Open Your Eyes - Chapter Two

Two

Rosaline Day was always an early riser. She could not help it. Ever since her father had died, she had been unable to sleep past the sunrise and she did not understand why. She sat on her bed, watching the sun peek up over the horizon but the clouds, waiting to swallow it up before it could shine, were already homing in on it signalling the end of the heat-wave and the weather shift back to normal. Within half an hour she knew it would be overcast and grey, but it was the rare minutes when the sun did shine, lighting up the world without any interference or scorching heat that she lived for. It was a curse, not being able to sleep very well, but it all seemed okay when she got to witness these short, little wonders.

The silence of that time of day was crushing, creating a feeling of unease and panic. She wasn’t too adept to dealing with silence. The last time she had experienced anything that silent was when her family was ripped apart, when the doctor told them her father had died. There were no sobs, no choked weeping or even a gasp in utter shock. There was just silence, an uncomfortable silence only broken by the doctor apologising and leaving them to their thoughts. Rosita still didn’t make a sound and the pressure to just say something was building massively on Rosaline’s shoulders but she could not no matter how many times she opened her mouth. It just closed right up again.

She had already showered and dressed by the time the clouds snapped the sun right out of the sky and promptly put a CD on, drowning out the silence whilst she checked on her homework. It would not have been like her to leave it to the morning before school but just in case, no one can ever be too sure.

A tapping noise, something akin to how she imagined a fairy would sound stamping her feet, hit her within minutes of checking over her work. She stopped, suddenly alert and listened as it continued, seconds between each tap and yet each sound growing stronger and louder in her head. It wouldn’t go away but there was something comforting about it as she followed its trail. It was still very early, not a single person awake in the nearby area to her knowledge, but she knew what the sound was. She heard it most weekend mornings. It unsettled her that her routine was being toyed with, hearing a sound so familiar in such an unusual way and on the wrong day. Routine was all she had left since they moved away from everything she had lived for. The days were dark and gloomy from the moment her thirteen year old self started anew but despite that she knew she would always have a little light shining for her. She sat on her windowsill and looked down at Aaron, throwing small pebbles at her window, nearly always missing but still making contact in a regular pattern. He stopped as he looked up at her, smiling. Yes, he was the light in her life. He buzzed around her like a firefly, ever glowing and shining, ready to lift any bad days and to encourage the good ones.

She smiled back down at him, lifting herself from the windowsill and sneaking downstairs, to open the front door to him. He had a fresh look upon his face, where the cold morning air licked at him leaving colour in his cheeks and slightly windswept hair.

“This is a little different.” Rosaline stated in hushed tones with a small smile.

“It’s the first day of school, why not start this year a little differently?” He grinned, pleased with his own ingenuity.

“You had better come in, it’s cold out there.”  She moved out of the way to let him in, still speaking quietly and bluntly. That was Rosaline to a tee though. She never spoke in riddles or at great length; she would say what was necessary and leave it at that. “Daniel is supposed to be coming to get me this morning, but I can cancel.”

Aaron’s eyes flickered at the sound of her pre-made plans but he smiled softly, nodding with her suggestion. “Have you eaten yet?”

“No, I was watching the sunrise and checking my work before you got here. Do you want something?” She raised her eyebrows, waiting for his answer even though she was almost sure she knew what he would say.

“You’re here a little early aren’t you, Aaron?” Rosita asked, walking into the kitchen rubbing her eyes slightly, tugging her gown around her at the sudden chill created by the front door previously being opened.

“Did we wake you?” Rosaline asked with a hint of concern.

“No, I was already stirring. Do you two want breakfast?” She asked sleepily, already pulling out the ingredients for a lavish pancake breakfast.

“Yes please, Mrs Day. I’m starved.” Aaron grinned once more, appearing as though his face was permanently stuck that way.

Rosita turned and rolled her eyes at him, pausing in her breakfast preparation. Rosaline could only look on with a glint in her eyes at the exchange she was about to witness.

“Aaron, how many more times? I’m not an old, dying woman just yet. Rosita is just fine. Now, are plain pancakes okay or do you have a preference?” She sighed in resignation, clearly repeating herself.

“Plain are just fine, thank you.” Aaron smirked at her, enjoying the humour in the moment.

The morning continued in the same fashion it had many times before, breakfast shared between loving friends with suitable conversation and corresponding laughter. Rosaline had called her boyfriend to cancel her lift to school, choosing to walk with her best friend instead. She knew he would have been angry at her but Aaron had seemed so thrilled with his plan for the first morning back to school that she felt herself pull towards him, wishing to keep his happiness intact and not shatter it. She never understood the magnetic attraction she felt towards Aaron, even in the days when they were mere strangers and she refused to utter a word to him, she found herself wishing he would turn up that day and not just abandon her. She felt as though he was her equal, the friend she had always needed but could never find and she knew he enjoyed being that person for her.

