take his place in front of the girls. Hayden jostled his way up so he stood in front of Henry – his shoulder barely lapped the other boy's, but his open chest and laidback posture spoke volumes. The cocky smile didn't help his case; Rosella was beginning to dislike his explosive attitude.
The excitement bubbling on her face, Lexie began her last set of instructions for the day. "You will—"
"First date, you and me. It's going to be great, we can go to the skating park and—"
"Do not interrupt," Lexie admonished, "That's very rude."
"Sorry," Hayden sniffed. He didn't look sorry but bowed his head, more humiliated than remorseful.
Henry watched the dispute with faintly amused eyes while Rosella felt only indignation on Lexie's behalf. She knew Lexie was just as harsh on interruptions as she was on lateness, the strict routine during ballet training building the foundation for her attitude on mistakes or bad habits.
If it was a mistake, Rosella would let it slide, but if it was a habit, she wasn't sure if she'd want to date someone who cuts in without consideration for others. Out of habit, she checked her watch. Uh oh.
Continuing on, Lexie popped her shoulders as she spoke. "You two, the lucky firsts, get to take Ro on dates tomorrow. The first will have her for two hours in the early afternoon, while the second meets up afterward and gets to enjoy some delightful company for the next two hours."
"I'll take the first half," Hayden blurted out the instant Lexie finished. Whether or not he learnt from his earlier blunder was up for debate.
"Then I'll go with the second," Henry resolved quietly. Standing beside the slightly arrogant loudmouth, Henry's level-headedness shone through like a shatterproof rock balancing in the center of an angry ocean.
"Then your times are two o'clock"—she looked at Hayden—"and four o'clock." Lexie nodded to Henry, more friendly to him than to the other Selectee, who didn't seem to notice. "Hayden, your date begins at Aroma and then a stroll through the wet markets, while Henry, you'll pick up Ro at the wet market south entrance. You two will be exploring the park and its flower gardens. Sound good, everyone?"
The two Selected nodded and Rosella uttered quiet confirmation. Dates weren't on her mind because at this rate, the twins weren't going to have dinner if she didn't head back in the next minute.
"Uh, can I go?"
Lexie winced at Rosella's apparent lack of tact but announced that indeed, they could leave. "Dress appropriately and come knowing that your new sole mission in life is dating this girl."
Cue Rosella rolling her eyes.
Waving goodbye, Henry left first, the ends of his white sweater flapping in the wind as he made his way down the street. Lexie moved towards the counter and got busy packing her note-taking items into a bag she lifted off the floor. Hayden took the privacy to cuddle up to Rosella, who was still standing by the booth, and grab her wrist lightly but firmly. Discreetly trying to get her arm back, Rosella pulled down sharply, but the bald boy would not take a hint.
"I'm excited for our date tomorrow, Rosella. There are so many things we could discuss," he chirped, suddenly perky and animated. Nothing like the passionate fighter she has seen take on the monarchy a while ago.
The switch gave her goosebumps and she tried even harder to untangle her wrist from his cold grip. "Me too, Hayden."
"Yes…" He trailed off, lost in thought. His mind might have travelled places, but his hold remained unyielding.
It was only after Lexie walked over all prepared to leave and Rosella told him she needed to make dinner for her family, that Hayden stepped back and let go.
Locking the door behind her, Rosella waited until Hayden was out of earshot before voicing her thoughts. "Where'd you find this guy?"
Lexie shrugged. "He saw a poster and he signed up at the library. Why do you ask?"
"He's…ah, how do I say this?" Rosella lifted her bike from the stand and adjusted her bag strap.
"Rude?"
"A creep."
Simultaneously, they clapped their hands over their mouths to muffle the laughter.
"I guess you can see tomorrow if there's a decent soul under that annoying bald head. You biking?" Because she didn't bike earlier in the afternoon, Lexie was forced to walk home.
"Yep, I really have to speed home." Rosella checked the hands of her watch again and her right foot slipped off the pedal. "Why is it 6:18 already!?"
