Chapter 5

Alma makes it back with the Cigarettes only to find Kendra nurturing some ice on to Rosalie's lower back. Upon noticing Alma's black eye, Kendra chokes up.

"What on earth happened to you guys!" She investigates.

"It looks worse than it feels." Alma reassures. "Still icing, or you ready for a lucy Rosie?"

"Ready Freddy!" Rosie exclaims as she breaks free from Kendra's motherly choke hold.

"You girls be safe!" Kendra pleads before returning to the balcony. Rosalie sits beside Alma, allowing her to do the honors. As Alma rips off the foil, she squares her shoulders. Appearing tough and in charge. She hands Rosalie a cigarette and lights it for her. The spark from the flame illuminates Rosalie's warm brown eyes, catching Alma's attention for a bit.

After taking her first inhale, Rosalie lets out an exaggerated sigh.

"You really needed that. Huh?"

"Yeah." Rosalie admits, before immediately taking another drag.

"Uh huh. Bet. Did you ever make it to the cemetery?" Alma inquires as she takes her first drag.

Rosalie rests her cigarette near her hip in contemplation. "Yeah." She says succinctly.

Alma studies her in silence, waiting for her to share more. Rosalie gets the hint and forces herself to come up with more of a response.

"Uh it was weird. You know. It's always weird whenever I go there."

"I get that." Alma empathizes.

"But you were right. I needed to go." Rosalie lets out a surprising smile as she gazes up at the moon and initiates another drag.

Alma returns a smile before directing her eyes towards the moon as well. After the girls finish their cigarettes, they head back inside.

"Alright Rosie. See you tomorrow."

"Night Alma."

The girls work their way to their different floors. Alma stops at second as Rosalie works her way all the way up to the third. As she enters her room, she notices that Deliah has returned and is sound asleep. This time, leaving an even larger trail of tissues. Rosalie rolls her eyes before chuckling once more. She pulls off her tee shirt, keeping her sports bra and shorts as nightwear instead. She scrolls on her phone until she passes out. Sleeping through the night and into the morning.

At 9:00am, the once quiet house becomes rustles with noise again. Two girls can be heard fighting over bathroom time.

"Get the FUCK out of the way Tiffany. I'm running late!"

"Hell no Laila. I was already late for work yesterday and will not be late again!"

"Ugh, I'm not doing this with you right now." Tiffany scolds, pushing Laila aggressively to the side and slamming the door directly in her face."

Laila bangs on the door in angry fit of powerlessness before letting out an inaudible scream and returning to her room.

Rosalie, awakened by the noise, yawns, stretches and growns.

"I know." Daliah reassures her. "Every single morning."

"Every single one." Rosalie emphasizes.

Rosalie notices that the tissues are out of the floor and Deliah is in formal clothing while sitting at the edge of the bed. Rosalie wipes her eyes before sitting up to chat.

"Feeling better?"

"Noit really, but can't afford much more time off either."

"Ugh, fuck corporate."

"Fuck corporate is right!" Deliah agrees before rushing out the door.

"Later Rosie."

"Have a good day." Rosalie encourages. She waits for Deliah to close the door before letting out another cat stretch and checking her phone for notifications. She opens Facebook and scrolls by a series of posts before encountering the "someone you may know" category.

She scrolls through several unidentifiable profiles before stopping at a profile with no picture. The account reads: Zachary Arlington. But the profile is completely empty. No age, no bio, and no hometown included. Rosalie shrugs before closing her phone and dragging herself out of bed. She works her way into the kitchen to grab breakfast as she waits for the bathroom to open back up. Joyce can be seen with Natalie watching Netflix in the living room with a cup of coffee and freshly made pancakes. Rosalie passes on by, wiping her eyes clean.

"Top of the morning to ya!" Natalie teases.

"Hey Nat." Rosalie responds with low effort morning voice.

