A sunny afternoon, in front of the Caldwell Manor. Lily and Rose arrive, step out from a bus, both carrying a load of cardboard boxes.
"Thank you, Lilia." Rose says as she opens the front gate.
"Don't worry, Cotton Candy. It's nothing, of course I'd help you." :: My goddess this is a big house! I mean I did hear before that Cotton Candy's from a well-off family, but this is more like a castle than a house! There must be like three dozen rooms and... wait is that a pool? On the second floor? ::
"But to come this far, just for... Eh, anyway, why don't you stay for a dinner? I'm sure that's the least I can do?"
"Dinner?! But, uh... I'm okay, I mean I'd sure love to, but—"
"Perfect! Then it's decided, you'll stay for dinner. Just...follow me, we'll take these boxes to my room first."
"S—Sure..." :: Her room?! I'll get to go into Cotton Candy's room?! Oh my goddess my heart… ::
They walk inside, first into a big hall, then stairs up and down the hallway there.
:: This place is massive… It’s like a hotel, or some luxurious villa in an exotic country… How rich she is?! And… why is it so quiet.. there’s nobody here… Do they have maids? Or a butler? At least they have a cook, because Cotton Candy said that about food… ::
"C—Come in, here… Just put the boxes on the left of the door."
"OH, sure, I—Whoa…"
:: Her room is bigger than my entire apartment at the dorms… This is no simple room! This is like a suite at a hotel! There’s a separate bathroom, a balcony, a separate room - bedroom I’m guessing, even a Kitchenette! It doesn’t look like a place where she lives though, it’s all so.. clinical.::
"Your room is awesome, Cotton Candy, but…"
"But..?" Rose says and looks at Lily questioningly.
"It looks so… cold, neat - like a hotel, not like a person’s room.. eh.. sorry, I didn’t mean to…"
"No… you’re correct. This is just a space set for me to live by my parents, this is not… this is not my home.."
"Where is your… home? Don’t you live here?"
"Technically, yeah, this is my home, but… I’m not sure, maybe.. uh…" Rose says, turns around and almost bumps into Lily.
"Sorry for making you uncomfortable, please, you don’t have to—"
:: So close! So close! She… she smells wonderful… almost like real roses…! ::
"Lilia, I—I want to show you. I—I do… Look, it’s difficult for me to keep everything under control currently, but… when—when I’m with you, I—" Rose stutters awkwardly and blushes a bit, then takes a couple of steps back towards the door. She sings very softly under her breath, while looking gently at Lily {There’s things I wanna talk about...}
"Anyway, why don’t you wait here, I’ll go fetch us something to eat…" she says and quickly leaves and Lily is left alone in Rose’s room.
:: What was that? Why does she have to make the cutest face when she’s embarrassed?! I’m so done, I just want to grab her and kiss her! Lilia, chill. You have to be in control. Take a deep breath. There. You can do it, she’s just the cutest girl you’ve ever seen and you want to—aaaa stupid brain stop now! Okay. Let’s see, distractions, distractions…::
Lily walks around the room and peeks into the bathroom and balcony.
:: The bathroom is as clean as everything else, there’s not even a toothbrush there. I don’t think she actually lives here… takes makes me a bit disappointed though, because this isn’t her actual room. I wonder where she actually sleeps and lives? In her bedroom? Very possible.. but.. No, I can’t peek there! No! A place where she sleeps, in her pajamas, or under—oooh, no. Not again, Lilia, not again! This is not a time for getting horny! Bury those thoughts immediately! Okay, so the balcony… It’s nice, the view to the lake is really beautiful.. and there’s a chair and a blanket and a drink on the table.. she’s been here, at least. So I was correct? She lives in her bedroom but uses the balcony? I wonder what she thinks when she’s here, watching the lake… ::
Door opens and Rose walks in. She’s holding a tray with two plates, two mugs and a bottle. "Here.. Come, we can eat at this table…" she says and sets the tray on a table.
"Sure, I’m coming, I was just looking.. you are really pretty.. eeeehhhhh! I mean, uh, I mean you have a really pretty view of the lake! Yes!" Lily says and turns reddish.
"Y—Yes, I like it. It.. soothes me when I look at the water…" Rose says and looks outside, seemingly missing Lily’s little slip of tongue. "Here, have some. It’s nothing fancy, but I hope it’s okay. I didn’t find anything else this quickly."
"It’s.. it’s fantastic, Cotton Candy, I mean really fantastic!"
"It is?" Rose says and smiles at Lily "I’m glad you like it. I’m not the best cook in the world but—"
"Hold up! YOU did this? You cooked this just now? You could serve this in a five-star restaurant and they'd still praise it!"
"Uh, ye—yeah I did, I…" Rose stammers and her ears turn a little red.
:: Can you not be that perfect?! What is my heart doing…? Am I really falling in love with her this much...? :: Lily thinks and looks at Rose "Th—that’s awesome." She says, "I can warm noodles and make pizza in a microwave and that’s about it…"
"Well, I have lived by myself for ten years or so, so I kinda had to learn…"
"What? By yourself? There’s nobody else living here? In this castle?"
"Well, uh.. almost. There’s our gardener who visits twice a week, the cleaners visit twice a month and then some irregular visits. My parents visit maybe once a year or two. The delivery people come about once a week too.. But yeah, mainly it’s just me."
"Isn’t that terribly lonely?!"
"It—it is, but until now, I’ve.. I’ve preferred it. I’ve liked being alone…"
"Until now?"
"Uh… forget about it. Uh. some—some other day, perhaps."
"mhm. Alright, I’m not gonna push you..," Lily says and feels her ears getting hot before she can help it, :: No! Stupid brain! Not push like that! Ooh, I’m going to blush I can’t. Think, Lilia, think! :: "Uh.. thanks.." She says quickly, "thanks for the food, Cotton Candy, but I really think I should go now, I.. uh, we have… a curfew at the dorm…"
Lily stands up, and Rose leads her through the halls to the front door.
"Oh, I’m sorry, I’ll call you a cab, it’s a long way to the dorms from here!"
"You don’t need to—- uh, okay, thank you. This was really nice, Cotton Candy, I.. I hope this was not the last time I can visit you..?"
"Eh? No! Definitely not, you can visit anytime! Uh, anytime that you are free, I mean anytime you like and don’t have better things to do, I mean. Yes, you’re free to visit whenever. And Lilia…"
"Yeah?"
"Uh, never mind." Rose says, turns her gaze downwards and shakes her head slightly. "Thanks for carrying the boxes for me."
"Ah, don’t mention it. See you tomorrow at school, Cotton Candy." Lily says, and turns to leave.
"Until tomorrow… Lilia." Rose says and looks towards the leaving Lily. { But if you hold me without hurting me, You’ll be the first who ever did… } She sings, softly under her breath.
:: Did she just sing again? I didn't quite catch that... Why's my heart beating so fast...? :: Lily thinks while walking away to the cab that’s waiting for her in front of the main gate.
ns 18.68.41.175da2
