Fighting for Rose

20♦

20

♦𝕭𝖑𝖆𝖐𝖊♦

The day before

"No." I growl at Isaiah again as he tries to convince me to jump in the fountain in front of the mall we're walking past.

"I'll give you twenty bucks." He bargains.

"Ohhh." I mock excitement before letting my face drop back to one of annoyance. "No."

We still have shopping to do, no way am I walking into the supermarket drenched in fountain water.

"You're no fun." Isaiah kicks a rock, sending it flying across the walkway. He's been in a bad mood for the past hour and it's getting on my nerves.

"What's the matter with you?" I finally ask. His body is slumped and he dramatically sighs every few minutes trying to get me to pay attention to him, but I haven't caved until now.

"My best friend isn't responding to my texts!" Isaiah wines.

"Ace? He said he would meet us back at the house later." I say confused.

I needed groceries and Ace decided to go home while Isaiah and I went shopping.

Isaiah lets out a long groan. "Not Ace. Rose. I wanted her to come shopping with us, but she won't respond." He shoots me a glare. "Probably because I said you would be there." He grumbles.

"What the fuck? Why would that matter?" Rose and I are on good terms, she wouldn't not respond because of me. Right?

Shit, did I do something to upset her?

"Maybe it's because you call her cupcake all the time." I point out.

I don't think she cares, but he never asked if she was ok with it or not. A look of panic covers Isaiah's face. "Does she not like it?" I don't like it, that's for sure. Who the heck does he think he is giving her a nickname like cupcake. Jackass.

"I'm just joking." I say to calm him down. We all tend to get a little bit protective over her, and also worried she'll end up leaving, because what girl would want two rough fighters and an airhead as her friends?

Rose apparently, and she fits with us so well. It seems like we've known her forever even though it's only been just over a month.

"Why do you think she's not answering then? '' Isaiah mopes.

"Maybe she's working?" I offer.

"She always responds right away though." He says.

True, she usually texts back within a few minutes. "Maybe she's sleeping?" I try again, only to get a scoff from him.

"In the middle of the day?" He emphasises the word middle.

"Sick?" I say, and the word already has me starting to get worried too.

"Maybe, that's an issue though. Right? What if she's so sick she can't make a call? Does she live with anyone? What if she hit her head or something?" Isaiah speaks rapidly.

His panic started to make my brain run wild. The last time we hung out I asked her if she was safe at home, she said sometimes. That means sometimes she's not, I didn't want to pressure her to tell me what was going on, but now I'm kinda wishing I would have.

Does she still live with her parents? Are they nice people? Or maybe she lives with roommates. Or maybe she lives alone, with an alcoholic neighbor who picks her to attack when he's had too much to drink.