The Magicians

Chapter 20- When Everything Is Fixed, I guess

I ran down the hill and headed for Roses cabin. I had hoped and hoped that she would be in there. I wouldn't know any other place to look if she wasn't.

I stood in front of her white door. Should I knock? I asked myself. I quietly checked to see if the door was unlocked. It was, and I wasn't surprised. I decided to knock anyway.

I had to knock 3 times before she answered, which is what had happened to be before. I guess it was her thing. I heard some shuffling around, but then she opened the door.

"Oh, it's you. Please leave, I don't really want to talk to anyone right now." She said. Her eyes were slightly puffy and her face was pink, which was a sure sign she had been crying.

"Please, I have to talk to you-" I started, but she pulled the classic, "We don't have anything to talk about, Jackson. Please leave."

She tried to shut the door, but in one swift movement, I slipped inside the cabin, leaving Rose to shut the door in the air's face. "Jackson!" She yelled at me desperately.

"Please." I said weakly. She sighed and sat down in a chair. She motioned for me to sit to, so I sat down in the totally manly pink chair.

"Look, I can't say much more than I'm sorry." I said pleadingly. "Then you should go." Rose said, and she walked over towards the door.

"Wait! Look, I've acted like a complete show-off since you've gotten here. And honestly, I've also been quite a jerk to some other people." I said, trying to pry the whole speech out of me before I couldn't say anymore.

"You're just so beautiful, Rose. I'm a total mess around you. I've been just so glad you haven't noticed, but- Ugh, the speech I had planned is crap. I seriously can't say more, shiz, um hold on-" Rose cut me off with a laugh.

"Hey! I planned out a whole speech in my head in the run down here! Did you not like it?" She smiled her beautiful smile.

"You had me at: 'You're just so beautiful'. Did you know that? I forgive you." She said softly, as if talking to a small child. "While we're doing apologies, I should say I'm sorry too."

I looked at her wide-eyed. "Y-you're sorry? For what??" I replied, so knocked off guard by her. "For acting like a brat."

I continued to stare.

"Look, I've been yelling at people, not doing what you want me to-"

"You don't have to do what I say."

"And I've just been acting so awful to you."

"No really-" I started, but she cut me off by hugging me. She grasped the back of my shirt and leaned into me, hard. Her head pierced my chest, but I didn't mind.

I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her even closer. She smelled so good, like coconut and sweet flowers. Her hands were so soft on the back of my neck. Her hair was so soft and fine, I felt it tickle my nose.

I didn't want it to end, but Rose pulled back hesitantly, as if she wasn't sure what she wanted to do. She smiled weakly at me. "Are you okay?" I asked her.

She shook her head and started to sob silently. "R-Rose? What's wrong?" She looked up at me, tears in her eyes. "I miss my dad." She said sadly. "Well I guess now it's more than that. I miss my brother. I miss my mom. I miss my horses. I miss my house. I miss my room. I miss my old life!"

She stood up abruptly and started shaking with sobs she obviously was trying to stop from coming. I stood up too, and reached out to touch her, but she moved away.

I moved even closer to her, and pulled her in for another hug. I let her put her head on my shoulder and cry, while I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her in close.

"Rose, please don't cry. Please." She looked up at me after I said that. "Okay, I won't." She wiped her eyes and smiled weakly. "I'm not going to cry." She said, mostly to herself. I smiled back down at her.

I was almost a head taller than her, and she was like 5 and a half feet tall then. "Hey, do you want to come and eat dinner alone with me? I can bring 2 plates of food down here."

Rose smiled brightly. "That would be amazing."

*****

We ate fancy-looking fried chicken with french fries and soda. It seemed so easy. So simple. It was crazy.

Rose was quiet most of the time, but after she finished she talked a little about her old life she had left behind just a few days ago.

I listened carefully, and cut in every so often to ask questions or comment. When we were both done with our food, I sat the plates on the outer window sill where someone would collect them.

I got up to leave, and just as Rose opened the door I said, "Any chance I could stay the night?" Rose looked at me wide-eyed, and said, "No! You're awful." She laughed. "Get, you naughty boy! Out of my cabin! Goodnight!"

And with that final speech, she closed the door behind me.