Lexie urged her onward and Rosella began pumping her legs up and down, charging down the cobblestone street as the last hints of sunlight disappeared from view.
Rosella was busy lifting silky strands of pasta from the boiling metal pot when Lavender stomped down the stairs.
"Where've you been, Ella? I didn't seen you all day."
"That's for me to know, little bee, and for you not to find out. And it's haven't, not didn't." Turning to face the stairway, Rosella gestured to the bare table with her tongs. "Since you're already here, set up the table for us."
Lavender huffed.
This was typically a job she didn't mind doing, but today she was in a grumpy mood. Probably, Rosella guessed, because she wanted to know where her big sister was. Still, she took out four pairs of forks and spoons and laid them on the wooden table.
Randel was relaxing on the couch, worn out from cooking the creamy cheese sauce. Benji rested his head beside the man of the house, content with watching a sports channel.
To her great relief, Rosella smelled the sauce cooking when she entered the house earlier and thanked her dad for preparing when she wasn't here. Over summer holiday, it was Randel who cooked breakfast and lunch while the eldest daughter took over dinner. Staying true to the system, she stepped in to finish up by boiling pasta and steaming the pre-cut broccoli. Rosella hadn't even gone into her room to change into comfier clothes yet.
"Dinner's ready," she called as she dropped the last of the spaghetti onto Lavender's plate. Randel heaved himself up and Benji jumped over the coffee table to see what delicacies graced his food bowl. His tail wagged when he found there was a small slice of bread balancing on the mound of dog food.
"Smells delicious."
Rosella rolled her eyes. "You cooked it, Dad."
"I know. Which is why it smells amazing."
Sage came down already dressed in her polka dot pyjamas and she took a whiff of the alfredo sauce her big sister was busy dumping into pasta-filled bowls. "My favorite is Ella's Bolognese sauce. Nothing beats a classic done well."
Randel mimed an arrow hitting his heart and Lavender cracked a smile, already seated. Sage shuffled over to help Rosella bring the food over to the table and sat down while Rosella grabbed a ladle from the cutlery cupboard to stick onto the broccoli platter.
The twins were the dish-washers, so Rosella was done with her chores for the day. Settling into her chair, she listened with her mouth full as Lavender recounted the latest tale from the realm of pottery class, the 'super long and weird' clay jar that Alice had created and to her great chagrin, Miranda broke.
Despite Sage asking, Rosella would not reveal her day's events, and she went to bed that night with mixed feelings about Saturday. Hugging her stuffed panda toy may or may not have helped.
"Sorry I'm late," Hayden jogged up to their set coordinates, nine minutes after two. Rosella had been baking in the sun outside Aroma for fifteen minutes already, so she was in no mood to talk. Simply nodding, she pushed through the large glass doors and into the cool air of the coffeeshop, a popular hangout for people of all ages.
Despite the sweltering heat, Rosella had resisting going inside for air-con so Hayden could find her quickly, whenever he decided to show up. It was cooler, but not enough to make her untie the jacket around her waist and pull it on. The pair was silent as they lined up to order their drinks, Hayden slightly out of breath and Rosella busy scanning the menu.
She chose mint citrus after asking the server for tea suggestions, and Hayden ordered a Caffè Americano, size medium. After paying, they took their drinks to the seating area. Rosella started towards a two-persons table beside the far wall, but Hayden plopped down on a 3x3 sofa chair set-up. I guess it doesn't matter where we sit.
She took the sofa chair opposite of him, sinking into the soft cushion, and set down the steaming cup of tea on the low table before her. Hayden had one ankle balanced on the other knee, and his leather jacket was exactly what she imagined he'd wear.
"So, how are you this morning?"
"I'm feeling great," came the short reply. It wasn't that he was disinterested — he was staring at her in silence and in concentration. But nothing else.
So…you're not going to ask how I am, be a decent fellow? Alright then.
Instead, he began talking about his knife-collecting passion. Forty seconds in and, already finished with half her drink, Rosella very much regretted sitting down.
