Mark My Words

71 | Deal With It

a/n: Y'all! I almost forgot to update!! I'm graduating COLLEGE today, hence all of the CHAOS 😅😆👏 With the way I write you'd think I'm an INFANT.

Winter break was only a week and a half away, which meant that they had less than three weeks to perfect their new line up. On top of that, intense endurance training filled the weekday schedule. When they didn't have practice, they were expected to work out for no less than an hour and a half after school. Rosalie didn't mind it, since that was her plan all along. It was because of this that Bradshaw girls started to frequent the local gym around the same time as Joanna and Rosalie. Rosalie knew that they were all members, but their schedules differed most days. Now, everyone was desperate to keep up.

    With winter break close enough to feel its effects percolating through classes, Rosalie began to pack out of sheer excitement. After the last day of classes, she and Joanna would be on a plane to Seattle.

______

DREW: What's your flight number?

ROSALIE: I'm not telling you

DREW: Coy as per usual

ROSALIE: 😤

DREW: What seat number then

ROSALIE: 36A

DREW: 36B 😘

ROSALIE: Yeah right you're just saying that

DREW: Would I ever lie to you

ROSALIE: Yes

______

    Drew attached a photo of their ticket as proof. Rosalie compared the flight numbers, but she could already tell that Drew had a reason to be so confident. They definitely were on the same flight.

    Rosalie looked over at Joanna, who had taken refuge under the covers on her bed. Georgina hadn't returned to Bradshaw, but that wasn't to say she wouldn't be at the arena on Saturday. Coach was less than pleased with Joanna's growing tardy record, but weekday practices were less of a gamble for Joanna. Rosalie suspected that Coach understood, in some way, that Joanna was shaken by something that prevented her from participating at full capacity.

    Rosalie settled in with her head against the pillows next to Joanna. Joanna didn't move until Rosalie tugged the comforter down from Joanna's face. Joanna blinked her eyes open, the shadows under her eyes darker than usual, and exhaustion colored the whites of her eyes red.

    "I think Drew might be on our flight," Rosalie said.

    "Mm," Joanna hummed, closing her eyes again. She twisted around so that she was lying flat on her stomach, her face smushed into the pillow. Rosalie tipped her head, just to see if Joanna's eyes were still visible. They were completely obscured.

    "Doesn't that bother you?" Rosalie asked.

    Joanna hummed again.

    Rosalie sighed, lips pursed as she stared up at the constellations on her ceiling. She tipped her head back to look at the polaroids on the brick wall over the headboard. She felt the gap between her and Joanna like a great chasm, reminding her that, mentally, there was far too great a divide for Rosalie to traverse. She wasn't equipped with the necessary tools to bridge that gap, for there was no way to fully comprehend Joanna's suffering.

    It feels like I'm giving up just by lying here next to her, not saying anything, she thought, and thinking it only hurt more.

    She shook her head to herself. She couldn't think this way. Feeling guilty for not being able to help would only bother her more, and give Joanna all the more reason to leave her behind.