Roses Left To Wilt

Chapter 5

Rosella

I sat down on my bed, thinking about what happened. I cursed at myself for looking so vulnerable in front of him. I held my red-tinted cheeks and let out an embarrassed screech. It felt good though. Being comforted by someone. I was even more embarrassed when I ran out of the room after he hugged me. I got shivers down my spine just thinking about that moment.

"Idiot," I muttered to myself, still smiling.

I mustered up the courage to go to Felix and tell him I was thankful that he comforted me, even though I knew it was an excuse for me to talk to him again. I knocked on the door. No reply. Cracking my knuckles out of anxiety, I knocked again.

"Felix?" I said. I put my hand on the doorknob, twisting it. I looked around in his room, calling out his name once again. No Felix here. I walked downstairs, thinking he might be there, but I saw no sign of him. I spotted Granny and was close to asking her if she had seen him, but she was asleep, so I decided not to disturb her. I walked faster, panic taking over me.

Where did he go?

I ran up to his room again, noticing something I didn't notice before; an open window. "This boy...." I sighed to myself before slipping through the window, onto a ladder.

"Not a good time to be scared of heights, Rosella," I told myself, climbing down the ladder, "If Mira didn't take the keys, I wouldn't be in this mess," I muttered to myself, halfway there. Stepping off the ladder, I looked around, hoping to see Felix in front of me, glaring at me with blank eyes as always.

"Where are you?" I whispered, walking straight. I spotted a girl with messy hair, in pizza costume handing pizza flyers with an annoyed smile plastered on her slightly chubby face.

"Excuse me; have you seen a boy wearing a black shirt with a pair of jeans?" I said and she looked at me confused. I cursed at myself in my thoughts when I realized that definitely wasn't enough information, "Um, he has dark, wavy hair with bangs and..."

"Oh, that guy? No I haven't, probably because I don't stare at all the people walking by me," she glared at me.

"Um, sorry," I muttered, walking straight once again, "once I find you, I will kill you, Felix Srisuk!"

I kept walking until I realized I was lost. My heart was beating faster by the minute and I felt nervous butterflies in my stomach. Where was I? How would I be able to go back home? Would anyone even care?

Mira hated me. My own father probably hated me, although it didn't matter because I hated him. Granny is leaving, and...Felix? I knew I wouldn't be able to find him, especially in a huge city like New York. What if he never came back? What if-

I was interrupted by an East Asian woman who tapped me on the back. She looked like she was in her late thirties, but she was nonetheless, beautiful. She had big brown eyes and a sharp nose. She started to speak in an unfamiliar language, leaving me confused.

"I'm sorry, I don't speak your language," I stated awkwardly but keeping in mind to be polite.

"Uh, you know Korean?" she had a look of confusion.

"No, ma'am. I don't speak Korean," I spoke slowly, hoping she would understand. It seemed as if she did since she shook her head, nodding.

"You look Korean," she managed to say, with a small embarrassed giggle, before storming off with a nervous smile.

"That was weird...but sweet" I muttered and smiled, starting to walk again.

"Where are you, you goddamn-" I tripped on a step on the sidewalk, falling down. I dusted myself as I got up, groaning in frustration. I held my head, a gasp leaving my lips as I felt something wet on my slender fingers. Blood. It wasn't a lot, thankfully. It probably would take me about a week to bleed to death. As Grandpa always said, "Look at things on the bright side, and maybe you will find a brighter light." I smiled thinking about my Grandpa, suddenly reminded of the phrase he used to ask me for no reason, at random times, "Have you ever fallen on the ground, collar bone first?" I remember how I laughed the first time I heard this, almost choking on my drink, snorting, while apple juice came out of my nose. I was thirteen, okay?