The Rose Bush

Chapter 1: Rumors of one rose

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I lived in a small quite neighborhood with little to no child in it. The noise silence unless it was a birthday party or maybe a holiday, but that doesn't matter. What matters is this one rose Everyone talks about. What is this Rose they speak of? Is it a person, place, or even an item of any sort?

The rumors say 'A *rose* may have its *thorns*, but when you *touch* it by hand without any *regrets* you'll draw *blood* leading down to your palm.'

"Hey, nerd! You want some help with that edgy fan fiction you're writing?" An upperclassman has shouted causing attention around us both. Of course how I deal with people is to ignore, but this is far to much I could handle.

I looked down at my jeans then to my feet noticing another shadow towards the left of me. I looked up to see tsuki Amaya holding out his hand with a small smile on his face.

"Tsuki why are you here? You know you can get made fun of when you're near me. You know I'm an Fukōna miryoku..." I take his hand as I held my notebook to my chest blushing a bit from how warm his hand felt when I took it.

"I don't care! I'm your Hikari! And no one will turn me down!" He smiles at me with happiness as he pulled me out the crowed of upperclassmen and into the art room. Thankfully it wasn't as packed as yesterday.

"Tsuki why help me when your so popular with everyone." I looked around the art classroom, but when I was looking I saw a painting of a sword with angel wings surrounding it with fallen rose petals.

The shade of blue, white, and black itself. The blending, outline, beauty between the colors putting you into a trance, wanting to know more of the story it's telling you.

"Oh..um.. well you treat me differently then the rest of the people who go to this school.... to be honest, I don't like being on a petal stool especially since it's been with me since childhood. All I wanted is to explore! Make friends of my own not those who just want to be with me for looks, money, and even free ticket ways to just slide into my life. That's why when I talk to you it was special! You didn't know who I was, what my life was like, and even know how special I was! I was finally happy to have you around me that knew the true meaning of a friend." He stood in front of the painting that I was looking at and into his stardust violet eyes.

"A true friend is just a stranger... whom you never met before, yet you have a certain feeling of trust in you knowing that person will be your friend, but the problem is what happens during the time you spend with them? Is it the **forever** , **acquaintance**, or maybe just a person whom you think is your **lover** in disguise? " I crossed my arms waiting for the answer as well wanting to go back into my trance with the gorgeous painting I saw a few minutes ago.

"I see your points, but that doesn't mean you have to stay quiet and take the hit." Tsuki frowned at me not paying any attention towards him what so ever, but I managed to get his attention to the painting.

"I wonder who painted this gorgeous painting! It's just flat out amazing! The colors! Details!I just love it!" I admire the painting from every angle and every piece of details the person put in.

"Yeah it's nice, but you are still leagues better than them." Tsuki said shrugging at the painting as well giving it a small glare as if he knew something behind this painting and the person.

"Is something the matter? Tsuki?" I reached out to him with a worried look on my face as his anger grew more into rage on every second he looked at the painting in front of him.

"It's nothing. Let's go to class." Tsuki grabbed my hand and gently tugged it to our next class, which is literature class. Yeah the most fun class throughout the whole school. It's not, I actually slept through that class all through my school year. The only person who looked out for me is Tsuki, since he sits next to me in literature class.

"Alright class open your books up to **The Lotus and The Rose.**" The teacher wrote down the page numbers where the story began and ended onto the blackboard behind her. Of course, me having the lack of sleep at night....falls asleep under my book with out any care in the world.

"....really?" Tsuki's voice was a bit annoyed knowing I will get in trouble if the teacher finds out I'm sleeping at the moment. So he puts up my book up in front of me as the teacher calls on students one by one to read each line or paragraph.

After a half an hour of reading... we're sent home for the day to study, hangout, play, or just go home to sleep. To be honest, all I do after school is go to the arcade center just near my house. I walk in waving at the employee that is always position the front counter where the prizes are at.

"Hello! Im just here to-" I was cut off by hands covering my eyes which I knew who which hands they were.

"Hewwo little rose!" A female voice echoed in my ear with happiness in her voice.

"Hey big sis! How are you doing today?" I questioned her as I put her hands down to my shoulders and smile happily at her.

"Oh I just wanted to hang out with you! Since I've noticed you come her alone all the time." She pokes my forehead and takes out some change out of her purse.

I rubbed the back of my neck on how much money she had pulled out of her purse just to play arcade games. Minerva walked over to one game and inserted her coins as she smiled happily to play the game. I looked up to the screen as it put a smile to my face.

"Donkey Kong!" I shouted jumping up and down to see my sister beating the levels as if they were a piece of cake. I watched for every level until the arcade center had closed. We walked home happily until we saw a box with writing on it saying *free puppies*

I walked towards the box seeing a black puppy with a yin and yang symbol on its back. I picked up the puppy and showed it to Minerva.

"It looks like zen when he realized he's having a kid." Minerva giggles as she takes the puppy into her arms and we continued to walk home.

"What do you think momma will say?" I questioned my sister as we step on the rug leading to the front door. Before we can even touch the door nob, momma opened the door with a look of confusion on her face.

"Why do you have a dog in your arms Minerva?" Our mother asked us with a confused face as she looked down at the puppy.

"Weeeeell...we saw it on the street all hopeless... and it was the only one left so we took it home with us, plus it looked like zen before he left with his wife to Japan..." smoke came out of my head trying to explain everything my mother whom is scary than the devil himself.

"You take care of it, I'm not going to take care of another baby in this house. I clean too many houses with animals and I don't want to come home to a mess pig pen." Momma said as she walked off into the kitchen serving us our food, but Minerva and I looked at each other then Down to the puppy that was still in Minerva's hand, which we noticed that the puppy looked very hungry.

"Mom..?" We both said in unison as we look back and forth to the puppy and her serving food.

"I know he's hungry so I'll give home some of our human food until I go to the store tomorrow and get some supplies." Our mom said sighing with annoyance, but knew very well two girls who have no knowledge of how to take care of an animal.

Minerva, mom, zack the puppy, and I started to eat our dinner in peace as the sun fell asleep, making the moon covering the sky with a blanket and stars.

"Goodnight everyone!" I yelled out as I closed my door and jumped in my bed going into deep slumber transitioning into the wonderful dream land.