Just Rose

22

Despite the heartache and the torrential flood of tears she had finally drifted to sleep, curled on her bed, hugging fluffy cushions with Muffin laid across her hair. The last traces of alcohol finally dispersing into her bloodstream and sleeping away all the misery.

Her phone ringing had awoken her and disorientated she clambered up, looking for the shrill tone to shut it off. Her phone was still in her bag in the kitchen where she had left it and the walk through barefoot fully woke her up.

Dammit.

She had a ton of missed calls from her mother and several texts from Abby. It was getting late and checking the time on the phone she realised she should be getting dressed for the party. It was incredibly late already, but she no longer wanted to go.

Calling her mother back and hearing the slurring merry tones and background noise she realised that they had not left the fete to get ready but had simply followed the crowds into the manor straight from the activities as soon as the doors had opened. Abby had informed her, by yelling in the rear that most of the partygoers were still in shorts and sundresses and to hurry back just as she was. She was missing the time of her life. Abby also sounded suitably merry, her words slightly slurring.

She looked at her stained white dress and slid it off. Replacing it with a short black floaty dress that could be passed off as formal or casual with the change of shoes and make up. She fixed her hair into a messy up do and reapplied her makeup to look sultrier and more formal than her daily light touch. She looked better, less tired and frayed. Even the bags under her eyes were temporarily absent after a decent amount of shut eye.

She slipped on moderate heals but then thought better of the look, opting for flats and no jewellery. Didn't want to overdo it if everyone else was still in their outdoor outfits. It was borderline casual/formal and gave her an air of sophistication. Garden party glam.

She really did not feel up to this. Although the mirror told her otherwise. The memory of his kiss still lingering on her lips, her heart still fragile. She pushed it all down deep into the pit of her stomach, closing off her mind and gave herself that mental shake she needed. She had been getting better at this. She couldn't let her parents down. Or Abby!

Realising she could not drive, she managed to catch a lift from passing party goers heading to the party. They welcomed her into the car with bright smiles, complimenting how pretty she looked. All familiar faces scrubbed clean and sparkling for the night ahead. The fete, despite the growing darkness was still busy with teens and younger kids and the odd adult. Fairy lights illuminating the stands now and screams of delight still to be heard. It would carry on for a while out here. The fun and chaos still brewing between those too young to go to the dance.

A new large white tent had been erected on one of the cleared lawns and it seemed an underage disco was starting to get going. The DJ visible in the open doorway behind a large flashing podium, beats and thumps in time to his nodding head. Many suitable adults in yellow vests with various positions emblazoned across their backs overseeing the rabble of kids running in the flapping entranceway. She recognised no one and carried on past them.

Abby was waiting outside for her and broke into huge smiles at seeing Rose's arrival.