Bryce Chamberlin had a rough break, so rough that it changed him completely. He was accepting hugs from professors that knew, which was only one. She was the only one in the school who knew what was going on with him right now. Bryce had to learn to deal, but he did not want to tell Rosie because it seemed like she had enough on her plate. That was partially why he brought himself to the cliffs, where they had their first heated kiss. He plopped down on the grass and he brought his knees to his chest. He stared ahead emptily. Everything did not seem as important to him now. To him, without his dad around, he would not have done so well in school. His dad was the one that helped his cause to come here. If it were not for him, he would not have met such good friends. He would not be here today. 'I miss him so much,' thought Bryce as he wished he could see his dad again. If he could see him just once more, he thought that it would be enough. He wanted to say goodbye properly. He wanted to seek his advice.
'I think I love my best friend, dad. Just like you did in school. You married her. But, I just want to have you meet her once more. She's great,' thought Bryce as his eyes moved upward. Maybe what he needed was a push in the right direction. His dad mentioned to him once about a surgery that could restore his hearing somewhat. Maybe he could look into that. But another part of him embraced his little handicap. He would have to get the opinions of Sofii and Rosie first, and he could not even bring himself up to talk to either of them. He just stared, empty. Bryce let out a sigh and he did not notice that someone was heading his way. He thought he could feel small vibrations on the ground, but he ignored it. He simply stared ahead, hoping that he could somehow find the words to tell Rosie and Sofii over what happened, and why he was being so distant. He just did not want to be pitied, and he did not want to cry in front of them. A small tear managed to escape, but Bryce quickly wiped it away. He buried his head into his arms and begged silently for his father to come home.
Rosie had been trying to focus on eating lunch, but the absence of her best friend was keeping her from enjoying even a single bite. Bryce loved to eat, he was practically a bottomless pit when it came to food, so the fact that he hadn't been around for any meals during the past week was beginning to really alarm Rosie. After fifteen minutes of trying to decide what to do, the Ravenclaw Prefect decided that she was going to find out what was the matter whether he liked it or not. Rosie swiped a sandwich and wrapped it up so she could take it to Bryce and make him eat something. At least then she could worry about one less thing. Luckily, Rosie only had to ask a couple of people before someone could tell her that they spotted him headed towards the cliffs. Ah, the spot of their heated kiss? Hopefully Rosie wasn't the source of his depression. Rosie thanked the student who had given her the information and headed off in a full-on sprint to find her best friend. It was pretty obvious that something was wrong with him, and he needed to talk to her about it so she could actually be of some support to him. It made Rosie feel bad that she could do nothing for him and she wasn't sure if he realized that.
Rosie walked over to Bryce and noticed that he had his head buried in his arms. Slowly she lowered herself down until she was sitting beside him. Knowing he couldn't hear her if she called his name, she instead gently placed an hand on his arm, pulling him from his thoughts. When she finally got his attention, she smiled softly. "I brought you a sandwich, in case you were hungry." Rosie showed him the food, hoping he would take it. He needed to eat something, he looked so pale and unhappy. Food couldn't fix everything, but maybe for just a moment it would distract him from his troubles. "What's wrong?" Although Rosie didn't sign the sandwich part because she wasn't sure how, she did sign asking him what was wrong because she felt like maybe he'd feel better if she signed so he didn't have to talk as much while being upset. Rosie just wanted him to talk to her. There was no way she could fix the problem if she didn't know what was wrong. Hopefully it wasn't anything to do with her. Sometimes Rosie could be selfish when it came to her grades, but she promised herself that she would work on it for Bryce's sake.