"Aw yes! We're her first convo of the day!"Joyce exclaims. She looks at Natalie as the two shout "First blood!" in unison and engage in a high five. Rosalie rolls her way half heartedly as she boils some hot water for tea. Joyce and Natalie return to watching their show. Leaving Rosalie with the illusion of privacy. As Rosalie waits for the water to boil, she looks out her window to greet the birds.

"Hey guys." She whispers. She daydreams a bit to make the time pass. Eventually the kettle goes off and she proceeds to pour herself a cup. She works her way back to the room to find Laila waiting eagerly in the hallway.

"She still in there?" Rosalie inquires.

"Yes!" Laila scolds. I'm gonna be so late for work.

"None of the girls on the 2nd floor are morning people. Bathroom should be open."

"But won't Kendra nag me?"

"I won't tell if you don't." Rosalie teases.

"You're a life saver!" Laila cheers as she hurries down the stairs.

Afraid that the girls might be gossiping about her, Tiffany begins to sing at the top of her lungs in a mocking fashion. Rosalie immediately checks her.

"Shut up Tiff. No one's talking about you. Hurry up and finish already." Rosalie scolds as she works her way into the room to finish her tea. Tiffany continues to hum, except a bit more modestly this time. Rosalie sits on her bed crisscrossed apple sauce as she proceeds to open her laptop and scroll through pictures of her old art. She looks through the gallery and reminisces. She scrolls for a good while before coming across an forgotten piece.

"Oh wow" she utters as she attempts to enlarge the image. A woman's silhouette can be seen as she attempts herself and folds her body with great flexibility. Appearing intriguing and haunting at the same time. Rosalie checks for the date the image was uploaded. The year reads "2014". Rosalie lets out an involuntary gulp before exiting the gallery and closing down her laptop.

Tiffany finally can be heard exiting the bathroom, still humming. Rosalie grabs a tooth brush and a towel and heads into the hallway. She crosses paths with Tiffany who smiles before proceeding to her room. Rosalie smiles back, relieved that there's no bad blood. The bathroom is left in good condition this time around. Rosalie immediately strips naked and runs the shower water. As the bathroom steams, she begins to unravel her hair to prepare for a fresh wash. She places her extensions on the table, relieved to get some fresh air, before stepping carefully into the shower.

She gradually steps back under the faucet, allowing her body to get used to the warm temperature before fully surrendering to the water. She lets out a sigh of relief as she begins to wash he face and let her hair soak. Her coiled trestles now becoming soft and moist. She remains submerged for a moment before she begins to lather her body. Once she finishes her hair and body routines, she exits the shower. With water droplets dripping down her back, she does her best to hurry and brush her teeth so not to make a mess on the floor. She manages to make decent time as she works her way out of the bathroom at the same time Laila climbs up the stairs.

"Better?"

"As good as I can be." Laila grunts as she rushes into her room. As she closes the door, Tiffany can still be heard humming. Laila widens and rolls her eyes in Rosalie's direction before slamming the door in defeat. Rosalie chuckles as she works her way into her room.

She grabs a seat near her vanity mirror only to feel a sudden pain strike her on her lower back. "Ah!" She groans. Doing her best to stretch the muscle. As she twists and arches her back, she's met with a knock on the door.

"Come in!" She groans mid stretch. Alma makes her way inside the room. "Hey Rosie, how ya fee--" she pauses mid sentence. Surprised to find Rosalie in a towel. She looks away flustered as her face gets warm. She attempts to clear her throat and complete her sentence, but Rosalie is too distracted with stretching to notice.

"Well, I guess that answers my question. Still in a bit of pain?" Rosalie twists and stretches once more before retiring the gesture in defeat.

"Eh, I'm okay. How's the eye?" Rosalie stands up and inches closer to Alma, who jerks back without thinking. "Everything okay? I'm not gonna hurt you." Rosalie reassures. Alma blushes before standing still. Rosalie sits on her bed so that she can be closer to eye level with Alma. "Come closer, let me see."

