"Rose, you should have stayed at home," Debby said worriedly.
"No I wanted to come to school," Rose replied smiling brightly as she sat down beside Anna. "If I don't come to school, Anna will stay at home too."
"Should we punish her for you?" Debby asked playfully.
"No need. I like to spoil her," Rose replied smiling at her sister who was blushing.
"Don't try to steal my sister out of jealousy," Anna warned them all at the table.
"I miss Jace," Debby said earning a glare from Anna which made her gulp. "I miss Jace and Scott."
"You miss Scott, that's it," Anna corrected her sternly frowning at the thought of her friend missing Jace.
"I miss Jace, too," Wayne said sadly.
"Whatever," Anna said looking away.
"How was the assignment?" Rose asked Wayne.
"I did it well . . . Alone since she refused to come to school two days ago. We got a ninety percent mark. He took away the other ten percent because Anna was absent," Wayne complained glaring at Anna.
"I will talk to him later," Anna said playing with the plastic straw in the can of soft drink.
"Don't bother. Ninety percent is not bad. I won't follow you to make adjustment. I am too lazy to be stressed," Wayne complained.
"Then you are lying. I know we got hundred percent," Anna said playfully beating his shoulder.
"Ah! Stop it," he shouted holding her hand.
As Rose watched her friend and sister play, her mind travelled to the hospital and back to her room. Who was the guy who shared her bed with her?
He stayed in her room on her bed with her. That was very scary. She knew nothing happened but for how long will it stay that way? She hated the fact that every night since that day, she anticipated his coming.
The night he stayed with her was free of nightmare. He felt like her guardian angel. After careful thought over and over, she told herself that it was just her illusion. It had to be the laundry agent or the scent from doctor who perhaps checked on her at night and went back home after his shift for that day.
Growing up in the orphanage, she could not remember any boy that left a strong impression her mind that could possibly had become a stalker now. She could not tell the police or doctor. No one will believe her.
When there was no other possibility to be considered, she concluded that it was just an illusion.
"Rose, let's get back to class," Anna called out placing her hand on her sister's shoulder. She tried to hide how worried she was in her expression but she was really worried about her sister.
She tried repeatedly to get her sister to talk to her about what made her pass out the last time since the doctors said it was not caused by a physical sickness.
She remembered the feeling she felt when she passed out in the toilet after seeing Claire's body. It was not pleasant at all and she spent hours with the therapist for a while before she could fully recover from the shock.
When their mum returned, she immediately arranged for the therapist visit but Rose refused to open up to the woman just like two years ago. She always felt being sincere about her feelings helped her overcome them and it worked but Rose was suffering all alone.
"Excuse me," Rose said escaping to the ladies' room. She stepped into one of the cubicles and sighed. "There is no stranger, there is no stalker," she whispered to herself.
***
Anna got stopped by the teacher who saved her life just before she entered the room. She remembered how he saved her life and she wished she knew how to help since Rose was in a similar situation.
She used to just greet him and go into her class but she decided to talk to him today. They were taught how to perform CPR during gym class and also when she wanted to start learning how to swim but she never took any of them seriously.
She smiled to him as she got closer. "Good afternoon, teacher," she said smiling as bright as she could.
"Good Afternoon Anna. How is your sister?" the teacher asked with the corners of his lips slightly curved up.
"Sir could I ask for a favor?" she asked her teacher.
The teacher felt pleased to hear that question from Anna. He thought Anna will simply go back to class as usual but she stayed longer and even wanted to ask him for a favor. It was a good thing that Jace was gone.
"Sure. I have a class to teach right now, find me in my office later," he said and walked away without waiting for her to answer.
Anna sighed reconsidering her decision. She could ask the sports teacher for help but she did not want to appear too forgetful since he had thought them before. Most importantly, the sport teacher did not save her life, the temporary teacher did.
It was no big deal she will just find him in his office when school closes for the day.
***
"Rose," a boy in her class called her when she stepped out of her class.
"Yes," she answered immediately since she had to go to the fashion designing clubroom urgently.
"Oh sorry for disturbing you. Are you going to the club room?" he asked with his blue eyes sparkling at her.
"Yes," she answered hastily trying to hide her impatience.
"I am going to the club room too. I am a member of the club too. I participated in the competition too," he said smiling.
Rose smiled back since that was what was right for her to do at that moment. She gave him a hidden once-over and the boy had an impressive appearance.
He was blue eyed with a pretty boy face like one of those hot idols. The accessories he wore were obviously expensive and he had a good sense of fashion because he wore them all in an extravagant but attractive manner.
"Lets go to the club room together," he suggested.
Rose nodded suddenly missing Jace so much. When he was around, no guy would dare talk to her or her female friends. They always avoided them in a respectful manner. However, his absence made her realize she had not taken note of a lot of people because he was also in the club because of her.