Welcome Home, Rose

Nine

*Flashback*

Her dad grounded her for the remainder of her Senior Year.

Elias Turner had been furious upon seeing the bruises decorating his daughter's skin. She refused to press charges, the only thing she wanted was to forget. Tyson managed to sneak her a few Jack and Cokes when their dad wasn't looking. She continued wearing her flannels with the sleeves down, she left her hair down to conceal her face. It did nothing to silence the whispers, the mighty Heather Turner fallen from grace. She hated being a Turner. Hated the expectations that came with it.

Finally, she understood why Tyson hated being here.

Instead of enduring another study hall of being stared and whispered at she opted to go to the library. The librarian, Ms. Hinzman gave her the key to the only study room their small school provided. She turned on the light, pulling the blinds down, and grabbed her iPod out of her bag. She placed her earbuds in her ears, taking her book out of her bag. She had long since abandoned doing homework at school. She needed something to keep her sane. Her father had taken her laptop, cell phone, forbidden her from using the home computer unless it was for school and she was supervised.

All this for dating a MacBride. She sighed angrily, turning the volume up letting the vocal stylings of Alex Varkatzas and Brandon Saller drown out the embers of her temper.

She didn't hear the door open, underneath the impression she had it locked. She didn't hear the sound of the chair being pulled out. What she did notice were a familiar pair of hands resting on the table. She paused the song taking her earbuds out of her ears.

"What are you doing here?" She hissed angrily.

"Would you believe me if I said I was here to apologize?" Shane's Irish accent heavy. It always was when he experienced strong emotions. She heard it plenty of times when he was beating the shit out of her.

"I've been told to never believe a word that comes out of a MacBride's mouth when their accents are strong." She kept her eyes glued to her book.

Keep your cool, be cold, and maybe he'll go away. She thought to herself.

"I see we've been talking to Cersei." He sighed heavily.

"When I can, not like I have much of a life." Heather mumbled.

"I am so sorry Rosie-"

"Heather." She growled, looking straight into the glacier blue eyes of her ex-boyfriend. He flinched at the harshness of her voice. "You lost all right to call me by my nickname when you started using me as your punching bag."

"Heather, I am truly sorry for what I did to you. I was jealous of Fender. The way you were when you were with him, it was a side of you that I never got to see." He rubbed the back of his neck.

Heather raised an eyebrow; in their four years of high school, she had seen Shane with multiple girls. Not once did he ever apologize for his actions or make amends for what he did. They had been off and on during their high school career. In the times they were off she would take it for herself. The boys in her grade were terrified to ask her out, one could only guess the reason why.

"There is a reason for that, you didn't want to know that side of me." She pointed out.

"I know, and I'm-"

"I swear to God, if you say you're sorry more time I'm going to start throwing punches." She rolled her eyes. "What do you want from me Shane?"