Expect The Unexpected

Chapter 4 5/5

Rosie

Lila stood in the doorway, eyes narrowed, looking angry and... irritated. Rosie and Nate whipped apart, blushing profusely. Lila raised an angry eyebrow before Rosie noticed that was still holding Nate's hand and she pulled it away, clutching her hands close to her chest in embarrassment. Lila glanced at Rosie before turning her attention to Nate.

"Hey, Nate. Can you leave, just for a little while? I need to talk to Rosie. Alone." 

Her emphasis on "alone" and the way her voice was so sickly sweet made Rosie's blood boil and her stomach churn with discomfort. 

Nate looked like she had just asked him to chop his own arm.

"Please, Nate? It's really important."

He sighed, slowly standing, turning to Rosie with a questioning look in his eyes. She pleaded with him using her eyes, trying to tell him to stay or at least go somewhere he could see her interaction with Lila while her voice said she could handle herself just fine. 

"It's okay, Nate. If Lila needs to talk to me, then Lila needs to talk to me and if she needs to do it alone, then so be it. I'll find you after. In the meantime, could you go down to the storage room and get the stuff my Maman needs for dinner? I'm sure she's been wondering where we are with the stuff."

Nate nodded briskly, walking toward the doorway, risking one last worried glance at Rosie before disappearing behind the wall.

"So. What did you want to talk to me about, Lila?" 

For a while, she was silent, looking at Rosie with a glint in her eyes that made Rosie tremble inside, but on the outside, she simply sat in the large chair, waiting for the other girl's response.

Suddenly and quickly, Lila reached Rosie in no more than 3 strides, looming over her and glaring severely.

Faster than she could blink, Lila's hand threw itself against Rosie's cheek, the contact firm and harsh, the loud slap ringing across the large room. Rosie's cheek stung, throbbing painfully. Tears pricked in her eyes, threatening to spill over. When she raised her gaze to face Lila, she found a sight she would never forget for as long as she lived.

Lila's eyes were narrowed severely, pupils spouting harsh, green fire, lips firmly together, face red with loathing, deep, strong malice emanating off her body, hands in tight, clenched fists.

Rosie shrunk back in the chair, a tear slipping down her injured cheek, causing it to sting and throb harder but she hardly felt it as more tears fell loose, running down her cheeks as though they were in a race, moving quickly to be the first tear to drip off her jawline and splash into her clasped hands that lay in her lap. She was saddened and unsure, shocked as to why Lila had slapped her. 

She struggled to find the right words, hesitant to speak, and afraid of her response. The longer Lila glared, seething at her, made her confidence waver and diminish but her desire and curiosity to know why Lila had done it helped her find enough courage and she spoke, her voice soft, hesitant but strong.

"Why...Why did you do that? I've never done anything to-"

"OF COURSE YOU DID! YOU'RE JUST LIKE MARINETTE, MOCKING ME, TURNING EVERYONE AGAINST ME WITH YOUR LITTLE LIES! MANIPULATING THEM INTO SIDING WITH YOU AND MAKING THEM BELIEVE YOU'RE A LITTLE ANGEL WHO EVERYONE LOVES! I'M NOW THE MONSTER, AND GUESS WHO MADE ME INTO IT?!?"

While Lila was screaming, her voice harsh, full of loathing, Rosie was pressed against the chair, sinking further into the cushioned back of the green piece of furniture. She desperately wanted to speak but was afraid to anger Lila even more than she already was.