Alma continues to blush while working her way closer. Rosalie examines Alma's face only to realize that the swelling has intensified.

"Poor thing. That looks painful. There's a steak in the fridge."

Alma breaks down in spontaneous laughter, surprised by the suggestion. "Yeah, I think there's ice too." Alma teases. Unaware of the joke, Rosalie stares at Alma blankly.

:Alright, i'll let you finished getting dressed then. Later Rosie."

"Take care of that eye!" Rosalie shouts behind her as she begins to slather herself with lotion.

Once Rosalie finishes moisturizing herself, she returns to her vanity mirror to apply eyeliner. She manipulates her hair until she's satisfied with the pattern and then proceeds to get dressed. She wears an over-sized tee-shirt disguised as a dress as she works her way back to her chucks. The front of the house is empty by the time she gets downstairs, allowing her to slip out without much attention.

As she works her way up the foot path, she notices a sexy woman flirting with mark, The woman stands closely and looks up at him seductively. Slapping his shoulder and laughing flirtatiously. Mark entertains the woman innocently when he notices Rosalie working her way up the path. She places her headphones on her head. Mark jitters and squares his body towards Rosalie, waving awkwardly. She waves back innocently. The woman notices Marks nerves and teases him for acting differently around Rosalie. Mark, even more embarrassed, does his best to redirect the conversation to no avail. The woman doesn't buy Mark's bluff. But sticks around for the banter.

Rosalie works her way up the side walk and heads for a local coffee shop. The sign reads: "Cloudy With a Chance of Tea Pot." Rosalie stops to snap a photo of the entrance for reference work before entering the establishment.

"Welcome!" 3 Baristas cheer in unison as Rosalie works her way towards a background table. She removes her back anf plugs in her laptop. As she settles in, a Barista rushes in to take her order. "What can I get for ya doll?"

"Do you guys have white hot chocolate?"

"We sure do!"

"Can I get that in a medium?"

"Absolutely, it'll be about 15 minutes okay?"

"Thank you so much!"

As the Barista walks away, Rosalie scans the environment and takes notice of its beautiful interior. She smiles involuntarily, charmed by minor details. The positioning of the tables, the ambiance of the lighting, the art work. After a few moments of observing, she opens up Facebook and searches for the company she will be starting with tomorrow. She finds the business page and scans through a few employee photos. Slightly relieved by how down to earth they seem. She browses the company's page until the barista returns with her chocolate.

"Here you go doll."

"Thank you so much, do you guys accept apple pay?"

"We sure do." The Barista holds up a scanner that allows for a simple transaction. Rosalie holds her phone to the device until it releases a high pitch ring.

"All set hun." The barista hands her the receipt before returning to her coworkers to engage in small talk. Rosalie takes a satisfied sip before returning to her search. She studies the whereabouts of the company and calculates which transportation she would need to take to arrive on time.

Time flies by as Rosalie juggles between a series of projects. Remaining in the Shop nearly until closing. Eventually, she packs up her belongings and heads back home. As she makes her way inside, Roxy can be seen in the kitchen face-timing a friend. Rosalie enters cautiously. As she opens the door, Roxy gazes at her defensively before immediately returning her gaze to her friend and ignoring her. Rosalie studies Roxy a bit before hanging up her shoes and heading upstairs. She begins to pick out her outfit tomorrow. Pulling out a long sleeve black shirt, a pair of black slacks, and a barely work pair of black non slip shoes from beneath her bed. She sets her clothes aside neatly before heading back downstairs to see who's home.

A few ladies make their way inside, just getting off of work. "Hey Rosie!" They greet in unison.

"Hey ladies." Rosalie greets in return. The ladies murmur to one another as they work their way upstairs. Leaving Rosalie to stand alone in the living room. In the newfound silence, she can hear some of Roxy's conversation.