Hayden had around twenty weapon-knives in his possession—how that was legal, she didn't know—and he practiced throwing them at an old block of wood almost every day. "I'm outside seven days a week, landing an average of fifteen out of twenty throws. I used to be awful; not technique at all, but after 6 years, I've learned that it's persistence and patience, Rosella, that gets you the gold."
She nodded slowly, searching the coffeeshop for something, anything, to look at that wasn't him. Hayden on the other hand, had his eyes pinned on her. Despite covering her collarbones, the high neckline of her tank top didn't feel high enough. An inner voice told Rosella to pull on the jacket but the temperature was perfect and touring the wet markets would surely be a walk through blazing fire.
Speaking of the wet market… "Do you think we should head out now?"
"I'm not done yet," he protested loudly. "Waiting a few moments won't kill you."
Rosella just sighed inwardly and nodded fine. She didn't mention that since his drink came in a take-out cup, it wouldn't kill him either to take a few extra steps.
They sat in a mind-numbing silence and Rosella focused on playing with the sugar packets on the table. Hayden slammed his empty cup down to announce he was done and she couldn't have fled the coffeeshop faster.
The streets outside were pleasantly packed, Saturday afternoon a prime time for families on an adventure, walkers with their animal companions, gaggles of young girls carrying paper shopping bags. The market was only 3 blocks away, but Hayden managed to make a 2-minute walk feel like an eternity.
Based on Rosella's small but defining pool of knowledge on his recent discussion topics, he only enjoying speaking about himself. They arrived at the gate of a wide walkway shaded by multicolored tents and already, Rosella knew about the person who vomited during his prom in high school, the house-training of his bulldog, and his very annoying boss at work. What he lacked in engaging subjects, though, he made up for in volume and animated gestures.
She was tuning out his words by the time they had entered and went straight for the fruit section, not caring if Hayden followed. Unfortunately for her, he did, and while he was still in the middle of telling her his favorite kind of fast food, she grabbed lemons and cucumbers. He didn't seem to notice that he'd lost her attention, arms folding and back towards the stand. Smiling politely, the seller packed the chosen fruits in a bag while Rosella pulled out her coin purse.
"Are you two on a date?" The stand owner asked quietly, studying Hayden with a glint in her eye.
At this point, Rosella didn't know what it was. "Sort of…"
"I don't know about this one, miss. He seems…"
"Talkative?"
"Extremely. Would I be rude if I said self-absorbed as well?"
Rosella made a shushing motion incase Hayden overheard, but the smirk in her eyes betrayed her real thoughts. An exchange of food for money was made and Rosella spun around to find Hayden staring, expressionlessly, at her. Did he hear?
He narrowed his eyes and Rosella's heart skipped a beat. In a really, really bad way.
Quicker than a snap of the wrist, his mood cleared, and he was joyful (and oblivious) once again. "And thus, hot dogs should be smothered in paprika, always."
"I agree." She had her fingers crossed mentally that he wouldn't notice she had been absent for 90 percent of the conversation. Swerving left and right, Rosella had been aimlessly wandering the stalls as Hayden trailed behind with his hands in his pockets.
Without warning, he clamped a hand over her right arm and began running. He slipped smoothly between shocked customers, not a wisp of apology when he knocked people backwards or narrowly avoided crashing into stalls.
Two willing, joyful participants soaring through a crowd together would be topping the charts on romantic moments, but Rosella was neither willing or joyful, and Hayden was practically dragging her as she shuffled her feet to stay upright, her movements sluggish from the instantaneous action.
The produce jumped and spun in the bag that Rosella had on her free arm. She angled her wrist so the bag's plastic straps wouldn't slide off.
Trying to shrug off his grip proved futile and nor could she slow the momentum with well-placed footsteps. He was just that strong, just that motivated. Dimly, Rosella registered that they were heading to the exit on the south side. They passed the main exhibit, the seafood stands, but Hayden didn't slow down to minimize the risk of injury from slipping on the wet ground.
