No one could find a moment of utter silence within Cloisterham, not with a thousand secrets whispered from ear to ear. But even as the campus filled back to the brim with students once again, Rosa didn't end up hearing anything about Elliot. Perhaps it was because most people had only just arrived the previous day, but to her it was promising.

Everyone would know soon enough. The rumors were not silenced, but at least they gave little more than a murmur. Rosa wished she could bask in it, but she found her heart palpitating over what would inevitably come next. She was going back to school, back to class, back to normal life.

Normal life, minus Elly.

"Are you ready for this?" Helena asked, putting a hand on Rosa's arm before the two departed their dorm.

"I must feign strength for today and the coming days even if I do not feel it," Rosa said, turning to face her roommate. "After all, there are precious few around Cloisterham who know about Elliot, and I can only hope it remains that way for a little longer."

"I don't think it will be too hard for you to feign strength in first period English," Helena replied. "But I'm worried about chorus right after that. I'm worried it won't go well."

"As am I, Helena."

Of course, Helena ended up correct about first period English. It didn't matter that Rosa managed to see all sorts of words to remind her of Elliot's absence. No one seemed to notice that anything was particularly wrong. No, Rosa wore her signature half frown as she always did. Why should anything be different?

But as her next period approached, Rosa found her pulse beginning to quicken and her breaths beginning to go shallow. Mr. Jasper knew what was going on. Mr. Jasper was going to be there. She didn't want to see Mr. Jasper.

For a moment she considered not going to the class, feigning illness or any other concern to get her away from chorus. But she reconsidered when she remembered Helena would be there, as well as Neville and Jasmine. Besides, it did not matter what excuse she provided - Mr. Jasper would seek her out anyways.

With these only semi-positive thoughts cycling throughout her mind, Rosa made her way to the arts building. She felt as if she had to count her every step and keep track of every breath just to make sure she could stay upright. All she waited for was the moment when she would see Helena and have someone to speak to.

"New seats today," Mr. Jasper announced as the students trickled in to the chorus room. "I'll be testing to make sure it blends well later, but for now check the seating chart. It's the piano, as everything always is."

Within seconds of stepping into the room and moving toward the line (or rather, cluster) to see where the new spots were, Rosa's gaze drifted to finally settle upon Helena. The two quickly joined together as they went to go found out what their new seating would be.

Glancing at the chart showed that the two remained in their typical voice parts - soprano I for Rosa and alto-sometimes-soprano II for Helena, but were as far away from one another in the female section as was possible. Rosa sat in the front corner, and diagonally behind her in the back corner sat Helena.

"We knew it," Rosa murmured over towards Helena.

"Yes, we did," Helena replied, giving a small smile. "But are you sure you want to go through with this? We talked a lot about this, and I want to make sure you'll be okay..."

"I shall be fine, Helena. And look. Jasmine is at the end of the first row, she'll be near...and right beisde her is Neville! I'm far from alone," Rosa exclaimed, trying to hide the slight quiver within her voice. With that, however, she chose to find her new seat and sit in silence, attempting to think through what would happen until Mr. Jasper spoke up.

"Welcome back from break, everyone," he began. "So, as you know, we usually like to share our thoughts after a major event. A concert, a trip...or, in this case, a holiday. Today is time for us to do something we haven't done in a while. Of course, that would be 'Penny For Your Thoughts.'"

Although nothing audible rose up, it was clear just from the way the students shifted about in their seats that they did not want any part of this. However, there was nothing to be gained by complaining about it (not unless they wanted Mr. Jasper to chastise them for speaking and then spend twenty minutes droning on about it, of course).

"Here," he said, trying to extend the syllable as he fumbled around his pocket before finally drawing out a penny, "is the penny. We will...we will speak about what happened over break. I'm certain we will all have something exciting to share..."

Mr. Jasper's voice faltered as he turned the coin around in his fingers. Once, twice, thrice. He was postponing the inevitable, trying to buy more time. But he only had a single cent within his fingers. It wasn't as if he could buy more than a few seconds before he turned and walked over to Rosa.

"Penny for your thoughts, Rosa?" he said.

