Her Protector

Chapter 3

Rose was nervous when the first day rolled around. She stared at her mirror. Her hair laid neatly past her shoulders. Her hands gripped the cuffs of the sweater she was wearing. The girl looked to the floor. The only thing she seemed to feel comfortable with was the sweater. It was covering all of her arms, her shoulders, and went right up to the bottom of her neck. 

She was starting to regret the skirt and flats. Rose looked over to her clock near her bedside. 7:30. Her 8 am would be starting soon. Taking a deep breath, Rose grabbed her bag, dorm key, and cell-phone before leaving the room and closing the door behind her. 

When she walked across the campus, Rose felt herself constantly pulling the sleeves down her arms. A growing pit formed in her stomach and a stiff feeling growing on her neck. Though they were covered with her sweater, Rose could feel the hairs on her arm standing up. 

She suddenly looked around herself. People were around and walking to classes. Paying no mind to her. She was just another college student like them. 

Then she saw a glimpse of ginger hair. A dark vibrant color ginger hair. It had to be him, standing still and watching his own flower.

Rose sucked in a breath before she closed her eyes and tore her eyes away from where she saw it. 

'He can't be here,' Rose thought to herself while covering her face with her hands. She could feel warm tears falling onto her hands. 'He's gone. I saw it too. He's-

"Are you alright?"

Rose let out a shriek when she felt a sudden touch on her. She shoved herself away from the person before putting arms up in protection. Before her was only another college student. A guy with slicked-down brown hair, dressed in a sweater shirt and dress pants. Completely harmless. 

"Sorry," Rose apologized to him while quickly wiping tears off her face. In that process, she scanned her surroundings. There were no sights of the ginger hair. The hair that terrified her. "I'm fine." She slowly spoke when she noticed that he wasn't there. 

'He's truly gone' Rose thought to herself before regaining her composure. "I'm sorry for what happened." She quickly apologized to him. The girl took off before the guy could put in another word to her.

She sped-walk now, hurrying to the correct building with her head down, avoiding any eye contact with people. Rose didn't want to look up either. She only hoped that what she saw was just her imagination and that she needed to get it in her that he was gone.

Her shoes echoed across the floor as entered the building where her class was. Up the stairs, down the left hallway and first door on the right. Psychology 101. 

It was the beginning of Rose's new life. Not really a new life, but it would continue her onto the right path of her dream. Get through college, get a degree, and become a psychologist specializing in art therapy. Get far from Gotham and hopefully any thought or memory of him as well. 

Rose pulled out her notebook, folder, and a pen as the class got started. 

Far from Gotham sounded nice as she thought about it. Far from the craziness and deaths. She could get a new life. Become a new Rose, build her career, find a husband, and start a family. A picture-perfect life for Rose. Slowly let her past, especially what happened within the last year, slowly let that all fade away. Him. Theo. Tabitha. Everything.