Whispers Among The Magnolias

Three

I closed the door behind me and tried to casually make my way back to the house. I walked around the pool to see Rose's crumpled cup on the grass. I picked it up and headed back into the house. The music was loud again as I walked into the kitchen, I tried to take my mind off of what I just saw, I pressed my foot on the trash can and dropped the cup in there.

"First time I've seen someone clean at a party that wasn't theirs," I heard someone shout behind me. I turned to see the guy who first greeted us when we walked in, if I'm assuming most of Chase's friends are from his various teams, this guy must've been a wrestler or a linebacker judging from his large arms that were stretching the sleeves on his pink polo, I looked down to notice that he only had one shoe on. I could see now under the dim kitchen lights he was ginger with a spray of dark freckles on his nose.

"Where is your other shoe?" I asked as he looked down at his feet noticing it with me.

"I thought something felt odd," He laughed as I nodded trying to get past him, he moved with me blocking my way.

"Why do you keep running away from me?" He leaned forward now and I could smell how much he'd been drinking.

"I'm not running, I'm trying to find someone, excuse me," I said but he didn't move.

"Tell me your name and I'll think about it," He said leaning forward now and placing his hand on the counter.

I felt an arm on my shoulder as I turned to see Rose staring up at the boy, "Nash don't be weird, she's not interested," Rose still sounded so sweet, even while telling him off.

Nash put his hands up like he was innocent as he gave me a wink before turning around stumbling somewhere else.

"Yuck," she said as she looked at me, "Are you okay? Nash can be a real flirt when he drinks," she said and I nodded.

"Yeah, can I talk to you about something though? Maybe away from the noise," I asked and she nodded holding out her hand. She led me through the party and downstairs to the basement. The basement was converted into a lounge area. Their were couches around a large TV. A small bar in the corner, a pool table, and a game of darts that someone had his hand on while his friend threw the darts around him. Other kids were scattered across the floor and sofas smoking. I looked over to see Hunter among them a bong pressed between his legs. As he laughed with a boy next to him as the boy coughed in his cowboy hat.

Guess I'm the designated driver tonight.

We kept walking past the lounge down a small hallway and into a small bathroom, Rose and I walked in before she closed the door behind us.

"What is it hun, did something happen," She asked as she closed the toilet lid sitting down.

I leaned my back on the sink, "I know I don't know you very well, or really at all, and I know everyone else even less. But I wouldn't feel right not saying anything, it seems like Mary," I said and she interrupted me,

"Mary Mae," she corrected and I nodded,

"Sorry Mary Mae, well it kind of seemed like, well not kind of but seemed like. Or just so happened that she uh," I took a deep breath as Rose looked at me puzzled, "When I was in the bathroom I overheard someone get, well slapped, when I came out Chase's face was all red, he seemed embarrassed and asked me to leave. I don't want to blow anything out of proportion, but is he like, okay?"

Rose sighed and looked at the ground but didn't look surprised, "It seems like you have a good heart darling, but some people can't be fixed. Chase and Mary Mae are, complicated, I've talked to them separately about the way they are, over the years, and each time I think it'll get better, it just doesn't. Each time I think they're done, they get back together. Each time I think either of them has changed, they haven't," She rubbed her arm again.