Checkmate

Chapter 5

It was eight in the morning.
Camilla went downstairs to find all the lights switched on, and Rosalyn scrolled through her phone with huge eye bags. Camilla switched off the lights and lifted the curtains as sunshine poured into the house. She rushed to Rosalyn and asked, "What happened? Did you even sleep? Had a nightmare, sweetheart?"Are you okay? You have been acting odd. Rosalyn, answer me!" Camilla kept firing with questions as Rosalyn looked for an excuse. Rosalyn blurted out, "I had a nightmare! I-I saw the accident in which mom and dad died, and I couldn't sleep." She lied.
Camilla embraced her sister in her arms and Rosalyn stayed there, quiet. After a hundred reassuring, Camilla went to make breakfast. Rosalyn felt guilty after lying to her sister but she couldn't help it. Camilla was already used to worry about Rosalyn, and Rosalyn didn't want to worry her sister anymore.

Rosalyn left for work as she thought about her nightmare. She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn't even notice Subay 101 on her way. When she was reaching the store, she saw her friends. They crowded the store's entrance and, were talking enthusiastically. When they saw Rosalyn, everyone greeted her cheerfully and complained about how Rosalyn had ghosted them after the party- night. Rosalyn managed another excuse and they bought it. She thought she had mastered lying. 

Josh said, "We should plan another night. Wasn't this one great?"
Alex and Britanny opposed this by saying, "Didn't you see how Rosalyn got so drunk? Did you even get the bus? We just dropped you at the bus stand, honey. Sorry!" 
Rosalyn zoned out, thinking about that night. She started to remember things. The blurry images of her getting out of Josh's car became clear. She remembered standing at the bus stop. She was very drunk and was clinging to a pole. All of a sudden, her mind bought her to subway 101. She was standing there looking at something. The next thing she remembered was the shouts. The words "You are beautiful, mi amor." echoed in her ears.

Josh snapped his fingers and said, "Hello? Did you zone out, Rosalyn?" She regained consciousness and replied, "N- no, I am listening."
All of her friends made a plan to go out for a party on Sunday, but Rosalyn refused. As her friends walked away with low grumbles of "She has changed", Rosalyn went inside the departmental store.