Escape to reality (Completed)

Chapter 7: A Single Red Rose

"If I was sad, what would make me happy?" I asked myself repeatedly. No matter how much I'd ask myself nothing came to mind. So next time they let us out to the library I went and picked out a short book to see what I could learn. In the story I read the girl was sad and the boy went and gave her a present to make her feel better, and she did! There was one problem: what do I give her?

That day I used all my brain power into something that she'd like. She liked nature so I used that as my guide lines. They allow you to use materials like paper and paint in the library so I got colored paper along with a how-to book and did the best I could. The final product was a single red rose that looked almost like the real deal. I was so proud of what I made with my bare hands. I laid it on the side of my bed and made sure Jen didn't see it until I was right in front of her.

The day came where they let us out again. She was at the same corner she was always at looking lost as always. The flower tucked behind me, I walked over to her from all the way across the room to her, but on the way someone bumped into me and I dropped the flower. The person was a man who looked at me with wide eyes after stumbling over me for a while. After about a good five long seconds of him staring at me he slowly walks away. "Wierdo" think to myself. I look down and let out the words "Oh no..."

I looked down at a flattened flower laying on the floor. I pick it up thinking I can fix it, but when I try one petal falls down and I realize it's hopeless. It took me hours to make something that good come out from my shaky hands. So many failed attempts. All that time to make a life like flower for Jen and now it's all gone.

"What's that?" Jens voice startles me as I turn around to see her standing in front of me with her hair tucked behind her ears like always. I quickly hide the rose behind me hoping she didn't see it. "What was that?" Damn it! She saw it!

"N-nothing." I say circling around her and dash for our table. I sit down and Jen follows. "So..." I try to strike up conversation. "Anything new?"

"No..." She says raising her eyebrows. "Everything has been the same ever since I got here."

"Oh well... That's okay, I guess." I let my sight carelessly drift away to my side where I had the broken flower stashed. I looked at it with such pity. I wished it would somehow come back to life and be restored to how it used to be. I must have been staring at it indiscreetly, because the next thing I see is her hand snatching the rose from beneath me.

"Gotcha!" She says as she stares at the flattened flower. "What's this? A flower. D-did you make this? It looks so realistic!"

"Well... Yeah, I did."

"...but it's all squished."

"I-I know..." I put my head down and scratch the back of my head. "I made it for you, but a guy stepped on it. I'm sorry."

"No, no. I think it's perfect."

"You do?"

"Nobody has ever done something like this for me." She holds the flower to her chest and embraces it. "No one has shown any general interest in my direction. For one, I think its sweet." I notice her change in mood, she was happy, I realized I was the one responsible for that.