THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT: paired with a rose

CHAPTER 1

Dear Rose

I don't know where to begin with this letter. Maybe I don't know where to begin because I don't want to be writing it. This has to be the hardest thing I'll ever have to do.

The thought of sharing my life without you is the scariest thing I've ever had to come to terms with. You've been such a huge part of it for the last 4 months. But I think you know as well as I do, that it's time to move on from the house where fate awaited us. You with the next step in your dancing career, and me with the next step of my life.

So much has changed in 4 months. Can you believe where we were when we first started this chapter of our lives? Two girls with nothing to lose, just dreams in our back pockets! I'll never forget the first time I saw you, I was so shocked by your immediate presence that when you walked in after a minute I sat down all I could do was stare. One by one, everyone walked in the house and all I could see was you.

We started as friends, you and I. I remember the first day I talked to you. We instantly clicked. You called it fate. I'd like to think that it was. I knew from the moment we met that I liked you. I liked you for everything you were, everything you had yet to become and everything that you stood for. You were one to tell it exactly how it was. No B.S., just facts. I loved that about you. And let's face it, you can make me smile from ear to ear more than anyone on this planet. Anything that comes out of your mouth is the most sweetest thing I've ever heard. That's what it was for us: laughing, smiling, dancing, singing out of tune for me, hugging...oh your warm hugs. We were never in each other's faces but when we were it was magic, a beautiful escape, we would forget we were surrounded kayode's cameras.

The Friday pool and Saturday night parties, I miss those nights so much. I miss even more how our connection developed over those parties, and the love we had for one another. I'll never forget how you helped me when Pere and I were arguing. It was so childish, I saw it coming really. We had been so distant him and I. I would rather spend the majority of my time dancing with you. He was too smitten and I really was barely there, it was never gonna work. But he and I had something in common, THE WILDCARDS of the house, besides you he was the closest thing I had in the house, I was still pretty upset at him, but mostly myself.

You were so helpful during that time; coming over to me every-time you saw I was down, making sure I didn't drink too much alcohol, and making sure that you were always available to talk, even when you were hanging out with Emmanuel. But our relationship started to change after that day. You were blowing off Emma more and more. And one night you were hanging with him in the kitchen, having a jolly good time I walked in and you tried to hold my hands and I stepped back. Still, You looked at me with a smile on your face and all I could do was turn away from you then you managed to pull me back to you with my back turned against you. With your not so surprising strength you managed to pick me up and carried me from the kitchen all the way to the lounge, I must admit I was blushing, Emma looked at us with a cute smirk on his face whilst shaking his head and taking a bite of his food, I still wonder what he was thinking. You put me down when I screamed that my boob was showing and you started to walk away I caught up with you on my way to the red room and out of nowhere you pulled my hand and dragged me with you to the blue room. We were talking about Emma and Pere. You said you really liked him that he is a nice guy, but I knew there was more to it. I told you I didn't like Pere, but this was a conversation we had before, there was certainly more to what you dragged me in here for.

We were still talking about the two boys when you just fell down on the bed and sat. You started crying, and you told me we needed to talk. You had asked if I wanted to share your bed with you that night. I told you I'm going to take a bath, and in the meantime, you try to relax and ill be back. You were so great with everything that had been going on in the house, winning competitions left and right, I didn't even realize something was bothering you. I felt terrible.

When I got to the blue room, you were in bed, so I got in bed without a word and wrapped my left arm around your waist and closed my eyes. A soft sigh came from you. You weren't crying anymore. You just relaxed yourself into me, and held my hand in yours. I wrapped my arm around you tighter and told you that whatever was going on, I'd be there for you, just like you'd been there for me. You said 'I know' and asked if we could pray then called it a night. .

Hours later into our sleep, I felt you turning . You were facing me now, and I still had my arm wrapped around your waist. We were so comfortable with each other. It was a norm for us to be touching or cuddling wherever we were. It was just us- we were best friends.

I could hear you crying again, and I just wrapped my arms around you tighter. The tighter I squeezed, the harder you cried. Then in between sobs, you just whispered 'I love you'. I told you I loved you too, but this is what we always said to each other. Then you put your hand on my face and you said, 'No... I really love you. I love everything about you. Maria, I'm in love with you.'

I was stunned. I was in love with you, too, but I have never felt like this so I kept it to myself for so long, I never knew what to do with those feelings. And I believed you were in love with Emma, so I just pushed them aside. I looked at you... Good lord, my face probably looked horrifying thankfully it was deep into the night for me to worry about you seeing me like that cause the look on my face was not how I felt. I was thrilled. I just didn't know what to say back. I didn't know what it would mean. You were still flirting with Emma among-st other things.