Rosa glanced up at him, her eyes widened larger than he'd ever seen them before. She was doing her best to push tears away by keeping her eyes as large as she could. She released a perfect sigh from her perfect lips and plucked the penny up. She attempted to avoid any contact with his skin.

As the class awaited her story with little anticipation, she turned to the ground. She spun the penny around in her hand in the same manner that Mr. Jasper had just done. Rosa allowed another puff of air to escape past her lips in another sigh.

The moment she opened her mouth to speak, she ended up letting out a sob. It was only a single sob. It was only a single moment of letting tears fall. Still, it was enough to cause her entire barrier she'd been holding up to collapse. She drowned in a flood of saltwater and gasping breaths. Within moments she found herself in hysterics. The entire classroom froze as every student stared, openmouthed.

Everyone knew that Rosa could be melodramatic and rather emotional, but no one was quite certain why she was acting in such a manner. No, to the students in the classroom, it looked as if Rosa had completely lost her mind.

Before a soul could move, she thrust the penny down to the ground. She then leapt from her seat to rush out the door. She turned into a blur of sobs and fluttering fabric as she ran. Her outburst shattered the silence which had spread across the room.

"Rosa!" Mr. Jasper said, making a start as if to run after her. He then realized he wouldn't be able to follow her. She was most likely heading to the sanctuary of the girl's bathroom.

Neville stood up in the back, moving into action in the same manner as Mr. Jasper. His sister seemed to be the only one unaffected by the weight in the room. She rose from her seat and began walking towards the door. Helena moved with purpose, maintaning serenity through each step even though she moved with speed.

Right before she was about to exit the room, Helena paused before Mr. Jasper. She made eye contact with him for a moment. It was a challenge of sorts, a threat of others, a chastisement most of all.

How dare he do something to Rosa which he knew would end up causing such distress? How dare he do such a thing when he knew the precise reason why Rosa wept? If Helena's gaze could kill, then Mr. Jasper would've ended up in a coffin.

But she did not dwell any longer. Mr. Jasper couldn't speak a word before she ended up stepping through the same door as Rosa. She would go after the girl to help dry her deluge of tears. Perhaps she might bring even Rosa back to chorus class. That was what he hoped for.

Twitters of confusion and concern rose up among the choir. They crescendoed as more and more began to join in the chaos. No one was quite sure what they had seen or why any of it had occurred. Neville, of course, knew far more than almost everyone else did.

However, no one supposed that he had any clue...no one, except for Jasmine. Jasmine noticed the way he'd reacted and supposed that he knew something, even if it wasn't a completed picture of the matter.

"Neville, what's going on?" Jasmine said, turning to the boy sitting beside her.

"I...I don't know."

"Well, you have to know something," Jasmine replied. "You know more than everyone else, I'm sure."

"I have an idea...well, I have an idea, but I'm pretty sure I'm not allowed to say it at the current moment."

"You can't tell me anything?"

"I don't know. I don't think so. Don't worry about it. I'm sure...I'm sure Rosa will be okay, no matter what's happening."

But only seconds later, Mr. Jasper ended up silencing the entire class. He had an announcement to make.

"I suppose it's my duty to tell you what has happened. I need to get to you before the rumors begin to go around the school. There might be all sorts of false ideas within your head," Mr. Jasper said. He glanced down as his folded hands, attempting to regain his train of thought.

The chatter from around the classroom didn't cease, but it did quiet significantly as people anticipated what Mr. Jasper was going to say.

"Elliot Drew has gone missing. Over Christmas Break, they disappeared for no clear reason. Little evidence has been recovered. No one knows what happened to them."

He did not say anything else. Everything else was already being said for him in the chatter throughout the choir. But this faded soon as Rosa returned.

Rosa looked as if she'd dragged herself through a battlefield. She hung her arm around Helena's shoulders for support. Rosa needed it so that she could manage to walk even when her eyes were glazed over with tears.

She was a wreck, but everyone adored her for it.

A cooing sound rose up among the soprano and alto sections of the choir. All the girls began to swarm around their dear Rosa. Mr. Jasper didn't even attempt to stop them - how could he? So many girls rushing around and squealing could not be calmed and silenced quickly. The news had already been spoken. There was nothing else to say.

