Chapter Eight: Gwen

"...someone you do not need to know...at least right now" He smiles. That smile...I recognized it from somewhere. As his dark brown eyes stare at me; He mouths something. I could not make out what he said. The ride ends in a blink of an eye. Naturally, the Korean guy and I walk out together. The girls look at me with an 'Ooo who is that?' facial expression.

"See you later," The Korean stranger waves at me and he walks away. See you later?

"Who was that?" Rosaline asks lifting her head "Where did he go?"

"I do not know but he seemed to know me, I asked for his name and he said that I do not need to know 'right now," I tell everyone.

"He said 'right now?'" Jane asks to make sure.

"Like the exact words 'right now'," Azul adds.

"Weirdo," Ann-Marie lifts her eyebrows. I randomly begin thinking about the boys, I realize that I feel so much energy right now but when I was with them. I felt....exhausted. Why do I lose energy whenever I am around those boys? Could there be a reason? I am probably thinking too much.

"Ok, I have the list. Listen Carefully girls," Azul says as she waits for us to look at her and pay attention. "First, Electric Spin, Second, Astro Tower, Third, we can go to throw balls at the bottles and play ring toss, fourthi..." This is a long list. "...other than that we can choose other rides"We all say that it sounds good and walk to the rides. As we walk, I look at where Rosa is. Her eyes were red, was she crying? She might get mad at me like she did last time when I asked. Every time she got mad it's because she was suppressing her sadness. This reminded me of the scar between us, a scar in our friendship.

A few months ago, it was just a normal weekend. We were binge-watching shows, tired of all the work we had that week, and finally having time to relax. She got a text from her mom. She told me that her mom asked her for a music box that her dad gave to Rosaline when she was younger before he died. Rosaline many times told me her dad's last words from 21 years ago. He was at the hospital, at that time he was going through cancer. Cancer finally reached stage 4 at this time. Rosaline's family was doing all they could to pay for the hospital bills and get him the best treatment but it did not help. It made it worse. Rosaline's mom and dad also at that time were separated. Which also made it difficult for Rosaline to be happy with everything that was going on. One day, she went to visit him in the hospital to see how he was doing. At that time she was only 14 years old but she managed to walk to the hospital after school. When she came in, he was happy to see her. Rosaline hugged her father and received a music box that was a crystal red rose, Rosaline's favorite color. As she opened it, a song her dad sang to her before she went to sleep when she was a baby until she was a toddler but not only he sang it but her mom did too. This was a time where she was genuinely happy. That's what made it special. The song her dad and mom made for her is called 'The gift is you.' Rosaline was the first child so she was their gift. I memorized this song...since it meant a lot to Rosa...

Rosaline,

You are our gift

No one can hurt you

We are here for you

Our baby

We will always love you

So don't cry

We will not leave

hold our hand, fall asleep

I hope you know, we have a gift now

And that gift is you.

Rosaline cried as she heard that song come out of the little music box. He put his hands on her face and wiped the tears. He smiled at her and said his last words 'I love you, my beautiful daughter.' The line went flat. She yelled for him to come back but the doctors came to take her away from the room. Her family came getting a call from the hospital. Her mom was the one crying the most, knowing that she had not talked to him in about a year. She told Rosaline that same day, she wanted to come to the hospital to see Rosaline's dad. She didn't want to be separated from him anymore. She wanted to tell him that she still loved him.

