She is Not Who You Thought She Was

Chapter 51/Us?

Jefe emerged like a God. The short man from before still followed behind.

"This punching bag should be him." I muttered under my breath.

"You shouldn't say that aloud." Rock whispered and unwrapped his hands. "You can think that all you want. But you don't say it." He dumped the wrap in a plastic container with the others. He did not look at me for even a second. His eyes were glued on José.

José walked up to the desk where Lumberjack sat. He spoke to him, but I couldn't hear a word they were saying. I took two steps towards Jefe's direction but was stopped before anyone would even notice. Rock's long arm extended out in front of me blocking my path.

"Scarlett." He stared at me seriously but his eyes were painted a green brown. One shade I have yet to see. "That is the worst possible idea ever. And you know that." He is right. The worst thing I could do. I should keep on playing dumb like I did in the hall earlier. It is safer for me this way. I turned away with stiffness. "Just hold this for me." I spat at him and held my hands up waiting.

"Sorry princess. I gotta go." He walked past me. I watched him leave. He was going off with José. I swallowed thickly. "Hola Jefe, como estas." Rock spoke to him as he crossed the gym.

"Qué pasa con esa chica?" José spoke as all three of them glanced back at me.

"No sé." Rock shrugged and all three of them walked out together.

Fuck Spanish.

How could I forget his priority is Black Velvet? How could I think that Black Velvet and Jefe are so unimportant to Rock? I guess I never thought about what it would be like to see Rock with them. With his boss. Never imagined what it would be like, look like, or even how he would act. He doesn't seem that different, but one encounter can't confirm a dismissal of Rock being a different person when he is with them. Obviously including José Luña.

***

Securing the strap of my robe, I made my way down the stairs and to the door. Flora told me she was going to come over early so we wouldn't have to rush.

"Hey!" She squealed. Flora had her hair wrapped in a towel, a pink sweat suit on, and about three makeup bags overtaking her hands and arms.

"Is that all necessary?" I asked as I let her in and shut the door.

"Of course!" She exclaimed looking at me as if I had just sinned.

"This way." I took a few things from her hands to prevent them from toppling over.

I led her up to my room and let her use the vanity while I used a portable stand-up mirror on my bed. Before we could even start on anything my phone buzzed. I pulled it off my nightstand and Flora turned around watching me.

3:29 P.M.

Frostee- See you at 7 Red

"Who's that?" Flora asked as she applied a lip balm.

Me- See you then Blue

"Just...Thomas telling me when he's coming." I threw my phone back on its charger. Flora doesn't know much about our relationship. I think all she knows is that we started talking and he asked me to the ball. That is pretty much all there is to it anyway.

"OMG, I have to see the dress again." She pleaded and I obliged.

"Here." I unzipped the protective bag it was in.

"It's even more stunning than I remembered." She gushed. She looked at the bottom of the dress. "Wow, Señora Perez did a phenomenal job." She said studying all the areas that were altered.

"Oh by the way..." I started and Flora turned to me. I left the dress out of the bag as we walked out of the closet. "One of them told me that your mom paid for it...?" I asked hoping that she knew about this and I didn't just tell her something she didn't know about.

"Oh yeah." She giggled slightly as she searched through her makeup bags and I sat on the bed doing the same. "She told us Friday. She said she wanted to pay for it because she is so happy that you are friends with us." Flora explained.

"Us?" I questioned using a brush to apply some cover-up.

"Yeah Rock and me." She said nonchalantly but I froze. Rock too. She told Rock she paid for my dress and is happy I am friends with them. I guess she assumed we were friends when she caught us at the house the other day. I thought we made it clear we were only lab partners...I guess hanging out after breakfast when I talked to him about Frostee didn't make that statement true. I wonder how Rock reacted. Maybe we are friends. I tried my best to distance myself from him and only be lab partners. I even tried to make myself hate him, but none of that worked. He has weaseled his way into my life and I can't seem to get him out now. Although I'm not sure if I want him to.

"You okay?" She asked as she held a brow brush in her hand.

"Huh?" I answered subconsciously.

"I know my brother can be a pain in the ass, but I think being friends with you has made him...a less pain in the ass." She laughed at her poorly formed sentence.

"I don't want to know how he was before then." Our laughter filled the room.

"Even though he's been acting better than he had been before we all became friends. He is still Rock. Even though he acts like a perfect son for our mom and dad he isn't and he never will be. He is still Rock. He gets in trouble at school and most of the time he hangs out with the wrong crowd." I looked at her intensely. Does she know about Black Velvet? "I mean the drag racing. He can be so dumb sometimes." She rolls her eyes and I let out a breath. "Not only all that...he can't keep a girlfriend to save his life." I stopped blending my eyeshadow.

"Rock has girlfriends?"

"No. That's what I'm saying, He doesn't." Flora stares at me her familiar hazel eyes turning a dark brown and her posture becomes firm. "He is not boyfriend material."

***

About two and a half hours later and Flora and I had finished our hair, makeup, and we even did our nails. Flora said it was a 'must'. God, I can't help but love her.

The thought of my mother gone on a spa retreat this weekend eases my consciousness. I know that she is working to provide for us but it makes me feel guilty that she is having to work this job that basically breaks all her boundaries. She deserves better. Not only that but the thought of her being in Mr. Brandon Chase's office every day makes my skin crawl. She is still my mom and I know that if a job like this flew into her lap she'd take it no matter who her boss was. Thinking about whether or not she and Brandon still...talk makes me sick to my stomach. Seeing them together that night haunts me. I need to know if the same thing or god forbid even more happens when they are at work together.

Rock said something to me that night that I had just now realized would be helpful. 'You know, this isn't the first time. This isn't your mom's doing.' I have to talk to him tonight and figure out what he meant by that. That is going to be close to impossible. Frostee practically hates the idea of Rock being anywhere near me not to mention alone with me. How will I pull it off?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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P.K.