It's Not All Roses

Chapter 1; Live Forever

"You always said you loved roses." I said as I smirked. Looking over our town, you could believe that it's perfect. Barely any arguments, no wars and we have a great ecosystem.

Strawberries in a woven basket, the great smell of baked bread and the smell of soil and hanging herbs. That's the nice, little, aesthetic town that I live in, but you will never see the dark side of a rose until it's all wrapped into the shadow of the sun.

As I felt the beautiful, scarlet petals brush my fingertips, Echo brushed her hair behind her ears. The wind polished the leaves of the great oak standing behind us. This was when I believed that life was normal, or as normal as my life could get. The long grass was staring at us as we laid beside it. My thoughts were as calm as could be.

"You know, if you two wanna sneak off to have some lover time, you should be more careful. You're lucky it was just me. Everyone knows that this area is forbidden." I heard from behind me. I turned my head backwards and saw a young British man.

He was wearing a white shirt with a long, plaid, collared jacket. Tucked into his shirt was black jeans with a brown belt. On top of his outfit, he was covered in silver jewelry. Rings, necklaces, chains, etc. His tousled dark brown hair danced as the wind hit and his leather shoes tapped on the grass.

I leapt off the ground and quickly turned back. Narrowing my eyes, my heart rate sped up as I imagined what would happen if this stranger told people. Although he is a stranger and we could just deny the tale, it's better to be safe than sorry.

The stranger and I just stood, looking at each other until we heard a sneeze beside us. We both turned to Echo as she rested. Her eyes switched from me to him quickly before she gazed at the ground, uninterested.

"The problem is, if I tell people I'll be in trouble too. Guess we're in this together then!" The stranger grinned. As the stranger's smile grew, you could see his dimples coming in. He stretched out his hand to mine, in a way of making a deal.

I knew I had options. I looked down at the roses beside me and gazed at the thorns. His smile turned when he realized I wasn't paying attention.

"I am thankful that roses have thorns. Makes me remember that not everything is perfect." He whispered, crouching down and grasping the bottom of the flowers.

"I agree."

His eyes widened as he heard those words. Turning to Echo with a soft smile on his face, he sat. The stranger looked her up and down and closed his eyes. While he stood, you could basically hear his heart beating.

"So you can talk? I didn't expect that." Echo's eyes closed as she heard those words. Her lips turned up as she put on a smile and let out a soft laugh. Rolling my eyes, I stretched my arms high above my head. I rubbed the dirt off of my jeans and stepped forward, going toward the bottom of the hill.

"Wait! Where are you going, stranger? I thought we were having fun." Turning my head, I saw him pouting his lip. I swiftly turned my head back around and started walking again, until I felt an arm tug me back. What a predictable move.

I observed the hand tugging at my shirt and saw Echo. I put my arm back in its place and started walking once again. Only this time, instead of being pushed back, I heard footsteps walking behind me. It was weirdly calming. Relaxing even. It's not that I'm crazy, just that the world is odd, crazy, freakish, and sadly, I am a part of that world. 

I feel comfort in knowing people are here with me. Walking past trees, flowers, grass, we finally made it back to Graycott. My hometown. The place where I was born, I'll live, then I'll die here. Life is easier in a small world. No problems, well less at least.