24 years before The Split

A field of red roses stood on a mound, flaying with the wind with a ring of trees forming the barrier into a surrounding forest.

For a moment, everything was calm… until two disruptive teenagers ran out of the forest towards the flower bed, one chasing the other.

One had a white Gardenia birthmark on their neck, and on the other’s neck, there was a yellow rose and a snake burn, secretly covering a yellow carnation birthmark.

After a long, exhausting chase, I got close enough to Rowan that I could lunge to tackle him, causing us to crash into the flower bed. The wind carried our laughs, as sweat trickled down my cheeks.

“Got… you…”

“Y-yeah… y-you sure did.”

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“You… *wheeze* really made me work for it.”

After a moment of us catching our breaths, Rowan said “Y-You really expected to b-beat me? Our p-physical strengths have b-both been improving over time.”

“Yeah… I know. It’s weird though. Even with the strongest, most potent steroids I can invent… I’m never able to out-physique you.”

Rowan took one last long, deep breath, and rolled on his side to look at me. He then delicately picked one of the red roses from the ground, and started twirling it, inspecting it.

“Have I ever told you how much I love flowers? Red roses are my favorite.”

…

I stared up at the sky, trying to ignore the incredibly inviting forest gazing at me.

Can I… possibly love him? Even if he’s a friend… he’s still the son of my parents’ killer. I… don’t know if I’d ever be able to love him like that.

You know how you feel about him. And… I’m pretty sure you’re aware how he feels about you. If you want to be happy… you should go for it.

But I don’t want to be happy. How can I possibly be happy if I’m still… the massive failure that I am?

If this is still about your parents…

Mmm… alright. Maybe… maybe I will go for it. Just… promise I won’t regret it?

I promise.

I rolled over to meet Rowan face to face… but he was gone.

“All it takes is one bad day.”