Bad Moon Rising

Chapter 1

               Rose

Normally I wouldn’t have had the energy to actually leave my abode of the welcoming covers and layers of comforters but the sunlight pouring into my eyes through the cracks in the heavy drapery of my curtains coupled with the realization that I had my graduation that day, somehow pulled me into a straight posture onto the bed. The covers fell away from my chest, gathering into my lap as I stretched out my arms wide, the posture being similar to that of Christ being on the cross.

Lazily, I pulled away the covers and shifted my warm feet onto the cold wooden floor causing a chilly current to run up my spine.  I got up and walked the length of the room to reach the full-length mirror which was placed by the window in order to look at my haggard face and slender body through the eyes of a glass which always told lies.

My eyes were always the same, turquoise blue with no black circles, a slender nose, full lips which people died to kiss, manageable chestnut brown-black hair which were always cropped into the latest fashion trends. A die-for body figure which people could only dream for so all-in-all, I was the perfect good-looking spoilt brat by all dictionary meanings who had everything yet nothing. Nothing as in like, love and friends and stuff but like I really cared about all that crap anyway.

My eyes wandered towards the clock which explicitly indicated that if I did not move myself fast enough then I was going to end up missing delivering my own graduation speech. I bathed, brushed, blow-dried my hair and quickly decided the clothes to wear which consisted of a pleated, checkered min-skirt coupled with a silk D&G creamy white top which I had bought only two days ago and cute gladiators’ heels.

I rushed down the enormous corridor and the spiral stairs to reach my aunt’s much-modernized kitchen to be welcomed by the homely smell of bacon and eggs. My aunt, Samantha, was standing with her back facing towards me working away at the stove with her auburn hair tied into a bun and was in her “outdoor clothes”.

She turned around at the heavy clattering of my heels down the stairs and spoke in her kind-naturely manner,

“All set to go? Wait a minute-“, she stopped in her tracks as she observed me from head to toe, “Rose! Please tell me you’re honestly not thinking of wearing that on your graduation day”

“Well, I did and now I am,” I said dismissively as I plucked an apple from the fruit bowl and gathered my dry-cleaned and well-ironed gown and cap from the counter , “And anyways, this is practically the time I’m going to be wearing something exciting since now I’m going to “law-school” “ I added disgruntled.

She chuckled at that and smiled which made the edges of her puppy-brown eyes crinkle. “Well, I suppose I could agree upon that. Anyways, I’m all set to go and Rose, I want you to finish all this breakfast now otherwise I’m not setting foot out of this house”

I looked at the plate filled with greasy bacon strips and my stomach lurched at the thought of all that fat going into my body, “I can’t. I already ate so much at night and secondly I’ve not been feeling my best so,….lets roll out” I said in order to divert her attention while she slowly wrapped everything up and grabbed the car keys.

She never said anything while she walked towards the car but she had this look on her face which interpreted an emotion which was hard to determine but gave an indication of absolute bewilderment which I could somehow not understand.

                                                                        *

As the car rolled into the high school car park I could already see the rush of people there. Parents anxious to capture every moment of their sons’ and daughters’ most important day through their cameras, girls standing in groups crying and hugging at each other, the jocks sitting in the school grounds discussing their new football t-shirts for their new college and the geeks all huddled up in a corner trying to configure some wiring through their computers to make the school lights to turn on.