TORN BETWEEN TWO HEARTS

Rose looked at herself in the mirror, feeling a mix of emotions. Her eyes, a deep brown color, showed both hope and sadness. She liked everything about herself: her long, flowing hair, her curvaceous figure, and the way her eyes sparkled with dreams. Everything, that is, except the three scars on her face. One ran like a streak from her forehead to her nose and then down to her cheeks. The second scar was on her cheek, and the third one marred her forehead. She tried to hide them using makeup, but no matter how hard she tried, the scars from the accident still showed. These marks, reminders of a painful event, spoiled her otherwise smooth skin. They went across her cheek and jaw, silent but always there, telling stories of vulnerability. Every morning, as she looked in the mirror, she remembered the accident, the pain, and the breakup that came after. The scars seemed to mock her, not letting her forget, no matter how much makeup she used. She couldn’t change it. She traced it slowly with her finger, trying to hold back her tears. She didn’t want to ruin her makeup or her mood. With a sigh, she thought about accepting them. Maybe one day she will learn to see the scars as part of her story, a sign of her strength. But for now, they made her feel bitter, like marks on her face that she couldn’t erase. She was not excited about her 15th birthday party, where she had invited all her friends from school, especially Ethan, the boy who had broken her heart. She heard a knock on the door and turned around. It was Ava, Rose’s younger sister and also a popular girl who always got good grades and was good at sports. She was also very beautiful, with long blonde hair and blue eyes. She wore a simple black dress that contrasted with her fair skin. Rose felt a pang of insecurity as she compared herself to Ava. Ava was a tall, beautiful woman with a slim, model-like figure, while Rose was a curvy, short woman. “Hi, Ava. What’s up?” she asked. "Rose. Mom is calling you. She said it’s time to cut the cake," Ava said. “Oh, okay. Thanks for letting me know,” Rose said. She nodded and grabbed her purse. She followed Ava out of the room and headed to the living room, where a small party was being held. She saw her mom standing by the table, holding a cake with candles on it. She saw her dad holding a camera, ready to take pictures. Rose scanned the room, dreading to see Ethan among the guests. She had invited him to her 15th birthday party, along with all her other friends from school. He had been her boyfriend for a long time until he dumped her after the accident. He said he couldn’t be with an "ugly" girl like her anymore. He said he wanted someone who was beautiful and perfect, like Ava. He said he was sorry but he had to move on with his life. But Ethan did show up. Rose felt shocked and angry by his presence. ‘What is he doing here? Why did he come? Does he want to hurt me more?’ Rose was thinking about Ethan. She wondered why he came. She wondered if he had changed his mind or if he had other motives. She saw him but wished she hadn’t. She felt like she had nothing to celebrate or be happy about. She dragged herself to the table, where her mom greeted her with a hug and a kiss. “Happy birthday, Rose! You look beautiful today,” her mom Jennifer Anderson said. She was sad to see Rose’s sad face; she thought that Rose was not satisfied with the party or didn't want to celebrate it. But she didn’t know everything about Rose. She didn’t know about Rose’s breakup with Ethan or Rose’s plan to ignore him. She knew about Rose’s insecurity about her face. She knew about Rose’s loneliness and misery. But Jennifer thought that it was just Rose’s bad luck. “Thanks, Mom,” Rose said, forcing a smile. “Happy birthday, my princess," Rose’s dad, John Anderson, told her. She hugged him and forced a smile. She was in sadness when she saw Ethan coming towards her with his beautiful smile. Rose's heart skipped a beat. He looked handsome in his jeans and shirt. He had brown hair and green eyes that sparkled when he smiled. He smiled at Rose and said, "Hi, Rose. Happy birthday." Rose felt a rush of joy as she heard his voice. She smiled back and said, "Hi, Ethan. Thanks for coming." She moved aside to let him in, hoping that he would hug her or compliment her on her dress. But he didn't. Instead, he walked past her and went straight to Ava. He greeted Ava with a hug and said, "Hey, Ava. You look amazing." Ava hugged him back and said, "Thanks, Ethan. You look great too." They exchanged some more words and then walked away together, leaving Rose standing there in shock. Rose felt a surge of anger and jealousy as she watched them go. She couldn't believe that Ethan had ignored her and gone to Ava instead. She felt like he had betrayed her. She wanted to cry, but she held back her tears. She didn't want to ruin her party or show weakness in front of everyone. She tried to act normal and mingle with the other guests, but she couldn't stop thinking about Ethan and Ava. She saw them laughing and talking in a corner, looking like a perfect couple. They seemed oblivious to everyone else, including Rose. Rose looked at the cake and saw that it was chocolate, her favorite flavor. It had pink frosting and sprinkles, and it said “Happy 15th Birthday, Rose” in white letters. It looked delicious and festive, but Rose felt no appetite or joy. She felt like the cake was mocking her, reminding her of how unhappy she was. She asked her mom if she could cut the cake, hoping to end the party as soon as possible. She wanted to go to her room and cry, or maybe read a book and forget about everything. She wanted to be alone and away from everyone who had hurt her. But her mom said no. She said they had to wait for some more of her friends who hadn’t arrived yet. She said they would be there soon and they would make the party more fun and lively. She said Rose should be patient and polite and mingle with the guests. Rose felt a surge of anger and frustration as she heard her mom’s words. She knew that her mom didn’t understand her or care about her feelings. She just nodded and said okay. She just forced a smile and said thank you. She just pretended that everything was fine. Rose walked away from the table and sat in a corner of the living room, feeling miserable and lonely. After the cake-cutting, no one came near to Rose, everyone was enjoying themselves with their own friends, leaving Rose alone at the corner. Rose laughed to herself. ‘I was alone standing in the corner for my own party.’ She thought and tried not to break herself for that. Rose had no one to talk to or dance with. She had no one to share her cake or gifts with. She had no one to make her feel special or happy. Rose turned her gaze to the couch where Ava was sitting. After her accident, Ava had become the center of attention, the most popular and attractive girl in the room. This was also the source of Rose’s pain and envy. On her birthday, she wanted to be the center of attention, but her sister took her place. Rose felt a lump in her throat and blinked back tears. Before the party, she had asked Ava to be by her side. Rose knew that no one else would be on her side. She thought that Ava, being her sister, would understand her situation. She thought that Ava would help her cope with the accident that had left her scarred and broken. She thought that Ava would support her and protect her from the cruel stares and whispers. But Ava didn’t do that. Ava had ignored her plea and left her alone. Ava had acted like nothing had happened and enjoyed herself with her friends, had flirted with Ethan, the boy who had dumped Rose after the accident. She had betrayed her and hurt her. Now Rose was nervous and frightened. She wanted to spend time with only four people: her mom, dad, sister, and Ethan. But none of them were by her side. She felt alone and unloved. Rose felt a surge of anger and sadness as she saw Ava and Ethan dancing like a lovely couple. Everyone was clapping for them, even her mom and dad. Rose thought her parents would oppose their relationship, but they were acting as if Ethan had never cheated on their daughter, as if he had never broken her heart. They were smiling and cheering for them as if they were happy for them. Rose couldn’t stand it anymore. She felt like she was suffocating in the room. She excused herself and went to the kitchen to drink some water. She hoped to calm herself down and forget about the pain. She hoped to find some peace and solitude. But she was wrong. Rose was about to enter the kitchen but stopped hearing Jessica’s voice. Jessica whispered, "Look at Rose's dress. It's so tacky." She was talking to Tessa and Natalie. Tessa and Natalie were laughing as they heard what Jessica said. "She looks like a clown with all that makeup." All three of them agreed and started laughing. "Did you see the scar on her face? It's so ugly," Natalie said. They laughed at their jokes. Rose felt humiliated and hurt by their words. They were once her best friends, but after the accident, they had become friends with Ava, neglecting Rose. “Did you see the angry look on her face while watching Ava and Ethan? She's jealous of her own sister, she wants Ethan by her side, but who will love an 'ugly' face like hers,” Natalie said, and all three agreed. Rose felt humiliated and hurt by their words. Her once best friends are now mocking her and making fun of her. Tessa, Natalie, Jessica, and Rose used to be good friends, but after the accident, they became Ava’s friends, neglecting Rose. She wished they would stop talking about her or leave her alone. She wondered why they were so mean to her. She had never done anything wrong to them. She also wondered why no one defended her or stood up for her. She felt like she had no friends at all. Rose felt lonely and miserable at her party. She wished she could disappear or go back in time. Her parents were too busy entertaining the guests and making sure everything was perfect. They didn’t care about her or understand her feelings. They only cared about their reputation and image. They were ashamed of her and wished she was different. They made Rose feel like a burden and a mistake. She had no one. She was alone in a crowd of people who didn’t want her or love her. Rose was alone in a world that didn’t need her or value her. She was alone in a life that didn’t matter to anyone or anything. Rose had to get away. She ran upstairs, feeling lonely and humiliated, and her eyes fell on Ethan and Ava. They both entered Ava’s bedroom. Rose knew what would happen next, but she didn't have the strength to go there and see it with her own eyes. She ran to her room, slamming the door behind her and locking it. Rose threw herself on the bed, burying her face in the pillow and sobbing uncontrollably. She let out all the pain, anger, and sadness that she had been holding inside for so long. She cried for her lost dreams and hopes. She cried for her broken heart and soul. She cried about her miserable life. She cried to herself. Rose wished she could disappear. She wished she could die. She talked to herself in her sadness, trying to find some comfort or solace in her own voice. ‘Why does everyone hate me?’ she asked herself. ‘What did I do wrong? What’s wrong with me?’ ‘Why does no one care about me? Why does no one see me?’ ‘Why does he love Ava? Why does he choose her over me?’ She was crying like a mad woman.