The water made trying to break free even harder because now Rosella had to focus on avoiding the big puddles and the milling food-buyers that always surrounded the seafood. Switching her escape tactics to communication, Rosella was so tongue-tied that she could only form basic words.
"Hayden…stop! What are you doing?"
He gave no response but looked back to grin at her. The wide, peeled back lips were unsettling and for the first time, Rosella was scared. Clearing the crowd, Hayden headed towards an emptier part of the market while she stumbled along behind him. Having one arm in front made running quite difficult.
At last, Hayden slowed down in front of a rusty brick wall to the side of the south gate and pulled Rosella's arm so that she catapulted around him and her back slammed into the brick. The bag slipped off and the lemons rolled out.
Gasping in pain, she tugged her arm free and collapsed on her knees. Her left arm flailed behind her as she tried to find the spot on her spine that stung the most.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" She spat. Unable to alleviate the stunning pain in her lower back, she could only cradle the arm that Hayden gripped red and numb. A closer inspection would reveal that he left hand-marks on her wrists, but she was too busy yelling to notice.
"What on earth makes it okay to literally drag me across the market and then fling me hard against a freaking brick wall? Are you out of your mind?"
He only stared with a creepy leer on his face.
It didn't matter that he stood a head taller than her, or that his tree-trunk arms meant he could probably do push-ups with one finger. Using her shoulders to push her up to a standing height and wincing at the jab of pain between her shoulder blades, Rosella advanced towards Hayden, jabbing a finger to his chest. "What is your problem?"
As quick as a viper, he knocked her arm to the side and lunged forward to press both hands on the brick wall, trapping Rosella on all four sides. He leaned horribly close and she felt his sticky breath graze her ear. The air in her lungs felt like it was being dragged out and distorted to form the rotten, heavy atmosphere.
"I'm not the problem," he slurred. "I'm the cure."
She could barely push out words without her ribs throbbing. "What are you– stop!"
"It's just you and me now, fina–" Hayden's whispered, twisted language became a strangled yelp as a forceful arm snaked its way around his neck and yanked him away from Rosella.
She stumbled forward into this newfound space and sucked in deep, quick pockets of untainted air.
"She said stop."
Familiar. But from where, Rosella couldn't remember. She couldn't think.
Through blurry eyes, she saw Hayden wrench his head out from under her savior's hold and turn to face him. His three swinging punches were blocked with ease by the unidentifiable stranger, who had ducked and weaved into a protective position in front of Rosella. His back faced her so she couldn't make out facial features – though with her eyes tearing up, it wouldn't have mattered which direction he faced.
Hayden was springing from foot to foot with his arms set before him, light on his feet despite his thick frame. He wore a smirk and danced in and out of the stranger's reach, feinting kicks and jabs.
His cocky attitude meant he never saw coming the swift punch that smacked him square on the chin. Momentum snapped his body back and Hayden crumpled to the floor, unconscious.
During the fight—if it could be called a fight—Rosella had flopped ungracefully on the stone path with the brick wall as back support. Seeing Hayden sprawled on the pavement didn't flood her heart with relief, as one would expect. There was only numbing paralysis where her soul should have been working.
The stranger was rubbing a sore hand, eyes pinned on the unconscious body. Hayden didn't twitch but Rosella shivered, which must have shaken something in the stranger because he squatted down to offer a hand.
Don't! She edged back. He was blocking the sun, making his features dark and untraceable. In moments, the feeling of cloudy anxiousness creeped around the sides of her vision, ready to engulf her again, but then he shifted to her side. The bright sun rays had Rosella lifting a hand to cover her eyes, and she turned her face away from the glare to see…Henry?
"Are you okay?" He crouched so low that he was gazing up at her and his eyes remained steady as he searched her face for clues.
She turned her head away and dragged a frozen arm to wipe off the tears on her cheeks.
"Thank…you. I'm okay."
Quickly so he wouldn't notice the red handprint on her right forearm, she shrugged on the jacket and braced her knees to stand up.