They had had their near misses, their arguments and awkward silences after an accidental almost-kiss which was always inevitable in their situation, but no matter what, they were there for each other in an almost supernatural way. She felt him when he was near but she could not see him and he often told her about his instincts with regard to her, he knew when she was upset even if they were far apart. It was something similar to the connection many fantasise about between twins, minus the biological ties. It was odd and hopelessly misunderstood amongst their peers and townsfolk but between them, it was just right. Aaron saved her when she needed it the most and she spent almost every minute with him trying to make it up to him although she knew she would need a lifetime to share even a small amount of the gratitude she felt towards him.

“Ready to get going?” She asked, more than aware of the time and knew after their long breakfast that they were pushing it to get there on time.

“Sure, thanks for breakfast Rosita.” Aaron chirped, putting an arm around her, pulling her close in a grateful embrace.

“No problem, have a nice day Rosaline.” Rosita disappeared from the kitchen leaving the two teenagers with just a school bag and a slightly uneasy air between them.

“What’s wrong?” Aaron asked when they were clear of Rosaline’s road sensing the tension between them since breakfast.

Something was bothering her and it was like it had suddenly occurred to her as they caught up over pancakes.
Rosaline was like that, something would hit her mind and it bugged her until she could do something about it. There was the time when she suddenly decided to climb trees in the woods near her house and Aaron joined her, but it was like a switch went off in her head. One minute they were chilling out and doing some homework, the next they were climbing high with the wind in their hair laughing as they went. It’s not that Rosaline was spontaneous or a thrill-seeker. No, she was definitely not spontaneous. She trusted her own judgment; she trusted that if something appeared in her head, if she couldn’t shift a nagging need to do something about it then she should follow her mind. Just like with the tree climbing day, just like when she agreed to date Daniel, it was all off of her own back, off of her own faith in herself. It was like she once said, if she didn’t have faith in herself, who else would?

Aaron never felt it was right to correct her there and tell her he believed in her and her capabilities even when she doubted them, he just kept quiet and said whatever she wanted him to.

“Something doesn’t feel right about Daniel. It hit me over breakfast, how I didn’t feel bad about cancelling. I think I might break up with him.”  She said calmly, in an eerie tone which said she was not too concerned about the impending heartache she may be causing to her boyfriend of over a year.

Aaron didn’t know what to say to her but he had learnt from past experiences that it was not necessarily wise to encourage her against her sudden decisions. It only made her angry and frustrated with him. He also didn’t want to reveal that his heart skipped a little at the news he had been killing himself to hear for so long.

“If that’s what you want, you know I can’t stop you but then to be honest, I don’t think I would want to. The guy can be a real idiot sometimes.” He tried to say this without giving anything away. He didn’t want Rosaline to realise through his gentle pushing; he wanted this to come from herself, for her to understand what had been bubbling under the surface for years now. At least he hoped she would one day realise. If she was never meant to love him in return, he didn’t know what he would do. His whole plan had been realised around her sudden knowledge of the fact.

“You only say that because you’re jealous I’ve had to share my time between the two of you. I’m definitely going to do it. It’s not fair on him to carry this while I doubt myself.” She smirked at the first but her face straightened for the latter. She was serious. Daniel would be no more and if she was ever devastated, Aaron knew he was more than happy to be there ready to pick up the pieces. “What are you going to do with your day?” She asked steering away from the huge news she just piled onto him.

“I guess I’ll just hang around, helping my dad, until you get home. I wish I was still at school with you.” He mumbled quietly, hoping she wouldn’t tease him.

“That serves you right for being older. I love that you’re waiting for me before we go to college though. You’re an amazing friend, Aaron. I would be lost without you.” She smiled honestly, grabbing his hand and squeezing it gently as they neared the school. When she caught sight of Daniel, she promptly let go, Aaron feeling the warmth escape him when she left. “Catch you later, alligator.” She called back to him while he stood there waving her off.

He shivered slightly before returning to normal, catching her approach Daniel with a stern expression and led him away from the small group. He couldn’t deny he was thrilled with her sudden decision; he wanted to dance all the way home, beam at his father before telling him the outrageously good news. But he couldn’t. It was his burden, his secret to carry and if anyone else was to know, it would ruin his idyllic moment when she would run to him and declare her love. Until then, he was just the best friend and it was enough.