Everybody's Romeo, Nobody's Juliet

Chapter Nine: An Unexpected Visitor

The Sunday morning light slowly crept through the bedroom window, scattering its rays around the room. Huddled on the bed at the corner of the room was a pile of blanket, pillows and a comforter. Suddenly, there was a sneeze followed by a soft sniffled coming from underneath the blanket. Rose ended up walking twenty blocks from the restaurant to Mr. Steiner's pub last night. By the time Aren opened the back door, she was drenched in snow, her teeth were chattering and her body was shivering uncontrollably. After mumbling something about having a death wish, Aren threw her a towel and his hooded jacket. Mr. Steiner was kind enough to drive them both back home. When she got off the car, her head felt like it was being drilled and a bucket of hot water had been poured on her. She had changed out of her wet clothes and tried to sleep it off. Unfotunately, Rose woke up to the incessant ringing of her phone. She popped one eye open and reached for it. Kristopher's face was flashing on the screen.

"What?"

"You're in trouble."

"I already told Mr. Becker I wouldn't be able to come to work today."

"You'll need talk to him." There was a brief pause before another voice came on the line.

"You liar."

"Mr. Becker?" It didn't sound like him. The voice sounded masculine but there was no gruff to it. "Kristopher, is that still you? I told you, I'm a bit off today so stop bugging me or I'll tell Mr. Becker you're using your phone during your shift." She tapped end, put her phone on silent mode, and threw it beside her. Rose extended her hand and reached out for the glass of water resting on top of her bedroom cabinet. As she sat up Indian style, the blue cotton blanket slid from her shoulders. It was already half-past ten in the morning but she was still in her pajamas and loose white shirt. Her hair was in a messy bun from tossing and turning on the mattress and her eyes, free from glasses, still looked tired. She coughed a couple of times before taking a sip of water. She grabbed the ice bag under the pillow and pressed it against her head.

"This feels like death." She groaned, shutting her eyes. The ice bag had already turned to water but it was still cool enough to relieve her headache. She slumped back down on her bed and slipped underneath the covers, tucking the blanket under her head. Twenty blissful minutes passed by when she heard Mrs. Kruger yell from downstairs.

"Rose dear!" She sounded excited for some reason. 'But then again, she always is.' She thought. A few seconds later, she heard her knocking on the door. She wanted to get up but her didn't move. 'Maybe if I pretended to be asleep, she'd leave me alone.' But Mrs. Kruger didn't. She heard the doorknob rattle followed by the door squeaking. Rose shut her eyes. She felt the comfort of the blanket leave her face.

"Rose, you have a visitor downstairs." Mrs. Kruger said as she shook her lightly.

Rose half-opened her eyes, momentarily blinded by the sunlit room. "A visitor? Who?"

"That nice young man from the school festival." She replied, a wide smile registering on her face. She started snapping her fingers. "Ah, I forget his name. The one from the football team, ja?"

Rose's brown eyes popped open now in surprise. 'Oh my gosh! Marco?' Her heart raced, both from delight and panic. "What's he doing here?"

"Oh, why don't you ask him? He's downstairs by the door, he didn't want to enter in case you weren't feeling up to it."

She flung the covers from her and sat upright. 'Holy Dortmund!'

"I'll go downstairs now, hurry up. Don't keep him waiting." With that, Mrs. Kruger closed the door after her.