Unseen Strings

Chapter 3

Unknown
4 years ago

"Hey! Wait up!" A girl shouted as she ran into me. Her book fell from her hands and she nearly toppled backwards.

I grabbed her wrist and yanked her back.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" She called out as she crashed into my chest. Her deep eyes stared up into mine as she regained her balance.

My heart began to beat erratically.

She smiled up at me and I released her wrist.

"It's alright," I answered her as I bent down and picked up her book for her. At once I noticed that it was Shakespeare's Macbeth. I remembered reading it in school, it was difficult, not for a beginner, and yet as I looked at the girl in front of me who held her hands up in a forgive me manner, she didn't seem the type to be on that level. Her dark hair seemed wavy even as it was tied up in a bun, her eyes were dark as well, her skin was smooth and had a tinge of color...her body shape was also hard to miss.

"Your book," I passed it back to her.

"Thank you so much!" She smiled brightly at me. "Again, so sorry!" She beamed a bit even as she apologized, and then she ran off. The uniform she wore seemed a size too small...her skirt was shorter than it shoulda been. As I stared at her running off, I noticed her immediately join the side of a familiar girl.

Laci Hae-Won Walker...a frustrating enigma. Half-Korean, half-white, and as sharp as a dull knife. How could such a striking woman befriend someone so...ordinary? She couldn't seem to decide if she wanted to embrace her Korean heritage or assimilate into Western culture.

"Rosie!" I heard Laci call and wave at the girl who bumped into me.

I rolled my eyes and cast them downward. My heart leapt as my eyes focused on something by my foot. I reached down and lifted up an ID tag from the ground. It was hers...the girl's....she must not have noticed it. I felt myself smirk as I peered down at her sweet smile and wavy hair.

"Ruiz, Angelina." I mumbled under my breath. I chuckled a bit, "so beautiful...my Angel."

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Angelina

Present

"Rosie," Laci called. "Food!" She pushed my door open, "come on you bag of bones!" She yanked the comforter I had pulled up over my head away from me.

"Must I?" I groaned.

"Rosie. Oh my god. Yes, you must! You have to eat!" She walked over closer and messed with my ankle. "You promised you would go out with me tonight!" I heard her lips smack.

"Oh Laci...I don't know if I really..." I began. I forgot I had promised her that I would go out with her. In that instance, I had only given my promise so that she would leave me alone.

"Don't even think about it!" she exclaimed. "We live together, and you can't isolate yourself like this. You can't just hide away in your room all the time."

A weary sigh escaped my lips as I dragged myself from bed. It had been over a year since I'd braved the social world. A crippling fear held me captive, preventing me from escaping my room.

"Rosie," Laci's voice grew more serious, "You can't let the fear keep you inside..." she folded her arms, "It's not like he's ever been around you personally, right?"

I flashed her a tight smile, unable to dispute her perspective. My little problem, as I saw it, had been a distant, occasional intrusion into my life. "Very well," I replied, rising as my mind fixated on the white rose left on my bed. My little problem had clearly taken more notice of me than I liked to admit, he invaded my sanctuary. I doubted Laci considered this.