Rosie knocks on the front door in the rain. An older woman opens the door and looks at the young girl. She opens the door so that Rosie could walk in. She does.
Before moving further into the house, the woman reminds her to leave her umbrella and wet shoes near the door. She rolls her eyes and does what she’s told. When she’s finished, she looks at the woman accompanying her.
Woman: He’s in his office.
Rosie looks away and walks down the long hallway. When she finally reaches the office, she walks in and sees Prescott sitting at the desk. He turns around when he hears one of the floorboards creak.
Prescott: *angry* I told you to knock before–
He notices Rosie standing there.
Prescott: *dismissive* Sorry, that wasn’t for you.
He turns around back towards his desk. Rosie slowly walks into the office where Prescott is.
Rosie: Everything alright?
Prescott: *annoyed* No, nothing is going right. My lousy fucking business partner doesn’t know how to fucking run his half of the business!
Rosie flinches at the volume of Prescott’s uproar. He looks at Rosie and takes a deep breath.
Prescott: I’m sorry, Rosie. I’m just really stressed.
Rosie: Yeah, well don’t take it out on me. I just wanted to check on you–
Prescott: You need more money?
Rosie is taken back. She gets angry.
Rosie: You think I just come over every time I need money?
Prescott: Well the last three times have been just that.
Rosie: Well you weren’t fucking complaining!
Prescott: I just asked you a simple fucking question, Rosie. No need to get upset over things that are the truth.
Rosie: *upset* Well excuse me for actually giving a shit about you. Like, when was the last time I saw your mom or dad home?
Prescott slaps Rosie across the face. Rosie holds her face in shock. Prescott remains stern.
Prescott: I don’t give a fuck about what you say, but don’t you dare talk about my family like you fucking know them.
Rosie doesn’t say anything. She grabs her bag and attempts to walk out. Prescott grabs her by the arm.
Rosie: Get off of me!
Prescott tries to get a hold of Rosie and when he successfully does, he kisses her. Rosie tries to stop it; Prescott grabs Rosie by the face to talk to her face-to-face.
Prescott: Let’s be honest with each other. You need money, and I need to get my mind off of things.
Rosie doesn’t say anything to Prescott. She continues to look at him directly in the face.
…
Rosie knocks on the front door in the rain. An older woman opens the door and looks at the young girl. The older woman smiles.
Jennifer: Hey, Rosie.
Jennifer lets Rosie into the house.
They walk into the living room area; Jennifer closes the door behind them.
Jennifer: Micah’s in his room.
Rosie: Thank you, Mrs. Kamalani.
Rosie walks toward Micah’s bedroom and knocks on the open door. Micah turns around from his desk to see Rosie standing at his door. He smiles.
Micah: Hey, Roe–
Micah attempts to clean up the space on his bed.
Micah: Sorry if it’s a mess, I didn’t get the chance to clean it up…
Rosie: Dude, you’re literally in a cast; you’re fine.
Micah shakes his head and laughs. Rosie comes into the room and helps him out. When they both get situated, Rosie goes into her bag and takes out a folder of papers for Micah.
Rosie: Here’re the notes you missed for the last couple of classes…
Micah: Thanks again for doing this. You know you didn’t have to do this.
Rosie doesn’t say anything; she takes out her books and goes to the page where she left off in her notes.
Rosie: It’s cool…
Micah looks at Rosie; concerned.
Micah: You’re okay, Roe?
Rosie: Yeah, I’m fine; just feeling a bit tired.
Micah: You know you don’t have to stay if you don’t want to. Like, you’ve been doing a lot for me anyway.
Rosie: *annoyed* I’m here already, so just drop it.
Micah slowly towards around toward his desk before Rosie speaks again.
Rosie: I’m sorry. That wasn’t for you, it’s just…
Rosie stops herself before she continues. She constructs what she wants to say in her head.
Rosie: … I’m having a shitty day.
