Best Girl-Friends💛 (A Rosénali Story)

xxv

Rosé's POV:
It had been about a month since the party.

3 weeks.
21 days.
504 hours.
30,240 minutes.
1,814,400 seconds.

Denali hadn't come to school in all of this time. The others and I couldn't help but be anxious the whole time. She never responded when we tried to contact her, every time we visited her house, she was never home. It was almost like she had disappeared from the Earth completely.

"Just call her again!" Begged Olivia.
"I told you, she's not going to answer!" Said Kahmora. "Please try again!" Lemon cried.
Kahmora called Denali once more and still no answer. "I'm so worried- is she even..."
The room went silent as we all stared at Jan's car.
"Let's go try again." I said.
I held Gottmik's hand as all of us walked to the car.
I quickly pecked Gottmik before taking my seat.

"How was your date with Gottmik last week?" Asked Lemon. "It was amazing, but we kept talking about how we were so worried about Denali." I replied.
"There's always so much drama between you two." Said Kahmora. "Between Mik and I? Well-"
"I'm not talking about you and Gottmik. I'm talking about you and Denali." I opened my mouth until I saw Gottmik step into the car.

"Alright children, off to Denali's house again."
We drove for a little til' we reached Denali's home. Usually the house was dark and the windows were closed and covered with its curtains, today I could see a visible light from the kitchen.

I knocked on the door and Denali's mum opened the door. "Oh! It's you girls again. Well congratulations, you came at the right time. Denali is in her room."
"Thank you Mrs. Foxx" The girls and I all walked up the stairs until we reached Denali's room. We could hear faint shuffling and soft sniffles.

I reluctantly knocked out the door and there was no response. "Denali?" I said aloud. I opened the door and she was her lying on her bed. She was unrecognisable.

It wasn't Denali. It was like an empty shell of the girl I knew. She looked like her life got sucked out of her. Her skin was pale and she had a tear-stained face, her eyes were red, glassy and had dark eye bags underneath them. I only knew she was alive because she was blinking and her chest rose and fell as she inhaled and exhaled.

When she saw the group, she didn't even flinch, she simply went back to staring off into space.
"Hey Denali-" Said Olivia, but she had stepped on a styrofoam cup. We all started to look around and lots of Denali's things had been replaced.

All her ice skating trophies, her medals and awards were gone. Her vanity looked emptier than usual and all of the plates and cutlery looked different.
"Why are all of these things disposable?"
"Mother won't let me have ceramic plates and glass cups. Olivia, you broke my cup." Said Denali.

She glanced at the floor and sighed. "Lasted me a good week. I'll miss it." She spoke. "Even my cutlery has been replaced." Denali took a bite of her fork. "It's edible, child-safe..."

"Denali- you're scaring me." Said Lemon as she crossed her arms. "Are you- you okay Denali?"
"The anti-depressants I have been given make me really sleepy. My therapist said after another week, I'll get used to them." Mhm m m
"Anti-depressants? Therapist?" I muttered.
"Yup, anti-depressants and I have a therapist. What are you guys even doing here?"
"We came here because we care about you so much." Said Kahmora.

"I could understand why you three are here." Denali said as she pointed at Kahmora, Olivia and Jan. "I'm not sure about those two." She said pointing at Gottmik and I. "What are you two doing here?"
"I came here because we're friends. Best friends." Said Gottmik. "We WERE best friends." Said Denali, rolling her eyes. "What about you, Rosé?"

This time I spoke from my heart.

"Because I still love you." I stammered.
Gottmik's head whipped and she had a surprised and devastated expression on her face.
"I haven't gotten over you. The truth is Nali, I need you because you're the other half that I need and you're the missing puzzle piece of the group. We all need you."

We all heard Denali's phone alarm go off.
"Oop- got a therapy session. Got to go." Denali said blankly as she walked out of her room. "I don't want to see you guys ever in my house again and I mean all of you." Denali stepped down her stairs and we all heard a loud bang as she shut the front door.

Who even was that girl?