Blood Roses

chapter twelve

I stir and when my eyes shoot open I am stunned by the glare coming through the window.

Once my eyesight returns, I’m surprised that my laptop is still intact and on my lap. With weary eyes I switch it on once again and open up my emails. Only a few people have replied to my emails, three of the four thinking I am pranking them. Oh, boy are they wrong.

I go to testify against them, but the all too familiar screen of red pops up, I pull my hands away as a reflex and brace what is to come. A single symbol pops up in the corner this time and once again it blacks out. I continue to brace my barcode for what is to come, however it doesn’t. I leave the laptop sit on me for a while, keeping my hands away before placing it cautiously back on my desk, next to the Smart Laptop. I shudder, remembering what happened last time.

 What the hell just happened?

My eyes turn to the digital clock on my desk and I immediately stop short. It reads 8:21am. I’m late. The bus will be here any second and I’m still dressed in my YSL dress from last night and I have paid for leaving my makeup on, my eyes represent those of a panda’s.

After rushing around my room – and tripping a few times – I am finally ready. I have no time to take off my makeup so while I am running to the bus stop I gather rain in my hands and try to wash it off. I hope it doesn’t make it worse. Surely enough though, I have missed the bus and am forced to walk to school, no way would anyone at home drive me.

In the rain my shoes are soon soaked and squish whenever I walk. Under my umbrella I pull out my phone and decide to give Rose a call – I’m pretty sure today is one of the days she gets driven. When I go to unlock it, the screen stays black. I repetitively try, but it fails every time. I restart it, but not even the logo comes up. It was fully charged when I checked it this morning...

I keep walking at a fast pace and reach school, ten minutes late, but that just means less time in home class. Thank God. Another day with David and friend is another day needed in therapy.

~      ~     ~

“Stupid phone - just work!” Carrie barks as she puts it down on the table in frustration.

If it wasn’t for Rose and Lily I wouldn’t be sitting with Carrie and Abigail, and they wouldn’t be sitting with me. I sit here in silence and try to ignore Carrie as she is me.

“Maybe the battery died?” Rose questions.

“It was three-quarters charged just before. I haven’t used it since then.” Carrie taps it on the table in anger. “Why?” She moans.

I watch as Abigail pulls out her Blackberry. “Zilch.” She pouts.

“Mine’s dead too.” Lily has her Smartphone out now too.

“Mine has been dead since this morning.” I hesitate before I mention the laptop, “And my laptop died too. Both are fully charged and were working.” When I finish Carrie just looks around and hopes to not make eye contact with me. Real mature.

“Oi,” Rose hisses at us, “Look.” A younger girl, with an older model phone – probably a hand-me-down – walks past on a call.

“How?” Lily asks.

“Maybe it’s the connection?” Abigail flicks her hair in a know it all matter. I give a small scoff and Carrie shoots a look that could melt an iceberg.

“We always have the best connection and that girl that just passed seems to have it fine.” I look around the room again. There are people holding Smartphones and newer models angrily and other, less wealthy people with older phones are texting. “I think it could just be the new ones. Like iPhones and Blackberries.”