Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed

Roseanne smiled at the hairdresser, "Please, cut it short and straighten it."

'Even the prettiest doll is just a toy.' Roseanne decided, 'Let whoever wants to play with it, I'm done playing.'-

Stepping out of the hair salon, Roseanne felt a sense of liberation wash over her. Conveniently, there was a sales promotion at the Uniqlo store next door. She popped in and picked out a white tee and a pair of jeans, changing into them right there. They matched her sneakers perfectly.

As she wandered, she arrived outside the gates of Kingswell University, watching students cycle in and out under the setting sun. She paused, lost in thought.

"Carlisle! Over here!" A young man brushed past Roseanne. "What's everyone doing here?"

"We're planning to visit Ms. Payne, so..."

Carlisle frowned. "With this many people, the hospital won't allow it. Let's do this. Only two representatives from the bioinformatics department will come with me." Bioinformatics? Ms. Payne? Roseanne's gaze sharpened, and she quickly stepped forward. "Who did you say was sick?"

Carlisle stuttered, caught off guard by the neat and pretty girl before him. "Um, Ms. Payne."

Roseanne asked again, "Madeleine Payne?"

Carlisle nodded. "Yeah."

"Which hospital?"

"Serenity Health Hospital."

"Thanks."

to Roseanne's back. "Uh... which department are you from? Are

question hanging as she strode

the one who'd tap someone on

opened her contacts, hesitating over Madeleine's before

had abandoned the opportunity for a direct Ph.D. program to be

been

go back?" Changing her shoes, Leda

mouth twitched. "What, you

Murray broke up, it took

changed the subject. "There's soup in the pot. Help

lit up, and she hurried into the kitchen for the soup, sipping it appreciatively. "Murray's such a lucky dog, getting

wash the dishes and clean up. I'm going to

pressed again, "Hey, you're