Micah turns back around, placing his folder of notes on his desk.
Micah: Wanna talk about it?
Rosie: *shakes her head* No, it’s fine. I’ll deal with it.
Nothing is sad between them until Rosie looks at the bedroom wall and sees an award there with the name “Salem Kamalani.”
Rosie: *points towards the award* Is your first name Salem?
Micah looks at the direction Rosie’s hand is pointing, in which he looks back at Rosie.
Micah: Yeah.
Rosie: Is it, like, Salem as the “Salem Witch Trails”?
Micah: *scoffs* That is the very reason why I don’t go by my first name… It’s “Sal-lim”, not “Sal-lem”. I’m named after my great grandfather on my mom’s side.
Rosie nods.
Rosie: At least your name was thought out. Mine was picked just because my parents liked it.
Micah: But “Rosie” is a normal-sounding name. I kinda wish my parents thought about my name more before giving me something like “Salem”. I think my folks knew that in the beginning; they wouldn’t have called me “Micah” my whole life.
Rosie: So, “Salem” is now just your stage name?
Micah cocks his eyebrow up.
Micah: How would you know that?
Rosie: The waitress at the milkshake spot told me that only me and “Salem” get the peanut butter cup swirl milkshakes.
Micah: *laughs* I forgot about that! Yeah, I just use it as my stage name because it’s “edgy” and “different”… *thinks out loud* more like being a black sheep.
Rosie: *confused* You? A black sheep? *annoyed* You live in a house with your parents and sisters that love you. You’re trying to make your dream into reality with the support of your family having your back in school and funds and whatever the fuck you need in order to survive. You don’t have to hide who you are because your family will deem you a “black sheep”. Take it from somewhere who is a legit “black sheep”. You’re not one.
Rosie looks down at her notebook, flipping the pages and “studying”. Micah looks at Rosie, a little annoyed at her behavior.
Micah: My girlfriend broke up with me because I couldn’t adapt to her lifestyle in the way she wanted me to. I couldn’t be myself whenever it came to her. Like, I fucking had to fake an entire persona just so that the media would make her look good and decent.
Rosie: She’s a fucking brat, that’s why.
Micah: *annoyed* No, I didn’t fit into her lifestyle anymore. We weren’t on the same level anymore. She was maturing and getting her life together while I pretended to be put together. I couldn’t do it anymore, and I guess my lack of trying to fit into her world made her realize that taking a job in Sweden was more important than being with me.
Rosie: Not to be on her side, but she did what she wanted to do. She didn’t– and doesn’t– live to please you, just how’d you shouldn’t live to please her.
Micah: My point, Rosie, is that even though by your standards of what a “black sheep” I’m not one, you gotta remember you only know what I tell and show you. Just how I only know what you show and tell me.
Rosie’s face softens; she looks regretful.
Rosie: I’m… sorry. I shouldn’t have assumed but–
Rosie places her book on the bed and leans back on it with her arms.
Rosie: You have family and friends that care about you. Some of us black sheep don’t even have that much in our lives…
Micah gets up from his chair and limps his way next to Rosie. He sits next to her and gives her a hug. Once he breaks up the hug, he looks at Rosie who is now visibly confused.
Micah: I care about you, Roe, so you also don’t qualify with those “black sheep” you speak about.
Rosie slightly smiles.
Rosie: Thanks.
Rosie grabs her notebook from the side of the bed to place it in her bookbag.
Rosie: I have to get going, but I’ll make sure I have the other lessons photocopied for you.
Micah: Roe, you really don’t have to do all of that. That shit can get expensive.
Before Rosie zips her bag closed and puts it on her back, she looks at Micah.
Rosie: Too late, I already started doing this for you.
Rosie begins to walk out of the bedroom.
Micah: Thanks for stopping by, Roe. I really do appreciate it.
Rosie nods and leaves the bedroom. Once she walks toward the front door of the house, she begins to shed tears.
Letters From Liz. 