Affliction | ✓

v | them | 1

her

she wants to leave without explanation but this is rosa. rosa who's been there for her for literally everything. so, she packs her bags, strips down her walls and throws away his things; his hoodie that she had stolen and a tee that he had left behind. the scent clinging to those clothes seem to make her more nauseous than anything.

it's 5:35 am.

she knows rosa sleeps soundly but all her bags are waiting near the door and she has the month's rent in her hands and she's shaking a little (a lot) and she needs to do this.

"rosa?" she mumbles as she enters the room and approaches her sleeping figure.

no response.

she's louder now, gently shaking rosa's arm. "rosa, hey rosa, get up."

rosa's eyes flutter open, "what is it, baby?" she whines and tries closing her eyes again. "go away, the sun's not even out yet."

"rosa, i'm leaving."

her roommate and bestfriend opens her eyes again, stares at her serious face and jolts upright. "what?"

"i-i have to leave, rosie." she's trying to make her best friend take the envelope but she's too confused, her eyes bulging open.

"what?"

she knew it was too early for this but her legs were itching to leave and she really had to catch the 6:30 am bus. she had no time for tears, everything had been clogged up within her body.

"i'm sick," she says and rosa looks so sad in that moment that she almost changes her mind. "i have to go."

"will you see me again or is this a forever thing?" rosie looks insecure, fiddling with the sheets.

"i love you so much, rose. you have no earthly idea, okay?" she leans forward and envelops her only friend in a large hug.

"you didn't answer my question." rosa mutters from somewhere between her shoulders.

"i don't know," she says, honestly.

"that's fair, are we going to stop talking as well?" rosa has tears that are threatening to spill from her eyelids.

"rosie, my baby, this isn't goodbye." she says, feeling absolutely shattered all over again, "this is just a 'i'll see you soon', okay? promise me you won't blame yourself. it's not you, it's me and him."

"I hate him." rosa says and she snorts, feeling glad that she can still find humour in things despite being absolutely broken.

"you and me both, honey. hey, stop crying or I don't think I can go through with this." she leans back and wipes her soon-to-be ex roommate's tears.

"what about college? your degree?"

she sighs. "i don't know, i haven't figured it out."

rosa walks with her to the bus station, she stares at her while she fiddles with her ticket.

"hey, i know that you're going back to your hometown and i'm aware that you don't like spending a lot of time there but you should know that i love you, okay? even if it feels like nobody else does, there's this stupid girl in a stupid university who stupidly loves you." rosa gives her a peck on the cheek and now she's almost in tears.

she's openly crying a little now and feels a lot pathetic. "i don't want to go, rosie but i have to."

"hey, honey munch, i get it. okay? don't lose your head over it. enjoy your bus ride, will you do that for me?" she nods slowly as rosa kisses her head, in a very motherly fashion that almost made her bawl all over again.