Sub rosa: Yellow
Yellow roses usually symbolize friendship, welcoming, care and happiness. However in German culture they symbolize infidelity and dying love. Also, in Victorian times they were a symbol of jealousy.

He and I were on a beach. One I used to visit almost every day in Florida when I lived there. Allen and I were in the other's arms. Everything except the water was a soft yellow and white. Including my two piece swimsuit and his trunks. Yellow made me happy.

Allen played with a strand of my blonde hair in his fingers. His breathing was husky from restraint, he wanted this to be special, it was written all over his face. Desire was in his brown eyes, our bodies were close, I drew my lips to his and-

Alisha

Woke up alone.
Why?
Why do-
Why did-?!
Ugh, stupid dream.

Stupid, chronic GERD disease. Speaking of the devil, my condition caused the contents and acids in my stomach to go back into my esophagus. Thus, burning my heart out with heartburn...

And heartburn is so much worse laying down.

I shot from my bed and went to the bathroom. Opening the mirror I grabbed the medicine shot glass and my antacid, pouring the correct amount into the small beaker. For a moment the pain worsened, my chest constricted, and I couldn't breathe. Slamming the antacid like a shot, I began getting water from the tap with sweet little yellow and white paper cups I've used since I was little to wash it down.

I knew I shouldn't have eaten after the laser tag game. Allen left shortly after, suddenly tired for some reason. Maybe it's the stress that we all feel from the letter left behind by that stranger.

I coughed a bit, feeling horrible for multiple reasons. Getting into the fetal position atop the toilet I mentally battled a war within me. I felt bad about liking Allen. I felt bad for him liking Sarah instead of me. But I felt so much worse for what I planned to do because of those things.

I thought the mental image of myself was ironic. A sick girl, crying in happy yellow pajamas, in a dark cheerily decorated beach themed bathroom planning to steal my friend's ship from her. And tomorrow was the best time as any to start. But God, I haven't seen Sarah like this with a guy since she was nine.

Ever since that tragedy she was scarred and afraid of losing at love.

I mentally paced for excuses for my plans until I ultimately gave up and went to my computer. Putting on my jacket, headset, and starting up the stream.

"Hello everyone," I croaked and sipped some more tap water, "it's the Bush Goddess, and I've been on a roll with Fortnite 3 here lately~"

Allen Thorn

I woke from my medicine induced coma with a yawn. Yay, I thought sardonically, no school just homework! Let the dread begin. At least I was home, the geometry actually easy for me. Different theorems sometimes had the same effects and results but it might take more than an answer key to know that, in the scheme of things, my geometry was right. I hope Mr. Kruel isn't a stickler for pacific modes of operation. Otherwise, my homeschooling math might clash with his stupid answer book.

As a child, I had trouble in school; especially when I was in elementary and Jr. High. I was the last to learn my multiplication tables and for the longest time couldn't comprehend that subtraction and division were two completely different things. To this day, I count on my hands when adding or subtracting sometimes... okay most of the time.

When learning about area and circumference that threw me for a loop. All the different terms for crap was confusing. I ultimately had to simplify it in my mind. Squares=sidexside. Rectangles? A square is a rectangle but a rectangle isn't a square. However, one still multiplies the two sides to get area. Triangles? Sidexsidexside cut in half. A rectangle cut in half is a triangle. In a weird way this substitution prepared me for algebra and geometry.

I had started off behind but came out ahead. I had overcome my learning disability and now was the hard part. The social side.

Luckily, with the help of my family and new friends that was going pretty well. My phone started buzzing a few times and I took off my headphones, NF's Oh Lord leaking through the earpieces. Alisha was texting me.

The Bush Goddess 🌳: You sleep tight? 😏

What was the emoji about?

fAllen: Yeah

Then I added five minutes later, feeling awkward,

fAllen: You?

My phone said she read the message but it was an hour before she responded.

The Bush Goddess 🌳: Yeah, wanna play video games with me?

I thought a moment before typing,

fAllen: Sure, what games do you play? Fortnite 3?

The Bush Goddess 🌳: Lol this is my gamer name.

fAllen: Um, I'll have to download it.

Feeling oddly uneasy I stopped my nearly complete math projects and turned on my GameStation. The game was free and was going to take an hour to download. I finished up my math just when the game loaded up. Going over to the store tab I perused the digital merchandise.

Ooh, Obi-Wan Kenobi...