As she answered her mom's call, her mom telling her that she does not know where the music box is and that maybe I knew where the music box was. I asked her where she left it last to give me clues and she said it was in a brown plain box. I remembered that day I was throwing boxes and plastic bags away. I asked her where exactly it was. She said it was in a plastic bag. My eyes were as wide as they could get, shocked knowing that I made a mistake. I told her that I accidentally threw it in the trash. She yelled and got mad at me. She started sobbing. She was angry and hurt. I knew how much that meant to her. I was shaking by how emotional she was. I never saw her like that before. I left the loft quickly, tired of her screaming trying to solve the problem. I went to check the trash in the back of the building in the garage bin hoping the trash was not picked up yet. As I looked in the garbage bin, it was still there, what a relief. Oh, how good I felt. I dug my hands in the plastic bags and found the bag with the music box and nothing was broken. I grabbed the bag and went inside. I headed straight to the elevator and pressed the button to the loft. I opened the door of the loft slowly afraid Rosa was on the other side. I fully opened the door and the loft was a mess, everything all over the place. Blankets on the floor, pillows on the tables, books were thrown from the upstairs library, chairs thrown just everything all over the place. Rosaline was most likely in her room. I tiptoe up the stairs trying to not make noise. I open her door, she is laying in her bed. She turns around, seeing me, and starts yelling loudly again throwing pillows at me. I tell her to stop repeatedly. I show her the music box. She gets out of bed and walks towards me. I back up afraid of this side of her. Surprisingly, she hugs me. Rosaline says 'Thank you' and grabs the red rose music box hugging it close to her chest and lays back in bed. I walk out of her room knowing she needs some time by herself. Back then I was not sure if I should've comforted her. I never lost anyone in my family before. I try to feel how she felt trying to put myself in her shoes. However, it was difficult for me but now since I lost my first best friend, Bo-A, I know how it felt. Remembering this memory passes the time on this ride we head off to throw balls at the bottles to knock them out also ring toss to win dozens of stuffed animals. We walk to throw the balls to the bottles first because those have bigger stuffed animals.

"How much sir?" Jane asks for us.

"40 dollars for 3 games and 60 for 5 games," The man says.

"Oh seems cheap," Ann-Marie smiles turning to us.

"Oh no, ma'am. I am meaning that for each person," He corrects Ann-Marie. She seems surprised by the look of her facial expression. We exchange looks and walk away. I hear someone's phone ring. It is Rosa's phone.

"Hey, Babe!" It is Ross.

"What do you mean?" She starts to cry. We all stop walking and try to listen to the conversation and ask her what is going on. She ignores us.

"No, no, do not do this! I was wrong, I should wait. Please just do not do this. Please, Ross." The phone hangs up. She moves away slowly and runs from us. We yell, telling her to come back but she ran so fast we could not find her. Especially, in this crowd full of people everywhere with everyone wearing so many different colors and varieties of people, it was not possible to find her. I tell the girls to call her phone to see if she answers. Each one of us calls Rosa's phone one at a time but her phone is turned off. I stare blankly at my phone. What happened?

"What should we do now?" Jane asks worryingly.

"Well, she turned off her phone but I know Rosaline so she knows where we are going to be at and she is smart so when she is ready she will find us," I say.

"Let's eat some food, we still have not had funnel cake Azul!" Ann-Marie tells her. "I just got a text from Rosa!" The 3 girls come close to read the text with me.

Hey, y'all do not worry. I am alright, I just need some alone time.

"What a relief that she is alright!" Everyone nods in agreement. We see the funnel cake stand. Azul, Jane, and Ann-Marie head over to buy snacks as I wait on the side. I turn around and see these two girls run towards me, Korean twins. Why are they alone? They stop in front of me.

"Hey, Are you lost?" I crouch down. They do not answer and just look at me. Their eyes are full of fear, seems like. "Do you know where you're parents are?" Their eyes seem familiar.

"Alejandro," They shout.

"Gwen! What are you doing with those two girls?" Alejandro yells at me shocked.

"Hey, Oppa!" The girls say as Alejandro pulls them to him. I notice a scar on his arm. He is their older brother? "Dad! Mom!" The girls run to a man and a woman. The man is the man I saw at the hotel, the one who kidnapped the person that I could not help is here. I step back a little startled. I began to shake, who knows what this man is capable of.

"Hello Son," The man says to Alejandro.

"Here you go with the 'Hello son' again," Alejandro crosses his arm. This man is his dad. The cruel man is also these innocent girl's dad. "What are you doing here, are you stalking me now? and also you step-mom, you never want to go anywhere, why did you follow father here?" I look at Alejandro, he seems annoyed. The guys appear. I look to see where Ross is. I walk up to him to see what he did to Rosa.

"You, what did you do to Rosaline?!" I raise my voice.

"Nothing"

"That is a lie, and you know that very well, What happened?"

"I broke up with her." My heart drops.

"Why? Were you two not happy? You two are engaged and now you want to break up?" I scoff "I can not believe this"

"I have my reasons"

"So you do not love her? This is what you are telling me?"

"No...I love her"

"Then you know exactly what to do now..." The twins each grab one of my arms. Their smiles lift my heart back up.

