Broken Bridge

4

It was the day before what happened three years ago. Everyone was quiet, remembering. It seemed like the hate between Rose and the cousins greatened. Well, it did every summer around that day since it happened. No cousin would speak or even look at Rose for week. I know, it's weird. But, it's tradition. For everyone. Rose deserves it after what she did. But she doesn't act like it.

"Why are you guys ignoring me?" She demanded. No one spoke. Today, it was the silent treatment. Tomorrow, pretend like she ran away with some drunkie and got pregnant. Two days from now, no food. The rest of the week, more silent treatment. Rose should be used to it by now. But, she isn't.

We're on the roof, all of us. Me, Willow, Aurora, Olive, Jack, Cassie, and Leo. Day two of punishment for Rose. We're playing war. So far, only Olive's out of the game. Well, she has one card left which just got taken by Willow's king which had run that round. We played as the sun slowly edged across the sky. In the end, Aurora won (barely) and everyone went down to dinner. Today, it was a salad. Rose picked at her salad, not saying anything.

"Remember when Rose used to pick at her food?" Autumn asked.

"Oh, don't bring her up." Massie said. "I can't believe she was dumb enough to run off with that drunkie. When I meet him and I saw flies circling around him!"

"I don't know why Rose choose a creature like him." Carol said. I looked over at Rose and saw that she was practically boiling with rage. But she stayed silent.

"She always picked at her food." Autumn said. "It's such a waste honestly. The cooks worked hard to make the meals and all she did was play with it. So disrespectful. I though I raised her better." Rose slammed her fork down on the table.

"I'm right here!" She yelled. "Just tell me to stop doing something!"

"Do you hear something?" Leo asked. Everyone shook their head.

"Probably the wind." Olive said.

"Yeah." Leo agreed. "Probably the wind."

After dinner everyone went to bed 'cause it was really late. Rose looked really happy that dinner was over. This is how my family treats people who do something bad. Not bad like break Granie's favorite vace or yell at our mom or Aunts. Stuff like Arson, murder, attempted murder and stuff like that. Everyone knew that. Well, Rose must have thought she had been above the rules three years ago. Now she's dealing with the karma. I changed into my pajamas. Mom was staying in Castle Ivory with Grandpapa and Granie. I said goodnight to Willow and Aurora and went into my room. Some fragments of moonlight had escaped through a crack between my curtains and spilled onto the floor like translucent milk. I got into bed and closed my eyes.

"Luna!"

I jolted awake to see Willow and Aurora leaning over me.

"What's going on?" I asked, jumping out of bed.

"Rose is gone!" Willow said.

"We went to see Leo with the others and her room was empty!" Aurora said.

"We looked everywhere!" Cassie said. You had just noticed that your cousins were also in the room. "Everywhere!"

"She's gone." Jack said. "She left the island!"

"One of the little motorboats was taken." Olive informed you. "Rose must have taken it."

"She probably had enough of how we were treating her." Willow said.

"Well, she should have thought of that before she tried to kill me!" I said. "Do you know which way she went?" Everyone shook their heads.

"No trail, no distant dot, nothing." Leo said. "She must have left in the night when we were asleep."

"Have you tried calling her?" I asked. They nodded.

"No response." Leo said.

"Fuck." I muttered.

"Don't get too riled up about it." Aurora said. "It's all her fault. She tried to kill you." You nodded.

"Come on." Jack said. "Breakfast."

At breakfast everyone was silent. Rose's seat was empty.

"We shouldn't have done this." Autumn said. "We made her leave."

"It's her fault." Carol said. "She tried to kill Luna. She got her karma."

"But she can't survive on here own!" Autumn said. "How will she find her way back to Marc?"

"She's fifteen for god's sake!" Mom said. "Pull yourself together Autumn!" Autumn got up and stormed out. Me and my cousins looked at each other.

"What was that about?" Willow asked.

"She probably just got really mad or something." Aurora said.

I was currently in a room that I never thought I'd enter, ever. Rose's room. Me, Willow, Aurora, and my cousins are all inside. The pinkness of the room is blinding.

"I can't believe I'm saying this," Olive said. "But I miss Rose. She kinda held us together. Sort of. She gave us all something to hate. I know she's a brat." Everyone agreed and went to their separate things through out the room. I found myself looking at Rose's dresses. They were all shades of pink, purple, and red. Some of them were sparkly even. My eyes drifted down to her pairs of heels. Tall, small, medium. I closed the doors to the dresser and turned to survey the rest of the room. Pink. Clean. Rose.

Three summers ago, Rose was as full of herself as ever. One evening at dinnertime, she marched into the dinning room and opened her mouth to speak.

"I'm making a wish list." She said. "All of you will look at it and buy me at least two things on the list for my birthday." She put down a paper and sashayed out.

Rose's wishlist:

Lipstick

Music CD's

Dresses

High-heels

Makeup

Cards telling me I'm the best

"You've got to be kidding me." I said aloud. "We have to at least get her two of what's on the list? No way!" 

"It's something nice to do for your cousin." Mom said. Not that she's ever been nice to us. I thought.