Rosa, despite having so many around her desperately asking if she was okay, did not speak a word to any other soul. She just gave small smiles towards the girls through her cascading tears, although it was clear to all that such smiles were false. She could not say anything, not as people asked.

Elliot, Elliot, Elliot. Their name might haunt her forever. It certianly would continue echoing in her ears now that people were starting to find out.

Although Mr. Jasper longed to apologize to her, she was surrounded by a wall of two dozen girls from the chorus class. His conversations with Rosa required at least some degree of privacy which would not be present if he attempted to break through this wall. And, of course, breaking through the wall would be enough of a trial on its own.

But when class ended, he ambushed her before she could collect herself and leave.

"Listen, Rosa, I...I'm sorry for asking you to talk during class. I shouldn't have done it."

"How were you to know that I would become so upset?" Rosa said. She seeked a way to get out of this situation while not entirely forgiving Mr. Jasper for what he'd done nor becoming too rude. It was a delicate business, yes, but she would keep moving forward as long as she could. "You could not have predicted such a response."

"Well, I should've known you'd be upset at the very least...it was a bad idea. I wanted to apologize, and..."

"And what, Mr. Jasper?" Rosa asked, keeping her voice lighter than a feather.

"I...I...I..." he began, drawing out the single lettered word as long as he could as if he was stalling. Finally he decided there was nothing more to stall for - he had to keep moving the conversation forward. Rosa was bouncing on her heels, twirling the fabric of her shirt in her fingers...

"Never mind, I can tell you later," Mr. Jasper said. "For now you know that I'm sorry, and we're both in mourning. And if you ever need to talk to someone about Elliot, I-"

"Oh, Neville!" Rosa exclaimed. "For what reason are you dwelling about in this part of Cloisterham during lunch?"

"I think I left something in this classroom during class today," he replied, making eye contact with her. Rosa would have to ask him later, but she was fairly certain that he'd only come along for her. He noticed she wasn't at lunch, and therefore he came after her.

"What do you think you left, exactly, Neville?" Mr. Jasper said, breaking the beginnings of a silent conversation that was coming up between Rosa and Neville. He had been in the middle of something.

"I think I left my water bottle behind," Neville said. Before Mr. Jasper could even leave his chair to begin the search for the water bottle, Neville had already started a beeline towards his chair.

"Look at that," Neville exclaimed. "It's right there, under my seat. Good to know that I don't have to worry about it any more. Rosa, care to walk along with me?"

"I could not be more glad to do as such," Rosa said, allowing herself to smile.

Mr. Jasper, though he was tempted to say more, remained in silence. The two left the room as if in their own personal bubble.

The two teenagers didn't speak as they left the room, either. However, the moment they were entirely out of the chorus room, Rosa launched herself into an embrace with Neville.

"Thank you thank you thank you thank you," Rosa babbled. "I cannot give you enough thanks! You came back to save me. You and your sister have been my saviors from the very beginning!"

"You're...you're very welcome, Rosa," Neville said, trying to allow himself to enjoy this moment instead of becoming mortified at the fact he was hugging Rosa with a water bottle clutched in one hand. "I guess it was just a lucky coincidence that my water bottle was there too. I mean, I would've come back anyways, but...well, it definitely made the story better."

"Do not fret over it, Neville," she replied, breaking away. "I swear, I always end up in the chorus room in an unpleasant moment with Mr. Jasper and then you and Helena always come for me. I know I shouldn't count on it, but I cannot help but feel so very...well, I suppose I feel so very pleased! Now, I suppose I should return to my dormitory...care to come with me?"

"Er, sure. Sure, yeah," Neville replied.

"Marvelous."

With that, the two headed off towards Rosa's room. However, they didn't have anything in particular to talk about, so Neville was forced to come up with something.

"I've heard you...er...you have some ideas as to why Elliot disappeared."

This triggered a stagnent moment before Rosa gave her response.

"Elly is dead. They were murdered. That is all I shall say for now," she replied. "Did Helena tell you about those?"

"Helena? No, I've just been...I've just been hearing things floating around. You know what it's like here."

