GOLDEN ROSE • THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY

CHAPTER SEVEN

Five looks at Vanya hesitantly, and then at me. "I read your book, you know." He said to her. "Found
it in a public library. That's how I knew how bad things had gotten. How Number Six died."

I winced, and Vanya looked at me knowingly. She wrapped her arm around me and I looked down into my lap.

When Five disappeared, Ben always checked on me to make sure I was okay. Almost every night for two weeks he came to my room with hot chocolate or popcorn, and just kept me company as I cried.

Ben was the only person I let in after Five, but just like that he left too. I found it hard to ever rely on someone like that again.

Vanya knew. She saw me once, on the bathroom floor, sobbing my eyes out when we were kids. She knelt to the ground to comfort me, it was a week after Five disappeared, but Ben shooed her away. She knew he was the only one I could talk to.

"Ben," I said softly and Five looked at me confused. "It's Ben, not Number Six," I clarified, and he looked taken back for a second.

Vanya shot him a glare, and he hesitantly continued, "How we failed." He was angry now, and he stood up abruptly. "This is the wrong time. I came too late. Delores always said my equation was off. Must have forgot to carry the second two..."

"Who's Delores?" I asked, half curious, and half with a pang of jealousy. Though I'm not sure why.

Vanya gripped my shoulder tightly, and Five ignored my question. "There's another option. Someone, or something, pulled me out of the timestream early. Brought me here to this exact moment."

"But why?" Vanya asked.

I don't think Five knew why, because all he did was stare out the window confused. Vanya sighed, standing up and walking out the door, leaving us alone once again.

"They know I'm here," he tells me.

Though I don't know what he's talking about, I still stand up and wrap my arms around him. Finally embracing him for the first time since he got back.

He looks shocked and slowly wraps his arms back around me. After a few seconds of this awkward hug he sighs, leaning into me. "Fifty-two years without physical contact," he mutters, pausing for a second. "I'm glad your hug is the first embrace that I feel."

It's late now, and everyone has left to go to bed. But instead I sat, standing at the window to stare at the broken statue of Ben caused from Diego and Luther's fighting.

Tears prick my eyes, and I feel someone come up from behind me. It's Pogo.

"Hi Pogo," I say sadly, as he stands beside me.

"Is something on your mind Miss Rose?" He asked me curiously, and I play with my fingers nervously.

"Ben- Ben's statue," I start, "it's ruined. After everything, he can't even have a statue."

Pogo sighs, and I let a few tears fall. "Don't cry," he tells me. "A statue would never be able to display the amount of bravery that Ben showed even in it's most pristine form."

I nodded, knowing he's right, after all it is just a statue. "He would be proud of you, you know," Pogo says and I looked up surprised. "I know it's not just the statue bothering you, Miss Rose. But I hope you realize that if Ben could see you now, he would be proud of the young lady you have become. I know he always looked up to you."

I gave him a small smile, "I sure hope so Pogo. He deserved so much more."

Pogo sighed, walking away and I looked out the window one last time before heading to bed. But just as I rounded the corner, I saw a flash of something, and I knew Five was listening.