My Dear Friend

CHAPTER SIX🍀

Last week I brought a complete stranger into my home. It was incredibly reckless and probably most definitely stupid. Would I do it again? Absolutely. After Rose checked out of her hotel I brought her back to my place... or maybe I should say our place because she lives here now? Whatever- I brought her home and the look on her face was priceless. I'd pay a lot of money to see that again, the way her eyes lit up when we pulled into the driveway. Or even the way her jaw dropped once we got inside. It took a while for her to process everything. I still don't think she fully adjusted. I imagine it'll be a while before that happens. I, on the other hand, sleep like a baby. Every night I have the best sleep of my entire life. So deep. So peaceful. So incredible. I stretch my arms as I rise from my mattress.

"Ahhh."

I sigh with a smile. I feel refreshed. Rejuvenated, like a person's supposed to feel after they wake up. I haven't eaten yet but I feel full. I shift my head in the direction of my window.

"What a glorious day."

I toss off my duvet and head to the bathroom. I take a piss, wash my hands, brush my teeth, and hop in the shower. Warm water steams and relaxes my muscles. I sing along to the music that plays at the top of my lungs and even do a little dance while I shampoo my hair. I give myself a mohawk and go to town. I use my back brush as a microphone and rinse the soap out of my hair. Who is this guy? I don't know, but I like him. I wash myself again and rinse everything thoroughly. When I step out, I wrap myself in a towel and head to the mirror. I condition my hair with a leave-in and some light oil. I apply a sheet mask and I can't stop dancing. I exit the bathroom, shutting off the light with a little spin move. I head over to my closet, pick out a black tank top and a pair of grey sweatpants from my drawers, and get dressed as usual. I slip into my yellow smiley-face house shoes and go take off my mask. I finish the rest of my routine and enthusiastically bounce down the stairs. I feel like a little kid on Saturday morning. The thought makes me laugh. I reach the bottom of the stairs and turn to my right. Rose is not in the kitchen. I turn to my left. She is not sitting on the couch either. I have a feeling she's not in the basement so I turn around and head back up. When I reach the top I make a left, turning past my room and walk towards the end of the hall. I ignore the two large mahogany doors on each of my sides and focus on the one in front of me. I knock and wait for a response.

"Rose?" I put my ear to the door and knock again. "Rose, are you up?"

"Mmm..." I hear her groan. "Come in."

"Okay... Coming in now."

I open the door. No one is in bed. I would have feared my imagination if I didn't see that the curtains aren't yet drawn and the ceiling fan is still on. I pass one side of the ginormous bed gobbling her up and move closer towards the window. Rose lays completely still on her stomach, her left leg sits high while her arms are tucked closely to her chest. A brown teddy bear wearing a green tattered crochet sweater is nestled comfortably in the elbow of her left arm. All that hair on her head is pulled into a pineapple and wrapped loosely with a scarf. Her lips slightly protrude with her head flat against the mattress. So sweet... Too bad it all must come to an end.

"Wake up, sleepy head!" I shout and hurriedly open the curtains.  I feel so giddy as sunlight warms my skin. I stretch and take it all in. I set both hands on my hips and turn around to receive the most frightening stare I've ever gotten in my life.

"Have you lost your damn mind?" Rose says. Her tone is calm, which frightens me even more.

"No... I'm- I'm bored."

"It's ten in the freaking morning. Go back to sleep, bro?"

"But- I don't wanna... I can't."

"What on earth did you do before I got here?"