HUES OF A MURDER

Chapter 11: The colour of danger is Orange!

It was almost a week after the squabble with Rowan at the café. Rose had been holed up in her bedroom every day since. Everyone had heard about the fight. Rumours spread like fire in a town like Maplewood. Her parents had confiscated her phone and Scarlett refused to share phone albeit Rose's persistence. She knew they wanted her to avoid social media. It made her more upset.

Rose was scared that everyone now saw her as a murderer. She refused Scarlett's pleas to have lunch at the Bluebells or Rusty' offer to let her hang out at the workshop. Her parents didn't say anything but fussed over her to the point that they were starting to annoy her.

Cyan came over with his brother Skye every day. Skye would drop him at her house and went with Rusty to the workshop. He said he was learning a new job, just in case. Jay had left for home.

Cyan brought her books from his collection. Rose spent her days reading or lying in bed and staring at the ceiling. She had stopped writing. She had felt that all the problems started with her writing. Scarlett and Cyan would encourage her but she refused to touch a pen. She didn't write in her journal either. There was nothing to write. All she did was brooding.

Rose even refused to hang out with Scarlett and Cyan. She lay on her bed most of the time, while her friends spent their time watching TV or whispering around. She knew that they were talking about murder behind her back. She expressed no interest in it. She had gathered from her parents' conversations that the police were stumped and there was no progress in the case. She was frustrated at this as it meant that she had to carry the stigma of being a murderer for years to come. Maplewood wasn't a town which forgot or forgave.

Rose dumped the book she was reading onto the bed. She didn't even feel like reading. She just wanted to get out of this town and never come back. She contemplated about eloping. She could change her appearance, have a new identity and live anonymously. But she couldn't do it. It meant leaving her family, leaving her dreams, leaving her friends. She suppressed a sob.

Poppy, who was lying beside Rose, raised her head and looked at her. Rose was astonished at Poppy's change in attitude towards her. She spent most of her time in Rose's bed or her lap. She ignored Rose no more. Rose was happy with the change. She rubbed Poppy's head and she purred.

"Want to grab lunch?" she asked Poppy who meowed at her. "Come on," she beckoned Poppy and went downstairs.

She could hear the low drone of a movie playing. Cyan and Scarlett were not paying attention to that. They were huddled together in the sofa, whispering.

Rose felt jealousy poking at her. She cleared her throat.

"Oh! Hey!" Scarlett jumped up.

Rose felt that her friend was looking guilty. "When did you come?" Rose asked Cyan ignoring Scarlett. Scarlett's face darkened.

Cyan's smile reached up to his eyes, "I got here about an hour ago. Grandma has sent lots of sandwiches and that apple pie you like."

"Why don't you sit? I will get our food." Scarlett tried to mask her unhappiness by sounding cheerful.

Rose shook her head. "I have to feed Poppy." She went to the kitchen followed by Scarlett.

"Are you OK, Rose? Maybe we should go out tonight. Just a night drive? It will be good to get out of the house," Scarlett stole a glance at Rose who was filling Poppy's plate. Poppy was patiently waiting.

Scarlett put the sandwiches neatly in three plates. She wondered if Rose heard her.

"You should go if you want to. I am not interested. You can go with Cyan," Rose clenched her teeth. She poured some orange juice in her cup and took a bite of the sandwich.