#5- Jade green roses

Jade was feeling more relaxed as she walked into her green-themed bedroom with support from her mother. As usual, her mother was late to get her out of the hospital, but she never complained.

Her stay in that sorting hospital room was comfortable enough.

She missed her bed, her books, and even her bathroom. Although she felt comfortable in her hospital room like always, she felt more relaxed in her room the most.

It was a place where she could do whatever she wanted without judging stares or "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU JADE?" constantly.

She sighed at the relaxing softness of her queen-sized bed.

"Honey, I will be right back okay? Let me fix dinner quickly" her mum said after helping her lay comfortably on her bed, giving her a peck on her cheek quickly almost as though she'd rather not.

"I want you to know am always here, and you can tell me anything at all, okay?" Says a mother who was too busy with sales to attend to her poor child for twelve straight hours. Jade only nodded her head, lies.

"Thanks, Mum. "She said softly. "And I love you too, sweetheart", them and her mom left the room, allowing Jade to her violent thoughts.

Jade adjusted herself on the bed and stretched her hands and legs, making some cracking sounds, her body was cramped from laying in the hospital bed for so long.

She thought back to the time spent at the hospital, it had been like a vacation for her where she would just lay down and food was being brought for her, watching the beautiful sunset at the top of the hospital building, losing herself in the sight of both little and large birds perching the purplish pink sky while eating popcorn like a movie.

She wasn't surprised when none of her schoolmates had come to say hi, she wasn't even angry. It just brought her back to her reality, and she didn't expect much.

Her mum had delayed for twelve hours before she showed up at the hospital and her dad didn't show up at all, she dug a hand under a pillow and brought out a book she had been reading, she flipped the passages and tried to continue from where she stopped.

At least she had a family, others didn't and so she was thankful for hers.

She thought of her response to the doctor the other day.

She told him she didn't remember anything else apart from stumbling on something and hitting her head, although he didn't quite seem to believe her, nevertheless, he didn't push the issue any further which she was grateful for.

She withdrew from her trance and began to think of the boy who saved her. She silently wanted him to return at least once to be able to thank him or at least to know his name.

When the doctor came back that day, he came in with a blonde boy who was just as tall as the stranger who had left.

For a second she thought he was the one, but the doctor informed her, that he was not the boy who brought her in but he saw the boy leave so he could describe how he looked perfectly.

She was disappointed and heartbroken with the news, and the boy's description was impotent too.

She wanted to thank the boy badly, but since he left without dropping any form of information or identity, she decided that she was going to forget about it, he would show up at school and reintroduce himself perhaps.

There was silence in the room, except for the light clatter of silverware. The McKenzie's didn't talk much while on the dining table. The silence, however, was never a disturbing one, just like this one. It was on a fateful Sunday after church.

Jade had her head down as always secretly reading her book under the table while eating bits and bits of the vegetable salad her mum had forced her to eat and which she wasn't enjoying.

After two days, everyone had forgotten that she had been hospitalized and everything was back to normal, except for the vegetables she was obliged to eat during dinner.

"Having a good time?" Jan teased "No!" was her blunt reply.

Her sister smirked and pushed her plate in between them. She continued to eat again in silence as if she had seen nothing. She felt a small jab in her ribs.

Why was she disturbing her as though the vegetables were not punishment enough? " she was getting annoyed.

She fixed a bored expression on her face and turned to face Jan.

"Eat" Jan mouthed, then pulled the plate of Mashed potatoes and turkey, closer to her side. She looked at the plate that had steamy turkey in it.

Her mouth was getting watery, it probably tasted just as good as it looked, but it was strange, her sister never shared her things, at least not with her. The surprise and confusion was evident on her face.

Jan rolled his eyes, "I'm trying to cut some pounds, don't even think about it." She looked disgusted. That explained it, she looked at her sister carefully and surely she had gained weight.

She shrugged and pushed Jan's plate back to her without saying a word. Jan scowled at her, they never really had a bond between them.

The silence was broken by their mother "Lucas can you please stop trying to steal my food?" She frowned in fake anger facing her husband who was grinning goofily.

"Can't help it, babe, yours tastes better" He finished with a wink.

Jan said "Awn" with stars in her eyes.

"Oh, stop it Lucas not in front of the kids". Mrs McKenzie shooed but she blushed like crazy.

"Is that a blush I see there?" Her father teased making her blush harder, she buried her face in his T-shirt.

Jan burst into laughter joining their father in the mischievous act. They laughed for a while, ignoring her mother's complaint about an ungrateful child following in her father's footsteps.

After the laughter had cooled down Jade could not help but wish for a life like that of her parents even though Mum was forty and Dad forty-five, nothing had changed for them. True love never fades away. She thought.

"You two are so cute together, I want a love like yours" Jan cooed. Their parents smiled fondly at her sister, then everyone turned to Jade.

She dropped her fork down when she noticed all the attention was on her with the unsaid question hanging in the air.

Jan finally said it out in annoyance.

"What do want? A family just like Mum and Dad's or to be an antisocial awkward spinster with ten cats" she finished. "Be nice" their mother complained.

Jade picked up her fork "I want nothing, " she lied.

Jan snorted "Nobody is surprised" She saw the disappointed look on their parents' faces.

She wanted to tell them, that all she wanted was to be a cool girl who would fit in and not be bullied, that was all she wanted for now, but no words left her mouth and she continued to chew on her veggies slowly.

They were soon in the living room watching a documentary when the doorbell rang "I will get it, " Jade offered hastily, she wanted to get a little air and some space alone without feeling like the odd one out.

She strode to the door, with her book in hand, she opened the door just slightly to see if it were anyone suspicious.

When she didn't see anyone but just a bunch of Jade green roses and a card on the porch, she opened the door wider as if to usher the roses in.

She picked them up. "Wow," she breathed. Such lovely roses. Who could have left them here? She sniffed the flowers again and noted in her mind, that they were her second most comforting and sweetest smell.

She opened the small note. A gasp left her mouth as she read it, she hurried down the porch hoping to see the deliverer but saw no one.

Not even the black shadow behind her mother's marigold flowers.

She read it for the eleventh time before falling asleep that night and never slept better.

"Stay safe!

Goodnight princess :)

                Yours sincerely

                                  Stranger."

So it said.