Rose's Rush Hour.

Chapter Twenty-six.

THIRD PERSON NARRATIVE

Poppy was angry, and she couldn’t pinpoint the exact cause of her anger. All she knew was that it settled in the moment she heard Edna was having a dinner to celebrate her birthday that evening.

It made her restless at home and before she knew it, she was marching towards the Chester household when dusk had fallen. She didn’t care that she was anything but dressed for a dinner party and simply barged into the house. It was empty with no furniture but decorated with something that was so Edna. It made her roll her eyes.

The only people in the room which should have been the sitting room, were Isabelle and Mrs. McGregory. Poppy’s anger levelled up when she spotted Belle. Edna had only met her like when, a week ago?

She stomped over to the two, keeping her glare on the dark haired beauty. “Where is she?”

Who was she angry at? At Edna or at Belle?

Belle turned her head and her eyes widened in surprise. “Poppy? Why are you-” She gave her a once-over and confusion was strewn over her face at the appearance of an uninvited guest.

“The birthday bozo. Where is she?” Poppy spat.

Belle quickly regained her composure and replied with a slight stutter, “Last I heard, she was headed to the kitchen to-”

Poppy didn’t let her finish and swiftly headed for the kitchen.

How dare she?

The cause of her anger had started to become clear the moment she saw Isabelle. But when she walked into the kitchen, the sight before her made her boil.

It was her. The impudent wench she’d despised ever since she learnt her name. Because would a poppy come close to the beauty of a rose?

She managed to look perfect in her grey and silver gown, and it matched well with her skin tone. She didn’t even need to try or care about what anyone else thought with how horrendously she was laughing – laughing with Edna.

The two of them stood near the table upon which the creamy birthday cake had been placed, completely lost in themselves.

“Careful or you’ll snort out my precious wine, dimwit!” Edna said between laughs. “And if you dare knock into my cake, I’ll carve your eyeballs out!”

Rosa threw her head back and laughed harder, eyes squeezed shut. Her hand shot out to grab the table, but she stumbled instead.

“Whoa!” Edna held her, leading her away from the table. “That’s enough now. I shouldn’t have given you any wine. Good Lord, you’re weeping! Nuh-uh.” She fished out a white handkerchief from her coat breast pocket and dabbed at Rosa’s eyes. “Have this, Nkwanzi. I need to head back and talk to mother about bringing the cake out. Stay here and compose yourself while I return, okay?”

Rosa sniffled as she nodded, dabbing her eyes with Edna’s handkerchief. But the wide smile never left her face.

Edna pinched her cheek before walking past and heading out the back yard through the front door.

The whole scene had left Poppy agitated to the point of fury. She was angry with everyone at the moment. Angry with Belle, with Edna, with stupid Rosa. Why were they all happy except for her?

She glowered at the dark skinned girl in front of her, who had finally calmed down from her high.

It had always been her. She was the bane of Poppy’s existence, the root cause of all her troubles. Everything would be so much better if she wasn’t in the picture.