The New Girl

The Offer

A few weeks later, there was no one who experienced playing the part of the victim of Rose Shaw. She seemed to be calmer the last time I confronted her with her..somewhat 'sins'. She didn't do anything I thought and so did many other students in North Wood High school. People started to notice Rose in a more respectful way rather than sensing her presence and then scattering away in the hallways. The girl who suffered from her beating was now healing very well and as for her boyfriend, they've broken up, due to the girl's father blaring profanities at him day in and day out. 

The victim who had his minor heart attack is now resting in the hospital, with his friends and family standing by him every step of the way until he is able to walk on his own two feet. The funny thing is from those two situations, those two victims were never close to death...never. Was Rose just warning them by punishing them with minor wounds emotionally and physically? As long as she isn't killing them, it's none of my concern. But how could she do all those things without laying a single finger on them? That very question baffled me as much as other questions that kept poking and probing at my brain.

"Do you want some of my apple?" I looked up and was startled at those big round brown eyes looking at me. Rose sat down beside me on the public bus as one person kept eyeing us from behind. 

"um.sure. This apple isn't...um--"

"Don't worry. It's not poisonous." she proved it by taking a big bite of it herself, "my step father owns an apple orchard somewhere out of town. We should...pick some apples some day." I took a glimpse at her as she smiled lightly, the corners of her lips slightly curled as her hair was curled at the ends.

she looked nice...I guess.

"Yeah, that would be great...next week then?" I offered.

"Yeah...that would be nice." she replied, staring out the window as the bus rolled into motion. The person who had been 'spying' on us was still looking intently at Rose, as if she were a long lost friend of some sort. I highly doubt that Rose Shaw ever had friends in her lifetime, since she is so different by being herself. Her being mute and so dark and mysterious made guys second guess her if they really wanted to sleep with her. And if one did actually attempt to drag her into bed, they would pray to the clouds one last time that he wouldn't be harmed in any means necessary.

"Who is that guy?" I asked, pointing at the guy sitting a row infront of us. Rose shrugged as she gestured me to take another bite of the apple. I took a bite and instantaneously felt juice trickle down the corner of my mouth. Wow, no wonder Rose took the smallest bites from her apple all those weeks ago. 

"An apple a day keeps the doctor away..." Or in this case, an apple a day keeps the Rose away. 

"True.." I said between bites, savouring each bite as I heard the most alluring sound that has ever met my senses. Rose's laughing sounded like a symphony of ringing bells dingling from every direction. okay I may be exaggerating a tad bit but...she still had that hold on me from day one. 

The guy seated in front of us took a glimpse at Rose laughing at me as he tensed up and turned away quickly. 

Who was that guy? I asked myself, trying to think while Rose looked at me.

Rose and I were strolling along the gravel path that led up to school grounds. A few students were staring from afar, their eyes glued temporarily to Rose as she walked along beside me as her eyes were lowered to the ground. It was times like these that they had to bother with her, even now, after a few weeks without anyone getting harmed in her dark presence. They were probably baffled as to why the anti-social freak was walking let along socializing with the school's major outcast. I didn't mind them as Rose seemed to be more calm than our last encounter all those weeks ago.