by: Raquel Cruz
The day was cold with the wind whipping down the streets and through buildings fast and hard, pushing snow around and into the air. The average person took shelter inside, protecting their skin from the harsh climate as they worked on staying warm. But Rosalynn wasn't the average person. With her long curly brown hair pulled back by a rubber band only to be cover by an old wool hat and a scarf wrapped tightly around to shield her, along with a thick long black coat to warm her as she walks, she ventures down main street, her honey brown eyes closed so they don't sting from the cold air that tries to pry through her lids. She had no practical reason for being outside, she just felt the need to walk on the baron street and sort the thoughts that haunted her mind. This walk though seemed to clear up nothing as all she could concentrate on were the shaking of her small but strong legs that were covered in goose bumps.
"Just one foot after the other," she would mumble against her scarf to herself as she made her way down the street farther. She felt as if her toes had fallen off and if she shook her foot she would here them jumbling around in her boots. The thought was disturbing but she pressured on, heading down the street farther to her small coffee shop.
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(months before)
"Promise never to leave me," his deep soothing voice whispers in her ear as his fingers slowly trace along the soft skin of her stomach. Slowly Rosalynn opens her honey brown eyes, looking up at the bright white ceiling while her small hand comes to his, gently taking it in hers and holding it to stop his hand as she turns her head, peering over at the young man that held her body tightly against his in their bed.
"John.." she starts slowly, not sure what to say to the quiet and sleepy man who's messy curls fall flattened upon his head, covering his forehead and eyes somewhat. But even with his hair she could see past to his eyes and the serious look that had taken over as he nervously took his pouty lower lip between his pearly whites, chewing on it slowly.
"Promise Rosalynn," he repeats, turning his hand in hers, taking hers tightly in his while his thumb traces over her tiny knuckles. With a soft sigh she moves against him more, curling up against him and closes her eyes to block out the site of him.
"You know I can't so why ask?" she questions him, feeling her heart beat drop as his thumb lifts from her along with his hands. His body pulls carefully away, rolling off the bed as he shifts himself up to a standing position. "Johnathan..." Ignoring her call he takes his sweater in hand that was laying upon the pillow.
"Goodnight then."
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Struggling with the door and key, Rosalynn groans softly, leaning back as her hands grip tightly on the handle, dragging the bottom of the door out, over the snow that tries to block it's opening. With a couple long tugs it opens fully, giving her entry to the shop. She smiled proudly at her effort, ignoring her ragged breath from the effort it took to open it as she walks inside, letting the door swing steadily shut behind her.
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With his back against the door he stood in the way for her to exit, a playful smile on his full pink lips as his eyes had a hazed over gleam which she recognized all to well. Rosalynn carefully steps to the side to pass him only to have him step in front of her, blocking her way. Giving him an odd look she steps to the other side, again to find him following and blocking her path.
"Fine, what is it?" She questioned, her voice echoing her frustration as she looked up at him with a tensed face, her arms coming up and crossing over her chest.
"What is what dear girl?" he asked back as his smile broadened. He looked down at her keeping a calm disposition while his eyes still gave away his mischievous behavior. Rosalynn rolled her eyes, her left arm separating from her chest and came out, pushing his left shoulder hard before returning to its old position. "Oh violent are we?"
"Johnathan Mayer if you do not move I will.."
"Will what?" he interrupts. His smile had faded to a challenging smirk as he steps closer to her, surprised to find her not budge away from him. She glances up at him, un intimidated by his move.
"I will do the unthinkable," she stated calmly, stepping closer to him so that her arms pressed against his chest. He eyed her carefully before bending down, his strong hand coming up to cup the back of her neck as his lips crashed down on hers. At first Rosalynn tried pulling back, her arms uncrossing and her hands pressing against his chest, pushing him back but after a few moments they stop. Her hands carefully move from his chest to around his sides, wrapping around his body and pulling him close. John smiled lightly against her lips, moving closer as their lips dueled.
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After she hung up all her winter outer wear she went to the front, flipping on the "opened" sign that hung in the tinted window beside the door. She smiled proudly at her little shop, knowing she would have no business and it was pointless to have come out but still finding her doing so mature and responsible.
"It's the little things that matter shop," she said to the store, as if it were a person as she looked around it from old pictures of her friends, family, and customers on the walls to the Christmas decorations that covered tables and the ceiling. She paused for a moment. One picture on the west wall that had been mounted on a Planck had caught her eye. She normally ignored that picture, the memories to painful for her to want to think about but the memory all the same was there, in the air around her at home and at the shop. "To John Mayer, may you always know you have family here," she read out loud.
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John stood at the foot of the bed, looking at her with concern as she quickly threw this things into his suitcases, past tears stained upon her rosy cheeks. He kept trying to calm her but he kept his distance, not touching her as she rushed through the room in anger.
"You can't stay here god damn it you can't!" She spoke out loud to both of them, trying to convince them both that she was right as she stood up, breathing hard because she was choking down another sob that ached inside of her to escape.
"Yes I can," he retorted quietly, his hands stuffed down far in his pockets of his jeans as his eyes focused down on the floor. Rosalynn's head darted in his direction, looking at him with a large frown as she shook her head.
"I refuse to let you. I want you gone Johnathan Mayer. Go perform and leave me be. If you love me then...the never ever come back."
John looked up slowly, tears spilled over from his eyes caused by the harshness of her words as she looked at him seriously, not budging. His hand came out of one pocket, a ring box cradled in the palm as he carefully held it out to her.
"NO! NO! John no! Leave!"
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Rosalynn slapped her cheek gently, bringing herself back to reality as she forced herself to move behind the counter. She sat down on a the small wooden stool behind the counter, reaching over and flipped on the radio. Her ears perked as the music began to spill out from the speaker and fill the small shop.
"I want to run through the halls of my high school, I want to scream at the top of my lungs! I just found out there is no such thing as the real world just a lie you got to rise above."
With her mouth a gape, Rosalynn looked at the radio in shock. He did what she said. He had done his dream. Carefully she pulled her lower lip between her teeth, biting down on it as he had always done, fighting back tears that threatened to fall. Tears of joy and sorrow.
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