The One They Left Behind

T W O

When Rose was younger, she would wait excitedly for the first day of school. Her mother would braid her auburn curls and take pictures of her standing in front of the house with her little backpack and lunchbox.

Her brother would lean against the side of the house, smiling at his overly excited little sister.

Now, she dreaded the first day of school. It would be the first time since she was four that Diana wouldn't be there with her. Although she would never admit it, she missed Clayton too. He would make sure no one would mess with them and protect her from the mean girls in her grade. Without her friends, she wasn't sure how she was supposed to go through the long days ahead.

Without the Haynes driving her to school, Rose had to take the city bus to school every morning and back home every afternoon. As she waited at the bus stop, she avoided all eye contact; she didn't want to talk to anyone.

Although the bus ride took 20 minutes to get to school, she was still early and was able to wait in the library until it was time for class.

She was tempted to pull out her phone and call Diana, but she knew that she would have to go through today alone.

Instead, she sent her friend a text saying she was alright and wishing her a good first day at her new school.

She was incredibly nervous for her first day back to school without the only two people in her life who would make it bearable. Hoping she would be able to disappear from her personal nightmare, she closed her eyes and folded into a ball on the floor of the library. Unfortunately, her "escape" was to go back to a time when Diana and Clayton were still a part of her daily life.

5 years ago

"I'm so excited for school! We're going to see all of our friends!" Diana squealed while twirling on her way to the car.

"All of your friends. They're only friends with me because I hang out with you." Rose muttered, twisting the braid her mom had done for her around her pointer finger.

"You know that's not true. You're awesome squirt, only idiots can't see it." Rose's older brother Jonathan said. She smiled shyly at him, still twirling and pulling at her braid. "Stop that, mom worked hard to braid your hair this morning." He gently pulled her hands away from her nearly flawless plait.

"Sorry Jonny, I'm just nervous." Rose gave her brother a shy smile, resorting to twisting her hands together instead of her hair.

"Don't worry about today squirt, you've got Diana in your class and Clayton is just down the hall." Jonathan gave his little sister a comforting hug.

"And I'll be there too!" Diana's younger sister, Paige catapulted herself into Rose's arms. "I'm finally starting first grade. I get to be in the same school as you guys! I'm so excited!" She squealed, causing Rose to wince.

"Come on Rosey, I don't want to be late!" Paige screamed, grabbing Rose's hand and dragging her towards the car.

"C'mon squirt, gotta give princess Paige what she wants." Jonathan laughed, slinging his arm around his sister.

Giggling, they got into the car and headed to school.

Present

It was hard to think of her older brother; To remember his smiling face instead of the tears she saw the last time they had been together. She could remember exactly the way his laugh sounded, or how he was silly and carefree before. She could close her eyes and remember everything about her big, strong, protective ass of an older brother, but it made her want to cry, so instead, she opened her eyes to the bright fluorescent lights of her school's library.