Milestone

Episode 3

Right before Alchemy class...

Rose (walking, sad): Ugh, I wish I was home right now.

Jessie (seeing a sad Rose): Hey, Rose, is everything all right?

Rose: Just leave me alone right now, okay? I don't want to be bothered.

Jessie (kinda sad): Are you sure?

Rose: Please, Jess, not today. Just let me be alone, like I should be.

Jessie (thinking): Like you should be? I wonder if she has problems at home. (out loud) Rose, you know, talking to someone about it usually helps.

Rose just ignores Jess and sits down in her seat.

Teacher: Okay, everyone get out your notebooks, we have another lecture today.

Rose (pulling out her notes, thinking): Why couldn't it have been another free day?

Teacher: Okay, today you will be learning human transmutation.

Rose (thinking): Ugh, Mondays. (she drops her head on the desk)

Jessie (thinking): I wonder what happened to you over the weekend, Rose. I'm sure I'll find out.

Teacher: Rose, please pay attention, you're going to need this.

Rose (lifting her head up): Sorry, sir.

The teacher puts on a PowerPoint and turns off the lights, letting light from the outside light the room. The lecturing begins and Rose starts to take notes.

Rose (thinking): I hate this so much. (tears from her crying start hitting her paper)

Jessie (thinking): Oh, god, Rose. You must have been hurt pretty badly.

Teacher (seeing Rose): Rose, are you okay? Do you need a minute?

Rose (wiping the tears from her eyes): No, I'll be fine, please continue.

Teacher: Okay, are you sure?

Rose: Yes, sir. I'll be fine.

After an hour of lecturing, the bell rings. Unlike usual, Rose gets up slowly and is the last one out of the classroom.

Jessie (seeing Rose walk by slowly): Hey, what's up? Usually you bolt to the table so you can eat.

Rose: I'm not hungry, today. Can you leave me alone, now?

Jessie: Rose, what happened? I want to help you if I can.

Rose quickly and unexpectedly hugs Jessie and starts crying again.

Jessie (surprised): Okay, Rose, what happened?

Rose (still crying): I have a very abusive father. He hit me this weekend, a lot. And he told me I was good for nothing and that I should never have friends.

Jessie: And you believed him?!

Rose: What do you mean? Shouldn't I? He's my father.

Jessie: Rose, your father is a horrible person for doing that to you. You deserve to have friends, and you're the greatest at alchemy. That's been proven.

Rose (smiling a little): Thank you, Jessie. (she hugs her harder)

Jessie: Anytime.

Rose (looking at her): Why do you care so much about me?

Jessie: You need a friend, Rose, and I want to be your friend.

Rose: You want to be friends with...me?

Jessie: Yea, you're a very interesting person.

Rose: Thank you, so much. (she backs off from the hug) But I'm not sure that I really deserve to be your friend. I've treated you like dirt ever since you arrived.

Jessie: Rose, we're in two different groups of people so to speak. I'm what's considered preppy and you're what's considered Punk-rock. We're not exactly alike, but I like to be different. I only dress like this cause my parents make me, anyway.

Rose (staring at Jessie in shock): You are so much different than I expected you to be. I'm sorry Jess, but I'm going to think for a little while, okay? I'll talk to you later. (Rose walks away, still in shock of what happened)

Jessie (thinking): You'll come around, Rose, I just know it.

Rose (thinking): How can she care about someone like me? I'm such a piece of crap. I can't even do regular classes right. This time, I have no idea what to do.

Rose keeps walking away, slowly, then looks back at Jessie, who is smiling at her.

Rose (thinking): But I'm happy to have a friend now.

To be continued...