My Single Rose

Chapter 1: What Is Life?

The hot gazing sun shines down on my face as I lay on my back. The grass is pure green, and the sky is fulled of the color blue, letting the sun's hot rays onto the Earth's surface. Nothing in life could be prettier than mother nature, not even you. Just kidding, no need to take it offensively, but our Earth is beautiful.

Sometimes I wonder about life, what is life?

Every stranger you could catch either in empty streets or busy streets, and you ask that question. They would hesitate for a moment collecting their thoughts before responding. It's not because they are searching for the answer, or they want to give out the best response. It's because they don't know themselves, like you. Again don't take it offensively, but ask yourself that question, too.

"Josie, what is life?" I ask my best friend, Josephine Heather is my childhood friend. She and I have been friends for as long as I could remember, we are more like sisters than friends.

Josie turns her attention from the basketball players in the parking lot to me. Her gray colored eyes look into my blue ones, and I wait for her response to my question.

"What kind of question is that?" Josie asks me. She sits up, and I follow her movements.

"I ask first, so answer, "I say.

"Life is life," Josie responds, but she shrugs. "I don't know. How would I know?"

"Thanks for stating the obvious, Josie." I groan.

Josie got up, and she pats herself to get the grass off her.

"So, what's life?" Josie asks. She looks down at me, and I look up at her, blocking the sun with one of my hands hovering out my eyes.

"The existence of an individual, either a human or an animal. " I say as I get up. Josie rolls her eyes, and she says, "What a coincidence Skye, I believe that definition came from a dictionary."

"Come on. I'm tired of the sun shining on my face," Josie says, taking my arm and leading me towards the group of people playing basketball.

Right now, we're in Physical Education class, but our teacher let us have free time today. I don't like Physical Education, not I'm blaming because I keep on getting hit by a ball. Err. Let me rephrase that. I'm not alethic, and I don't like to play with balls. Sport isn't my thing, but books are.

I don't play sports because if I do, then my teeth would be gone forever. Or, more likely, my face would be gone. I can't throw a ball, and I can't catch a ball. However, I can get hit in the face by balls. Yeah, I suck that bad. I know I'm not the only one out there, we're just rare.

Unlike Lisa Hunter, she's known as the greatest female basketball player in our school. She's a player too. Oh, and she's lesbian. Boys and girls, except Josie and me, drools over her. Why? You know, why, she's hot and sexy according to them.

"Ugh, I hate summer," Josie complains. "I'm going to be roasted to death."

"It's almost Fall, Josie," I say. "Are you doing skiing again this winter?"

"Who wouldn't?" Josie says happily. I raise my hand in response, but Josie shakes her head. "Come on. You need to do something, at least. Like dance or something. You're flexible."

"Doesn't mean I can dance, Josie. I would be looking like a dead fish flopping around," I say. "I'm better off with my textbooks."

"What's so good about textbooks?" Josie asks.

"You get to learn new things," I say.

"...That's why we go to school to learn new things, not off textbooks," Josie says.

"Hey, don't be mean to my textbooks, they are a lot better than being hit by stupid balls," I say.

"Talking about balls, you've survived a week without getting hit!" Josie says happily, giving me a round of applause.

"Don't dare jinx it," I say, looking at her.

"Why -"

"Watch out!" a voice screech in distance. 

My attention from Josie shifted to a ball heading toward me - ooff. I could feel the force of the ball slamming down onto my face.

"Oh my gosh! Skye!" I heard Josie said in the distance. My butt collides with the fall as I lost my balance, and things start to get dizzy. "You're bleeding!"

"Is my nose crooked?" I ask. My eyes start to get teary, and I'm getting dizzy. What a bi-

"I'm so sorry!"

"Sorry doesn't fix a broken nose, you know," I say, trying to get up.

"Come on, Skye, I need to get you to the nurse's office," Josie said as she helps me get up.

"I'll help, too!"

"Guys, I'll be fine. I can walk to the nurse's office," I said, pushing myself away from Josie's grasp. "I can walk, look at me-"

My knees went weak below when Josie let me go, and I went straight for the floor again.

"Ow."

"Here let me help you," A stranger said, I couldn't make out their face through my teary eyes and lack of my glasses. They wrap their arm around my waist as I drop my arm around their neck. "Lean on me."

"And why would I do that?" I ask, looking at them, ugh - they look blurry.

"Skye, stop being stubborn and let Lisa carry you," Josie said somewhere nearby. "You're bleeding non-stop, too."

"No wonder I'm getting dizzy and light-headed," I say.

Lisa helps me to the nurse's office as Josie opens the door for us.

~~~

"Ow-gosh, be gentle with my nose," I say to the nurse. "You're going to make my nose more broken - if that's possible."

"Now Skye, you're nose isn't broken, and it's just a bruise," said Nurse Sally. "I still don't understand why you don't have a concussion."

"Cause she got a thick skull," said Josie sitting beside the nurse.

"Should I take that as a compliment or an insult?" I ask.

"Okay, Skye, here, I got you an ice pack for your nose." Nurse Sally said as she handed me the ice pack. "Also, you might want to change out of your shirt."

I bring my shirt up to my eyes because I don't have my glasses on. I might be revealing my toned-flat stomach, but do I look like I care?

"Oh geez, are those blood on my shirt?"