I Told the Stars about You

Chapter 30 : Blush

"I've got in!" Rose's voice drifts through my house and I wake up, sleepy, groggy. I rush to put on some boxers and sweatpants, thinking with a tired grin, what could she possibly be doing here at- I glance at the clock, look back at my bedroom door- 8:17 am?

Suddenly, just as I'm slipping on some flip flops, the door bursts open and Rose is standing there, in a flowery black sundress and a lose cream cardigan, a letter in her hand. She's smiling so brightly I don't know what to do with myself. It's so unexpected, her just showing up, no plan. And yet I couldn't be more happy she has. I suddenly wish I woke up at 8:17am every day. I wish I could see her like this every morning. I wish I could have her barge into my room whenever she wanted.

"I've got into GTT!" Excitedly, she runs up to me and jumps, wrapping her legs around my torso and her hands in my hair. "I don't know how, but I somehow got the grades and it was my top choice for university, and I- I just got the letter in the post right now. They'd love to have me and, well, I've been thinking about the tuition and-"

"Slow down, love." I chuckle, put her down carefully on my messy sheets. "Congratulations on getting in" I give her a quick peck on the lips, feeling her smile against mine.
"It's amazing you've done it- although I already knew you would." I whisper in her ear, pushing her hair away from her face.

"Awe, stop." At this point, we're not used to actually being sweet to each other. We tend to insult the other more than anything else in a joking manner that we both get humor out of. So, with this comment, I can tell I've caught her off guard.

Sometimes she's like this. Since the trial, she's been slightly on edge. It's been a week now, but I think she keeps expecting to see him at school, or when crossing the street, or at her house. She's been talking to Mrs. Plimmer, too, and I think she feels guilty for Jason being in jail. I think she links his sentence to herself, as if she's caused it, instead of seeing it as a consequence of his own actions on her. Because of all this, I tend to ease in to the sweetness, the kind words, because I know they're out of her comfort zone.

"Well of course you would, you know, being a nerd and all."

That comment gets me a pillow chucked at my face, which just makes me laugh harder.

"Hey!" She says, giggling herself, "Stop laughing! I'm not a nerd." She stand up so that she's taller than me, while I sit on the bed. Her hands on her hips. "I'm an extremely smart, gorgeous, outstanding student- who happens to get the best results in her year." She speaks matter-of-factly, leaning towards me from where she's standing."That doesn't make me a nerd."

"Yes, it does."

"No, it doesn't."

"Yes, it does." I repeat, leaning towards her.

She gives me a hard kiss on the lips, and as I'm about to kiss her back, to pull her onto me and make this last, she pulls away.

"No, it doesn't." She's grinning, knowing she's won. "And it's not my fault you just do basketball-this and basketball-that and, oh Rose" She lowers her tone, impersonating me terribly, "I can't meet up because Ryan and I are going to try and throw a ball in a net- doesn't that sound academic?"

I'm in he middle of holding my stomach from laughter and Rose moving towards the top of my bed to, most likely, find another pillow to throw on my face, when Mum walks in.

She's got the widest, cheekiest grin. "What are you both, three year olds?"

She'd already met Rose, right before the court trial, but at the time everyone was too nervous and anxious to actually be themselves. Rose looked like a ghost, as if she were in some alternate reality where none of the trial, Jason, her parent's mistake with Jason's little sister, had ever occurred. And my Mum, on the other hand, was too worried fussing over me. And do you know what you're going to say, Asher? And, are you sure? And, remember they ask really specific questions, you don't want to mess up. When they actually spoke, neither of them really knew what to say. It just wasn't the place for pleasantries. But now, I can tell from Mum's impression, that she wants to make up for lost time and gossip with her like school girls.