Henry offered an elbow in support and she leaned on it briefly to push herself up. He rose as she did, but Rosella put a hand up, so he took a step back to give her space.
Process, brain, move, blink, work, speak, think, continue.
It was easier than she thought to slap on a happy smile. She put all her effort into the cheerful attitude, meaning there was no space to think about Hayden and what just happened.
"Let's carry on with the date. The park, right?" Her knees almost gave out when Rosella took her first step forward, but she tried to be quick in covering it up. Every breath caused a twinge of pain in her back, but Rosella put one foot in front of the other with what she hoped looked like no effort.
"I don't think that's such a good idea," Henry started. From the corner of her eyes, she saw his hands rise come up to brace her.
"Nonsense. I'm fine."
The jacket did nothing to melt the ice coating her skin.
"We can call it off. Let's go home, okay?" There was no pity in his gaze. He only spoke hard truth.
And Rosella knew it. "…Fine." Thank you.
He asked for her address and led the way. Halfway there, Rosella couldn't walk anymore. Her feet were like slabs of granite wading in cement. Henry slowed down to take her arm in his, offering his shoulder to lean on, to which she accepted wordlessly. The fraying threads of his brown t-shirt tickled her cheeks and she lost track of time.
One foot after another. She refused to think of Hayden, the wet market.
The familiar wooden door appeared around the bend and Rosella was ready to walk the street herself, but he didn't untangle their arms nor shift his shoulders to indicate it was time for him to leave. Thank you.
Moving steadily along, Rosella tipped her head up to scrutinize the face of her savior. The sun had coaxed out the light freckles dotting his face and his previously-thought-to-be-black hair shone chestnut, the sun's angelic rays grazing the tips. When the bikes by the door were close enough to touch, Rosella gently pushed off him and grinned nervously.
"Well, this is me."
He was quick to respond. "Drink lots of water, find some ice for your back, put your mind in a happy place, and let me know if he bothers you again."
"I appreciate it. How did you—"
Shaking his head, he admitted to arriving early and wandering the south side because he suspected Hayden was going to do something irregular.
Trying to keep her breathing as even as possible, she wondered how she didn't see the signs. "But how would—"
"Now is not the time for this. You need to rest. And take care of your arm," he gestured to her right arm hanging by her side. "Don't think I didn't notice the marks."
Rosella promised she would, and Henry didn't move to leave until she had entered her house and shut the door behind her. Exhaling, free of any kind of helping or hurting pairs of eyes, she slipped into her bedroom and gently lowered herself onto the bed.
Twisting and turning, it was impossible to find a position where her back felt no pain.
There was no one at home even hours later, and she crawled away from a tear-stained pillow to bake potatoes and beans for her family to come home too, before shutting her bedroom door again.
She didn't leave her room to eat dinner that night and through the walls, heard Randel telling the twins to let her be. Every time she closed her eyes, there were brick walls with evil grins that slammed down to form a cave around her. Midnight came and passed, and she dreamed of knives and a hostage situation.
"Oh, come here."
Rosella nudged closer to Lexie, who wrapped her long arms around Rosella's shoulders, not squeezing too tightly.
Despite it being summer, Rosella had her woolen scarf draped around her body. The coarse, fuzzy threads held Rosella in a soft cocoon and it was scientifically proven to always lift her up on a bad day.
"So…I guess that's it. That's what happened. I barely slept when I got home. When I finally did, it was nightmare after nightmare."
"He makes me so angry!" Aidan smacked a fist into his palm as he bounced on Lexie's bed, legs kicking an invisible enemy. "If I kill him, can we get that lawyer dude to back us up?"
Without released her arms, Lexie flipped her head around to face him. "There will be no killing, little bro. I don't think Miles could get us out of that. Although"—she tapped her chin—"we could just beat him up…"
Rosella sighed and Lexie pulled back from the hug to study her face. "There will be no killing, maiming, torturing, or hurting of any kind."
Lexie and Aidan shared a look.
"Physically or emotionally or mentally," Rosella warned.
