a Kid called Rosie 🌸 Rosie arrived with pink sunglasses slipping down her nose, a perfectly pressed plaid skirt, and the quiet hope that nobody could tell how nervous she was. She stopped outside the room twice. Inside, the Beasts were laughing. Someone was telling a story far too loudly. Someone else was making it worse. It sounded like the sort of place where everybody already knew everybody. She straightened her cream collar and almost went home. Then a voice called out, “You coming in, or are you judging our outfits from there?” Rosie lowered her glasses. “Can’t I do both?” The room erupted. Someone pulled out a chair. And just like that, she stayed. Little by little, they came to know her. The girl who dressed like she had brunch reservations but stayed up far too late laughing with her people. Who could deliver a comeback without raising her voice, then quietly check on you afterward to make sure your heart was okay. She remembered small things. The day you were waiting for news. The dream you mentioned once and tried to laugh away. The difference between your usual silence and the kind that meant you needed company. For a long time, Rosie had saved her favorite clothes for special occasions. She had saved parts of herself, too. Her silliness. Her tenderness. The opinions she worried might take up too much room. Here, she began wearing all of them. Some nights, she laughed so hard her glasses fell off. Some nights, she had very little to say, and someone simply sat beside her. One evening, she spotted a new Beast hovering in the doorway, adjusting their sleeves, looking ready to leave. Rosie recognized that pause. She moved her bag from the empty chair beside her. “Come sit,” she said. “I need someone with taste on my side.” And before they could wonder whether they belonged, she was already making room. 🤍 #AKCB #Rosie