000d, 00h, 00m, 00s

The only thing Monroe had said afterwards was a simple, "I'll let them know to open your room tomorrow."

I knew it wasn't much, but for me, it felt like I had done something right for the first time in a long time. It showed I'd be rewarded if I was loyal. It showed The System was a fair one. And it showed them that I was proud to be a part of it.

And, so, I was content— sitting in the dining area, a spoon in hand and a bowl of oatmeal in front of me as my eyes absentmindedly darted through the room.

Closing my eyes just for a moment, a deep sigh rattling through my chest, I startled at the sudden presence on the opposite end of the rounded table, Rose leisurely leaning back in the chair.

"Amidelle," The elderly woman smiled as a greeting, giving me a warm nod before popping a cherry out of her fruit-filled bowl into her mouth. "I wondered why you weren't out yesterday already— good to have you back."

I huffed in delight, nodding slightly before the meaning of her words daunted on me. My brows furrowed lightly before I asked, "You were out yesterday?"

"And you weren't," She quipped back lightheartedly, a chuckle slipping past her lips. Though, I just shook my head in irritation, a little confused on how Monroe would've checked on her if she wasn't in her room. I opted to just asking.

"So did Mr. Monroe just talk to you out here—?" I wondered, my voice sounding uncertain as I waited for her head to turn, her dark eyes to connecting with mine.

She halted in her movement once her head snapped in my direction, her own brows knitted together tightly as she looked at me in silence for a while. "Mr. Monroe?" She asked after a solid minute.

I nodded. "I figured after what happened a few days ago he came to check up on... all of us—"

Rose's eyes widened in excitement, though her calm aura was hardly fazed. She simply shifted back and forth on her chair at the information given to her, the prospect of my words making it hard for her to stay still as she subconsciously leaned further towards me.

Her reaction had a proud smile form on my face. Was I different? Was I better? — Why else would Monroe come to see me, check up on me, of all people?

"Check up on you!" She repeated, then, a cheery tone in her still relatively low voice. She made sure not to let anyone else around us hear. "Now, don't make me force it out of you—" She muttered, a joking tone in her voice that made a peal of singular laughter escape my lips.

"Well—" I thought back to yesterday, and how the fact I was the only one he came to made it just all the more special. After all, he came to me for help. I couldn't help but brag.

"He asked me what I thought about what happened and if I was alright," I began, and Rose was listening intently, her brown eyes glistening in excitement and her lips still curled upwards into a smile. "He asked me for help."

Her brows shooting up in surprise and her head tilting at the rather unexpected words coming out of my mouth only egged me on, and I continued as my chest swelled with pride and my eyes roamed the room.

"He asked if I knew a guy, if I could help The System find him—" I explained proudly, continuing to ramble after. "—Christopher I think his name was," I added absentmindedly, wondering what else I could tell her to make her see how useful he must've thought I was to them. "I think my information will definitely help them a lot—"

When my eyes snapped back onto the woman opposite me, I cut myself off at the haunting look in her eyes. My brows furrowed, my mind racing as to what I could've said to make her react like that.

Her skin seemed paler than it was before, any color previously in her cheeks gone as her face remained without expression, her eyes were dull, and her general attitude made me feel like she just aged another twenty years right in front of me.

Her back wasn't straight; rather than that, she was hunched over slightly, hair a little unruly as if she had just buried her hand in it out of frustration.

Her eyes diverted, scanning the white table we sat at before they jumped back up to mine, brimming with tears and glassy-looking.

My breath hitched in my throat. "Rose?" I wondered, and the sound seemed to have her snap out of whatever she was in.

"Oh." She shook her head vigorously, her eyes still wide as they flickered over me and through the room in a matter of seconds. She seemed restless, and her lips parted to give way to her heavy breathing. "I'm sorry, dear," She muttered, seemingly confused about her own state.

Before I could ask whether she was alright, Rose got up in the blink of an eye. "I'm fine," She quickly mentioned, head still shaking to herself as she simply walked off.

My head turned over my shoulder to follow her, brows still knitted together tightly at the sudden exit. Though, my eyes got caught on Eniola walking into the dining area, right as Rose walked out of it.

Eniola's eyes followed the woman as well, head turning over her shoulders and brows furrowing when Rose had accidentally knocked into her shoulder as she rushed past the girl.

And before I had the chance to act accordingly to what had just happened — whatever accordingly meant, in that case — the dark-skinned girl took the same seat Rose occupied mere seconds ago.

"What's up with her?" She wondered out loud, her voice sounding a little exhausted, though the light irritation lingering in it didn't go unnoticed. Her eyes still on the archway leading out of the room, her nose twitched just once. Her hand lingered on the part of her shoulder Rose had bumped into as her eyes flickered back onto me.

Though, with a singular glance over my shoulder, I just shrugged. I honestly didn't know.

Taking the girl opposite me in for the first time, she didn't look much better than Rose did just now. Dark bags under dull, brown eyes; her skin missing its usual radiance and her plum lips dry.

"Did you sleep alright?" I wondered, interest lacing my voice as my brows knitted together slightly at the sight.

Noticing the bowl of fruit Rose left behind, she picked out a handful of blueberries — her favourite berries; she always made sure to let us know they were — and shoved them in her mouth all at once.

"I was out like a light up until ten minutes ago," She huffed back, shaking her head at the fact. "So, yeah, I did. Why?"

Scanning her face once more, making sure I didn't just imagine the way she looked like she hadn't gotten an ounce of rest in days, I quickly shook my head in a dismissive manner. "No reason."

She simply shrugged my comment off, giving me a slightly bewildered look, and I decided to tell her what I had wanted to since my conversation with Monroe yesterday.

"En?"

My voice caught her attention, eyes snapping from the fruit before her up to me with an expecting look in her eyes. She hummed at my words, gesturing for me to go on. "I wanted to talk to you—"

"—Something serious?" She interrupted almost immediately, brows raising and a slight edge to her tone after she noticed the serious one in my voice. A little irritated by her interruption, I shook my head dismissively.

"I— uh, suppose so, yeah."

She gestured for me to go on once more, nodding at the same time.

"I just wanted to apologise," I began. "For the bad influence Esmond is— was. And that I ever thought it would be a good idea to introduce him to my family... and to you— I—" I cut myself off with a deep breath, a genuine face of remorse as I swallowed thickly and locked eyes with her.

She shot me a warm smile, simply nodding as she listened to my rambling, probably noticing I was feeling guilty enough as it was. "I know," She muttered. "I know you say that now."

The last word of her sentence caught me off guard, and she seemed to notice my furrowing brows, too.

"Now?" I wondered, abashed.

She quickly shook her head, waving me off. "Don't worry about it, Ames. I know you feel that way."

And while I broke my head about what the word "now" could've meant for another few hours, I didn't pester her about it; pretended I wasn't even thinking about it anymore.

Though, that night, I fell asleep trying to figure it out– Turned out, all I had to do was wake up to know— or better yet, let myself be woken up.

- 

Excited for tomorrow's chapter hehe

How are we feeling?