Bryce felt a hand upon his arm, thus raising his head up to look at the brunette that could definitely be his rock while everything was spiraling out of control. Even though the boy lost his father, he felt just slightly better with her presence there. Bryce noticed that she had food with her, and knew that she was going to try to get him to eat. Normally, it didn't take much to get Bryce to eat anything. But now, it seemed like his appetite died along with his dad. He couldn't stomach anything right now. He denied the food with a shake of his head. And then she signed what was wrong. Bryce unfolded his arms over his legs, and then thought about signing. He only got out the word, 'Dad' before he gave up. The Ravenclaw prefect threw his arms around Rosie's shoulders, as the water works released at last. It had been a long time coming. The way he was acting, the one word, it might be obvious what happened to his dad. However, he would have to tell Rosie exactly what happened eventually. The sickness that took his dad could have been prevented, he thought. He should have had more time with his dad rather than spending it reading or something. He should have done all the father-son activities, but Bryce thought that it was a little lame. Not anymore. He would do anything to get his dad back.
This though, Bryce felt safe and less vulnerable while he was this close to Rosie. He could hear her heartbeat as it slowly drove the tears away. Very slowly. He didn't want to move. He couldn't move. He simply wanted to be held by his best friend, and the person that he loved more than anyone here at the school. He wanted this to never end. Surely, she wouldn't be cruel to take this comfort away from him. All he wanted was to be held as he finally released the emotional dam he had been holding back for weeks. Everything was out and he felt somewhat better, finally releasing what he had been holding back. And, the only one that he could really trust in this state was the one that was holding him. He closed his eyes, listening to the rhythm of her heart, as it comforted him. Amazing how something like that could help, without any words said.
Rosie waited patiently to see if Bryce would explain to her what was driving him to be so melancholy and withdrawn from everyone, because then she could maybe find some way to help him. He was only able to get through one word before he broke down, but that one word was enough to make Rosie feel like vomiting. His dad had been sick for some time, and Rosie was smart enough to connect the dots. His dad had finally succumbed to his sickness and passed on. He caved into her chest and began to sob hysterically, and Rosie froze. Bryce obviously needed to be comforted, but Rosie wasn't sure how she could even begin to help him overcome this. Rosie had never really dealt with death in a manner such as this. Both of her parents were alive and so were all of her grandparents. The only time she had ever witnessed death was when the beloved family pet died, but she had been like six when that happened and barely understood the meaning behind it. Instead of choosing to say anything, Rosie decided to remain silent and continued to let Bryce cry on her. Perhaps once it let it all out he'd be easier to talk to and listen to reason.
The was barely starting to set when Rosie began to consider saying something to Bryce. Gently, Rosie nudged Bryce in the arm and shifted so he was no longer able to lean on her. Rosie decided to sign to him instead of forcing him to try and read her lips alone. "We need to head inside, we'll get in trouble if we're out her after dark." Rosie explained the reason for her stirring and moving him. Rosie got up off the grass and held her hand out for Bryce to take. "Bryce, your dad would be so proud of you. You're allowed to grieve, but your dad wouldn't want you to be this sad forever. I know that you miss him, and you probably think you'll never move on, but I promise you will Bryce. Just hang in there. I'll be here, right by your side okay?" Rosie placed her hands on either side of his face and kissed him on the forehead lightly before she wrapped her arm around him and attempt to lead him back towards the castle. "Come on, we should get some ice cream." That always cheered Bryce up before, and maybe it would help again to some degree.
Bryce just continued to be held by Rosie, and he closed his eyes, enjoying the scent. She made him feel so much better. He didn't feel like he was going to just crumble. Rosie was his rock, his support. Everything about her made him feel more at home. It was lovely. He felt a nudge on his arm, and he slowly rose up so that he was no longer leaning on her. He kept his eyes on her lips so that he could read what she was saying. She mentioned on how they will need to head inside, and how they would get into trouble if they were out here after dark. He mentally agreed, and his head nodded to show it. She also said how his dad would be proud of him, and he was allowed to grieve. She mentioned that she would be right here by his side. He gave her a sincere smile, one that hasn't been on his face in a long time. She attempted to lead him up to the castle, offering some ice cream. Bryce gave her a small nod, before he signed, "I'd love to." She really was the rock. He needed it. He sincerely did.
This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