"Oh, of course," Rosa sighed. "You can never truly escape the clutches of rumors in Cloisterham, can you?"

- - - - -

"I adore your brother, Helena."

"Not that many people do," Helena replied, letting out a slight laugh. "Glad to hear that you do, at least."

"I suppose it would be wonderful to have a sibling, or at least some family member with whom I could share experiences with. The situation of my family hs been a matter of much distress, especially now as I gaze back upon it...and I wish I could have someone to keep through it."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, my family practically dissolved before I managed to make it to an age with two digits," Rosa sighed.

"I know the feeling..."

"You and Neville both must have some sympathy for my situation, after what I can only assume the two of you have been forced through..."

"And what is your situation?"

"I told you about what happened to my mother, of course. But I suppose I never divulged precisely what occurred to my father to bring him to his end. It began when my mother perished. What a mad accident! No one could have predicted such a sudden and horrible end. And thus my father threw himself into a world where he attempted to escape such sadness that drifted above him."

Helena recognized that Rosa was telling her story, diving into a portion of her past without even realizing it. For the moment, she would have to sit back and listen. If there was anything that Rosa required at times like these, it was someone who would simply listen.

"The same sort of scenario fell upon Elly's family. Their mother died in a car accident, a hit and run mistake in the middle of everything. Thus my father and their father joined together to comiserate, a matter which ended up bringing them both to their death."

There seemed to be a subtle glaze across Rosa's slate eyes as she continued to speak.

"The two of them drank often. All too often. But both my father and theirs would try to keep it out of the household, tried to keep it away from their three year old children. And yet, one night they tried to get home to us three year old children while still intoxicated. Neither could think straight, and so...well, Elly and I became orphans that very night."

"Oh my god," Helena murmured.

"I suppose that must explain why I feel...felt such a connection to Elly," Rosa continued. "It was profound. We were joined through our circumstances and thus did not part. And even if I never felt even the slightest twinge of romantic interest in them, I stayed. I stayed because I do love Elly, just not as a romantic partner. To be parted from them was like taking away another piece of my family."

"But you didn't raise yourself completely."

"Well, no. Upon my loss I gained Mr. Greggs and a nanny who was more or less my mother for four years before she vanished too. Mr. Greggs was often too busy to properly take care of me - and it wasn't as if he knew how to raise a daughter, either. Elly was sent off to his grandparents and Mr. Jasper. Mr. Jasper wasn't even out of high school at that time, but he eventually became Elly's guardian."

"You had a nanny?"

"I did," Rosa said. "I suppose I must sound dreadfully spoiled because of that. But it was necessary for my circumstances. As I said, however, she left when I was seven. I do not know why she deserted me. I do not know where she is now, but I miss her. She's gone same as if she was dead."

"I'm sure she's not dead."

"I'm not. And so I have no family left. I have no one, not truly," Rosa sighed. "Every last family member of mine, dead or gone. Plucked out of my fingertips at no fault of my own. I only wish I..."

"What do wish, Rosa?"

"I wish there was something I could do. Someway I could prevent...stop it from happening again."

"That would be a lot easier if actually had anything to do with you in the first place."

"Well, yes. Of course."

"I mean that it's not something you have any control over," Helena continued. "All of this was out of your grasp."

"Sometimes I am not certain that is the case. Otherwise I do not understand why the same misfortune would fall upon me time and time again...I do not understand why I have to remain alone."

"You're not alone, Rosa," Helena said. "You should know what happened to my family as well. Neville and I are both orphans, same as you. Our birth parents were both good people, but our father died due to early cancer. Soon enough we ended up with a stepfather who hated everyone in the house, even though he claimed to love us. He beat Neville and I time and time again, and occasionally turned on our mother."

"Oh, God," Rosa breathed out.

"It became something we forced ourselves to get used to, although it's the kind of thing you can never really 'get used to.' We managed to pull ourselves through each and every day by relying on one another. We didn't have any other choice."

"At least you had each other."

"At least we did. But sometimes that wasn't enough, especially when I had to be like a mother to Neville when our own mother wasn't, or couldn't be. That was what we had to do, though."

"It's as if we're both alone, then."

"Well, only if we're alone together."