All Rose saw when she slowly opened Jade’s bedroom door was darkness, followed by a near deafening silence. The curtains were closed and the lights were off.
She thought the room was empty until she heard a short sniffle and realized that Jade was hiding underneath the covers on her bed. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness and she finally saw the mound on the bed in the shape of her body.
“Jade?” Rose called out and Jade threw the covers away from her head as though she had been specifically waiting for Rose to come back.
“Rose! You’re back!” she called out in a high-pitched voice that Rose knew was feigned. Her quivered as she spoke. Rose entered the room and turned on the lights and the first thing she saw was Jade’s dishevelled hair and dried tear stains on her cheeks.
“Were you cryin