"Let's go to the carousel over there," I smile and they drag me there. I notice the girls look over at me and I signal them to follow me.

"I think they are Alejandro's siblings," I whisper.

"Shouldn't you ask their names?" Jane whispers to me.

"What are your names?" I ask them.

"My name is Ma-Rin" She looks like she could be the older twin.

"And my name is Mi-Ran," The other twin answers.

"You girls are pretty," Azul says to them. They had long straight black hair similar to Alejandro's but there's was wavy. They had the same eyes as Alejandro. They had small noses and lips. The difference between them is that one has a little mole under her eyes and the other on the side of the nose.

"Of course they are," I shove funnel cake in my mouth.

"Thank you, What are your names?" The girls ask us.

"Gwen"

"Azul"

"Ann-Marie"

"Jane!" They give us a thumbs up.

"Unni," The girls call me, "Let's get on," I nod my head and we board the carousel.

"Stop," Alejandro runs toward us and so do Akio, Ross, TJ, and Hunter."Ma-Rin and Mi-Ran, what are you doing? Why are you in the US?" Alejandro speaks to them in Korean. The others are clueless about what he is saying.

"Dad told us to come to the Unni, I do not know why but he did. Now we are going to the carousel," Ma-Rin answers back in Korean. Alejandro seems confused. The girls sit on the horses next to me. Alejandro follows behind me then her parents are waiting outside. I see Hunter and Azul laughing with each other as the carousel starts to run. The dad keeps looking at me as if he saw a ghost. I glanced at Alejandro and realized how much I missed him.

"Oppa, Are you not happy that we are here?" The twins ask Alejandro.

"No I am," He smiles, "When did you get here in New York City?"

"Hmm about 3 or 4 days ago," Mi-Ran responds.

"I see," I avoid eye contact with him "My father is dangerous and if he knows I am very close to you then I do not know what he will do," He whispers as I look forwards.

"Oh"

"So, do not speak to me so much, he should not suspect anything that way," I nod my head. He watches me, smilingly quickly, and lets his smile leave before his dad sees it. The ride stops and we get off.

"How did you even meet Rosa? I need tips," I hear Hunter ask Ross as we all start to walk to whatever ride comes in our way.

"To start, I met her through Gwen"

"Then how did you meet Gwen?" Alejandro asks him.

"A'ight man which one do you want to listen to first? How I met Rosa or how I met Gwen?" Ross asks irritably making me fear what he would say.

"All," Akio laughs.

"Yeah you bum, speak," TJ smirks.

"Ok, so I first met Gwen through a family gathering"

"Oh shoot you both are distant cousins," TJ covers his mouth and laughs like a Febreeze spray.

"Quit playing. Thinking about it now we have known each other for about 30 years I think. That day, My mom did not tell me where we were going. She just told me it was a family gathering so I thought that it was only family members but it was close friends too. When we got there I stayed outside. I then walked to the playground next to the building. I saw a girl there...she was just sitting at the playground and she turned around to look at me. She gave me a big smile and waved at me. She introduced herself, telling me her name, and then she asked for my name. That evening we just played in the playground. When we went inside our parents told us that we grew up together and then one day she invited her friend when we were teenagers. I did not know Rosaline was going to come so it was a surprise friend. We met that day when we were about 17. However, from that day forward I started falling for Gw-" Ross glances at me, "I mean Rosaline"

"Dang but I know you like Gwen," TJ smirks at Akio.

"How did you know?" I look up from my phone now. Akio confessed. I glimpse at Alejandro and he stared at Akio.

"Why have you not told her yet though? Isn't she like your first love? First loves always end up together just like those corny romantic shows and movies"

"Let's go to the next ride," Akio shouts awkwardly.

"Hey you four can go," Alejandro says and runs to the bathroom. My instinct tells me to follow him. As he walks inside he holds his head. Was he in pain? He throws water on his face and looks in the mirror. He shuts his eyes tightly as if he is having a bad dream. He begins to walk out so I run to join the others.

"Hey, Alejandro," I hear Akio call him.

"Yeah"

"I know you like Gwen," This took me by surprise.

"...Why are you bringing this up?"

"Because I see the way you look at her. It is the same way I look at Gwen"

"Well, then what is your point of bringing it up Akio?"

"I'm telling you because she is my first love and now that I notice that you like her. I intend to make her mine"