The siblings deflated.
Sitting on the beanbag of Lexie's room brought back memories of when they were younger and played variations of Doctor, Teacher, and Astronaut, where Lexie impersonated the doctor, teacher, and astronaut while Rosella, gamely, was always the patient, student, and countdown initiator.
"Well, what are you going to do then?" Aidan asked, sitting cross-legged on Lexie's baby blue blanket.
"He's eliminated for sure. Gone, deported from my head, I never want to see him ever again. Then…" she didn't know. Hayden and yesterday's events were living in her head rent-free despite all her attempts to distract herself. Rosella couldn't be alone anymore because she always felt eyes spying on her, from open windows or behind her in the shadows. Read to pounce. Coming to talk to her best friends was a final resort.
Rosella turned to Lexie. Though she tried to be strong and unfazed, the goosebumps that patterned her upper arms betrayed her fears. My voice will not wobble.
"Can we not continue? Please? Can we cancel the group date, the whole semi-selection? What if they're all just like…"
Step one, Lexie told her, was not to mention him. Out of mouth, out of head.
"Oh Ro, I know it's scary. And I can't even imagine how heart-stoppingly painful it was, mentally and physically, to experience what you did. But search your memories and search your heart. Did any of the other boys give you bad, untrustworthy vibes?"
On the surface, Rosella knew her Selected were good people. Though she tried, Rosella couldn't think of a single instant or a single boy that made Rosella feel as uncomfortable during their meeting as Hayden did, or had explosive, egotistical natures.
"Come on, Lexie. Anybody could be a psycho just waiting for the right moment to—"
"We'll be all together for the group date, Ro. I promise you'll never be alone with a single one of them, and we can use this opportunity to scout out everyone's personalities. Please, Ro, don't let one idiot piece of trash ruin the chances of a meaningful relationship."
"She's right, Ella," Aidan cut in before Rosella could respond. "Hayden was the biggest jerk in town, and I promise to conduct background checks on each of your suitors before your dates. I'll even wear sunglasses and an ear mic."
Rosella couldn't help snorting. She had arrived at the Hall house almost in tears because she couldn't stop reliving the moment. She counted on the siblings to lift her up and here they were, being perfect.
"Will you wear overalls and duck under houseplants if they see you?"
"Without a doubt." There was a note of determination in Aidan's voice and his eyes softened when they locked eyes. "You must keep going, Ella. Some of them made you happy, right? You've never been in love before. You owe it to yourself to see where the selection might lead you."
"Or who it might lead you to," Lexie waggled her eyebrows.
The next moments were a universe of silence as the siblings stared expectantly at Rosella, who knew they had her back no matter which direction she decided on. If she canceled the selection, there was only one path to walk and that was backwards, back to the treasured but crumbling bakery, the unwanted university degree. If she continued, Rosella foresaw a million different roads and many of them were glazed with joy, blissfulness, humor, and peace.
Mind made up, Rosella got to her knees and pushed herself upward, let the scarf fall off her shoulders. "Come here, guys."
Lexie cheered and shot straight to her feet. Aidan leapt off the bed with a mixture of glee, resolution, and hate on his face. One on each side, the siblings crushed Rosella in a sandwich of support and the warm energy that coursed through her veins melted the last of the stubborn but defeated ice.
"Can't let all of Lexie's planning go to waste, can I?"
"We're back on?" Lexie rubbed Rosella's arm in calming circles. "You're okay?"
"We're back on. I'll be okay."
And there we have it. What a rush. This chapter was extremely complex to write and I never expected I was going to touch this topic realm when I started working on the outline. I can promise you that nothing in the rest of the story will be as dark and horrible, just fluff and maybe love.
Let me know what you think about the selection system's working, Randel and the twins eating pasta, Hayden who turned out to be just trash, Henry the savior, and the talk with her best friends.
Submitters, I'll be asking for some random, fun info for the super fun group date I have planned, so keep an eye out for PMs please!
Thanks for sticking with the story, Sponk