Seeing the Light

Chapter 11

Rose's POV:

I dreamt of Eliza and the incident.

My phone rang with a flood of notifications. It was late at night, around 12:00 p.m. but I was wide awake, thinking about today. So much drama... A lot had happened today at school. I whined as I reached for my phone.

The phone screen read -

14 new messages from: Eliza

Oh. It's just her. I swiped left and was swarmed with a spam of 'ROSEEE, ROSEEE, ROSEEE.' I thought she was crazy.

what gurl. It's late.

i'm sorry. but- this is serious-

okay, what is it? is it about school?

no.. it's a bit weird...

oh. okay well? Go onnnnn-??

uh...

i'm waitingg

ughh

My eyes widened.

..what-?

I blinked before reading the message again. I had to have read wrong. I checked again. Nope, it was true. I had read right...

I like you.

yh lol i like u too

no...

i like like u.

and not a friend.

I didn't know what to say back. I loved her like a friend, but... How did this mess happen?

i- dont know what to say...

Ik i prob wouldn't know either. im just telling u cuz i cant sleep

What was I supposed to say? No, I'm sorry, I don't like you?

gn

Oh. okay then.

gn

gnnn

Those were our last texts. Then our friendship ended. Her parents found out, sent her to conversion therapy, and we never spoke again. I was blamed for everything. Rose Smitten; the reason her best friend was sent away, the reason the whole mess happened. Because of me. Everything was because of me. But Iris hadn't blamed me for anything... because it wasn't.

Iris' POV:

I was to be hospitalized for a few more weeks. The scar from the bottle was a constant reminder that something bad had happened, and there was no way I could erase it. I was scared to think that I would have this anxiety my whole life, but Rose said she would always be there for me and would calm me down. I believed her. How could I not?