Who Knows || Riff (West Side Story 2021)

Chapter 2

𝟸𝟷. 𝙳𝚎𝚌𝚎𝚖𝚋𝚎𝚛 𝟷𝟿𝟻𝟻

Over a week later, and little had changed for Rose Everly. There was still snow lining the streets, and busy American's of all kind bustling to and fro. There was still crime, and there was still so much to do; it was, after all, the land of opportunity. They only showed to Rose how lucky she was.

     Her brother were finally home for Christmas, and they would have fun together. Of course they would, they were the Everly's, it's what they do.

    As of every other day, Rose was inside of the post office. She'd left her brothers at home, but didn't worry. They could handle themselves: just not as well as Rose could handle herself. If she couldn't, then she would be drowned in Susan's comments.

     In only a few days, she'd gotten over another Mary Evettes scandal. There was another man, probably, that's what it usually was. This time, it was poor Barbara Letchworth who was getting her secrets revealed to Rose.

  "So Barbara, right, you know she's supposedly with Davy Mossop?" Susan nattered as she served a customer.

  Rose groaned. She didn't care. She never cared, but still, she listened. "Supposedly, yeah."

  "Well, Davy's a worker in a ship yard, you know. And, well, apparently Barbara's been seeing- actually-" she paused, and caused the younger brunette to sigh. Most of her day was filled with this: most of Rose's day was wasted because of this. "Well, you know Mary Evettes-"

  "I thought you were done talking about Mary Evettes?"

  "I was!" Susan exclaimed, before returning to a calmer manner. "But, it's her husband, John. You know John. John Copper Evettes?"

  "Yes, I know John. He went to the same school as Mikey." Rose was fed up already. There was so many words flying her way, that she was just going to agree with whatever was said.

  "Well, apparently, Barbara was seen with John on the docks."

  "There's nothing wrong with that." The girl sighed. "Barbara and Mary are friends. She's known John for years."

  "But they weren't just talking!" Susan slammed the counter with a pile of letters.

  "It's none of our business." Said Rose, and she moved away from behind the dark counter, to the front so she could help with the collection of post.

  With an eye roll, Susan huffed. "But they were kissing."

  "I don't care."

  "You're the most boring eighteen-year-old I've ever met!" She exclaimed like a child having a tantrum. "Anyone else would care!"

  "But I don't."

    There was silence.

    There was a silence, but only for a little while. In that short while, so much was said between the friends without words at all. Rose knew that maybe she was too harsh, but sometimes you have to be to get your point across. Anyway, Susan knew better than to challenge Rose: the younger would always win.

    It was silent, but only until the bell tinkled. The door opened, the women turned to face whoever their customers would be.