"My mom takes so much offense to everything I say and do. It's becoming increasingly difficult to level with her."

"She's going through a divorce. Be easy on her." The friend reiterates.

"I'm an ENTP, I don't know how to be easy."

The friend can be heard chuckling on the other side of the screen. Rosalie makes her way into the kitchen to make dinner. Roxy pauses uncomfortably before tucking her hair behind her ear awkwardly.

"Fuck, I thought we had chocolate chips." Rosalie jolts. Surprised, Roxy's eyes widen before letting out an involuntary chuckle.

"Who's that?" The friend inquires.

"One of my mom's tenants." Roxy clarifies, as she gazes at Rosalie with temporary endearment. "Hey, I think the chips are actually below the sink. My mom gets creative sometimes."

Rosalie chuckles as she opens the cabinet to find the chocolate chips exactly where Roxy anticipated. "Brilliant." Rosalie praises. Roxy grows flushed before returning to her convo. Rosalie continues to cook, sharing the kitchen interchangeably. Once Rosalie finishes making her pancakes, she heads to the TV room to watch a show. The sun begins to go down as the living room becomes filled with darkness.

Roxy can be heard wrapping her conversation with her friend in the background. As Rosalie turns on True Crime and takes her first bite of Pancake, Roxy shyly works her way into the living room entrance. Standing bashfully by the door. Rosalie looks up with her eyes widened and a mouth full of pancakes. Embarrassed, she tries her best to chew quickly. Roxy laughs and invites herself in.

"Mind if I join you?"

Rosalie gulps before encouraging Roxy to sit. Feeling less defensive than before, Roxy kicks her feet up and does her best to catch up.

"Oh I love True Crime! My dad should be on here for breaking my mom's heart." Roxy scorns.

Rosalie's eyes widen before letting out an involuntary laugh. Roxy maintains a serious face for a moment before breaking character and laughing too. Once the laughter manages to subside, Rosalie does her best to reassure Roxy.

"Parents can be tricky. For the most part, they love their kids to the best of their ability. You know whatever goes on between them has nothing to do with you. Right?"

Roxy looks down uncertainly. "You blame yourself. Don't you?"

Roxy bites her lip as she thinks of some form of rebuttal.

"See, I'm an ENTP." Roxy explains. "I know the Myers Briggs is basically a pseudoscience, but it's brought me clarity while in a dark place. So I don't care."

"I'm familiar with ENTP's. We're supposed to get along well."

"Yeah? Well, what are you?"

"Mhhh, last time I checked, I think it said ENFP!"

"No way! We're only one letter apart!" Roxy exclaims.

"Mmmhmm!" Rosalie nods while taking another bite of her pancakes.

"I knew there was something about you."

"How so?" Rosalie manages to utter between chewing.

"Well, I felt an intensity around you when we first met. So I figured we'd have something to do with each other eventually."

"Is that what the staring was about?" Rosalie utters as she finishes swallowing.

"Hey, you stared a hell of a lot too!"

Rosalie smirks as she gazes up at the screen momentarily. Roxy studies her eager for an explanation. Rosalie spaces out for a moment before returning.

"Mhmm, you remind me of someone dear to me."

Roxy's eyes widen. "Really, who is it?" She investigates. Rosalie smirks, keeping the rest of her thoughts to herself.

"Oh c'mon! Who is it?"

"Roxy!" Kendra shouts from a distance. "Roxy! C'mon hun! I have to run to the bank and grab dinner. Are you dressed?"

Roxy looks behind with frustration as she looks back at Rosalie, desperate to get her answer.

"Roxanne!"

"Ugh! Coming mom."

She shouts as she tries to squeeze more information out of Rosalie one last time. Roxy stands and works her way towards her mother in defeat before Rosalie utters "My sister."

Roxy looks back and smiles warmly before running to join her mother. Rosalie continues to eat her pancakes while True Crime plays in the background, too lost in thought to pay further attention.